The role and factors impacting virtual human resource management capacity to build remote teams' reliability and retention

  • Lucie Depoo University of Economics and Management
  • Aimee Hermida University of Economics and Management
Keywords: Remote work, web-enabled, human resources, management, virtual teams, retention

Abstract


The paper investigates the impact of virtual human resource management techniques on the effectiveness of remote teams and employee’s retention to the organization.  The paper provides relevant and new information on virtual teams given the transformational impact resulting from the COVID pandemic.  Data was gathered from 323 managers working with virtual teams formed a base for this study across the globe using an anonymous survey. Data was analysed by two-dimensional statistics. The findings revealed that the implementation of the VHRM has led to high productivity, effectiveness   and retention capacity of employees as they learn to adapt to the technological changes. Results demonstrate that adequate effort and resources invested in VHRM, human resource managers can identify and implement work efficient solutions, investing in new technology/tools for virtual teams (48%), improving communications (52%), and offering new upskilling opportunities for employees, that maximize employee output. Based on the results, remote team effectiveness is not directly affected by virtual work and mainly relates to the career possibilities as well as improved communication combined with professional development. Improvement is tied to integration of Artificial Intelligence, which significantly improve efficiency and workflows, awarding performance and supporting growth.

References

Abdulmuhsin, A.A., & Tarini, A. (2021). Impact of knowledge leadership on the challenges and innovative performance of virtual teams: An empirical examination in oil sector companies. International Journal of Knowledge Management Studies, 12 (1), 1-33.

Adamovic, M. (2018). An employee-focused human resource management perspective for the management of global virtual teams. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29 (14), 2159–2187.

Adiga, M., & Bassey, E.U. (2021). COVID-19 pandemic: implications on HRM and sustainability in the new normal. African Journal of Business and Economic Development, 1 (1), 29-42.

Alsharo, M., Gregg, D., & Ramirez, R. (2017). Virtual team effectiveness: The role of knowledge sharing and trust. Information & Management, 54 (4), 479–490.

Alzola, M. (2018). Decent work: the moral status of labour in human resource management. Journal of Business Ethics, 147 (4), 835–853.

Anderson, A.J., Kaplan, S.A., & Vega, R.P. (2015). The impact of telework on emotional experience: when, and for whom, does telework improve daily affective well-being? European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 24 (6), 882–897.

Andersson, U., Brewster, C.J., Minbaeva, D., Narula, R., & Wood, G.T. (2019). The IB/IHRM interface: Exploring the potential of intersectional theorising. Journal of World Business, 54 (5), 100998.

Aranaz-Andrés, J.M., McGee-Laso, A., Galán, J.C., Cantón, R., Mira, J., & on behalf of the team of work COVID-19. (2021). Activities and perceived risk of transmission and spread of SARS-CoV-2 among specialists and residents in a Third Level University Hospital in Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (6), 2838.

Aryan, R., & Sharma, D. (2018). Transforming HRM through technology: Future of HR. International Journal of Emerging Research in Management and Technology, 6 (6), 265.

Bartsch, S., Weber, E., Buttgen, M., & Huber, A. (2021). Leadership matters in crisis-induced digital transformation: how to lead service employees effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Service Management, 32 (1), 71-85.

Bekirogullari, Z., & Thambusamy, R.X. (2020). Virtual Leadership in Small Businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Possibilities. The European Journal of Social & Behavioral Sciences, 29 (3), 3214-3224.

Bell, E., Harley, B., & Bryman, A. (2019). Business research methods. Fifth edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Bolarinwa, O.A. (2015). Principles and methods of validity and reliability testing of questionnaires used in social and health science research. The Nigerian Postgraduate Medical Journal, 22 (4), 195–201.

Bolisani, E., Scarso, E., Ipsen, C., Kirchner, K., & Hansen, J.P. (2020). Working from home during COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and issues. Management & Marketing, 15 (s1), 458-476.

Borst, R.T., Kruyen, P.M., & Lako, C.J. (2019). Exploring the Job Demands–Resources Model of Work Engagement in Government: Bringing in a Psychological Perspective. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 39 (3), 372–397.

Brewster, C., Mayrhofer, W., & Smale, A. (2016). Crossing the streams: HRM in multinational enterprises and comparative HRM. Human Resource Management Review, 26 (4), 285–297.

Caligiuri, P., De Cieri, H., Minbaeva, D., Verbeke, A., & Zimmermann, A. (2020). International HRM insights for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for future research and practice. Journal of International Business Studies, 51 (5), 697-713.

Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (2020). Developing effective virtual teams. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Chen, Y. & Fulmer, I.S. (2018). Fine-tuning what we know about employees’ experience with flexible work arrangements and their job attitudes. Human Resource Management, 57 (1), 381–395.

Cochran, W.G. (1977). Sampling techniques. Third edition. John Wiley & Sons.

Conway, E., Fu, N., Monks, K., Alfes, K., & Bailey, C. (2016). Demands or Resources? The Relationship Between HR Practices, Employee Engagement and Emotional Exhaustion Within A Hybrid Model of Employment Relations. Human Resource Management, 55 (5), 901-917.

Ebrahim, N.A., Ahmed, S., Abdul-Rashid, S.H., & Taha, Z. (2012). Technology use in the virtual R&D teams. American Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 5 (1), 9-14.

Efimov, I., Harth, V., & Mache, S. (2020). Health-oriented employee leadership in virtual teams: a qualitative study with virtual teams. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17 (18), 6519-6529.

Elvira, M. (2017). Leading virtual teams: Managing geographically dispersed virtual teams is a growing reality. Here are five aspects that make all the difference. IESE Insight, 1 (34), 5.

Ferreira, R., Pereira, R., Bianchi, I.S., & da Silva, M.M. (2021). Decision factors for remote work adoption: advantages, disadvantages, driving forces and challenges. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7 (1), 70.

Gallego, J., Ortiz-Marcos, I., & Romero Ruiz, J. (2021). Main challenges during project planning when working with virtual teams. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162 (1), 120353.

Gebresenbet, M.W., & Ayele, M.A. (2017). Enhancing secondary school students’ understanding of descriptive statistics using a modelling instructional approach. Education Journal, 6 (1), 5-21.

Hewett, R., Shantz, A., Mundy, J., & Alfes, K. (2018). Attribution theories in Human Resource Management research: a review and research agenda. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29 (1), 87-126.

Hicks, M. (2018). How HR execs can use technology to connect a divided workforce. Strategic HR Review, 17 (1), 23-28.

Ipsen, C., van Veldhoven, M., Kirchner, K., & Hansen, J.P. (2021). Six key advantages and disadvantages of working from home in Europe during COVID-19. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (4), 1826.

Jackowska, M., & Lauring, J. (2021). What are the effects of working away from the workplace compared to using technology while being at the workplace? Assessing work context and personal context in a global virtual setting. Journal of International Management, 27 (1), 100826.

Kimble, C. (2011). Building effective virtual teams: How to overcome the problems of trust and identity in virtual teams. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 30 (2), 6-15.

Kirchner, K., Ipsen, C., & Hansen, J.P. (2021). COVID-19 leadership challenges in knowledge work. Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 19 (4), 493-500.

Liu, Z., Mei, S., & Guo, Y. (2021). Green human resource management, green organization identity and organizational citizenship behavior for the environment: the moderating effect of environmental values. Chinese Management Studies, 15(2), 290-304.

Lukić, J., & Vračar, M. (2018). Building and nurturing trust among members in virtual project teams. Strategic Management, 23 (3), 10-16.

Manea, A.A., Radzi, A.R., Rahman, R.A., & Haron, A.T. (2021). Strategies for virtual teams in construction: Easiness-effectiveness analysis. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 641, 012009.

Marlow, J., & Dabbish, L. (2012). Designing interventions to reduce the psychological distance in globally distributed teams. Proceedings of CSCW'12 Companion. New York: ACM, 163–166.

Marlow, S.L., Lacerenza, C.N., & Salas, E. (2017). Communication in virtual teams: A conceptual framework and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 27 (4), 575–589.

Morrison-Smith, S., & Ruiz, J. (2020). Challenges and Barriers in Virtual Teams: A Literature Review, SN Applied Science, 2, 1096.

Mysirlaki, S., & Fotini, P. (2020). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership in virtual teams: lessons from MMOGs. Leadership & Organization Development.

Newman, S.A., & Ford, R.C. (2021). Five steps to lading your team in the virtual COVID-19 workplace. Organizational Dynamics, 50 (1), 100802.

Nguyen-Duc, A., Cruzes, D. S., & Conradi, R. (2015). The impact of global dispersion on coordination, team performance and software quality – A systematic literature review. Information and Software Technology, 57, 277-294.

Parreira, M.R., Machado, K.B., Logares, R., Diniz-Filho, J.A., & Nabout, J.C. (2017). The roles of geographic distance and socioeconomic factors on international collaboration among ecologists. Scientometrics, 113 (3), 1539–1550.

Pinjani, P., & Palvia, P. (2013). Trust and knowledge sharing in diverse global virtual teams. Information & Management, 50 (4), 144–153.

Quade, M.J., McLarty, B.D., & Bonner, J.M. (2020). The influence of supervisor bottom-line mentality and employee bottom-line mentality on leader-member exchange and subsequent employee performance. Human Relations, 73 (8), 1157-1181.

Robert, L.P. (2016). Far but near or near but far? The effects of perceived distance on the relationship between geographic dispersion and perceived diversity. Proceedings of CHI’16. ACM, New York, 2461–2473.

Robert, L.P. Jr, & You, S. (2018). Are you satisfied yet? Shared leadership, individual trust, autonomy, and satisfaction in virtual teams. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 69 (4), 503–513.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2015). Research Methods for Business Students. s.l.: Pearson Education Limited.

Scott, C.P.R., & Wildman, J.L. (2015). Culture, communication, and conflict: A review of the global virtual team literature. Springer, New York.

Shaik, F.F., Makhecha, U.P. & Gouda, S.K., (2021). Work and non-work identities in global virtual teams: Role of Cultural intelligence in employee engagement. International Journal of Manpower, 42 (1), 51-78.

Shaik, R., Nambudiri, R., & Yadav, M.K. (2022). Mindfully performed organisational routines: reconciling the stability and change duality view. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 30 (4), 1019-1038.

Stich, J.F. (2020). A review of workplace stress in the virtual office. Intelligent Buildings International, 12 (3), 208-220.

Tenopir, C., Allard, S., Douglass, K., Aydinoglu, A.U., Wu, L., Read. E., Manoff, M., & Frame, M. (2011). Data sharing by scientists: practices and perceptions. PLoS ONE, 6 (6), e21101.

Trotter, M. (2016). The resilient practitioner: burnout and compassion fatigue prevention and self-care strategies for the helping professions. New York: Routledge.

van der Lippe, T., & Lippenyi, Z. (2020). Co-workers working from home and individual and team performance. New Technology, Work and Employment, 35 (1), 60-79.

Velez-Calle, A., Mariam, M., Gonzalez-Perez, M.A., Jimenez, A., Eisenberg, J., & Santamaria-Alvarez, S.M. (2020). When technological savviness overcomes cultural differences: millennials in global virtual teams. Critical Perspectives on International Business, 16 (3), 279-303.

Waizenegger, L., McKenna, B., Cai, W., & Bendz, T. (2020). An affordance perspective of team collaboration and enforced working from home during COVID-19. European Journal of Information Systems, 29 (4), 429-442.

Wang, L., Liao, S., Chen, M., Yang, D., & Dai, G. (2013). Transactive memory system theory in virtual teams: status and future. Advances in Psychological Science, 21 (8), 1512-1520.

Weber, E., Bartsch, S., Buttgen, M. & Huber, A. (2020). Leadership matters in crisis-induced digital transformation: how to lead service employees effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Service Management, 32(1), pp. 71-85.

Zafer, B. & Thambusamy, R. X. (2020). Virtual leadership in small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and opportunities. The European Journal of Social & Behavioral Sciences, 29(3), pp. 3214-3224.

Zaharie, M. (2021). Challenges, Trust and Performance in Virtual Teams: Examining the Role of Openness to Experience and Preference for Virtual Teams. Team Performance Management, 27 (3/4), 210-228.

Published
2024/05/20
Section
Original Scientific Paper