Manager’s Impasse of Inspiring Employees at Virtual Workplaces

By : Akansha Gupta, Sonal Gupta

Page No: 204-218

Abstract
Masycoda Solutions, an emerging IT firm headquartered in Nagpur, India, has built a global presence with clientele across North America, Europe, and Asia. With its foundation rooted in developing advanced, customised IT solutions, the company has embraced virtual work environments to maintain a competitive edge and operational efficiency. However, the shift to fully virtual operations presented a complex challenge for Aditya Lonare, the supply chain manager overseeing distributed teams. In November 2024, despite adherence to project deadlines and procedural metrics, he noticed a visible dip in his team’s engagement and enthusiasm during virtual meetings. Team members appeared unmotivated and disengaged, affecting collaboration, creativity, and overall team morale. Aditya, aware of his team’s capabilities, began to question deeper psychological needs, beyond task completion, that drive employee satisfaction in virtual spaces. This case presents a realistic and timely dilemma confronting many leaders: sustaining motivation, fostering connection, and managing performance when physical co-presence is no longer possible. The situation underscores how digital workspaces demand a reinvention of traditional management methods to address intrinsic and extrinsic motivators. This case sets the foundation for exploring root causes and potential interventions within virtual team structures and invites readers to apply motivation theories and leadership frameworks to a contemporary business problem.

Authors
Akansha Gupta: Assistant Professor-senior scale, Department of Commerce, School of Commerce & Economics, Presidency University, Bangalore.
Sonal Gupta: Research Scholar, OB & HR area, Indian Institute of Management Indore, Indore.
 

DOI: https//doi.org/10.32381/BJCS.2025.1.2.6