Leadership Styles in Virtual Team Context: Limitations, Solutions and Propositions

This paper analyzes previous empirical investigations on leadership style in virtual team context. Inconsistencies were found in the prior studies: oversimplified comparison of transformational and transactional leadership and treating the two leadership styles as polar constructs. To overcome these drawbacks, approaching transformational and transactional behavior combinations at behavior component level is suggested. Also, specific propositions are raised about the effects of leadership behavior combinations under three important yet ignored contextual factors: media richness of communication technology, goal-frustrating events and leader-follower gender. This paper provides useful guidance for future virtual team leadership research as well as for organizations interested in developing virtual team leadership.