1. How does trust and respect facilitate the virtual teams’ ability to operate?

2. What processes and procedures are important to making the teams work?

3. Why do you think Sheila is having trouble in her role on the new team?

4. What factors should you consider when putting together a virtual team?

Shelia works for an energy company in the wind turbine manufacturing division as an inventory controller. Her job duties include receiving, inventorying, and moving components to wind field sites. Components are made by firms in the United States and China. Sheila is based in the Greenville, NC, plant and works with teams in Schenectady, NY; Houston, TX; and Pensacola, FL. Most of the work Sheila does with her teams is through the phone, e-mail, and occasional web meeting. Working with such spread out teams that span the globe as well as several organizations creates challenges. However, most of the time the job and relationship between team members goes smoothly thanks to relationships, processes, and procedures that have been set in place to help with those challenges. Currently a new team is being formed in the wind division to deal with components that are damaged in transit. A ticket system has been set up for the wind farm site team to put in reports of damaged parts.