An exploratory study of virtuality effects on team performance

Recent studies on virtual teams reveal that team virtuality varies in a continuum and may take different degrees. Changing virtuality degrees has considerable effects on team processes and management as they generate different characteristics concerning communication dynamics and interaction styles. The purpose of this paper is to assess how the variability of team virtuality degrees influences team performance. A multidimensional approach to evaluate virtuality was elaborated based on main characteristics of virtual teams retained by literature. The performance measures evaluated with relevance to the context of the study are: work performance, attitudes, and behaviours. Cross analysis are then elaborated to find significant links between virtuality degrees on one side and performance levels on the other side. A longitudinal qualitative study was conducted on ten virtual teams composed of three to five students involved in on-line master degrees at a French university. The results show that performance measures are differently influenced by virtuality. Although output quality seems not to be related to team virtuality, effective team processes and members’ satisfaction are associated with low virtuality degrees. Ineffective processes were found in high virtuality teams, whereas a positive dynamics and team spirit characterise low virtuality teams.