Leadership Role Effectiveness as a Mediator of Team Performance in New Product Development Virtual Teams

Sharing leadership behaviors in virtual teams: effects of shared leadership behaviors on team member satisfaction and productivity

Purpose

Virtual collaboration in teams becomes increasingly popular at work. With the advantages of working in virtual teams come leadership challenges for which the shared leadership theory is discussed as a potential solution. While previous empirical studies investigating shared leadership in virtual teams generally confirm positive effects on team outcomes, this study aims to investigate in detail the leadership behaviors that are typically shared in these settings and how these shared leadership behaviors affect individual level outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Individuals from different teams participated in a questionnaire study (n = 411). Structural equation modeling was used to assess the effects of shared task- and relations-oriented leadership behaviors on team member’s subjectively perceived productivity and satisfaction with leadership.

Findings

Results indicate that shared task-oriented leadership behaviors have a significant positive effect on subjectively perceived productivity and satisfaction with leadership, while relations-oriented leadership behaviors have a significant negative effect. A hypothesis stipulating a moderating effect of task interdependence was not confirmed.

Practical implications

Practical implications include that in virtual teams with hierarchical organizational structures, it may be recommended that task-oriented leadership behaviors are shared among team members, whereas relations-oriented leadership behaviors should remain the responsibility of the official leader.

Originality/value

The findings complement previous research with new insights on behavioral dimensions of shared leadership and their effects on outcomes on the level of the individual.

Shared Leadership in Virtual Teams at Work: Practical Strategies and Research Suggestions for Human Resource Development

Working in virtual teams has become more prevalent in some industries, especially following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. To address rapidly developing markets, businesses are implementing changes in leadership structures, work systems, and technology adoption. Human resource development (HRD) and virtual HRD (VHRD) practitioners and researchers must draw on best practices from previous research regarding virtual teams to help meet organizational needs and changes. Shared leadership is one of the emerging approaches showing promise in tackling complex challenges as it responds to problems by drawing on all members’ expertise rather than on the authority of a few. To understand shared leadership in virtual teams, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify how shared leadership is conceptualized and measured in virtual team research. We also synthesized the antecedents and outcomes of shared leadership in virtual teams. We presented practical remote work strategies and future research suggestions for HRD and VHRD.