Understanding task complexity and shared leadership in virtual project teams

Abstract

Over the past several decades, there has been explosive growth in the use of virtual project teams across organisations for the efficient execution of complex tasks to deliver project objectives. This trend is expected to continue, with the Covid-19 pandemic accelerating the growth of these teams even further and possibly forever. However, these multidisciplinary, geographically dispersed teams are presented with additional complexities around advancements in technology, task complexity and shared leadership, necessitating the need for further research into understanding these complexities and how they support virtual project teams in leading to optimal team outcomes. The aim of the study is to understand the role of technology and the requirements of virtual project teams that are supported by shared leadership in order to facilitate their optimised performance, leading to improved team outcomes when performing complex tasks. An exploratory, qualitative research approach was followed based on non-probability sampling, and semi-structured interviews were performed with members that were part of a virtual project team. The results revealed that technology was an enabler in the development of these teams. Task complexity affected working in a virtual project team both positively and negatively, while shared leadership supported these teams when dealing with complex tasks. A key finding suggested the need for upfront training in the efficient use of ICT platforms and cloud-based solutions. This training will help bridge the digital divide and improve collaboration and communication, leading to better performance and team outcomes. This study contributes to literature in the fields of organisational behaviour and leadership theory.