Perceived Leader Emergence in Global Teams in Relation to Participant Satisfaction and Performance: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The current study explores the impact of perceived leader emergence on task- and socio-emotional processes, satisfaction, and performance within global virtual teams (GVTs). Drawing on Behavioral Complexity Theory, the research investigates how task processes and socio-emotional processes mediate the relationship between leader emergence and team satisfaction and performance. A correlational research design was employed, utilizing surveys administered to 162 graduate-level students enrolled in an Industrial, Work, Organizational, and Personnel Psychology program in the USA and Spain between 2015 and 2022. Analysis of the final sample of 114 participants revealed that while leader emergence did not demonstrate direct or indirect relationships with team satisfaction or performance, significant positive correlations were found between task- and socio-emotional processes and both satisfaction and performance. Notably, differences emerged based on institution of origin and modality of study, with students in the USA reporting higher leader emergence in virtual settings. The findings suggest that fostering task- and socio-emotional processes may be more critical for GVT success than leader emergence alone. Future research should further explore the accurate measurement of leader emergence and team dynamics in diverse virtual settings.