Why virtual teams work – State of the art

Abstract

Teams in most work contexts work virtually to different degrees, for example in three-dimensional virtual environments. Regarding the development of new information and communication technology, an important question is, what influence the pervasion of innovative electronic devices, virtual and augmented reality as well as the respective software have on individual behavior and as a consequence on working processes. Industry as much as research embraces and analyzes processes and factors that influence virtual teamwork. In this paper a literature review is presented in order to merge findings of factors that influence the performance of virtual teamwork, such as the degree of virtuality and the presence of shared mental models. Results are presented as synthesis of these findings and a research agenda is derived.