| Keywords [eng] |
Keywords: psychological safety, virtual team, project manager, coaching competencies, coaching practices, team coach. Raktiniai žodžiai: psichologinis saugumas, virtuali komanda, projektų vadovas, koučingo kompetencijos, koučingo praktikos, komandos koučeris. |
| Abstract [eng] |
SUMMARY VILNIUS UNIVERSITY BUSINESS SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME STUDENT VAIDA GARBAUSKĖ PROJECT MANAGER AS A TEAM COACH: COMPETENCIES AND PRACTICES TO FOSTER PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY IN A VIRTUAL PROJECT TEAM Supervisor – Assoc. Prof. Eglė Daunienė Master’s thesis was prepared in Vilnius, in 2023-2024 Scope of the Master’s thesis – 84 pages (without Annexes); 234 pages (with Annexes) Number of tables used in the FMT – 7 Number of figures used in the FMT – 1 Number of bibliography and references – 89 Short description of the master’s thesis: virtual teams are still very much thriving, even after the crisis of COVID-19; nowadays, the teams are becoming more and more project-based. Coaching is one of the team interventions which could support such teams in sustaining healthy team dynamics and even performing better. In order to achieve this, team psychological safety is first and foremost prerequisite. However, besides abstract theoretical ideas, there have been no specific and easy-to-follow guidelines on how project managers could implement coaching to help virtual project teams feel more psychologically safe. Therefore, the study seeks to fill this knowledge gap. Aim and objectives: the aim is to classify project managers' coaching practices which help foster psychological safety in virtual project teams according to the coaching competencies developed by International Coaching Federation (ICF). The objectives, on the other hand, are four: firstly, to critically review academic research on team coaching, psychological safety and virtual teams. Secondly, using a semi-structured interview method, to distinguish which competencies are prevailing, implemented by project managers as team coaches in virtual project teams. Thirdly, using a semi-structured interview method, to provide the classification of prevailing coaching practices related to the aforementioned ICF competencies which help build psychological safety within virtual teams. Finally, the research is finalized by providing conclusions, recommendations and insights for future research on coaching virtual teams to promote psychological safety. Research methods and results: to conduct a study in a yet quite unexplored area, a qualitative methodology was selected; in particular, semi-structured interviews with 12 experienced project managers were executed. After collecting the data, thematic analysis and, sparingly, content analysis was implemented to distinguish prevailing coaching practices throughout seven psychological safety-related scenarios. The results from the empirical research were added into classification tables of team coaching practices, in accordance with coaching competencies and seven psychological safety-related scenarios. Conclusions: In short, the most frequently used practices by project managers in virtual project teams are associated with facilitation and moderation, ensuring a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space. Moreover, project managers would often show emotional support, and empathize with the feelings of their team members. Also, they would utilize their active listening and observation skills, in order to understand team dynamics better. Project managers prioritize empowerment, so they use thought-provoking open-ended questions and help to reframe perspectives or create an action plan. Finally, they recognize team members, show trust, acknowledge their autonomy and encourage their professional growth. Keywords: psychological safety, virtual team, project manager, coaching competencies, coaching practices, team coach. |
