As our society continues its transition from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age, new challenges are being introduced into the workplace, giving rise to a new phenomenon, Virtual Distance, comprised of three major axes: physical distance - geographic, time zone, or organizational; operational distance - multitasking, communication problems, and technical difficulties; and affinity distance - cultural differences, interdependence distance, working relationships, and social distance. Part of Wiley’s Microsoft Executive Leadership series, Uniting the Virtual Workforce introduces the concept of Virtual Distance to show businesses the definite costs to doing work in a virtual environment. It then goes a step further and offers proven methods for measuring these costs and guidance on managing them.
