In the competitive market, virtual
teams represent a growing response to the need for fasting
time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational
problems. Virtual teams enable organizations to pool the talents and
expertise of employees and non-employees by eliminating time and space
barriers. Nowadays companies are heavily investing in virtual team to
enhance their performance and competitiveness. Despite virtual team
growing prevalence, relatively little is known about this new form of
team. Hence the study offers an extensive literature review with
definitions of virtual teams and a structured analysis of the present
body of knowledge of virtual teams. First, we distinguish virtual teams
from conventional teams, different types of virtual teams to identify
where current knowledge applies. Second, we dis tinguish what is needed
for effective virtual team considering the people, process and
technology point of view and underlying characteristics of virtual teams
and challenges the entail. Finally we have identified and extended 12
key factors that need to be considered, and describes a methodology
focused on supporting virtual team working, with a new approach that has
not been specifically addressed in the existing literature and some
guide line for future research extracted. © 2009, INSInet Publication.

Effective virtual team; Literature review; Virtual team