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Saudi Electronic University
College of Administrative and Financial Sciences
E-commerce Department
Group Project
Group Names:
Group IDs:
Course Title: Introduction to EManagement
Course Code: ECOM 201
Academic Year/ Semester: 2023/20241st Term
Instructor Name:
CRN:
Student Grade: out of 20
Grade Level: Low/ Mid/ High
ECOM 201 Project
Overview
Suppose your group works as a virtual team in a Saudi company that deals with local and global
clients. The company mainly aims to provide digital marketing services and solutions in one
field (e.g., cars, real estate, perfumes, fashion, flowers, healthy food, medicines, etc.). A task has
been given to you by the CEO. The task includes connecting with a Chinese brand that wants to
open an office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The task is considered completed when the team
proposes a strategy to the Chinese company representative and receives their feedback.
Requirements
The group needs to be divided as follows: one team manager, one representative from the
Chinese brand, one technical support expert, and one or two general members.
Write a reflection on your group work process in creating the team, choosing the tools, working
on the tasks, and reporting the strategy to the client.
Reflection (due by Week 10)
[20 marks]
The reflection should be written after you establish a successful virtual team. The reflection
should describe the process of 4 main components of virtual management: team building, tools,
procedures, and task management. Please use these guidelines on how to do so:
1. Virtual Team: (4 marks- 200 words)
In this section, you need to describe the virtual team.
•
Name your team and specify the field you will focus on.
•
Who are your team members, and what are their roles?
•
What are the personal objectives of each member (why you joined the team)?
•
What is the collective goal for your team (how will your team be successful in that
field)?
•
How the team experienced Bruce Tuckman’s four different stages of team building?
2. Virtual Tool (5 marks- 700 words)
In this section, you describe choosing a tool for your virtual team.
•
What are the main and complimentary virtual tools did you use to manage the tasks?
(provide pictures)
•
Describe the features of these tools that were useful to your teamwork (provide pictures).
•
Why did you choose these tools? What are the other options?
•
Suppose your budget was SAR 10k; how did you use that budget to get the best possible
tool?
•
How frequently does the team meet? How long is each meeting? (Provide photos of the
team meetings at different times)
•
How the meeting minutes helped your team stay focused? (Provide an example of your
team meeting minutes).
3. Virtual work dynamics (5 marks- 700 words)
•
How did you create a virtual office?
o What are the technical challenges that you faced in your work?
o Give some examples of work ethics/ culture in China.
•
How did you utilize vacation time and holiday time?
•
What are the challenges that your team faced in communication?
o Specify how space, time, and cultural differences affected the communication
process.
•
How did you overcome those challenges? (discuss from different roles’ perspectives).
4. Reports and presentations (5.5 marks- 500 words)
•
Provide an example of a proposed strategy your team worked on to make the marketing
campaign successful for the Chinese company in the chosen field.
•
The report should be 300 words describing the status and statistics of the chosen field and
how customers (target audience) can be reached.
o The report should have an introduction, a brief strategy, and a conclusion.
•
Include graphs and statistics to support your report (use local resources. If they were in
Arabic, translate them).
•
The Chinese company representative in your team should provide his/her feedback on the
report (one or two comments)
•
The rest of the team should address those comments.
5. Conclude your reflection (0.5 mark- 100 words)
•
Tell us how your teamwork was, what you would do better, and how you will thrive in
the future.
Useful links:
•
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/documents/planning-and-preparing-towrite-assignments.pdf
•
APA reference system https://student.unsw.edu.au/apa
•
About plagiarism http://wts.indiana.edu/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
•
About plagiarism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagiarism
Guidelines for the assignment:
•
This is a group project (4-5 students in each group), which is part of your course score.
It requires effort, collaboration and critical thinking.
•
Use the given template below. One mark will be deducted if there is this template
is not used.
•
Your assignment must be supported by evidence and resources. Otherwise, your
answer will not be valid.
•
Use at least 3 different references from the SDL including the Textbook
•
Use font Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial.
•
Use 1.5 or double line spacing with left Justify all paragraphs.
•
Use the footer function to insert page number.
•
Ensure that you follow the APA style in your project.
•
Your project report length should be between 2000 to 2500 words.
Up to 20% of the total grade will be deducted for providing a poor assignment structure. The
structure includes these elements paper style, free of spelling and grammar mistakes, referencing,
and format.
Answer:
Contents
Virtual Marketing ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
1- Virtual Team…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Team Members and Roles …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 7
Personal Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
Stages of Team building ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 8
2. Virtual Tool ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Features That Benefit Teamwork: ………………………………………………………………………………………. 10
Rationale for Selecting Tools: …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Budget Allocation:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12
Meeting Schedule: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 12-14
3. Virtual work Dynamics ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Establishing a Virtual Office for Cross-Border Collaboration …………………………………………………… 15
Cross-Cultural Communication and Work Ethics …………………………………………………………………… 15
Managing Time and Schedules in Virtual Teams …………………………………………………………………… 15
Overcoming Communication Challenges …………………………………………………………………………….. 15
The Integrated Approach to Effective Communication ………………………………………………………….. 16
Role of the Members ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 16
Role of General Team Members …………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
4. Reports and presentations…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 17
Conclusion: ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18
Feedback from Chinese Company Representative: ……………………………………………………………….. 18
Team Response to Feedback: …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 19
Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 19
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………20
Virtual Marketing
Virtual marketing in today’s digital era is an ever-evolving process that has transformed how
businesses engage with their target audiences. It encompasses an array of strategies and tactics
aimed at promoting products, services, or brands via online channels. From search engine
optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email campaigns, content production, and online
advertising – virtual marketing uses the power of the internet to reach global audiences
efficiently. Creativity, data analysis, and technological innovation all come together in this realm
to craft engaging messages and experiences for their target audiences. Virtual marketing not only
offers a broader reach but also the ability to precisely target specific demographics, track
performance in real-time, and adapt strategies quickly. As technology and consumer behaviors
adapt, virtual marketing remains an ever-evolving field, calling upon marketers to remain
adaptive and flexible to adapt to an interconnected and digitally driven world.
Virtual Team
Our team, known as “Al-Multaqaa” consists of five dedicated individuals with various roles and
expertise who come together under one mission – digital marketing for local and global clients.
Through this reflection, we aim to explore the dynamics within Saudi companies providing such
services. Al-Multaqaa was established to offer comprehensive digital marketing solutions to a
Chinese brand looking to establish itself in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s dynamic and rapidly
developing field of digital marketing was identified as an incredible opportunity for crosscultural collaboration and market expansion. Together, we successfully navigated the
challenging waters of cross-cultural business and marketing. Together, we created an interplay
between Chinese brand aspirations and Saudi Arabian market complexities, thus demonstrating
both the challenges and triumphs of forging successful cross-cultural digital connections.
Team Members and Roles
The team members comprised Sarah Albaqshi, Rawan Alharbi, Alaa Albukhtain, Samirah
Tashron, and Halima Aljabri. From these members, the organization was as follows.
Team Manager: Sarah led our team, making sure everyone worked cohesively while overseeing
all tasks assigned.
Chinese brand representative: Rawan Alharbi served as our team’s link with Chinese brands,
ensuring our marketing plans were tailored towards meeting their vision and culture.
Technical Support Expert: Alaa was instrumental in keeping our digital tools functioning swiftly
and smoothly resolving any technical issues that arose.
General Member: Samirah joined the group to gain insight into marketing and cross-cultural
business, contribute to our projects while strengthening her technical abilities, and gain more
work experience.
General Member: Halima was an invaluable addition to our projects, providing her expertise and
insights. Besides, she wanted to expand her technical knowledge while contributing to strategic
planning processes.
Personal Objectives
Our team embarked on establishing a successful digital marketing strategy for a Chinese brand
entering Saudi Arabia’s market, bringing with us individual objectives and motivations from each
member (Lindgreen &, 2005). Rawan Alharbi was fascinated with cross-cultural business
dynamics and sought to bridge cultural gaps and adapt marketing plans accordingly. Alaa
Albukhtain focused on expanding her technical proficiency while enjoying the challenge of
resolving technical issues quickly. Samirah Tashron joined to gain valuable insights into crosscultural business and marketing while expanding her technical skills, while Halima Aljabri was
driven by her desire to broaden her technical knowledge and support strategic planning
processes. Sarah Albaqshi excelled as a team manager due to her passion for leading and
maintaining team cohesion. As our linchpin, she acted as a bridge that united our varied goals
and expertise together into one cohesive unit. Furthermore, she sought insight into cross-cultural
business practices to develop strategies resonating with Chinese and Saudi Arabian markets.
Collectively, our motivation was not only meeting the brand vision but successfully navigating
the intricacies of cross-cultural collaboration as well as understanding how cultural differences
impact business interactions.
Stages of Team building
Our team went through Bruce Tuckman’s four stages of team building outlined by him – forming,
storming, norming, and performing. At first, we started as a group by defining roles and setting
initial objectives; during the storming phase, there were conflicts related to task distribution and
cultural differences, with open communication and respect for diverse perspectives helping
resolve these differences to transition into the norming stage – where roles and responsibilities
became clearer – leading to performing stage where team cohesion improved significantly for
effective collaboration and goal pursuit.
2. Virtual Tool
In our virtual team’s efforts to effectively coordinate tasks and collaborate on digital marketing
projects for Chinese brands in Saudi Arabia, selecting appropriate virtual tools was paramount
(Leskovec, 2007). After carefully considering available options while adhering to a budget of
SAR 10,000, we will detail which virtual tools were chosen, their features, motivations, and the
meeting schedule.
Main Virtual Tools: We relied heavily on Zoom’s secure and high-quality video and audio
features for virtual meetings and video conferences as the main virtual tool. They allowed us to
stay in contact easily regardless of geographical distance – here’s an image from one of our Zoom
meetings:
Picture 1: Zoom meeting
Trello was our chosen project management tool. Its Kanban-style boards gave us an easy way to
organize tasks, track progress, and set deadlines while giving everyone involved a visual
overview of where things stood at any given time. Here’s a screenshot of our Trello board:
Picture 2: Trello image
Google Workspace: At our company, Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) was our go-to
solution for collaborative document creation and sharing. Team members could work
simultaneously on documents via Docs, Sheets, and Slides using real-time editing and
commenting features. Here is an image of Google Workspace.
Picture 3: Google Workspace image
Features That Benefit Teamwork:
Real-Time Communication: Zoom instant messaging, notification system, and threaded
conversations provided prompt responses and discussion management.
Assignment and Tracking: Trello’s drag-and-drop interface makes task assignment and tracking
straightforward, making it an efficient way to stay informed on responsibilities and progress.
Cross-Platform Compatibility: Zoom and Google Workspace were accessible across devices,
essential to our diverse team.
Integration: Zoom integrations with Google Drive and other apps helped streamline our
workflow by eliminating manual data transfer.
Rationale for Selecting Tools:
Zoom and Trello were chosen based on their combined benefits and cost-effectiveness; we
prioritized those familiar to team members to minimize learning curves and save costs (Jalees,
2015). Their seamless integration allowed smooth communication and task management; their
basic plans fit nicely within our SAR 10,000 budget. While other tools may exist, we prioritized
tools that team members had already experienced to reduce learning curves as quickly as
possible.
Budget Allocation:
Our budget was allocated carefully. A majority was set aside to upgrade Zoom and Trello
premium plans to increase team experience with advanced features and support, while part was
dedicated to a Google Workspace subscription for high-quality conferencing calls, chats,
conference calls, slides, and other collaboration tools. Finally, some money was set aside for
necessary hardware, such as noise-canceling headphones, to improve communication quality.
Meeting Schedule:
Our team meetings were scheduled twice weekly, for approximately 60 minutes each time (Hinz,
2011). This frequency allowed us to stay abreast of project developments and address any
concerns quickly while adapting meeting times to accommodate different time zones in our team
and ensuring fair participation from all team members. Below are snapshots from two meetings,
illustrating their dedication and adaptability.
At our virtual team’s conclusion, virtual tools were crucial for successful collaboration. Zoom,
Trello, and Google Workspace formed a cohesive ecosystem that streamlined communication
and task management for us. The careful allocation of SAR 10,000 allowed us to enhance our
toolset and invest in essential hardware. Having regularly scheduled meetings ensured effective
communication despite geographical disparities while propelling us toward creating an impactful
digital marketing campaign for Chinese brands in Saudi Arabia.
Picture 4: Zoom meeting images
Meeting minutes were crucial in keeping our virtual team focused and accountable.
Documenting the key discussion points, action items, and decisions made during our meetings
was a reference point for all team members (Helm, 2000). These minutes allowed us to track the
progress of specific tasks and ensured that everyone was aware of their responsibilities.
Picture5: minute meeting image
Rawan Alharbi provided an overview of the project’s current status, highlighting successful
milestones. Samirah Tashron discussed recent communications with the client, emphasizing their
expectations and requirements.
Alaa Albukhtain confirmed the completion of the technical setup for our tools, shared progress
on the market research task, and expressed the need for more data.
The team thoroughly discussed their initial marketing strategy proposal, focusing on social
media platforms, content production, and target audience segmentation.
Sarah Albaqshi and Rawan Alharbi raised concerns regarding potential cultural nuances that
should be included in our strategy. Halima Aljabri lead the refinement of the marketing strategy
with input from the team. By having detailed meeting minutes, team members could easily refer
to their action items and deadlines, improving accountability (Ginantra, 2022). It ensured that our
discussions turned into tangible actions, which kept us on the path towards our collective goal of
creating an effective digital marketing campaign for a Chinese brand in Saudi Arabia.
3. Virtual work Dynamics
Establishing a Virtual Office for Cross-Border Collaboration
Establishing a virtual office was instrumental to our team’s efficient communication and
collaboration across Saudi Arabia and China, bridging geographical distances. However, various
technical challenges arose as we established this virtual workspace – connectivity issues and
differing time zones among team members were common. We used instant messaging platforms
and regular video conferencing sessions as real-time means of keeping in contact and dealing
with issues as they arose.
Cross-Cultural Communication and Work Ethics
Understanding and adapting to China’s work ethics and culture was another critical aspect of our
virtual work dynamics. “Guanxi,” or networking relationships through personal connections,
played an essential role in building and maintaining client relationships based on this principle.
We learned to respect hierarchical structures while maintaining polite, formal dialogue when
communicating with Chinese colleagues.
Managing Time and Schedules in Virtual Teams
Utilizing vacation and holiday time was something we needed to plan carefully for. Recognizing
that team members might have differing cultural holiday schedules, our approach was to
schedule work and meetings around majority availability while remaining flexible enough to
consider individual preferences – thus respecting everyone’s time without hampering project
progress.
Communication Challenges
Both spatial, temporal, and cultural disparities caused communication challenges. Varying
internet speeds and accessibility caused occasional disruptions during virtual meetings.
Temporally, as our team operated across multiple time zones that required scheduling
adjustments due to different working hours for members based on different time zones, these
discrepancies hindered team members’ responses and attendance at meetings. Lastly, there were
cultural variations such as direct and indirect communication styles, with Saudi Arabia
prioritizing direct as opposed to saving face in China as being a major factor in communication
style preferences: direct is highly valued while indirect communication styles are prioritized
depending on culture – for instance, direct communication is highly priced when dealing with
issues of saving and when conducting business transactions or dealing
.
The Integrated Approach to Effective Communication
Overcoming these difficulties required an integrated approach considering all perspectives within
our team. Our Technical Support Expert played an instrumental role in overcoming technical
obstacles by helping team members with connectivity issues and ensuring everyone had access to
necessary tools and resources. As for temporal differences, we implemented a flexible meeting
schedule adapted to everyone’s availability, with the Team Manager overseeing these efforts. To
bridge cultural divides, our Chinese Brand Representative acted as a cultural liaison, sharing
insights into Chinese work ethics and communication preferences. Furthermore, team members
engaged in cross-cultural training to deepen their understanding.
As mentioned, creating a virtual office required us to overcome numerous technical, cultural, and
temporal hurdles (Jalees, 2015). Our team understood and respected each other’s cultures and
work ethics, making adaptations for a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.
Finally, our ability to adapt quickly to dynamic situations by learning from each other and
finding effective solutions was crucial in reaching our ultimate goal of developing an effective
digital marketing campaign for a Chinese brand in Saudi Arabia.
Responding to communication challenges within our virtual team – with members from various
backgrounds and roles – required an integrated approach to foster effective collaboration. Here’s
how we tackled them from various roles within the team’s perspective:
Role of the Members
The Team Manager was an essential element of effective communication within the team. They
implemented a structured meeting schedule accommodating various time zones, giving every
team member equal participation opportunities and encouraging open, honest communication so
that team members could feel at ease sharing their opinions and concerns freely.
Acting as a liaison with our Chinese client, our Chinese Brand Representative took on the
responsibility of bridging cultural and communication gaps. Their insights into client
expectations, preferences, and work culture proved invaluable, helping ensure our messages and
proposals aligned with their vision (Ferguson, 2008). A Technical Support Expert guided team
members in addressing connectivity issues and gaining access to virtual tools necessary for
successful teamwork. Their work in troubleshooting technical obstacles allowed for easier
communication processes.
Role of General Team Members
General Members: General team members actively participated in cross-cultural training to
increase their understanding of cultural differences in communication. They adjusted their styles
accordingly to be more accommodating and respectful of diverse perspectives within the team;
furthermore, they recognized the significance of clear, concise messages so that messages would
be noticed in translation.
Collectively, our team recognized that effective communication in a virtual setting required
flexibility, adaptability, and respect for one another’s backgrounds and roles (Ginantra, 2022).
Regular team meetings provided opportunities for open discussions, allowing our team to
address any challenges quickly. We celebrated diversity within our team as an asset by taking
advantage of different perspectives, which enriched strategies and solutions offered.
We developed an efficient yet culturally sensitive virtual work environment through careful
communication between all roles involved. Not only was this approach instrumental in helping
us overcome spatial, temporal, and cultural differences, but it also fostered unity and mutual
respect that contributed to the successful collaboration we experienced when devising a
marketing strategy for the Chinese brand’s entry into the Saudi market.
4. Reports and presentations
Introduction:
Within our extensive marketing plan for the Chinese brand’s entry into the Saudi Arabian market,
we have devised an expansive five-pillar plan. Each component plays an essential part in
guaranteeing successful integration. For example, one key pillar entails creating user-friendly
Arabic websites and mobile applications, providing information regarding healthy living, fitness
routines, diet advice, as well as services that promote active lifestyle choices and healthy
nutrition decisions.
Body:
Our pillar of approach entails the effective use of social media marketing. We advocate active
engagement on popular platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat with tailored content
specifically to promote Chinese health products and services while considering local cultural
sensitivities and preferences – this ensures the brand resonates with Saudi audiences while
building trust and engaging them further in our offerings.
Community engagement is the third pillar of our strategy. To create an atmosphere of belonging
among our target audience, we aim to host health and wellness events, workshops, and webinars
with the primary goal of developing relationships and cultivating trust through shared
experiences aimed at strengthening brand presence while building credibility among potential
customers in Saudi Arabia. Through interactions, shared experiences will create deeper bonds
with our target market.
Picture 4: Graph statistics of social media
Conclusion:
Our marketing plan for the Chinese brand’s entry into the Saudi Arabian market consists of five
essential pillars, all contributing towards its success. By creating an impactful digital presence
and engaging in culturally sensitive social media engagement activities with community-building
activities, we hope to make an impression splash in Saudi Arabia’s health and wellness sector not only introducing but also building trust and loyalty among target audiences to ensure its
longevity in such an exciting market as Saudi Arabia.
Feedback from Chinese Company Representative:
The representative from the Chinese Company recognizes and endorses the comprehensiveness
of the proposed strategy and the emphasis on culturally sensitive marketing. They underscored
the significance of emphasizing Chinese health products’ high quality and authenticity to build
trust among Saudi consumers, suggesting partnerships with local organizations for increased
credibility.
Team Response to Feedback:
Our Team welcomes and appreciates the representative’s suggestions on emphasizing product
quality and authenticity in our messaging and fully recognizes their importance for success in the
Saudi Arabian market. In response, we will work towards including this message in content and
promotional materials; furthermore, we plan on exploring partnerships with local health
organizations to bolster the credibility and effectiveness of strategy within the Saudi Arabian
market.
Reflecting upon our virtual team’s journey in developing a marketing strategy for the Chinese
company’s entry into the Saudi Arabian market, it becomes evident that our collaboration was an
example of adaptation and cross-cultural harmony. Although communication challenges arise
from spatial, temporal, and cultural gaps, these were overcome by creating an inclusive
atmosphere in which all viewpoints were valued equally; from Team Manager to Technical
Support Expert and General Members, each role brought unique strengths that contributed to
collective success.
Though we collaborated well, there were opportunities for improvement. In the future, we would
strengthen communication protocols to increase efficiency and leverage technology to bridge
time zone differences and cultural understanding more seamlessly. Furthermore, we would
explore tools designed to overcome spatial and technical hurdles more effortlessly.
Conclusion
While Saudi Arabia offers Chinese companies significant opportunities in the health and
wellness sectors, their health and wellness market represents an additional growth area. Through
digital-first strategies such as content marketing, influencer partnerships, community
engagement, and influencer management, our proposed strategy seeks to penetrate this market
effectively. Furthermore, this plan aligns with local cultural preferences while leveraging current
digital marketing trends.
We understand the keys to successful virtual team efforts are flexibility, open communication,
cultural sensitivity, and an investment in ongoing cross-cultural training – such as deepening our
understanding of one another’s backgrounds – thus increasing collaboration. Through these
lessons and an unwavering dedication to excellence, we’re ready to meet new challenges head-on
in an ever-evolving landscape of virtual teamwork.
References
Ferguson, R. (2008). Word of mouth and viral marketing: taking the temperature of the hottest
trends in marketing. Journal of consumer marketing, 25(3), 179-182.
Ginantra, N. A. (2022). Mobile-based customers management system in ayunadi supermarket.
ADI Journal on Recent Innovation , 4 (1), 86-101.
Helm, S. (2000). Viral marketing-establishing customer relationships by’word-of-mouse’.
Electronic markets, 10(3), 158-161.
Hinz, O. S. (2011). Seeding strategies for viral marketing: An empirical comparison. Journal of
marketing, 75(6), 55-71.
Jalees, T. T. (2015). Social Media in Virtual Marketing. Market Forces, 10(1).
Leskovec, J. A. (2007). The dynamics of viral marketing. ACM Transactions on the Web
(TWEB), 1(1), 5-es.
Lindgreen, A. &. (2005). Viral marketing: The use of surprise. Advances in electronic
marketing, 122-138
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