Preparation

To prepare for this assessment, complete the following:

• Research examples of team charters that are used in an organizational setting.
• Research the different types of virtual communication technologies currently available in the workplace, including both synchronous and asynchronous options.
• Research strategies for handling conflict in virtual teams.

Scenario

You are a human resource manager for a national organization with offices in all four U.S. time zones. You have been tasked with providing advice and recommendations for the launch of a virtual team that will collaborate on an important and highly confidential project. Team members will come from all major business units of the organization, and will be made up primarily of senior managers and directors. The team is expected to have its orientation meeting in two weeks, and will present the finished project to executive management 90 days after the orientation meeting. Keep in mind that you are not a member of this team; you are consulting and your assignment is complete when you have provided specific, relevant, actionable recommendations for their team charter and their communications strategies.

Deliverable

Your assignment is to write a report that will provide guidance to this team in two critical areas: the development of their team charter and a plan for communications strategies to support the team. Make sure that your advice is relevant, specific, and actionable. Support each of your recommendations with references from your research.

Your assessment should contain two distinct sections: Team Charter Recommendations and Communications and Collaboration Technology Recommendations. Include the following:

• Title page.
• Introduction (include a brief overview of the scenario).
• Team charter recommendations:
  • Executive summary (1–2 paragraphs).
  • Recommendations.
• Communications and collaboration technology recommendations:
  • Executive summary (1–2 paragraphs).
  • Recommendations.
• Conclusion (in 1–2 paragraphs, summarize your recommendations and the results you expect).

1. Recommendations for the team charter:

• Offer guidance on the development of this team’s contract—or constitution. What ground rules would you recommend? What counsel do you have to offer in terms of team members setting expectations with and for each other?
• Create a menu of options for the team charter for them to consider and offer an analysis of each of the elements you recommend.
• A very important part of these recommendations is guidance on how conflicts should be addressed and resolved. Offer an analysis of the predictable types of conflict, and specific processes for resolving the conflicts. Be practical and detailed in your approach, and support your recommendations with scholarly research. Among the questions you will answer are: is all conflict destructive, if conflict can be productive when and how should it be fostered, are there different types of conflict, if so what are different ways to resolve different types of conflict.

2. Recommendations for communications and collaboration technology:

• Recommend technology choices that will support this team’s virtual collaboration. Be specific in your recommendations about the use of synchronous and asynchronous technologies.
• Highlight the relative advantages and disadvantages of synchronous and asynchronous technologies, and give examples of when each type of technology is more appropriate. Help this team understand the right type of tool for the various communications challenges that are presented to a virtual team.
• Provide specific recommendations for technologies to support brainstorming, problem solving, and conflict resolution, and other predictable applications. Offer advice on shared work platforms that are appropriate to this team.

Formatting Requirements

• Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message and quality.
• Your report should be 10–12 content pages, in addition to a title page and references.
• Use 12-point, Times New Roman.
• Use at least three scholarly resources.
• Follow APA rules for attributing sources that support your analysis and conclusions. As a reminder related to using APA rules to ensure academic honesty:
  • When using a direct quote (using exact or nearly exact wording), you must enclose the quoted wording in quotation marks, immediately followed by an in-text citation. The source must then be listed in your references page.
  • When paraphrasing (using your own words to describe a nonoriginal idea), the paraphrased idea must be immediately followed by an in-text citation and the source must be listed in your references page.
    

    Communications and Technology Case Study Scoring Guide

    CRITERIA	NON-PERFORMANCE	BASIC	PROFICIENT	DISTINGUISHED
    Analyze strategies for initiating an effective virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of these strategies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Does not describe strategies for initiating an effective virtual team collaboration	Describes strategies for initiating an effective virtual team collaboration, but does not analyze the consequences or evaluate the outcomes of those strategies.	Analyzes strategies for initiating an effective virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of these strategies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Evaluates strategies for initiating an effective virtual team collaboration to highlight the potential benefits or costs that result from these strategies.
    Analyze strategies for addressing conflict in a virtual team in order to consider the consequences of these strategies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Does not describe strategies for addressing conflict in a virtual team.	Describes strategies for addressing conflict in a virtual team, but does not analyze the consequences or evaluate the outcomes of these strategies.	Analyzes strategies for addressing conflict in a virtual team in order to consider the consequences of these strategies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Evaluates strategies for addressing conflict in a virtual team to highlight the potential benefits or costs that result from these strategies.
    Analyze the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of the use of these technologies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Does not describe the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration.	Describes the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration, but does not analyze the consequences or evaluate the outcomes of the use of these technologies.	Analyzes the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of the use of these technologies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Evaluates the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration to highlight the potential benefits or costs that result from the use of these technologies.
    Analyze the use of asynchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of the use of these technologies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Does not describe the use of asynchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration.	Describes the use of synchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration, but does not analyze the consequences or evaluate the outcomes of the use of these technologies.	Analyzes the use of asynchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of the use of these technologies on the outcome of the collaboration.	Evaluates the use of asynchronous technologies in virtual team collaboration to highlight the potential benefits or costs that result from the use of these technologies.
    Evaluate types of applications of communication technology, specifically in relation to their use in virtual team collaborations in order to consider their consequences on the outcome of the collaboration.	Does not explain types of communication technology, specifically in relation to use in virtual team collaboration.	Explains types of applications of communication technology, specifically in relation to use in virtual team collaboration, but does not analyze the consequences or evaluate the outcomes of the use of these types of technology.	Evaluates types of applications of communication technology, specifically in relation to use in virtual team collaboration in order to consider the consequences of the use of these applications on the outcome of the collaboration.	Evaluates types of communication technology, specifically in relation to use in virtual team collaboration. Provides examples of appropriate and inappropriate use and describes a rationale for determining the appropriateness or inappropriateness.