How team feedback and team trust influence information processing and learning in virtual teams: A moderated mediation model

• Published in: Computers in human behavior Vol. 48; pp. 9 - 16
• Main Authors: Peñarroja, Vicente, Orengo, Virginia, Zornoza, Ana, Sánchez, Jesús, Ripoll, Pilar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2015
• Subjects: Group information elaboration; Social exchange theory; Team feedback; Team learning; Team trust; Virtual teams; Team trust; Group information elaboration; Team learning; Team feedback; Virtual teams; Social exchange theory
• ISSN: 0747-5632; 1873-7692
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.034

•We study how team feedback influences information processing and learning in virtual teams.•Group information is positively related to team learning in virtual teams.•The indirect effect of team feedback on team learning via group information elaboration is moderated by team trust.
This study examines a moderated mediation model in which team trust moderates the indirect effect of team feedback on team learning through group information elaboration in virtual teams. An experimental study in a laboratory was conducted with 54 teams randomly assigned to a team feedback condition or a control condition. Results provided empirical support to the moderated mediation model. We found that the indirect effect of team feedback on team learning via group information elaboration occurred in virtual teams with a high level of team trust. However, this indirect effect was not statistically significant in virtual teams with lower levels of team trust. Additionally, we also found that group information elaboration and team learning were positively related in virtual teams. Therefore, our findings suggest that team feedback is effective to improve group information elaboration and learning in virtual teams when team trust is high.