Keywords
Global Virtual Collaboration
Technology
Leadership in Remote Teams
HR Professional Service Industry
International Management
How to Cite
Abstract
The debate over remote work continues to intensify as major global companies call for a return to in-person operations, driven by concerns over disrupted communication and productivity. However, technological advancements, access to a global talent pool, and growing employee demand for flexibility suggest that remote work is a long-term trend. This study investigates collaboration in remote-first, globally distributed teams, with a focus on the HR professional services industry. Based on a survey of employees across 45 countries, the study offers practical recommendations for managing global virtual teams across time zones, such as adopting culturally agile leadership, utilizing advanced digital platforms, and implementing clear communication protocols. The findings highlight the critical role of strong leadership, effective communication, inclusivity, and trust in fostering successful collaboration. While technology plays a key role, leadership’s ability to cultivate trust and encourage knowledge sharing emerged as the most significant factor. The study also found that cultural diversity did not significantly hinder collaboration, but it reinforced the importance of inclusive leadership and structured digital workflows to address potential challenges. These insights contribute to the growing body of knowledge on remote work models and emphasize the need for further research into long-term global virtual collaboration, particularly in non-tech industries. The findings provide valuable guidance for managers and HR professionals navigating the complexities of managing remote work in a globalized context.
References
Abarca, V. M. G., Palos-Sanchez, P. R., & Rus-Arias, E. (2020). Working in virtual teams: A systematic literature review and a bibliometric analysis. IEEE Access, 8, Article 3023546. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2020.3023546
Adamovic, M. (2022). How does employee cultural background influence the effects of telework on job stress? The roles of power distance, individualism, and beliefs about telework. International Journal of Information Management, 62, 102437. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2021.102437
Afandy, D., Gunawan, A., Stoffers, J., Kornarius, Y. P., & Caroline, A. (2022). Improving knowledge-sharing intentions: A study in Indonesian service industries. Sustainability, 14(14), 8305. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148305
Batarseh, F. S., Usher, J. M., & Daspit, J. J. (2016). Collaboration capability in virtual teams: Examining the influence on diversity and innovation. International Journal of Innovation Management, 21(4), 1750034. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1363919617500347
Blau, P. (1977). Inequality and heterogeneity. Free Press.
Boyd, C. (2021). Communication, collaboration, and trust within virtual teams [Doctoral dissertation, Liberty University, School of Business]. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4033&context=doctoral
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Breevaart, K., & de Vries, R. E. (2019). Followers' HEXACO personality traits and preference for charismatic, relationship-oriented, and task-oriented leadership. Journal of Business and Psychology, 36, 253–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-019-09671-6
Choi, O., & Cho, E. (2019). The mechanism of trust affecting collaboration in virtual teams and the moderating roles of the culture of autonomy and task complexity. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 305–315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.09.032
Colvin, G. (2023, January 13). Goldman Sachs' CEO called on all employees to return full-time to the office a year ago. Many still aren't showing up. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2023/01/13/goldman-sachs-employees-back-in-the-office-one-year-later/
Dahan, S., & Bouaziz, P. (2023, August). What is an employer of record? Here's how they can help firms embrace global working. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/08/what-is-employer-of-record-global-remote-working/
Davidavi?ien?, V., Al Majzoub, K., & Meidute-Kavaliauskiene, O. (2020). Factors affecting knowledge sharing in virtual teams. Sustainability, 12(6917). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176917
Gardner, H. (2015). Teamwork and collaboration in professional service firms: Evolution, challenges, and opportunities. In L. Empson, D. Muzio, J. Broschak, & B. Hinings (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of professional service firms (pp. 374–402). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199682393.001.0001
Garro-Abarca, V., Palos-Sanchez, P., & Aguayo-Camacho, M. (2021). Virtual teams in times of pandemic: Factors that influence performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 624637. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624637
Goldberg, E. (2023, July 8). Even Zoom is making people return to the office. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/business/zoom-return-to-office.html
Goswami, R. (2023, May 16). Elon Musk: Working from home is 'morally wrong' when service workers still have to show up. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/16/elon-musk-work-from-home-morally-wrong-when-some-have-to-show-up.html
Hill, N. S., & Bartol, K. M. (2018). Five ways to improve communication in virtual teams. MIT Sloan Management Review, 60(1), 1–5.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind – Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival. McGraw-Hill.
House, R., Javidan, M., Hanges, P., & Dorfman, P. (2002). Understanding cultures and implicit leadership theories across the globe: An introduction to project GLOBE. Journal of World Business, 37(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1090-9516(01)00069-4
Jiang, D.-Y., & Chia-Hua. (2022). The role of cultural values in global virtual teams: Chinese culture as an example. In V. Taras (Ed.), The X-Culture handbook of collaboration and problem solving in global virtual teams (pp. 132–138). UNC Greensboro University Libraries.
Kucharska, W., & Erickson, S. (2020). The influence of IT-competency dimensions on job satisfaction, knowledge sharing, and performance across industries. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 50(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-06-2019-0098
Maynard, T., Mathieu, J. E., Gilson, L. L., Sanchez, D. R., & Dean, M. D. (2019). Do I really know you and does it matter? Unpacking the relationship between familiarity and information elaboration in global virtual teams. Group & Organization Management, 44(1), 3–38. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601118785842
Meluso, J., Johnson, S., & Bagrow, J. P. (2020). Making virtual teams work: Redesigning virtual collaboration for the future. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344975722_Making_Virtual_Teams_Work_Redesigning_Virtual_Collaboration_for_the_Future
Morrison Smith, S., & Ruiz, J. (2020). Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: A literature review. SN Applied Sciences, 2, 1096. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-020-2801-5
ReportLinker. (2024). Global human resources market overview. https://www.reportlinker.com/market-report/Human-Resources/8485/Human-Resources
Shuffler, M. L., Wiese, C. W., Salas, E., & Burke, C. S. (2010). Leading one another across time and space: Exploring shared leadership functions in virtual teams. Revista de Psicología del Trabajo y de las Organizaciones, 26(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.5093/tr2010v26n1a1
Statista. (2023). Collaboration software – Worldwide. https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/software/productivity-software/collaboration-software/worldwide#revenue
Stray, V., & Moe, N. B. (2020). Understanding coordination in global software engineering: A mixed-methods study on the use of meetings and Slack. Journal of Systems and Software, 170, 110717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2020.110717
Swart, K., Bond-Barnard, T., & Chugh, R. (2022). Challenges and critical success factors of digital communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing in project management virtual teams: A review. International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management, 10(4), 59–75. https://doi.org/10.12821/ijispm100404
Tran, A. N. (2024). Beyond the water cooler: Leading multicultural teams and navigating challenges in a digital workplace—A perspective of SMEs in Singapore. In A. Hamdan (Ed.), Achieving sustainable business through AI, technology education and computer science (pp. 261–273). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70855-8_23
Tran, A. N. (2025). From theory to practice: How can leadership be redefined to address the complexities of cultural diversity and virtual collaboration? A systematic review. Westford Research Journal – The Essence of Organizational Excellence: Practices Across Industries, 4(1), 114–136.
Tsipursky, G. (2023, August 5). The surprising reason for the return to office. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/glebtsipursky/2023/05/08/the-surprising-reason-for-the-return-to-office/
Yang, L., Holtz, D., Jaffe, S., Suri, S., Sinha, S., Weston, J., & Teevan, J. (2022). The effects of remote work on collaboration among information workers. Nature Human Behaviour, 6(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01196-4
Yu, X., et al. (2022). How can cross-cultural virtual learning teams collaborate effectively: A longitudinal study. Information & Management, 59(6), 103667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2022.103667
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Array