1.6 Summary

In order to meet the challenges of today’s business environment, working in teams has become commonplace. With the opportunities made possible by technological developments, these teams are becoming increasingly virtual, i.e. geographically dispersed and using technology-mediated communication. Because almost all knowledge workers use technology-mediated tools and thus work virtually, it is important to acknowledge the 'level' of virtuality when discussing the development and challenges of virtual teams.

As working with different levels of virtuality is becoming more common, the competencies required to perform these tasks need to be investigated and refined. The areas in which skills will need to be honed are, along with general teamwork skills, the optimal use of technological devices and  communication strategies to deal with geographical dispersion and diversity.