Antecedents and consequences of identification with virtual teams: Structural characteristics and justice concerns

This research examined the antecedents and consequences of identification with virtual teams. Specifically, we hypothesized that two structural characteristics (number of faceto-face meetings and task interdependence) and perceived quality of interaction (procedural and distributive justice) would be positively related to identification with the virtual team. A further hypothesis was that team identification would have a positive relationship to extra-role behaviors towards the virtual team. The results from our study, based on a sample of 102 employees of Finnish-based companies, gave partial support for these hypotheses. We found that task interdependence and procedural justice were positively related to team identification. Moreover, team identification mediated the relationship between task interdependence and extra-role behaviors and the relationship between procedural justice and extra-role behaviors as we predicted. We discuss our findings in terms of research on virtual teams, social identity, and organizational justice.