Global virtual teams, project ambiguity, trust, and effective communication in senior capstone courses

In the current global business environment, the ability of engineering and engineering technology graduates to work effectively in virtual teams becomes an important part of educational objectives for universities and colleges around the world. The virtual team is a relatively new phenomenon, where many advantages exist for companies and its employees. A team could be assembled on short notice, employing the best specialists around the globe. It can be extremely flexible, inexpensive, and could improve resource utilization. It is possible to accomplish a goal and to disband a team as quickly as it appears. However, the concept comes with challenges, such as communication, which is less effective than face-to-face meetings. It is also harder to manage virtual teams. Time differences, lack of socialization, coordination, technical issues, and technological proficiencies are among other potential problems. This paper describes a series of international collaborative projects between US and Danish students, the challenges they faced, possible solutions, and lessons learned.