Global Virtual Teams: Resilient resources for psychological wellbeing and performance

A global working context typified by cross-boundary relationships, enabled by technology and necessitated by the global pandemic, has resulted in an unprecedented number of geographically diverse virtual teams, set to continue post Covid-19. The purpose of this research is to understand the psychological and social drivers that cause individuals, virtual and hybrid teams to become psychologically strained and ultimately burn out. In some situations, resilient teams are able to adapt and thrive from a wellbeing and mental health perspective, performing to the best of their abilities. As organisations reimagine the future of work, there is an opportunity and necessity for more teams to work virtually, whether on a full-or a part-time basis. Extensive research demonstrates that there are significantly more performance challenges for teams working virtually, the implications of which are not yet fully understood (Gilson, Maynard, Young, Vartiainen & Hakonen, 2015). There is also a dearth of research regarding the psychological wellbeing, social impact and psychosocial dynamics of virtual teaming (Joshi and Lazarova, 2005; Ebrahim, Ahmed & Taha, 2009; Gilson et al., 2015), which this study seeks to address. This study aims to advance our understanding of creating effective virtual
teams from a wellbeing and a performance perspective, as well as create innovative interventions that can be practically applied to help individuals, teams and organisations thrive.