Abstract

The
aim of this paper is to extend the knowledge about virtual teams and
above all to stress the differences between face-to-face and virtual
teams as well as to define its chosen success factors. This paper is
based on an extended literature review of virtual teams. The author
describes virtual teams, reasons for their implementation and four
factors that are prerequisites for team success.

The first finding
is that the successful introduction of a virtual team and its
management requires knowledge about the special characteristics of this
team and the effective handling of challenges. Second, the literature
review of virtual teams reveals a lack of research on the differences in
motivation between face-to-face and virtual teams. The originality of
the article is ensured by selection of the most important factors which,
according to the literature review, lead to the success of virtual
teams and by a description of areas that need to be explored in the
future.