ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R
主办:中国科学院心理研究所
出版:科学出版社

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2022, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (8): 1770-1784.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2022.01770

• Conceptual Framework • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The double-edged sword of shared leadership in virtual teams: A perspective from adaptive structuration theory

LIU Songbo, CHENG Jinkai(), WANG Xi   

  1. School of Labor and Human Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
  • Received:2021-11-10 Online:2022-08-15 Published:2022-06-23
  • Contact: CHENG Jinkai E-mail:13161898822@163.com

Abstract:

With remote working becoming a norm following the global pandemic, workers increasingly need to work in virtual teams supported by collaborative technologies. While the literature has highlighted the relevance of shared leadership for virtual teams, empirical research appears to focus on the positive effects of shared leadership on virtual teamwork at the team level while neglecting the negative effects of shared leadership on virtual team work at the individual level.

This paper argues that shared leadership is a double-edged sword in relation to virtual team leadership in terms of both team and individual performance. Using adaptive structuration theory, we propose a study to show that shared leadership in virtual teams is positively related to team performance through the mechanisms of team intrinsic motivation and team self-efficacy. Team virtuality plays an inverted U-shaped moderating role in the relationship between shared leadership and team self-efficacy, as well as the relationship between shared leadership and team intrinsic motivation. Before reaching a certain critical point, team virtuality plays a positive moderating role, and after reaching a critical point, team virtuality plays a negative moderating role. Task complexity positively moderates the effects of shared leadership on team self-efficacy and team intrinsic motivation. On the other hand, we propose that shared leadership in virtual teams is negatively related to team performance through the mechanisms of social loafing and relationship conflict. Team virtuality plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between shared leadership and social loafing, as well as the relationship between shared leadership and relationship conflict. While task complexity negatively moderates the effects of shared leadership on team self-efficacy and team intrinsic motivation.

Meanwhile, this study also shows that shared leadership is a double-edged sword in relation to virtual team leadership in terms of individual performance. On the one hand, we propose that shared leadership in virtual teams is positively related to individual performance through the mechanisms of individual intrinsic motivation and individual self-efficacy. Team virtuality plays an inverted U-shaped moderating role in the relationship between shared leadership and individual self-efficacy, as well as the relationship between shared leadership and individual intrinsic motivation. Before reaching a certain critical point, team virtuality plays a positive moderating role, and after reaching a critical point, team virtuality plays a negative moderating role. Task significance positively moderates the effects of shared leadership on individual self-efficacy and individual intrinsic motivation. On the other hand, shared leadership in virtual teams is negatively related to individual performance through the mechanisms of workload and job anxiety. Team virtuality plays a U-shaped moderating role in the relationship between shared leadership and workload, as well as the relationship between shared leadership and job anxiety. Before reaching a certain critical point, team virtuality plays a negative moderating role, and after reaching a critical point, team virtuality plays a positive moderating role. Task significance negatively moderates the effects of shared leadership on workload and job anxiety.

Our proposed research not only extends our understanding of the influence mechanisms and boundary conditions of shared leadership in virtual teams, but also provides suggestions to organizations for improving leadership and performance in virtual team contexts.

Key words: virtual teams, shared leadership, team performance, individual performance, adaptive structuration theory

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