How do virtual teams process information? A literature review and implications for management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to inform readers on what is known on information processing in virtual teams and to discuss the consequences of these findings for the management of virtual teams. Design/methodology approach – Systematic review of the literature on information processing in virtual teams based on a general information processing model for teams. Findings – An overview of the most relevant factors that influence the effectiveness of virtual teams is provided. Research limitations/implications – The review is based on existing literature on virtual teams and it discusses future research directions opened by the conceptualization of virtual teams as information processing systems. Practical implications – The paper identifies the factors that can improve the effectiveness of information processing in virtual teams. Originality/value – The general information‐processing model for teams enables a systematic integration of the fragmented literature on virtual teams.