Information Exchange at a Distance: Examining the Influence of Leadership on Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Teams

Exploring the impact of virtual leadership on job satisfaction in the post-COVID-19 era: The mediating role of work–life balance and trust in leaders

Leadership remains a highly important role in the management of employees' psychological and physical well-being, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. As various sectors adapted virtual settings to overcome the restrictions posed by the pandemic, the vitality of virtual leaders became more pivotal as they could enhance the virtual work environment for employees and steer teams toward organizational goals. This study assessed the effect of virtual leaders on employees' job satisfaction in the information technology sector as a high-performance industry. Furthermore, the mediating effects of trust in leaders and work–life balance on the virtual leadership–job satisfaction relationship were assessed in the proposed model of this research. Through a deductive quantitative approach and using purposive and convenience sampling techniques, a total of 196 respondents participated in the research. The data analysis process was deployed via Smart PLS software and the PLS-SEM technique. The results showed that virtual leaders play a major role in determining information technology (IT) employees' job satisfaction while the mediating effects of both trust in leaders and work–life balance are significant factors that can enhance the work environment for leaders to achieve better results. The statistically significant findings of this research suggest a number of positive work outcomes and pathways with scholarly and managerial implications that can be beneficial for leaders in relevant sectors.

Cognitive diversity, creativity and team effectiveness: the mediations of inclusion and knowledge sharing

Purpose

This study aims to determine how cognitive diversity at the workplace influences team creativity. In this regard, the authors examined knowledge sharing and team-focused inclusion through which team members’ cognitive diversity was expected to elevate their positive work outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative method is used to accumulate the data. The authors surveyed workers and their respective managers at a single China-based food company. The supervisors rated the outcome variables (creativity and team effectiveness) regarding their employees, whereas employees were asked to rate the cognitive diversity, inclusion and knowledge sharing within the workgroup. The final valid sample size (n = 391) consisted of 137 workgroups with an adequate response rate (62.3%).

Findings

Cognitive diversity is related to team effectiveness but not creativity. The research found that cognitive diversity can increase creativity only through enhanced inclusion and knowledge sharing. Inclusion, likewise, explained the impact of cognitive diversity on effectiveness.

Originality/value

The originality of the current research lies in its contemporary exploration of inclusion and cognitive diversity and their pathways to team creativity and effectiveness. The social capital theory was applied to explain the proposed relationships.