Virtual Leadership and Team Cohesion: Communication Quality as a Mediator and Team Diversity as a Moderator

Abstract

This research aims to understand how the relationship between virtual leadership and team cohesion is mediated by the quality of communication, with team diversity as a moderating factor. Virtual teams are increasingly prevalent in modern organizations, necessitating effective leadership and communication to enhance team cohesion and performance. An online survey was conducted with 150 employees from various organizations, utilizing validated scales for virtual leadership behavior, team cohesion, communication quality, and team diversity index. Regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings reveal that virtual leadership positively impacts team cohesion. The quality of communication partially mediates this relationship, underscoring its importance in virtual leadership. Additionally, team diversity moderates the link between communication quality and team performance. Organizations should focus on developing virtual leadership skills and enhancing communication quality to improve team cohesion and performance. Effective management of team diversity through inclusive communication can further leverage diversity benefits for high-quality team performance.