Abstract
This study explores the dynamics of virtual teams. We hypothesize that the use of a mixed-incentive reward structure will increase team member satisfaction, affect group cohesion and decrease perceived social loafing in a virtual team environment. We also hypothesize that team member satisfaction and team cohesion will increase and perceived social loafing will decrease with the use of a richer technology medium in a virtual team environment. In addition, we hypothesize that in a virtual team environment, team member satisfaction, group cohesion and perceived social loafing will differ between males and females. Using eighty-nine MBA students at a large southeastern university as participant's for our study, we find that perceived social loafing decreases with the use of a mixed-incentive reward structure in a virtual team environment. We also find that perceived social loafing decreases with the use of a richer technology medium in a virtual team environment. Finally, we find that perceived social loafing differs between males and females and that females perceive more social loafing when there is not a mixed-incentive scheme. The results shed light on the role of gender in virtual teams.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 190-213 |
Number of pages | 24 |
Journal | International Journal of Accounting Information Systems |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2009 |
Keywords
- Gender
- Informal leadership
- Social loafing
- Sociometric structure
- Team cohesiveness
- Team member satisfaction
- Virtual teams
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Management Information Systems
- Accounting
- Finance
- Information Systems and Management