Team Learning and Effectiveness in Virtual Project Teams: The Role of Beliefs about Interpersonal Context Articles uri icon

authors

publication date

  • May 2010

start page

  • 267

end page

  • 276

issue

  • 1

volume

  • 13

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1138-7416

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1988-2904

abstract

  • There has been increasing interest in team learning processes in recent years. Researchers have investigated the impact of team learning on team effectiveness and analyzed the enabling conditions for the process, but
    team learning in virtual teams has been largely ignored. This study
    examined the relationship between team learning and effectiveness in
    virtual teams, as well as the role of team beliefs about interpersonal
    context. Data from 48 teams performing a virtual consulting project over
    4 weeks indicate a mediating effect of team learning on the
    relationship between beliefs about the interpersonal context
    (psychological safety, task interdependence) and team effectiveness
    (satisfaction, viability). These findings suggest the importance of team
    learning for developing effective virtual teams.