This book presents managerial concepts and skills for leading virtual and/or global work teams. Geographically dispersed work teams have great challenges because distance causes problems with cohesion, coordination, and control. In addition, cultural differences can exacerbate these challenges. Cohesion is the trusted interactions among team members. Coordination is the collection of small adjustments made to keep on goal for unit supply operations and incorporate new situational awareness. Control keeps teams compliant with the mission and ensures it operates consistently within organizational regulations.

The book applies modern management concepts to these problems, and guides the reader through the following management domains:

• Review of the three categories of leadership theory and for each category an explanation of its suitability for leading a global virtual team.
• An understanding of the management problems encountered by virtual global virtual teams and how communications technology mitigates these issues.
• How to construct a communication plan and prepare the elements of the communication plan for a global virtual team.
• How to estimate the impact of cultural dimensions on leading global virtual teams by applying cultural modelling tools.
• Explains the general guidelines of using technical tools in virtual teams and how to construct a map of functional needs into specific virtual team technologies.
• This technology mapping includes prescribing the types of technology appropriate for each of the four categories of team function.
• Presents a thorough review of the critical functions for building a successful virtual team.
• Covers legal pitfalls that can undermine global virtual teams.
• Presents an approach to innovation that teams can apply to accomplish their mission. Readers will review the artificial intelligence approach Functional Reasoning in Design as a means to change driving forces in an environment as well as the recombination approach to innovation.