The Effect of Virtual Communication Styles on Leadership Emergence

Subjects: Psychology >> Management Psychology submitted time 2024-02-20

TANG Yipeng FAN Wei ZHANG Xiao WANG Shuhong XIONG Shankuo PU Xiaoping

Abstract： With the digitalization and flattening of organizational management structures, the emergence of leadership has become increasingly pivotal in supporting organizational operational efficacy. Consequently, delving into the mechanisms governing leadership emergence within online work teams has become an imperative in contemporary management practices. While existing research extensively examines leadership emergence mechanisms in traditional contexts. However, there are significant differences exist between the online context and the traditional face-to-face context. The dynamics of interaction and communication differ considerably. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the mechanisms of leadership emergence in online work teams through the lens of communication styles. Employing grounded theory, we initially explore the salient features of virtual communication indicative of leadership potential. Based on the structural theory of communication style, we posit that leadership potential manifests in the identity, channel, and
interaction characteristics of virtual communication. Subsequently, we analyze the impact of identity characteristics through the lens of leadership identity construction theory, scrutinize channel characteristics utilizing a person-centered approach, and investigate the influence of interaction characteristics stemming from social network structures. The objective is to elucidate how these characteristics shape leadership emergence within online work teams. This study expands the theory of leadership emergence and provides a scientific basis for enterprises to make good use of digital media for effective management and communication.

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