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)

Alhousary, T

Abstract

Knowledge has been realized as an invaluable intangible asset and source of
organisations' competitive advantage. Research on knowledge is as long as human
civilization history. The knowledge management (KM) field of research has grown
steadily reflecting the increased realization of the critical role that knowledge plays in
the firm survival and success of organisations in their markets. Virtual teams (VT) have
a relatively short span of history in the research field. VT has been widely seen by
information systems (IS) researchers as a promising mode of work that exploits the
acknowledged readiness of the information and communication technologies (ICT) to
support virtual work environment.
This research is an aspiring effort to exploit VT mode of work in developing countries
particularly where the professional knowledge is much needed to professionally exploit
the available organisational resources for building, integrating and creating competitive
values. VT is introduced in this study as a promising mechanism to integrate among the
various sources of professional knowledge regardless of their geographical dispersion
within the same economy or within the whole universe. On the other hand, Sultanate
of Oman is one of the developing countries that have wealthy oil-related resources
backed by the political will to advance its economy in a fast but steady pace as expressed
officially by what is known by the Oman Vision 20/20.
This study aimed at exploring the Omani commercial banking sector (OCBS) to
smoothly and successfully adopt VT. The objectives that guided achieving this aim are
understanding the VT body of knowledge thoroughly, exploring status quo of the
OCBS in terms of its information technology infrastructure (ITI), information and
communication technology (ICT) utilization, reliance on teamwork approach to achieve
various tasks, knowledge sharing practices and last identifying a set of the critical success
factors (CSFs) for adopting VT in this sector.
Results of this study showed that the OCBS has strong potential to exploit VT mode of
work 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 of
teamwork for accomplishing organisational tasks, the level of interpersonal trust, and
the existence of past 'new mode of work' adoption are found to be positively supporting
the successful adoption of VT in the OCBS. On the other hand, the technical support
of the ITI, the organisational structure, dynamically exploiting teamwork approach and
last the knowledge sharing facilities are found of the major aspects that need
considerable 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 of
adopting VT into the OCBS. For successful adoption, the OCBS are proposed a set of
factors that are critical to make a risk-free adoption process of this mode of work which
have been identified based on the data analysis and results discussions. The CSFs
identified include ITI technical support, organisational structure and simplifying the
formal communication, knowledge sharing facilities, reward systems to encourage
employees' knowledge sharing behaviour, teamwork dynamic utilization, and lastly,
designing orientation and training programmes for facilitating risk-free implementation
of VT among the traditional modes of work in the sector. Furthermore, the study
concluded with introducing a set of recommendations that help the sector to adequately
prepare for such adoption.
Finally, this research provides an important building block to the VT research by
focusing on the VT as a means of professional knowledge inter- and intra-economy
integration and transfer. This is through highlighting the potential that VT has for such
developing economies and providing a set of key organisational factors that
management should examine prior to the adoption of VT in order to ensure smooth
and risk-free implementation of this innovative mode of work. An insight to the Omani
commercial banking sector (OCBS) has value particularly in terms of the level of
realization of the 'knowledge resource', collective work approach, in addition to the
modus operandi of the ICT exploitation by this sector.

Citation

Alhousary, T. 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). (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Aug 12, 2021
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2012