Differentiators and components of RAMP

They are unique to any group as each virtual team strives to increase or enhance its productivity. Differentiators differentiate between high-performing and low-performing virtual teams. These differentiators include commitment and engagement, shared decision making, flow of information, trust, and collaboration. RAMP on the other hand focuses on the factors aimed at enhancing performance of virtual teams. Components of RAMP model include Relationships, Accountability, Motivation and Process, and purpose (RAMP). Low-performing teams leave the leader to do all the leadership roles. High-performing teams also align their goals with the overall organizational strategy. The second differentiator in virtual teams is the shared process of decision making. High-performing virtual teams emphasize on establishing decision making and problem solving ideas without depending on the leader to make decisions for them.

Such teams ensure that the group members get the right information and take part in decision making. Effective flow of information in high-performing teams ensures that members respond quickly to problems when they occur, provide everybody with job requirements, and provide each other with feedback about a given task. For instance, when discussing about the overall budget of a given project, team leaders ensure that every member gets the budget , contributes equally, and offers suggestions on what can be done to accomplish the project within the given time scope. In low-performing teams, members rely on duplication of work and lack proper flow of information. Top performing teams also maximize the communication technologies to provide and update each other. The fourth differentiator is collaboration.

High-performing teams foster collaboration by developing a good understanding of each members’ roles and responsibilities as well as ensuring that team objectives are clearly defined. Also, the members build trust in each other which helps in achieving objectives, and also has a communication process in place to ensure sharing of work among members. Components of RAMP The first component in the RAMP model is relationships. Quality relationships in a virtual team help in strengthening of interpersonal skills. In a virtual group, members are likely to have conflicting interests which may lead top conflicts. Accountability in virtual teams helps in holding members or team leaders responsible for their work. Accountability in a virtual team helps in achieving the group’s objectives. Effective virtual teams function as self-managed groups where each member is held accountable for meeting the goals of the group (Katzy, Loeh, and Zhang, 2004).

In such groups, everybody is a leader depending on the task to be accomplished. They also have high efficiency and coordination levels, well-defined performance goals which are evaluated regularly and have effective communication. For example, virtual members can be motivated through monetary rewards or praises. The fourth component in RAMP model is process and purpose. An effective virtual team has well defined goals, roles and processes clearly stated purpose and processes drive enhanced performance in a virtual team. High-performing virtual teams clearly state the impact of the team’s achievements on the overall organizational success (Katzy, Loeh, and Zhang, 2004). Such teams have a well developed operating guideline which helps in structuring communication and coordination of activities in the team. M.  Managing virtual teams.