Virtual teamwork

Lisa Handke and Patrícia Costa

Chapter 1 in Research Handbook on Group Decision Making, 2026, pp 3-18 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter reviews the evolution of virtual teamwork research in parallel with changes in technology and work practices. The traditional distinction between face-to-face (or co-located) and geographically dispersed (or technology-mediated) teams has become increasingly obsolete, as nearly all organizational teams now incorporate some degree of virtual interaction. In light of this shift, we synthesize three major streams of research on virtual teams: 1) geographic dispersion, and its effects on key team outcomes such as trust and subgroup formation; 2) technology dependence, encompassing insights from media richness, synchronicity, and task–media fit theories; and 3) subjective experiences of virtuality, focusing on how individuals and teams adapt to evolving technologies over time. Building on this foundation, we identify two emerging directions that warrant further scholarly attention: hybrid teamwork, characterized by dynamic co-location patterns, and human–autonomy teams, where humans and intelligent agents collaborate across interdependent tasks.

Keywords: Virtual teams; Hybrid teams; Technology use; Dispersion; Information and communication technology; Configuration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035331239
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