Exploring the level of readiness and identifying Critical Success Factors (CSFs) for the successful adoption of the Virtual Team (VT) mode of work into the Omani Commercial Banking Sector (OCBS)

Knowledge has been realized as an invaluable intangible asset and source oforganisations' competitive advantage. Research on knowledge is as long as humancivilization history. The knowledge management (KM) field of research has grownsteadily reflecting the increased realization of the critical role that knowledge plays inthe firm survival and success of organisations in their markets. Virtual teams (VT) havea relatively short span of history in the research field. VT has been widely seen byinformation systems (IS) researchers as a promising mode of work that exploits theacknowledged readiness of the information and communication technologies (ICT) tosupport virtual work environment.This research is an aspiring effort to exploit VT mode of work in developing countriesparticularly where the professional knowledge is much needed to professionally exploitthe available organisational resources for building, integrating and creating competitivevalues. VT is introduced in this study as a promising mechanism to integrate among thevarious sources of professional knowledge regardless of their geographical dispersionwithin the same economy or within the whole universe. On the other hand, Sultanateof Oman is one of the developing countries that have wealthy oil-related resourcesbacked by the political will to advance its economy in a fast but steady pace as expressedofficially by what is known by the Oman Vision 20/20.This study aimed at exploring the Omani commercial banking sector (OCBS) tosmoothly and successfully adopt VT. The objectives that guided achieving this aim areunderstanding the VT body of knowledge thoroughly, exploring status quo of theOCBS in terms of its information technology infrastructure (ITI), information andcommunication technology (ICT) utilization, reliance on teamwork approach to achievevarious tasks, knowledge sharing practices and last identifying a set of the critical successfactors (CSFs) for adopting VT in this sector.Results of this study showed that the OCBS has strong potential to exploit VT mode ofwork having the basic fact of the wide dispersed geographic nature of Oman as acknowledged by the data collected by this research. The ITI level, the reliance ofteamwork for accomplishing organisational tasks, the level of interpersonal trust, andthe existence of past 'new mode of work' adoption are found to be positively supportingthe successful adoption of VT in the OCBS. On the other hand, the technical supportof the ITI, the organisational structure, dynamically exploiting teamwork approach andlast the knowledge sharing facilities are found of the major aspects that needconsiderable attention by the sector's management to successfully adopt VT.Discussions of the research results have lead to conclude that there is a high potential ofadopting VT into the OCBS. For successful adoption, the OCBS are proposed a set offactors that are critical to make a risk-free adoption process of this mode of work whichhave been identified based on the data analysis and results discussions. The CSFsidentified include ITI technical support, organisational structure and simplifying theformal communication, knowledge sharing facilities, reward systems to encourageemployees' knowledge sharing behaviour, teamwork dynamic utilization, and lastly,designing orientation and training programmes for facilitating risk-free implementationof VT among the traditional modes of work in the sector. Furthermore, the studyconcluded with introducing a set of recommendations that help the sector to adequatelyprepare for such adoption.Finally, this research provides an important building block to the VT research byfocusing on the VT as a means of professional knowledge inter- and intra-economyintegration and transfer. This is through highlighting the potential that VT has for suchdeveloping economies and providing a set of key organisational factors thatmanagement should examine prior to the adoption of VT in order to ensure smoothand risk-free implementation of this innovative mode of work. An insight to the Omanicommercial banking sector (OCBS) has value particularly in terms of the level ofrealization of the 'knowledge resource', collective work approach, in addition to themodus operandi of the ICT exploitation by this sector.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral (Level 8)

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Alhousary, T

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337524

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:salford-repository.worktribe.com:1337524