Team Perceived Virtuality: Empirical Exploration of Its Two Dimensions

Objective: The present study aims at empirically exploring the construct of team perceived virtuality (TPV), validating its proposed bidimensional structure and predictive validity for affective and performance outcomes. Method: Three samples of 95 mix-gender, educated and Western teams, answered an online survey on team perceived virtuality (in form of collectively experienced distance and collectively experienced information deficits) teamwork engagement and team performance. Sample 1 consisted of 84 individuals, 63% female and 81% under 40 years of age. Sample 2 consisted of 68 individuals, 25% female and 64.2% under 40 years of age. Sample 3 consisted of 122 individuals, 53% female and 66% under 40 years of age. Results: The fit of a two-factor model (chi(2) = 195.98, df = 20, p <.001, comparative fit index, CFI = 0.72, RMSEA = 0.18, SRMRwithin = 0.12) supported the bidimensional structure of the construct, and measurement invariance across samples was supported. Only distance is a significant predictor of teamwork engagement (beta = -.50, p =.007); only information deficits (beta=-.36, p=.076) are a significant marginal predictor of team performance; and both distance (beta = -.33, p =.029) and information deficits (beta = -.48, p =.002) are predictors of team adaptive performance, with the latter having a greater predictive power. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of team perceived virtuality as a team-level construct, validates its two-factor structure, and demonstrates the differential relationship between its two constituting dimensions and performance-related and affective-motivational outcomes, respectively. The generalizability of the findings is limited by samples' characteristics.