Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual TeamsGlobal management has slowly evolved from the industrial era to the contemporary era. Differences in organizational management have been significantly influenced by technological advancements and changing social and economic factors. In the industrial age, most organizations were run by hierarchical structures that had gaps between leaders and employees. Management dictated most activities and employees were barely involved in the decision-making process. Role specialization and division of responsibilities were common trends in hierarchical organizational structures, which prevented employees from participating in organizational activities. However, these practices have evolved gradually, particularly with advances in information technology. The availability of the Internet, intranets, and other communication features has enabled organizations to integrate employees and other stakeholders into their management (Kimball 2000). Additionally, advances in information technology have enabled organizations to move from industrial practices to contemporary management that involves the development and management of virtual teams. Virtual teams in an organization can be defined as a collection of individuals working together, primarily across geographic locations. isolated regions in independent space, time and boundaries, but with a common objective within the framework of organizational goals (Lipnack & Stamps 1997). Individuals selected to participate in virtual goals rely on information and communication technologies to improve integration and cohesion. Virtual teams are created for a common purpose and do not necessarily rely on paper, organizations can properly manage the flow of information, share activities and promote business growth. Works Cited Blaise, JB, Erich, BB & Phillip, WB 2008, 'Nature of virtual teams: a summary of their advantages and disadvantages', Management Research News vol. 31, no. 2, pp. 99 – 110. Kimball, L 2000, Intranet Decisions: Creating Your Organization's Internal Network, Miles River Press, Alexandria, VA. Kimball, CL & Barlow, A 2000, Effective Virtual Teams Through Communities of Practice, University of Strathclyde Press, Glasgow. Lipnack, J & Stamps, J 1997, Virtual teams. John Wiley and Sons, New York. Norton, B & Smith, C 1997, Understanding the virtual organization, Hauppauge, New York. Oravec, JA 2000, Virtual Individuals, Virtual Groups: Human Dimensions of Groupware and Computer Networking, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.