Leadership Behaviors in Virtual Team Meetings Taking Place in a 3D Virtual World

Virtual teams (VTs), collaborating through technology towards common goals, are a typical way of organizing work in global organizations. Collaborative technologies, such as 3D virtual worlds (VWs), make it possible for VTs to keep meetings in a shared virtual space. This study investigates VT leadership taking place in a VW. We analyzed VW meeting recordings and member interviews for tracking how leadership functions were shared in a VT. Our study shows that the designated leader played a prominent role in coordinating the team towards the group´s common goals. Although leadership functions were to some degree shared, the members wished that the leader had been more determined and their own roles more fluid. This indicates that a balance between leader´s control and members´ freedom is a challenge that has to be managed by the VT leader. The multiple channels supported by the VW were important for both leader´s and members´ participation.