Managing by Wandering Around in Virtual Environments

Examining Trust, Accessibility, and Communication Effectiveness in Remote Teams

Abstract

This study examines how Managing by Wandering Around (MBWA) translates into virtual work environments and investigates its influence on trust, accessibility, and manager–employee relationships in remote teams. Grounded in the MBWA philosophy popularized by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, and informed by Media Richness Theory developed by Richard Daft and Robert Lengel, the research explores the mechanisms through which virtual managerial presence affects employee perceptions and engagement. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 100 remote team managers implementing various forms of virtual MBWA practices, including asynchronous check-ins, scheduled video interactions, instant messaging, and unannounced video contacts. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess the effectiveness of different communication approaches. Findings revealed that virtual MBWA increased perceived managerial accessibility by 42% and employee trust by 28%. However, 38% of participants perceived uninvited video interactions as a form of surveillance rather than supportive engagement. Among the practices evaluated, asynchronous check-ins received the highest effectiveness ratings (M = 4.12), whereas unannounced video calls were rated least favorably (M = 2.36). The overall model explained 39% of the variance in employee perceptions of virtual managerial effectiveness. The findings contribute to management and organizational communication literature while offering practical implications for leading remote teams, fostering trust, and designing effective virtual leadership practices.