Exploring the creativity performance of virtual teams from the perspectives of leadership and creative personality
Authors: Ching-Wen Wang; Angela Shin-Yih Chen; Yi-Chun Lin; Po-Chang Lin; Chen-Mei Lee
Journal: Chia Da Management Review. Jun. 2011, 31(1): 135-168.
Keywords: Virtual team;Leadership;Motivating language;Creative personality;Creativity
Abstract:
The virtual team is a new type of work unit. In order to promote the creative performance of virtual team members, enterprises should explore
relevant factors from the perspectives of both leadership and team members. The present study adopted a longitudinal approach to examine the
effects of leaders' motivating language and members' creative personalities on the creative performance of virtual teams. This 2×3 experimental
design project included 180 students from four classes at three universities who were randomly assigned to participate. After 4 weeks of
on-Line meetings on a web-based group decision support system, the following results were found: (1) the leader's empathetic language
significantly improved the ideas of innovators or adaptors; (2) the leader's direction-giving language significantly improved the ideas of
intermediates; and, (3) the innovators expressing more ideas showed superior quality in their creative performance. These results suggest that
in order to promote members' creative performance, Leaders should consider members' creative personalities as well as choose appropriate
motivating language to encourage members to express ideas. Meanwhile, leaders should select individals with higher creative personality to
deliver creative tasks.