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Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2023
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| _version_ | 1867613913744408576 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Dougall, Caitlin |
| author2 | Adams, Samantha |
| author_browse | Adams, Samantha Dougall, Caitlin |
| author_facet | Adams, Samantha Dougall, Caitlin |
| author_sort | Dougall, Caitlin |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127416 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:41.995Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/127416 Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study Dougall, Caitlin Adams, Samantha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Telecommuting -- Management Virtual work teams -- Management Employee motivation Organizational effectiveness UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2023. ENGLISH SUMMARY: The speed and magnitude of change, which characterises the current working environment, has significantly increased the complexity and diversity of organisational decisions. As a result, many organisations have looked to teams when faced with complex problems and decisions, seeking the knowledge, creativity and experience that only teams could provide. Virtual teams, in particular, have become increasingly important as organisations operate in dispersed geographic contexts within which they need to draw on the knowledge and skills of various experts that are not confined to one immediate geographic location. Teams can be extremely powerful when they function effectively however transforming a group of individuals into a team is challenging. Whilst the prevalence of virtual teams has increased, South African trends reveal that virtual teams are not yet fully optimised. Virtual teams are particularly vulnerable to mistrust, power struggles and communication breakdowns. The dynamics of working within a group of people is, additionally, said to impact the level of energy and motivation team members possess and virtual teams have been associated with lower levels of energy and vigor. In this regard, employee engagement is said to have far reaching implications on employee performance. Many organisations fail to establish and foster engagement, and as a result a thorough understanding of employee engagement and the organisation’s role in this regard is critical in fostering effective virtual teams. This investigation adopted a qualitative approach to explore the emergence of employee engagement within the context of virtual teams and understand how engagement contributes to team effectiveness. Further analysis, additionally, outlined the key determinants of employee engagement which can be nurtured by the managers and organisational leaders to ensure greater effectiveness in virtual teams. Furthermore, in light of the various identified objectives qualitative semi-structured interviews were selected to provide a detailed insight into the phenomenon in question. This study thus provides practical and theoretical insight in this regard and contributes to the important debate surrounding employee engagement in alternative work settings. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die spoed en omvang van verandering wat die huidige werksomgewing kenmerk, het die kompleksiteit en diversiteit van organisatoriese besluite aansienlik verhoog. Baie organisasies het gevolglik die gebruik van spanne oorweeg wanneer hulle voor komplekse probleme en besluite te staan kom, om daardeur die kennis, kreatiwiteit en ervaring wat slegs in spanne teenwoordig is, te verkry. Virtuele spanne het veral al hoe belangriker geword namate organisasies in verspreide geografiese kontekste funksioneer waarbinne hulle uit die kennis en vaardighede van verskeie kundiges wat nie tot een onmiddellike geografiese ligging beperk is nie, moet put. Spanne het veel mag wanneer hulle effektief funksioneer, maar om 'n groep individue in 'n span te omskep, is uitdagend. Terwyl die teenwoordigheid van virtuele spanne toegeneem het, toon Suid-Afrikaanse neigings dat virtuele spanne nog nie ten volle geoptimaliseer is nie. Virtuele spanne is veral kwesbaar ten opsigte van wantroue, magstryd en kommunikasie-onderbrekings. Daar word ook gese dat die dinamika van werk binne 'n groep mense 'n impak op die energievlak en motivering van spanlede het en virtuele spanne word met laer vlakke van energie en krag geassosieer. In hierdie verband word gese dat werknemerbetrokkenheid verreikende implikasies vir werknemerprestasie inhou. Baie organisasies slaag nie daarin om betrokkenheid te bewerkstellig en te bevorder nie, en gevolglik is 'n deeglike begrip van werknemerbetrokkenheid en die organisasie se rol in hierdie verband van kritieke belang in die bevordering van effektiewe virtuele spanne. Hierdie ondersoek het 'n kwalitatiewe benadering gevolg om die ontstaan van werknemerbetrokkenheid binne die konteks van virtuele spanne te verken en om te verstaan hoe betrokkenheid tot spandoeltreffendheid bydra. Verdere ontleding het ook die sleutelbepalers van werknemerbetrokkenheid uiteengesit om deur die bestuurders en organisatoriese leiers gekoester te word om groter doeltreffendheid in virtuele spanne te verseker. Verder is kwalitatiewe semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude in die lig van die verskillende geidentifiseerde doelwitte gekies om gedetailleerde insig in die betrokke verskynsel te verkry. Hierdie studie verskaf dus praktiese en teoretiese insig in hierdie verband en lewer ‘n bydrae by tot die belangrike debat rondom werknemerbetrokkenheid. Masters 2023-03-07T12:46:24Z 2023-05-18T07:21:08Z 2023-03-07T12:46:24Z 2023-05-18T07:21:08Z 2023-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127416 en_ZA Stellenbosch University viii, 164 pages ; includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Telecommuting -- Management Virtual work teams -- Management Employee motivation Organizational effectiveness UCTD Dougall, Caitlin Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title | Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title_full | Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title_short | Fostering employee engagement in virtual teams : a qualitative study |
| title_sort | fostering employee engagement in virtual teams a qualitative study |
| topic | Telecommuting -- Management Virtual work teams -- Management Employee motivation Organizational effectiveness UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/127416 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dougallcaitlin fosteringemployeeengagementinvirtualteamsaqualitativestudy |