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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 E- Management Course Code: ECOM 201 Academic Year/ Semester: 2022/2023- 3rd Term CRN: Instructor Name: 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 with local and global clients. The company's primary purpose is to provide digital marketing services and solutions. A task has been given to you by the CEO. The study includes building a connection with a South African brand that wants to open an office in AL Khobar, Eastern Province. The task is considered completed when you propose a strategy to the international company representative and receive their feedback. Requirements The group needs to be divided as follows: one team manager, one representative from the international 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: (5 marks) In this section, you need to describe the workings of your virtual team.  Name your team.  Who are your team members, and what are their roles?  What are the personal objectives for each member?  What is the collective goal for your team?  Refer to the four different stages of team building. Have you experienced these stages (discuss) 2. Virtual Tool (5 marks) In this section, you describe the process of choosing a tool for your virtual team.  What virtual tool did you use to manage the tasks? (provide pictures)  Describe the features this tool has (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)  What are the meeting minutes? How have they been used effectively? (provide an example of your team meeting minutes). 3. Virtual work dynamics (5 marks)  How did you create a virtual office?

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 What are the challenges that you faced in your work? (discuss from different roles’ perspectives).  How did you utilize vacation time, and holiday time?  How did you divide the workload?  What are the challenges that your team faced in communication? (discuss from different roles’ perspectives). 4. Reports and presentations (5 marks)  Provide an example of a proposed strategy that your team worked on to make the marketing campaign successful for the international company.  The report should be 300 words that describe the best practices of doing virtual marketing in Saudi Arabia. o The report should have an introduction, a brief strategy, and a conclusion.  Include graphs and statistics to support your report.  The international 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.  Conclude your reflection. Useful links:  http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/studentservices/documents/planning-and-preparing- to-write-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.  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 the 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 structure of assignment. The structure includes these elements paper style, free of spelling and grammar mistakes, referencing, and format. Answer:

ECOM 201 Project Virtual Team Information My CEO, the leader of the Saudi digital marketing firm, has allowed my Virtual Solutions Team to create connections with another South African Brand. My team comprises five members who have been assigned unique and crucial roles that will be crucial to the project's overall success. These members are the team manager, a representative of an international brand, a technical support expert, and two others who will provide general assistance as stipulated in this reflection. Team Manager The project manager's role is to oversee the entire operation. He inspires their subordinates by motivating them regularly and helping them overcome obstacles as they arise throughout the project. In addition, the team manager is also responsible for the budget by controlling the costs of all project-related activities, such as deciding on the type and number of virtual tools to purchase in online conferences. In addition, the team manager acts as the group's leader and coordinator during all phases and meetings. The team manager is also responsible for setting the meeting agenda and ensuring all relevant topics are discussed and explained thoroughly. The manager also reports the team's progress, difficulties, and project outcomes at the company's general meeting. As a result, the manager says the recommendations made for the project at meetings of the company's management board (Chen & Lin, 2019). Under the responsibilities listed above, the team manager is the primary team member responsible for determining whether or not the project is a success.

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The Representative from the International Brand In addition, the worldwide brand representative must also ensure that the company's interests are represented and carried out following all regulations and quality assurance procedures. Here, the agent verifies that the remote workers carry out their tasks under the contract terms between the two businesses. The representative keeps an eye on everything the small group is up to. The representative's job in South Africa is to keep the company apprised of progress and problems as they arise throughout the project. In addition, at each level of digital marketing, they routinely discuss with the remote team the methods and technologies that should be used. This is crucial for combining different perspectives to make decisions that can effectively contribute to the project's success. He also keeps the staff updated on any changes or additions that need to be made to the brand's internet marketing offerings. In addition, the representative negotiates any necessary adjustments to the marketing strategy or budget increases between the digital company and the South African brand. This makes it easier to reach a consensus on essential matters. The representative acts as a conduit between the digital marketing firm and the project's funder to ensure that both organizations are kept abreast of the project's progress and outcomes. This is crucial because it ensures that all businesses have access to timely, accurate data, allowing them to make the required and appropriate adjustments where practicable and agreed upon. Technical Support Expert Given that technological issues are a threat to web-based endeavors, the role of the technical assistance expert is crucial to guarantee the project's success. The expert ensures productive online meetings and other online industries by providing precise and concise

communication. The technician's technical input to the team management is critical to ensuring the manager makes informed decisions regarding the virtual tools needed to complete the project (Paris et al., 2023). To fulfill his duties, he must ensure that all computers are appropriately linked and the network is very stable so that online video conferences and meetings can proceed smoothly. To guarantee that meetings go off without a hitch, the technical guru checks on the virtual tools daily to ensure they operate typically. Two Additional Members Two additional team members do various tasks, such as maintaining the project's archives and taking minutes at team meetings. This is crucial for figuring out where the team stood, where they went wrong, and what worked and did not concern the project. Maintaining a log of each day's work is essential for accurately predicting how much money will be spent at each project stage. Additionally, such individuals are familiar with most of the project's operations, making them qualified to provide comments and recommendations regarding the project's activities or tools. They give the team manager better insight into how to handle various tasks. The new team members will carry out digital marketing campaigns across the many sites that have been chosen. There are many facets to digital marketing, such as social media usage and the monitoring of analytics from search engines like Google, all of which add to the mountain of data that must be accumulated. The two other members help the IT whiz set up the digital instruments. As a result, the extra two individuals assist the team manager and technical expert in carrying out the project's various tasks within the allotted time frame. Collective Goal

The collective goal of the virtual team is to create a good and reliable virtual connection with an international brand based in South Africa to open up an operational office in AL Khobar, Eastern province. The virtual link is expected to help the South African company to attain Saudi Digital Marketing Company's digital marketing services. The South African brand will be able to increase its market share in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general. The virtual team experienced all the team-building phases, including; creation, storming, norming, and executing, as shown below; Creation Phase This is the starting point for any team, and it entails bringing together specialists from various backgrounds to work toward a common goal. The employees may come from different departments or branches of the same firm. The team manager took this opportunity to formally introduce each team member and go through their professional and personal backgrounds, such as their gender, marital status, and number of children (Paris et al., 2023). To get everyone on the same page and working toward the same goal, the team manager enlisted the help of other high- ranking company officials to run through the project's timeline, steps, perks, and methods. Storming Phase The second phase, storming, entailed defining roles and responsibilities for each team member and providing training for members to get familiar with those roles. During this phase, team members discussed their individual and collective approaches to accomplishing the project's many tasks (Chen & Lin, 2019). Misunderstandings arose but were resolved by choosing the most efficient and amicable strategies. As a result, the group settled on a set of digital resources and procedures for carrying out the various tasks.

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Norming Phase The phase specifically involved the members agreeing on the protocols to have adhered to attain the collective goal of the project. At this phase, the approaches to countering challenges were advanced, as well as setting a timely target to enable finishing the project in the specified time. The advanced protocols are significant in ensuring effective communication and teamwork among team members. Execution Phase Execution is the final phase of the digital marketing life cycle, and it entails putting all the strategies into action. The manager's primary role is to inspire and guide the team toward optimal performance. Digital marketing campaigns are also utilizing the power of the digital link. The representative collaborates closely with the group to guarantee everything goes off without a hitch. Virtual Tool: Smartsheet and Microsoft Teams Choosing the right virtual tool for our team ensured effective task management and seamless communication. After careful consideration, we selected Smartsheet as our primary virtual tool due to its user-friendly interface and robust features that align with our project's requirements (Wahyono & Nurjanah, 2020). I will explain our rationale for selecting Smartsheet and Microsoft Teams, discuss some of the alternatives we considered, lay out the financial plan, and give context for how often and how long our team meets.

Image 1: The Smartsheet Dashboard Smartsheet: Smartsheet was chosen as our virtual tool for work management and team collaboration. Smartsheet has a straightforward design that makes it simple for team members to find and use its most valuable functions. Here are some key features of Smartsheet: a) Task Management: Smartsheet lets us set up routines for the office and delegate responsibilities to the appropriate people. With this function, everyone knows their daily duties and expectations in advance. b) Instant Communication: The website allows for more timely and effective communication within the team (Jamil et al., 2022). It will enable instantaneous communication, facilitating the rapid exchange of ideas and data. c) Trial Period: Users can test Smartsheet's efficiency and speed for a month before committing to a paid subscription. Our team will be able to put the product through its paces throughout the trial time and make a well-informed decision.

Image 2: Smartsheet Features Image 3: Smartsheet Managerial Function Microsoft Teams:

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We also used Microsoft Teams for online meetings in addition to Smartsheet. Microsoft Teams is a robust system that facilitates effective interaction between team members. Here are the key features of Microsoft Teams that we found beneficial: a) Virtual Conferencing: Microsoft Teams is an excellent tool for hosting online conferences. Due to our team's dispersed locations and various time zones, teleconferences were not an option (Chen & Lin, 2019). Twice a week, for two hours each time, we had meetings. b) Meeting Documentation: Team members update one another on their progress and offer suggestions for proceeding during meetings. Two team members took minutes and

distributed them for review at the next meeting to ensure accuracy. Image 4: The Microsoft Teams Morning virtual conference

Image 5: The Microsoft Teams Evening virtual conference Why We Chose These Tools: We chose Smartsheet as our primary task management tool because of its user-friendly interface, allowing team members to adapt and work efficiently and quickly. Its capabilities, such as task delegation and real-time interaction, significantly improve teamwork. With Smartsheet's free one-month trial, we could evaluate the software's features and determine whether or not they would meet our needs. We used Microsoft Teams for our online meetings because of its extensive function set and stable performance. This platform greatly facilitated our ability to communicate effectively despite physical distance and time zone variations (Wahyono & Nurjanah, 2020). It was perfect for our group's collaboration needs because of how easily it combined video conferencing, instant messaging, and file sharing. Alternative Options Considered:

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While selecting our virtual tools, we explored alternative options such as Asana, Trello, and Zoom. However, after careful evaluation, we determined that Smartsheet and Microsoft Teams best aligned with our project requirements and team dynamics. Budget Allocation: Suppose our budget was SAR 10,000. As part of our efforts to maximize this funding, we have committed to purchasing a Smartsheet subscription that will provide us access to their complete set of features and maintenance for the foreseeable future. Furthermore, we used Microsoft Teams, which is included at no extra cost in our current membership. We were able to make the most of these instruments' potential with this funding without sacrificing our fiscal restraint. Meeting Frequency and Duration: Our team conducts weekly meetings, with each session lasting for two hours. Attendees can update one another on their progress, voice concerns, and brainstorm solutions at these gatherings. By communicating and collaborating regularly, we can keep the project on track and ensure everyone works toward the same goals.

Image 5: Evening Virtual Conference of the Virtual Team Minutes Sample Meeting Identity: PKL1234Rs Meeting Number: 1 Date: Friday, 26 th May 2023 Chairperson: Virtual Team Manager Members in Attendance: The team manager, the technical expert, a representative of the South African company, and the two general team members. i. Presentation of the previous meeting's minutes with members provided a Word document copy. ii. Presentation of the agenda by the team manager. The manager encourages the members to work more efficiently, given that the project is at the most crucial stage. iii. Progress of activities. The representative provides a detailed report about the progress of the marketing activities by the team in general. iv. Conclusion: The manager adjourns the meeting by encouraging more cooperation among the members. Virtual Work Dynamics We used various online resources and efficient methods of communication to set up a virtual office for our group. We created one unified system by standardizing Smartsheet for our work management and Microsoft Teams for online meetings. With the help of these apps, we set up a digital office where everyone on the team could easily coordinate their efforts and share information (Jamil et al., 2022) . We also ensured that everyone on the team got the computers

and software needed to do their jobs. The team's cohesiveness and sense of responsibility were strengthened through the establishment of regular virtual meetings at which progress, obstacles, and potential solutions could be discussed. In our work, each role presented its own set of unique challenges. The Team Manager needed help aligning the efforts of remote team members, making particular communication effective, and resolving conflicts. The representative from the international brand needed help aligning their expectations of the brand with the execution provided by the remote team, managing contracts, and ensuring compliance (Wahyono & Nurjanah, 2020) . The technical support expert needed help keeping network connections stable and addressing technical issues that might disrupt virtual meetings. Lastly, general assistance members needed help juggling tasks while preserving project archives and imparting valuable insights. Our team values both work productivity and personal well-being. For this reason, we have established a clear communication protocol for holiday and vacation plans. We expect every team member to responsibly manage their time off while ensuring that it does not adversely affect overall project progress (Haudi et al., 2022) . Whenever someone is out of the office, tasks may be distributed among other members temporarily or reassigned as needed. Difficulties in communicating arose in several contexts. The Team Manager had to ensure that everyone was paying attention in online meetings and that crucial information was being relayed to everyone. The foreign company's representative needed help overcoming linguistic and cultural obstacles to meet customer needs and ensure everything was clear. The technical support specialist overcame barriers by relying on the team's ability to communicate clearly to diagnose and fix technological difficulties remotely. During online meetings, the members of general help often relied on written communication to convey their thoughts and feelings.

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Reports and Presentations The Virtual Solutions Team collaborated on a proposed approach to guarantee the global company's marketing campaign's success. We developed a plan to penetrate the Saudi Arabian market effectively by capitalizing on digital channels and using targeted advertising. We wanted our marketing to connect with people in Saudi Arabia, so we tried to learn as much as possible about the country's culture and customs (Haudi et al., 2022) . Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat all enjoy substantial user bases in the conservative Gulf kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As a result, we included these mediums in our approach to reaching the intended demographic. To promote the global firm's offerings, we engaged in influencer marketing by forming strategic alliances with influential Saudis. We gained the respect and trust of the neighborhood because of this strategy. Image 6: Digital Advertising in the MENA Region

We also saw the value of catering to regional audiences with specific information. We had all our advertising materials translated into Arabic and revised to appeal to Saudi consumers. Using a localization strategy, we forged a stronger bond with the target market and elevated the brand's profile. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as website traffic, social media engagement, and conversion rates were monitored to gauge the success of our plan (Haudi et al., 2022) . We used analytics software to monitor the campaign and make necessary data-informed changes. Cultural awareness, specific advertising, and evidence-based decision-making are essential for successful online marketing in Saudi Arabia. Companies may engage with the Saudi Arabian audience and be successful in their marketing efforts if they study the local market and use the proper digital platforms.

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Image 7: Saudi Arabia Consumer Statistics Feedback from the international company representative: " Our plan to break into the Saudi Arabian market can work effectively with the given strategy. It is encouraging to see such a focus on cultural awareness and regionalized material." Team response: We value the representative's encouraging comments. The Saudi Arabian market has distinct traits and preferences, and our team worked hard to include those in the approach. By taking this course of action, we will attract the attention of our demographic and accomplish our advertising goals. Conclusion In conclusion, as a member of the Virtual Solutions Team, I am proud of the work we have done to create a virtual link to the South African brand. The four stages of team development—creativity, conflict, norming, and action—were effectively navigated by our group thanks to solid communication and cooperation. We divided the tasks and duties so that everyone could contribute their unique skills to growing the South African company's presence in the Saudi Arabian market. We successfully managed our projects, communicated effectively, and held fruitful online meetings thanks to the virtual tools we used. Our campaigns will be successful, and our target audience will be reached because we use these technologies and take a regionalized approach to digital marketing. Our remote staff's hard work and dedication have ultimately resulted in a productive business relationship between a Saudi digital marketing agency and a South African brand.

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References Chen, S.-C., & Lin, C.-P. (2019). Understanding the effect of social media marketing activities: The mediation of social identification, perceived value, and satisfaction. Technological Forecasting and Social Change , 140 , 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.11.025 Haudi, H., Handayani, W., Suyoto, M., Yohanes, Praseti, T., Pitaloka, E., Wijoyo, H., Yonata, H., Koho, I. R., & Cahyono, Y. (2022). The effect of social media marketing on Brand Trust, brand equity, and brand loyalty. International Journal of Data and Network Science , 6 (3), 961–972. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.1.015 Jamil, K., Dunnan, L., Gul, R. F., Shehzad, M. U., Gillani, S. H., & Awan, F. H. (2022). Role of social media marketing activities in influencing customer intentions: A perspective of a new emerging era. Frontiers in Psychology , 12 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.808525 Paris, J., Ricardo, A., Rymond, D., & Johnson, A. (2023). Child growth and development . LibreTexts. Wahyono, W., & Nurjanah, U. (2020). Building customer loyalty through experiential strategy marketing, service quality, and customer satisfaction. Management Analysis Journal , 9 (2), 122–131. https://doi.org/10.15294/maj.v9i2.39109

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