TY - JOUR
T1 - Leaders in Times of Transition
T2 - Virtual Self-Efficacy, Participant Behaviors, and Leader Perceptions of Adaptive Interpersonal Group Processes
AU - Icekson, Tamar
AU - Kaye-Tzadok, Avital
AU - Ben-David, Yael
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 American Psychological Association
PY - 2023/9/14
Y1 - 2023/9/14
N2 - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic transitioned many professionally led groups from in-person to virtual settings. This survey-based study explored the relationships between leader virtual self-efficacy, leader perceptions of participants’ behaviors (undermining of group boundaries and emotional expressiveness), and leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes (how the group-as-a-whole manages conflicts, builds confidence and motivation, and regulates affect). Drawing on socialcognitive theory and virtual group literature, we hypothesized that leader virtual selfefficacy would be positively related to leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes via two forms of participant behaviors: undermining of group boundaries and emotional expressiveness. Method: Our sample was composed of professional group leaders with little or no prior experience in virtual facilitation who transitioned to leading at least one virtual synchronous video group for the first time (N = 123, Mage = 43.3, SD = 10.88 years) due to the pandemic. Participants completed self-report measures, and linear regression mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS. Results: Leader self-efficacy was related positively to adaptive interpersonal group processes (β =.17), negatively to participants’ undermining of boundaries (β = −.38), and positively to participants’ emotional expressiveness (β =.46). Participants’ undermining of boundaries was negatively related to leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes (β = −.11), while emotional expressiveness was positively related to interpersonal group processes (β =.30). Findings suggest direct and indirect associations between leader self-efficacy and adaptive interpersonal group processes. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of leaders’ self-efficacy in virtual group facilitation, especially in transitional times, and indicate two possible participant behaviors associated with negative perception of group processes.
AB - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic transitioned many professionally led groups from in-person to virtual settings. This survey-based study explored the relationships between leader virtual self-efficacy, leader perceptions of participants’ behaviors (undermining of group boundaries and emotional expressiveness), and leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes (how the group-as-a-whole manages conflicts, builds confidence and motivation, and regulates affect). Drawing on socialcognitive theory and virtual group literature, we hypothesized that leader virtual selfefficacy would be positively related to leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes via two forms of participant behaviors: undermining of group boundaries and emotional expressiveness. Method: Our sample was composed of professional group leaders with little or no prior experience in virtual facilitation who transitioned to leading at least one virtual synchronous video group for the first time (N = 123, Mage = 43.3, SD = 10.88 years) due to the pandemic. Participants completed self-report measures, and linear regression mediation analyses were conducted using PROCESS. Results: Leader self-efficacy was related positively to adaptive interpersonal group processes (β =.17), negatively to participants’ undermining of boundaries (β = −.38), and positively to participants’ emotional expressiveness (β =.46). Participants’ undermining of boundaries was negatively related to leader perceptions of adaptive interpersonal group processes (β = −.11), while emotional expressiveness was positively related to interpersonal group processes (β =.30). Findings suggest direct and indirect associations between leader self-efficacy and adaptive interpersonal group processes. Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of leaders’ self-efficacy in virtual group facilitation, especially in transitional times, and indicate two possible participant behaviors associated with negative perception of group processes.
KW - adaptive interpersonal group processes
KW - emotional expressiveness
KW - self-efficacy
KW - undermining of boundaries
KW - virtual leadership
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85183639791&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/gdn0000208
DO - 10.1037/gdn0000208
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85183639791
SN - 1089-2699
VL - 28
SP - 1
EP - 16
JO - Group Dynamics
JF - Group Dynamics
IS - 1
ER -