(The) impact of virtual communication on task performance: the mediating effect of disparity in member influence

Abstract

There is an increasing tendency for organizations to use virtual communication. Virtual communication enables geographically dispersed teams to collaborate effectively. Virtual communication, however, poses specific challenges, including the lack of shared physical space that can enhance communication and collaboration. Due to the misunderstanding of characteristic cues, disparity in member influence contributes to asymmetric influence patterns in virtual communication. Consequently, we examine the impact of disparity in member influence in virtual communication settings will negatively impact the performance of the task. Through an experiment, we find that virtual communication teams exhibit a greater disparity in member influence than face-to-face communication teams, which negatively impacts team performance. In this study, the theoretical and practical implications of virtual communication users, group decision-making processes, and group performance are highlighted.