If you walk into Starbucks, what do you see? You might see a long line to order, but if you look around, you will notice people with their laptops out working hard. The increasing availability of technology has led to the creation of virtual teams, which gives employees the opportunity to work from home, or their desired location. Virtual teams function through technology, and are becoming more prominent in society today. For the purpose of this paper, I interviewed Carrie Love, a VIP travel consultant for BCD Travel. She is responsible for making air, car, and hotel accommodations. Although BCD Travel is located in Massachusetts, Carrie has the pleasure of working directly from home in Pennsylvania. Based on the interview, this paper will
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First, her favorite part about virtual work is the flexibility aspect. She is able to balance her work and personal life better than if she had a strict 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. job. She does not have to commute, worry about the wear and tear of her car, avoids typical office politics, and never has to call out sick. With this said, she experiences high employee satisfaction. In the Case Study, 5 Reasons Why Your Company Should Be Distributed, author Toni Schneider celebrates the fact that working from home increases employee satisfaction based on the flexible hours, no commute, and a personal work environment (2010). Carrie expressed these benefits during the interview. Distributing employees is also beneficial for BCD Travel, as they do not have to rent out an office space, or worry about leasing new facilities as their team grows. Her company gives her the opportunity to travel the world at a discounted cost, so she often brings her laptop with her to continue working. Second, she enjoys the limited status differences between her and her co-workers. In virtual teams, participants communicate on the basis of facts and their opinions, rather than on their social status. The interactions are more democratic; there is not one person dominating the conversation (Levi, 2017, p. 309). They view themselves as equals, and participate as such. Carries coworkers are distributed throughout the world, so she does not personally know many of them. This anonymity creates less pressure to conform to the majority opinions. (Levi, 2017, 310). While she does appreciate the anonymity aspect, it also has its
First, her favorite part about virtual work is the flexibility aspect. She is able to balance her work and personal life better than if she had a strict 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. job. She does not have to commute, worry about the wear and tear of her car, avoids typical office politics, and never has to call out sick. With this said, she experiences high employee satisfaction. In the Case Study, 5 Reasons Why Your Company Should Be Distributed, author Toni Schneider celebrates the fact that working from home increases employee satisfaction based on the flexible hours, no commute, and a personal work environment (2010). Carrie expressed these benefits during the interview. Distributing employees is also beneficial for BCD Travel, as they do not have to rent out an office space, or worry about leasing new facilities as their team grows. Her company gives her the opportunity to travel the world at a discounted cost, so she often brings her laptop with her to continue working. Second, she enjoys the limited status differences between her and her co-workers. In virtual teams, participants communicate on the basis of facts and their opinions, rather than on their social status. The interactions are more democratic; there is not one person dominating the conversation (Levi, 2017, p. 309). They view themselves as equals, and participate as such. Carries coworkers are distributed throughout the world, so she does not personally know many of them. This anonymity creates less pressure to conform to the majority opinions. (Levi, 2017, 310). While she does appreciate the anonymity aspect, it also has its