You are a member of your company's organizational development team. Executive leaders have asked this group to help diagnose some of the organization's problems involving virtual team success. Each year, teams of managers are assembled from across several global business units to tackle issues identified by executive leaders. Each team is expected to work on its assignment for 12 months. Many teams in the past have been very effective; they have delivered specific, workable solutions that were responsible for important improvements to the organization. But just as many teams have become ineffective, stalled, and even disbanded with little or no results to show for their time and effort.

You have been asked to review the scholarly and professional research on virtual team dynamics, including the predictable stages of virtual team development, and to formulate recommendations for your executive leaders to use in helping the next group of teams to recognize and move successfully through these stages. Your report will be used to guide the next group of virtual teams.