The Impact of Team Virtuality on the Performance of On-Campus Student Teams

• Published in: Academy of Management learning & education Vol. 23; no. 1; pp. 158 - 175
• Main Authors: Hincapie, Maria Ximena, Hill, N. Sharon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Briarcliff Manor Academy of Management 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Administrator Education; College students; Information sharing; Teaching methods; Teams; Teamwork
• ISSN: 1537-260X; 1944-9585
• DOI: 10.5465/amle.2022.0397

Effective teamwork is critical in today's workplace, and management education plays a vital role in preparing students to work in teams. As a result, student teams are increasingly used in management courses. Research indicates that most teams operate virtually (i.e., rely on technology-mediated communication) to some degree. However, the potential negative impact of virtuality in on-campus student teams is often overlooked, with a focus instead on studying entirely virtual teams with geographically dispersed members in online classes. We raise awareness in management education about the extent and impact of team virtuality in on-campus student teams, as well as strategies to mitigate its potentially harmful effects. Using a sample of on-campus student teams, we find substantial variation in team virtuality that negatively relates to team performance through team information sharing. We also find a positive relationship between team virtual communication behaviors and team information sharing, offsetting virtuality's negative effect. Our results have important theoretical implications for management education research involving student teams and virtual team research. We discuss practical guidance for management educators, instructional designers, and administrators to enhance on-campus student teams' performance.