Managing Teams Remotely: New Practices Developed Because of the COVID Pandemic in International Organizations Operating in Addis Ababa. A Case Study in the UN World Food Program Engineering Team
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Date
2022-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In beginning of 2020 the Covid -19 pandemic has changed the normal operation of most international organizations operating in Ethiopia. The pandemic has affected most organizations’
workplaces and productivity. To ensure business continuity organizations have had to make provision for staff to operate remotely following the implementation of lockdown regulations in the
international organizations. The purpose of this paper is to provide the effect of the workplace on efficiency of remote workers’ experiences in UN world food program Engineering unit team after immediate conversion from the normal workplace environment to working remotely from home. The tools and techniques used to enhance the efficiency of the team also are assessed. The study used mixed research approach and descriptive analysis has been also deployed. To achieve the research objectives, questionnaires were prepared and distributed to the target population in the
organization and were self-administered by the researcher. The main findings in this study identified different reasons from managers and remote team about communication, team cohesion that caused low performance as well as tools and techniques used to enhance the performance of the remote team. The researcher gave recommendations based on the results that obtained from the analysis and resented the major causes of reduction of remote team efficiency and suggested remote team management instruments that helped to enhance remote team management.
Advances in communication and information technology create new opportunities for organizations to build and manage virtual teams. The researcher recommendation was that the organization should give attention to the improvement of team communication system on remote management practices and managers perception to get the best communication and effective remote team management. Since the team lack of cohesion is the dominant factors in WFP in terms of reduced effectiveness of the remote team current situation and or demands, the managers should
recognize the uses of remote team communication system to enhance team effectiveness.
Keywords: Remote workers, Covid-19 pandemic, communication, WFP, team effectiveness and team cohesion