The effects of reward structure, media richness and gender on virtual teams

Stephanie M. Bryant, Susan M. Albring and Uday Murthy

International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 2009, vol. 10, issue 4, 190-213

Abstract: This study explores the dynamics of virtual teams. We hypothesize that the use of a mixed-incentive reward structure will increase team member satisfaction, affect group cohesion and decrease perceived social loafing in a virtual team environment. We also hypothesize that team member satisfaction and team cohesion will increase and perceived social loafing will decrease with the use of a richer technology medium in a virtual team environment. In addition, we hypothesize that in a virtual team environment, team member satisfaction, group cohesion and perceived social loafing will differ between males and females. Using eighty-nine MBA students at a large southeastern university as participant's for our study, we find that perceived social loafing decreases with the use of a mixed-incentive reward structure in a virtual team environment. We also find that perceived social loafing decreases with the use of a richer technology medium in a virtual team environment. Finally, we find that perceived social loafing differs between males and females and that females perceive more social loafing when there is not a mixed-incentive scheme. The results shed light on the role of gender in virtual teams.

Keywords: Virtual teams; Team member satisfaction; Team cohesiveness; Sociometric structure; Informal leadership; Social loafing; Gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:10:y:2009:i:4:p:190-213

DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2009.09.002

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