The application and impact of using virtual team in Middle East (case study)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify the application and impact of using virtual team in Middle East in construction field. The literature and various studies concluded that virtual teams are still in its nascent stages and because of the relative newness of virtual teams; many areas of research have not been examined, especially Middle East region. Studies like these are rare or not exist in our region. This paper is an endeavor to facilitate using of virtual team in Middle East, types of virtual team, challenges of virtual team and benefits of virtual team. The data were collected from construction organizations in Middle East. In all, 140 self-administered questionnaires were distributed among these organizations of different countries and they returned 100 completed useable questionnaires for response rate of 71.4%. The statistical analysis showed that only 37.60% of companies in middle east using virtual team. Due to these result a large engineering effort is needed. This study is hoping presents a useful source of information which would benefit organizations that achieved a global scope of work by using virtual team in Middle East.

Keywords: Virtual team, construction field, Middle East.