A profile of high-performing global virtual teams
ISSN: 1352-7592
Article publication date: 5 December 2017
Issue publication date: 7 June 2018
Abstract
Purpose
There is a paucity of research into high-performing virtual teams. This study aims to design and test a model of virtual team performance and to produce a profile of high-performing teams.
Design/methodology/approach
The main constructs found to have influenced virtual team performance in business were trustworthiness, commitment, communication characteristics, cross-cultural communication style and structure effects. New or revised scales to measure these and a new performance measure, based on five performance criteria, were developed. A research model was designed and tested, and a profile of high-performance teams produced. The sample from a global telecoms company comprised 108 global virtual teams. Two senior managers rated performance independently.
Findings
Hierarchical regression results explained 75.7 per cent of the variance of performance. Analysis of variance revealed that model fit was highly statistically significant. Trustworthiness was identified as the predominant factor, explaining a majority of the dependent variable’s variance, while interpersonal communication, commitment and cross-cultural communication style were also identified as important. The 52 items differentiating high- and low-performing teams are reported and discussed.
Originality/value
The research model makes a contribution to team performance theory and understanding, especially the relative importance of constructs for explaining performance. The profile of high-performing teams adds greatly to our knowledge and provides valuable guidance for team management, selection and development.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The company in which the research was conducted gave its full support and permission for the doctoral thesis to be published. No funding was required or given.
Citation
Lippert, H. and Dulewicz, V. (2018), "A profile of high-performing global virtual teams", Team Performance Management, Vol. 24 No. 3/4, pp. 169-185. https://doi.org/10.1108/TPM-09-2016-0040
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited