Best Practices for Managing Dispersed Teams

Abstract

Virtual teams have become increasingly common, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various industries and organizations have transitioned to working remotely, and project management is no exception. Incorporating a dispersed team into the context of international projects further affects the project implementation, creating both benefits and challenges. This study examines the topic of international project management within dispersed teams and focuses on five core challenges, including: 1) language and communication issues, 2) time zone differences, 3) sociocultural differences, 4) motivation and negotiation issues, and 5) political issues. Using the five challenges as a foundation, study authors conducted semi-structured, open-ended interviews with project managers of diverse backgrounds to shed light on their experiences. Key findings from the interviews and scholarly research were utilized to generate best practices for project managers of dispersed teams spearheading global projects.