Topic:
Implementing Virtual Teams for 3M Health Information Systems (3M HIS)
Paper details:
Scenario
3M Health Information Systems is merging an organization with offices in Paris, Tokyo, and Honolulu. The email was sent at 4:00 a.m., eastern standard time, so that employees in both organizations would receive the news within the same 24-hour period. You arrive at the office and head to your new team. This is everyones first day working together, though you usually wont be in the same place at the same time, given each team members demanding travel schedule. Your team reports directly to executive leadership.
Your team all heads into the CEO, Julia Riveras office. After introducing herself, she describes the assignment. We have to start collaborating and working with our counterparts in the other companypeople who are located in different places and different time zones. Listen. Ive assured the board of directors that this new merger will not result in constant travel for meetings.
I know this special projects team has the knowledge and resources to establish and support virtual teams across all four sites: our office here in the United States, Paris, Tokyo, and Honolulu. So, I need you all to provide me with a briefing presentation on virtual teams that I can present to the board. She explains the project: Virtual teams are quite common; however, weve had the luxury of everyone essentially being in one place. Well, no morewe need to formalize this policy. We need to present evidence to the board that virtual teams are the best way to proceed.
Deliverables
Create 3 PowerPoint slides (not including reference page) that show evidence to the board that virtual teams are the best way to proceed. The slides should focus be the most effective way to make decisions as a group; Identify optimal information and communication technology (ICT) (team communication) to facilitate communication, collaboration, and decision making;
Identify necessary training for virtual teams and consider the pros and cons of the CEO’s preference to conduct the team training online rather than with a preliminary face-to-face meeting; and lastly Include a cost-benefit analysis that helps the CEO understand the pros and cons of her preference for virtual teams. Refer to the Michel and Oliverio (2007) article in cost-benefit analysis. Present a model for virtually merging these four sites thats efficient, seamless, and cost-effective.
