Abstract:
Since the advent of information and communication technologies (ICT), distributed (virtual) teams have evolved as a new form of organizational network that promises high responsiveness, flexibility and cost-efficiency. In contemporary global business environments, almost all knowledge-intensive work is mediated by technology and is thus distributed to some degree. Thus, learning to perform in distributed environments is often imperative to organizational survival and success. However, although well researched, performance in distributed teams remains a source of enduring challenge for researchers and practitioners alike. Despite much growth in the range and functionality of ICT, distributed teams face many challenges that are more varied and complex than those faced by collocated (traditional) teams. And one such challenge has to do with leadership. This study aims address the complex challenges associated with distance and virtuality through empirically investigating the impacts of adaptive leadership on the performance of distributed teams. Adaptive leadership is a contemporary leadership framework that has garnered increasing professional and academic attention in the past decade. Unlike traditional leadership styles that tend to emphasize certain leadership traits or social behaviors, adaptive leadership is a collaborative, exploratory and learning-oriented approach in which leaders invite members to seek and implement novel solutions to non-technical problems. Adaptive leaders aim to leverage the competencies of every team member through instigating intense debate and creative thinking around teams' existing practices. This study argues that the fundamental tenets of adaptive leadership are critically important in distributed -- and possibly other complex -- environments. This is one of the first studies to employ a quantitative methodology to analyze the impacts of adaptive leadership on team performance. Adaptive leadership was hypothesized to positively predict team performance through enhancing collaboration; evoking a stronger sense of team trust; and allowing individuals more freedom (actor agency) regarding when, how and how much to communicate. Hierarchical regression, Sobel tests and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted on data collected as part of a larger study of 556 subjects from 191 distributed project teams in 109 firms throughout 29 countries. Adaptive leadership was found to positively impact team performance through the mediating mechanisms of collaborative culture, team trust, and actor agency. The findings of this study support the proposition that adaptive leadership is a novel and effective approach to addressing complexity in global contexts.