Leaders in Times of Transition: Virtual Self-Efficacy, Participant Behaviors, and Leader Perceptions of Adaptive Interpersonal Group Processes

Tamar Icekson, Avital Kaye-Tzadok, Yael Ben-David

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-16
Number of pages16
JournalGroup Dynamics
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Sep 2023

Keywords

  • adaptive interpersonal group processes
  • emotional expressiveness
  • self-efficacy
  • undermining of boundaries
  • virtual leadership

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Applied Psychology

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