Evaluating risk factors in the operation of virtual teams in ICT projects

Abstract

Advancements in communications technology, coupled with the remarkable difference of labour costs among countries, has fostered the delivery of projects through virtual teams. The purpose of this research is the development of an evaluation tool that can assist a project manager assess the operation of a virtual team. The proposed tool, mainly based on an intra-team survey, evaluates risk factors that may inhibit the performance of the team and thus affect project objectives. The research followed the literature review and the case study approach, where an evaluation tool was produced, run and validated. The literature review revealed that the thematic areas mostly related to risk factors of virtual teams delivering ICT projects are: a) teamwork, cohesion, trust b) internal processes c) communications and d) politics, ethics, culture. The main finding from the case study was that the evaluation tool may reveal risk factors that have not been identified earlier by the project manager.