Surinder S. Kahai

E-leadership: Implications for theory, research, and practice

Abstract In this article we review literature to build a broad understanding of what constitutes e-leadership in organizations. We propose a framework based on Adaptive Structuration Theory that could be used to study how Advanced Information Technology could influence and is influenced by leadership. According to our framework, the effects of Advanced Information Technology emerge from their interaction with organizational structures of which leadership is a part. Furthermore, organizational structures, including leadership, may themselves be transformed as a result of interactions with Advanced Information Technology. We use our Adaptive Structuration Theory–based framework to pool relevant results and suggestions from a diverse array of literature to provide recommendations for developing a research agenda on e-leadership.

Effects of leadership style and anonymity on group potency and effectiveness in a group decision support system environment.

A longitudinal laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of leadership style (transactional vs. transformational) and anonymity level (identified vs. anonymous) on group potency and effectiveness of 36 undergraduate student work groups performing a creativity task using a Group Decision Support System (GDSS). GDSS are interactive networks of computers for generating solutions to unstructured problems. Results indicated that GDSS anonymity amplified the positive effect of transformational leadership on group potency relative to transactional leadership in the group writing session of the task. GDSS anonymity also increased the effect of transformational leadership relative to transactional leadership on group effectiveness. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Silver Bullet or Voodoo Statistics? A Primer for Using the Partial Least Squares Data Analytic Technique in Group and Organization Research

Much of group and organization research is constrained by either limited sample sizes and/or nascent theoretical development. Wold developed the partial least squares (PLS) data analytical technique to help overcome these and other challenges facing researchers. PLS represents a powerful and effective means to test multivariate structural models with latent variables. Although PLS is used by researchers and practitioners in many scientific disciplines, some misunderstanding remains among group and organization researchers regarding the legitimacy and usefulness of PLS. To help allay these concerns, this article provides a nontechnical primer on PLS and its advantages, limitations, and application to group and organization research using a data set collected in an experiment on the effects of leadership styles and communication format on the group potency of computer-mediated work groups.

Effects of leadership style, anonymity, and rewards on creativity-relevant processes and outcomes in an electronic meeting system context

Abstract Thirty-nine student groups participated in a laboratory experiment conducted to study the effects of leadership style (transactional vs. transformational), anonymity (identified vs. anonymous interaction), and rewards (individual vs. group) on creativity-relevant group processes and outcomes in two decision-making tasks supported by an electronic meeting system (EMS). Evidence for social loafing was observed, i.e., anonymity led to lower participation and cooperation in the group rewards condition relative to the individual rewards condition. Further analysis revealed that social loafing was confined to the transactional leadership condition. Corresponding to the social loafing effect, anonymity led to lower group efficacy and satisfaction with the task and higher originality of solutions in the group rewards condition relative to the individual rewards condition. Transactional leadership was associated with greater group efficacy and solution originality than transformational leadership. Anonymity moderated the effects of leadership on group efficacy and satisfaction with the task; transactional leadership was associated with higher group efficacy and satisfaction with the task in the identified condition only.

Team collaboration in virtual worlds

Are virtual worlds more or less effective for virtual team collaboration? We suggest that the answer to this question is complicated and dependent upon a number of factors, and we propose a research agenda with theoretical bases to guide researchers in the area of virtual team collaboration for the next seven to ten years. While virtual teams are increasingly used by organizations, there has been little systematic research done to understand how collaboration in virtual worlds compares to collaboration supported by other media, or how characteristics of virtual teams influence the collaboration process and outcomes. The research agenda that we propose looks at basic differences between virtual worlds and other media, but also includes consideration of the specific contextual factors, and the influence that leadership might have on the collaboration process and outcomes.

Computer-supported work group potency and effectiveness : The role of transformational leadership, anonymity, and task interdependence

Abstract Organizational researchers and practitioners have become interested in exploring relations between drivers of group potency and effectiveness in computer-mediated environments. The authors conducted a longitudinal experiment to examine effects of leadership style, anonymity, and task interdependence on group potency and effectiveness of 36 undergraduate student work groups performing two creativity tasks using a group decision support system. Results indicated main effects of leadership style on group potency and effectiveness, a Leadership Style×Task Interdependence interaction effect on group potency, and a Leadership Style×Anonymity interaction effect on group effectiveness. These results are consistent with theories of computer-aided work groups and group potency and effectiveness and suggest directions for future research.

Effects of Participative and Directive Leadership in Electronic Groups

A laboratory experiment was conducted to assess the effects of participative and directive leadership on participation, performance, and satisfaction of 24 undergraduate student work groups that interacted electronically via a Group Decision Support System (GDSS) to performa creativity task. Participative and directive leadership were manipulated through confederate leaders who entered scripted comments into the GDSS. Performance was measured in terms of quality and uniqueness of solutions.Results of partial least squares analysis indicated that perceptions of both leader participativeness and directiveness were positively related to levels of participation. Participation in turn was positively related to performance but negatively related to satisfaction. Problem structure moderated all these relationships except for the relationship between participation and performance. Practical and research implications, study contributions, and limitations are discussed.

Active involvement, familiarity, framing, and the illusion of control during decision support system use

Abstract Results of a laboratory experiment on Decision Support System (DSS) use indicated that (a) active involvement in model building and data entry, (b) familiarity with model execution and the decision situation, and (c) consistency between a normative solution and the alternative encouraged by the problem frame led to an illusion of control, defined as an unwarranted inflation in expectations of success. Furthermore, higher expectations of success were associated with greater user satisfaction, better mood, and lower preference for thinking more before making the final decision. Higher expectations of success were less likely to be associated with preference for creating another model but were more likely to be associated with preference for further refinements to the existing DSS model before making the final decision. However, variations in expectations of success induced by sources of illusion of control were not associated with variations in decision performance. Implications for practice and research are presented.

Interaction Effect of Leadership and Communication Media on Feedback Positivity in Virtual Teams

Technology and contextual factors may moderate the effects of leadership in virtual teams. We conducted an experiment to study the effect of leadership styles on feedback positivity in small, ad hoc teams performing a decision-making task using a virtual world or instant messaging. We also examined the relationship of feedback positivity to team outcomes, including satisfaction, social presence, cohesion, group efficacy, consensus, decision quality, and task time. Leadership style interacted with communication medium to influence feedback positivity. Relative to transactional leadership, transformational leadership led to greater feedback positivity in the instant messaging condition but had no effect in the virtual world condition. Greater feedback positivity was positively associated with social presence, discussion satisfaction, cohesion, group efficacy, and task time, but was negatively associated with decision quality.

Leadership Style, Anonymity, and the Discussion of an Ethical Issue in an Electronic Context

A laboratory experiment was conducted with 42 student groups to evaluate the effects of transactional vs. transformational leadership styles and anonymity when groups supported by an Electronic Meeting System (EMS) discussed the ethical issue of copying copyrighted software. A confederate leader displayed either transformational or transactional behaviors. Transformational leaders motivate effort by raising the awareness of followers to make them aspire to higher-order needs and values and by developing them to fulfill their aspirations. Transactional leaders motivate effort by highlighting the contractual exchange involved in a relationship. Participants working with a transformational confederate were more likely to make arguments that challenged the copying of copyrighted software than those working with one who was more transactional. These arguments, in turn, caused groups exposed to such arguments to have greater deviation among its members in intentions to copy the software. Participants working with a transactional confederate were more likely to make arguments in favor of copying copyrighted software. These arguments, in turn, caused groups exposed to such arguments to have a greater mean of intentions to copy the software. Implications for practice and future research on ethics and leadership in the electronic context are discussed.