Abstract

Few empirical efforts have been made to observe hierarchical elements of leadership, namely status and power distinctively. Virtual teams as a form of geographically dispersed work arrangement offer significant opportunities for companies and organizations around the globe, but also pose additional challenges to the leadership and the team itself. Due to communication challenges status and power have special characteristics in virtual teams compared to traditional teams. In this investigation we examine how status and power of a leader impact trust building in virtual teams and in turn the team’s performance. The results revealed that status of a leader has a positive influence on trust in the leader, while power of a leader had no unique effect on followers’ reactions. As members of diverse cultures have different perceptions of leaders, we found a moderating effect of culture but not for team size.

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Antecedents of Trust: Status and Power in Virtual Teams

Few empirical efforts have been made to observe hierarchical elements of leadership, namely status and power distinctively. Virtual teams as a form of geographically dispersed work arrangement offer significant opportunities for companies and organizations around the globe, but also pose additional challenges to the leadership and the team itself. Due to communication challenges status and power have special characteristics in virtual teams compared to traditional teams. In this investigation we examine how status and power of a leader impact trust building in virtual teams and in turn the team’s performance. The results revealed that status of a leader has a positive influence on trust in the leader, while power of a leader had no unique effect on followers’ reactions. As members of diverse cultures have different perceptions of leaders, we found a moderating effect of culture but not for team size.