Virtual teams and transformational leadership: An integrative literature review and avenues for further research

Abstract

Digitalisation reshapes both the workplace and the forms of communication used within a team. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, rethinking leadership has required transitioning from a physical to an entirely virtual work environment to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, accelerating and increasing the relevance of exclusively virtual communication. In a face-to-face professional work environment, transformational leaders can motivate their followers by example. In addition to publications addressing these face-to-face environments, there is an emerging and growing research interest in virtual teams guided by transformational leaders. Therefore, this study conducts a literature review integrating virtual teams and transformational leadership, identifying team, leadership, and motivation factors in the existing literature. As its main contribution, the paper challenges an established leadership model under exceptional economic circumstances and identifies research gaps within team, leadership, and motivation factors. Knowing that the virtual working environment will influence the future of work, this study paves the way for further research on transformational leaders and their influence on virtual teams.