87% of office employees in multinational companies around the world perform at least a quarter of their work virtually. Most of them encounter problems with this type of work, but only 16% have received training to prepare for these challenges. These are fiindings of the 2012 Virtual Teams Survey Report - Challenges of Working in Virtual Teams by RW3, an intercultural communication training provider.
The study involved a record number of 3,300 people from 103 countries. According to RW3, the response rate itself indicates that the problems of virtual work belongs to the current human resource management issues that need more attention. Most respondents came from the USA (30%), UK (13%₎, India (7%) and Germany (5%). However, even Czechs participated (1%).
The study notes that decision-making in a virtual environment lasts longer and is more difficult. The lack of visual contact makes cooperation and team building more difficult. However, working across time zones and different cultures is the biggest overall obstacle for virtual workers.
Other findings of the study include:
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41% of virtual team members have never met their colleagues in person.
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33% of virtual workers work in teams the more than half of which are based outside their home country.
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70% of virtual workers see the biggest difference between traditional and virtual teams in the issue of conflict management, 55% in the expression of opinions and 55% in decision-making.
The most common challenges of virtual team meetings include:
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lack of time for building relationships (79%),
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slow speed of decision-making (73%),
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lack of participation (71%),
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different leadership styles (69%)
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decision making methods (55%).
The study is available for download on the RW3 website here.
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