Virtual team performance factors: a systematic review of available literature

Abstract : This research presents a plan for and performs a systematic literature survey in order to identify the critical success factors and critical failure factors that are associated with virtual teams. The question of what makes virtual teams successful or not is of great importance considering their widespread use in business. A preliminary literature review identified key terms and definitions in the field, which were used in the development of a survey methodology. Search terms were developed and criteria for inclusion and exclusion of survey literature detailed. Of the over 9800 results initially returned, 135 articles from peer-reviewed English journals were analysed. The results were coded into 91 identified factors with 354 individual hypotheses or propositions. These factors were grouped and the impact of these groups on performance and their status in literature were determined. It was found that beneficial interpersonal characteristics such as empathy or behavioural flexibility were the most commonly identified factors in virtual team performance, followed by trust, and the appropriate functionality and richness of communication technology used by the team. The most significant failure factors in virtual teams were found to be the effects of geographic and temporal dispersion, the effects of cultural diversity, and negative leadership qualities such as bias. Additional analysis was performed on the state of the literature with trends such increasing research over time, the significant presence of factors such as trust, communication technology and dispersion, along with the correlation of factors that are common to each other in research.M.Ing. (Engineering Management