Understanding Virtual Team Performance: A Synthesis of Research on the Effects of Team Design, Processes, and States

Abstract

Virtual teams are essential to the functioning of numerous organizations. They have been the subjects of much research, resulting in a growing body of literature on the topic. Nevertheless, our understanding of the performance impacts of different aspects of virtual teams (e.g., the people, task, and technology), and the processes through which these come about, remains relatively limited. The present paper reviews and synthesizes the virtual teams literature in order to provide insights into the direct and indirect antecedents of virtual team performance. We begin by differentiating among team design, team processes, and team states as antecedents to virtual team performance. Using these categories, we review one hundred and twenty-two empirical studies published between 1990 and 2007, covering five distinct dimensions of performance (output quality, creativity and innovation, production efficiency, member satisfaction, and learning). From our analysis, we develop an integrative framework that summarizes the empirical evidence on the antecedents of virtual team performance and serves to guide future research.