oa Op zoek naar de 'high road' voor virtuele teams

Looking for the high road for virtual teams

The availability of ICT is increasing the virtual character of our world of work. Virtual teams differ from traditional teams on two characteristics: the geographical dispersion and the technology-mediated communication. This article focuses on the conditions for high road virtual teams: high performance and low stress. Based on a review of recent studies on virtual teams we sum up some key conditions: degree of virtuality, job demands, autonomy, social support, team leader support and use of communication tools. We collected data on virtual teams in a global software company. Based on a multiple regression analysis, including the interaction effects of high versus low virtual workers, we found that high job demands are critical for virtual teams: they lower efficiency and increase the likelihood of job stress. Furthermore, a better use of communication tools is only positive for the efficiency of high virtual workers. Finally, we found that approachable team leaders are positive for only the low virtual workers, and not for high virtual workers.