Running head: PREPARING EMPLOYEES 1

Preparing Employees to Work in a Virtual Environment

Jessica Carlson

College of St. Scholastica

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Project Committee:

Kent Lacy, Ed.D.

Erik Burns, M.A., M.B.A.

Approved on December 9, 2013

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business

Administration, The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN

 UMI Number: 1553209

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PREPARING EMPLOYEES 2

Acknowledgements

To Bill and my parents for always believing in me. Thank you for the unconditional love

and support and for providing me with the advice and encouragement to accomplish my goals.

Kent, your assistance has been invaluable. Thank you for all you have done to guide me

through this project.

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PREPARING EMPLOYEES 3

Abstract

There is a trend toward virtual work environments and work teams which has been made

possible by advances in uses of the Internet through evolutionary communication technologies.

Virtual work teams allow for collaboration across regions and among a diverse group of

employees which is beneficial to many organizations. Today’s organizations are challenged to

effectively prepare employees to work in a virtual environment using available communication

technologies. To be successful in a virtual work team, organizations need to ensure that their

employees are provided with the proper tools and training. Virtual work environments often lack

opportunities for face-to-face communication which can make group collaboration difficult. For

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this reason, training is essential for employees, management, and leaders and is the initial
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introduction to developing trust and fostering team-building. When developing training programs

one must incorporate best practices to ensure the training is robust and will meet the organization
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and the team needs. Maintaining and implementing training programs that incorporate and

adhere to best practices are the first step to preparing employees to be successful in a virtual
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environment.

Keywords: virtual work, virtual work teams, communication technology, communication,

telework, employee training, onboarding, virtual communication

PREPARING EMPLOYEES 4

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 6

Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 7

Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................................... 9

Research Question .................................................................................................................... 10

Definition of Terms................................................................................................................... 10

Significance of Study ................................................................................................................ 11

Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 12

Literature Review.......................................................................................................................... 13

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Evolution and Use of Communication Technology.................................................................. 13
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Best Practices ............................................................................................................................ 16

Virtual Team Development....................................................................................................... 17

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Onboarding and Training Programs.......................................................................................... 19

Literature Review Synthesis ..................................................................................................... 22

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Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 22

Use of Communication Technology ......................................................................................... 23

Virtual Team Member Onboarding .......................................................................................... 24

Virtual Employee Training ....................................................................................................... 25

Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 28

Use of Communication Technology ......................................................................................... 29

Virtual Team Member Onboarding .......................................................................................... 31

Virtual Employee Training ....................................................................................................... 32

Virtual Team Member Integration and Socialization ............................................................... 34

PREPARING EMPLOYEES 5

Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 35

Suggestions for Future Research .............................................................................................. 36

References ..................................................................................................................................... 38

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PREPARING EMPLOYEES 6

Introduction

Starting a new job is never easy. This is especially true at a time when businesses are

faced with increased technological and global expansion and a heavy reliance on communication

technologies in order to keep up with the competition (Daim et al., 2012; Lurey & Raisinghani,

2001). It’s no secret that advances in technology have had a large impact on the business world.

Global competition, reengineered product life cycles, mass customization, and a need to quickly

respond to customers are just some examples of the flexibility that organizations are expected to

have (Powell, Piccoli, & Ives, 2004). All of these changes have forced businesses to stay on their

toes, make fast changes, and adapt quickly; however, it’s not just businesses that are forced to

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change and adapt quickly, employees must also adjust at a fast pace.
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The trend toward virtual work environments has been made possible by technological

advances, but at the same time organizations need to ensure that their employees are provided
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with the proper tools and technology training to work in a virtual environment (McNeill, 2012;

Rosen, Furst, & Blackburn, 2006). In today’s fast-paced business world, employees especially
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those who work remotely, need to understand the communication technologies available to them

and know how to use them in the most efficient way possible (Berry, 2011; Hillman, 2010;

Rosen et al., 2006). Examples of common communication technologies available in most

organizations include mobile phones, text messaging, the Internet, personal computers, instant

messenger, email, and video conferencing. While for many, these tools make it easier to conduct

business and have allowed for increased flexibility in the workplace, they can also present

challenges and inefficiencies if there isn’t proper training and comprehension of how to use them

(Rosen et al., 2006).

PREPARING EMPLOYEES 7

Statement of the Problem

In the global business world, technology plays an important role in achieving success

(Berry, 2011; Grosse, 2002). Technological advancements make it possible for employees to

work remotely (telework) and to collaborate as part of a virtual team (Grosse, 2002; Ruiz &

Walling, 2005). In today’s work environment it’s commonplace to work with team members in

different buildings, across the country, and even across the globe. Now more than ever it’s

possible, and at times essential, to work on a global platform while communicating via virtual

communication technologies with few (if any) face-to-face conversations with colleagues

(Cooper & Kurland, 2002; Ruiz & Walling, 2005). In this environment, communication is

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essential for information sharing, collaboration, and team building (Ale Ebrahim, et al., 2009).
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This means that establishing mutual trust, understanding of job roles, and responsibilities among

team members can be more difficult, but is extremely important to success (Akkirman & Harris,
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2013; Grosse, 2002; Rosen et al., 2006).

The advances in technology and virtual communication technologies have allowed for
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increased flexibility for businesses and employees along with many other benefits. According to

Ruiz and Walling (2005), telecommunication technologies allow for increased participation in

the labor market and have the ability to change different aspects of working life. In fact,

“teleworking has the potential to change working patterns and to impact on the health, safety,

and welfare of the workers involved” (Ruiz & Walling, 2005, p. 417). Furthermore, analysts and

policy makers are paying close attention to telework arrangements as it widens employee

opportunities and allows individuals to remain in employment (Ruiz & Walling, 2005).

As the business world continues to adopt virtual communication technologies,

organizations, senior leadership, managers, and employees have been forced to adjust their
PREPARING EMPLOYEES 8

communication and working styles. For this reason, it is important for employees to understand

how to communicate in a virtual environment and to effectively use the tools provided to do so.

For many organizations this means that there will need to be some changes with regard to the

employee training process in order to account for a heavy reliance on virtual communication

technologies. It is an organization’s responsibility to provide employees with the knowledge and

tools necessary for success in order to guide employees to be efficient and productive

(Blackburn, Furst, & Rosen, 2003; Hillman, 2010). If an organization does not provide adequate

training and work to ensure comprehension and understanding of tools available then the

organization may face more challenges when trying to establish a virtual work environment

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(Blackburn et al., 2003).
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One way that organizations can help employees understand and develop skills to work in

a virtual environment is through new employee onboarding and training programs. Employee
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onboarding as defined by Rolková (n.d.) is the process new employees go through to gain the

knowledge, skills, and behaviors necessary to become effective members of the business. This
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process is intended to ensure that employees have the tools and the knowledge to fulfill their job

requirements and enhance the organization. Effective onboarding incorporates Human Resource

(HR) with learning and development functions to design and facilitate formal training (Vernon,

2012). In a virtual organization it is even more important to establish an effective onboarding

program as it is highly unlikely that employees will work face-to-face and there will be a heavy

reliance on communication technologies. It can be difficult to retain employees without

providing training and a thorough understanding of company expectations regarding the use of

virtual communication technologies (McNeil, 2012). Furthermore, it can be difficult to ensure

that employees are effectively and efficiently using the communication tools available to them.