Motivating Virtually

1. Motivating Virtually

2. Much virtual work is conducted via virtual teams Physically dispersed individuals who interdependently achieve a common goal relying on technology

3. Virtual teams are characterized by a unique set of motivational challenges • Although these teams are very task-oriented, they tend to share substantially less social information than face-to-face teams • Much motivation stems from the types of interactions and relationships we share with others

4. Where is the trust? • Interpersonal trust is a foundation of motivation through connection with others • Members of virtual teams are put in situations in which they have to develop ‘virtual trust’

5. Virtual trust = Fragile trust

6. Because virtual teams limit the degree of face-to-face interaction: • members tend to not connect in meaningful ways that normally would motivate through sense of obligation to significant others • members tend not to develop a sense of “identity” with their team which would lead to motivation • the quality of communication is lacking

7. Communication plays a strong motivational role: • What is ‘said’ in the message • The tone with which it was conveyed • How messengers ‘looks’ when they communicate • In virtual communication, the message content is often truncated, it is difficult to ascertain tone, and recipient has no visual cues

8. Members experience substantially lower satisfaction in virtual teams • do not experience sense of psychological safety • tend not to “enjoy” their team work as much • not “intrinsically” motivating

9. In virtual teams it is easier for members to “disappear” ~ social loafing more apt to occur

10. How to avoid motivational pitfalls of virtual teams

11. The individual virtual worker • Many of the social issues related to motivation through interpersonal means apply to individual workers as well • Worker may lose sense of connection and identity and become isolated • Worker may lose sense of shared values and goals that places him/her in the midst of the organizational community

12. Motivational paradox of independent virtual workers • They tend to be intrinsically motivated to work effectively (e.g., sense of achievement and drive) and have more intrinsic aspects associated with their work in terms of flexibility and autonomy • They tend to be more ‘equity sensitive’ perceiving more instances of being treated unfairly in terms of extrinsic factors and they come to place a higher premium on extrinsic factors such as money