Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research assignment was conducted to evaluate the influential dimensions for building high performing teams in virtual organisations. The new business unit, Middle East and Africa has the challenge of operating globally for the first time. The leadership has the daunting task of getting the virtual team to become a high performance team. An intensive literature review was conducted to draw on the knowledge of previous theory for both high performance teams as well as virtual organisations. A representative sample of the organisation’s leadership was interviewed by means of an online questionnaire, whilst employees were survey by means of both physical and online surveys. The results provided insights into the dimensions that strongly influence high performance teams in virtual global organisations. A deeper understanding of success factors that influence team performance and virtual organisations were learnt and recommendations was made to the company.

Increasingly, knowledge-based tasks such as new product development and market research are being conducted by geographically dispersed teams. Early evidence from knowledge-based view of the firm and geographically dispersed work literatures suggests that at least four kinds of knowledge gaps---transactive memory system, mutual knowledge, categorization and situated knowledge---exist because of the (dispersed) structure of the knowledge management context . Dispersed members therefore cannot take for granted that they have a common context, making dispersed collaboration problematic. / The dissertation - a qualitative, theory-generating exercise - seeks to address the question, 'how do dispersed teams collaborate to create useful knowledge?' Specifically, the research question examines the integral elements of the knowledge creation process, the negotiation of knowledge gaps for co-creating a common context, and the association between the negotiation of these gaps with the efficiency of the knowledge creation process, effectiveness of new knowledge created, and cohesion in the team. This research has been conducted in two phases - an exploratory ethnographic study followed by a replication study. / Analysis of the data instead directed my attention to the critical role of moderating variables such as degree of familiarity among dispersed team members, degree of redundancy of knowledge structures among them and the nature of task on the perceived presence or absence of gaps. These findings clarify the literature by differentiating between the structure and the properties of the knowledge management context and therefore develop a more comprehensive model of these moderating variables that have the potential to affect the dispersed knowledge creation process. Specifically, the findings demonstrate that degree of redundancy is positively associated with the efficiency of the knowledge creation process. These studies also suggest that dispersed collaboration may be less different from collocated collaboration than previously thought. Finally, these studies contribute to the dispersed work literature by suggesting that all kinds of dispersed work are not alike and face-to-face meetings may not be necessary for all types of dispersed work. / These findings are used to develop a theory of dispersed knowledge work and have implications for determining whether and in what contexts geographic distance matters for conducting knowledge work. One implication is that perceptions of distance may be at least as important as the objective aspects of distance. Another implication is that whether geographic distance matters will actually depend upon the competitive strategy of the firm.

This study sought to develop an understanding of the characteristics associated with strategic planning for information systems within a virtual organization. The literature review identified characteristics associated with strategic information systems planning (SISP) for the traditional single organization and general characteristics associated with virtual organizations. The key questions addressed in this research were: what are the characteristics of strategic planning for information systems within a virtual organization, and what are the characteristics of strategic planning processes for information systems within a virtual organization. / The findings of this study identified characteristics associated with strategic planning, and strategic planning processes for information systems within a virtual organization. The findings indicate that some of the characteristics associated with SISP in the traditional single organization are still applicable within the virtual organization. / However, the findings did reveal new characteristics associated with strategic planning, and strategic planning processes, for information systems within a virtual organization. This exploratory study makes a contribution to the establishment of a knowledge base for strategic planning for information systems within a virtual organization. / Thesis (PhDManagement)--University of South Australia, 2004.

D.Phil. / This exploratory study looks at the barriers to virtual working as experienced by members of global virtual teams in a major Information Technology company. The data were collected by means of an online survey, and were subjected to detailed analysis. The initial survey measured respondents' levels of agreement with statements in the areas of Trust, Communications, Conflict and Virtual Work Self-Efficacy, which had all been identified by earlier research and literature review. Data reduction of the responses revealed the emergence of several factors, including ones related to virtual work facility, conflict, communications and vicarious learning. The research uncovered interesting facts about the barriers that virtual workers perceive to working virtually, as well as their views on the effectiveness of virtual working and the need for physical contact with fellow workers. The study ends with interpretation of the emergent factors and their interrelationships, and with the significance of this for organisations wishing to implement virtual team working

No description available.

Mini-study project (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The differentiating factor of the twenty-first century will not be the size and scope of a company's resources, the global economy makes it possible for almost every organisation to gain access to any resources. It will also not be about possessing the intellectual capital, knowledge, and expertise but the ability to source it. To be the best a company can no longer afford to specialise in every aspect of its business, and purchasing everything that might become obsolete in a while is not an option. More and more companies outsouree some of their non-core activities, leveraging the investments others made by taking advantage of the outsourcing partner's skills, in order to concentrate on their core competencies. Continuing to perform an activity in-house, while not being the best in the world at it is to forfeit competitive advantage. By outsourcing to the best, the company can use the time saved to concentrate on its core competencies and probably save some money in the process. An organisation can further also only grow at the rate at which it can expand its capacity when it is carrying out all functions internal, possibly costing valuable market share. It is not merely a question of whether the benefits outweigh the costs of outsourcing but rather a question of whether outsourcing is the right strategy for one's specific situation and whether the outsourcing contracts can be designed, implemented and managed in such a way that the benefits do exceed the costs. Constant organisational change and -alteration is a given. Stable organisational structures are something of the past. Networks are formed according to the skills required for the job at hand and once the project is complete the network will disband. Activities are outsourced to the best candidates and coordinated or managed by a project manager or -coordinator. Prepared or not, the virtual revolution has arrived. Two of the main drivers of organisational change and the consequent emergence of the virtual organisation are (1) the changing market conditions - different customer requirements will have different skill needs, and demand will dictate the formation of the virtual organisation; and (2) the fast development of Information and Communication Technology - with the latter changing virtually every site with access into a surrogate office. With the latest technological developments, even the excuse of not having access is becoming a lame one. A virtual organisation's strategy involves a substantial amount of outsourced activities and sometimes even total outsourcing. Every outsourced activity in turn is handled as a project or a task of a project, making a virtual organisation a project-driven one. Running a virtual venture is therefore all about coordinating and managing outsourced projects, and a company's expertise in doing this will determine its success or failure. Sound project management principles and techniques, discussed in this dissertation, can be used to not only start up a virtual company, but also to run it. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderskeidingsfaktor van die een-en-twintigste eeu sal nie die grootte en die omvang van 'n maatskappy se hulpbronne wees nie, want die globale ekonomie maak dit vir bykans elke organisasie moontlik om toegang te verkry tot enige hulpbron. Dit sal ook nie gaan oor die besit van intellektuele kapitaal, kennis en kundigheid nie, maar die vermoë om dit te bekom. Om die beste te wees, sal 'n maatskappy nie langer kan bekostig om in elke aspek van sy besigheid te spesialiseer nie, en die aankoop van dit wat gou in onbruik kan raak is nie 'n opsie nie. AI hoe meer maatskappye kontrakteer van hul nie-kern aktiwiteite uit, en benut daardeur die beleggings wat ander maak deur voordeel te trek uit die uitgekontrakteerde vennoot se kundigheid, om sodoende te konsentreer op hul eie kern vaardighede. Om aan te hou om aktiwiteite intern uit te voer, sonder om die wêreld se beste daarin te wees, is om die kompeterende voorsprong te versaak. Deur uit te kontrakteer aan die beste, kan die maatskappy die gespaarde tyd gebruik om te konsentreer op sy kern vaardighede en waarskynlik geld spaar in die proses. Verder kan 'n organisasie wat al sy funksies intern uitvoer, ook slegs groei teen die tempo waarteen dit sy kapasiteit kan uitbrei, waarskynlik ten koste van waardevolle markaandeel. Dit gaan nie net oor die vraag of die voordele verbonde aan uitkontraktering opweeg teen die nadele daaraan verbonde nie, maar eerder of uitkontraktering die regte strategie vir die spesifieke situasie is en of uitkontraktering ooreenkomste so ontwerp, geïmplementeer en bestuur kan word dat die voordele die nadele oorskry. Voortdurende organisatoriese verandering en -wysiging is 'n gegewe. Stabiele organisatoriese strukture is iets van die verlede. Netwerke word gevorm volgens die vaardighede wat benodig word vir die werk op hande en sodra die projek voltooi is ontbind die netwerk. Aktiwiteite word uitgekontrakteer aan die beste kandidate en gekoordineer of bestuur deur 'n projekbestuurder of -koërdlneerder. Die virtuele revolusie het aangebreek, of ons nou gereed is daarvoor of nie. Twee hoof dryfvere agter organisatoriese verandering en die gevolglike totstandkoming van die virtuele organisasie, is (1) veranderende marktoestande - verskillende kliëntbehoeftes sal verskillende vaardighede vereis, en aanvraag sal die vorming van die virtuele organisasie dikteer; en (2) vinnige ontwikkeling van Informasie en Kommunikasie Tegnologie - met laasgenoemde wat bykans elke plek met web toegang verander na In surrogaat kantoor. Met die nuutste tegnologiese ontwikkeling sal selfs die verskoning van nie toegang hê nie In flou een word. Die strategie van In virtuele organisasie behels In aansienlike hoeveelheid uitgekontrakteerde aktiwiteite en soms selfs algehele uitkontraktering. Elke uitgekontrakteerde aktiwiteit word op sy beurt hanteer as In projek of In sub-taak van In projek, en dit maak van virtuele organisasie projek gedrewe organisasies. Die bestuur van In virtuele onderneming is dus gebaseer op die koordinering en bestuur van uitgekontrakteerde projekte, en In maatskappy se kundigheid hierin sal sy suksesse of mislukkings bepaal. Goeie projek bestuur beginsels en tegnieke, bespreek in hierdie verhandeling, kan gebruik word om nie net In virtuele maatskappy op die been te bring nie, maar ook om dit te bestuur.

Zugl.: Wien, Univ., Diss., 2006. / Also available in print.

Zugl.: Wien, University, Diss., 2006. / Description based on print version record.

M. Tech. Business Administration / Working from home is a worldwide trend and effect companies in various ways. With advancement of the information technology and Internet the virtual organizations have become a trend with more and more professionals working from home. Several studies have focused mostly in developed nations with little or no research found in the South African context. This study focused on South African circumstances and examined the cost saving implications for Business Connexion and their employees if they would be able and allowed to work from home. Further, relationships between operational and professional factors, with virtual work were studied.

Communication technologies have become a central characteristic of workplace functioning. The literature has suggested that the use of these technologies fundamentally changes the manner in which team members interact. The present study sought to reorganize previous research on the impact of virtuality on team emergent states and behavioral processes to elucidate how different degrees of team virtuality shape team functioning, and to investigate the manner in which these relationships differ according to team type, team membership stability, and publication year. Findings from 174 studies (total number of teams = 9204; total N approximately 26,050) suggest that there is not a strong relationship between team virtuality and emergent states and behavioral processes. However, moderator analyses revealed that a reliance on highly virtual tools may be most detrimental to action teams and ad hoc teams. Moreover, findings demonstrate that the degree to which virtuality shapes team transition and action process may be changing over time.