Linking shared leadership and project success in virtual project teams: a moderated mediation model of teamwork and project complexity

Purpose In the modern virtual workplace, an organization's ability to complete projects successfully is essential to its future sustainability. Identifying the factors that contribute to successful project outcomes is crucial in project management research. This study seeks to examine how shared leadership affects the quality of teamwork and the success of information system development projects. It also explores how project complexity affects the success of information system development (ISD) projects in the context of virtual project teams, which are usually made up of knowledge workers with a lot of experience. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 509 virtual ISD project team members in Pakistan were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapping to assess the effects of shared leadership on teamwork quality and project success. The study also assessed the mediation role of teamwork and the moderation effect of project complexity on the mediation effect of teamwork quality between shared leadership and project success relationship. Findings The study found a positive correlation between shared leadership, teamwork quality, and project success. This study also revealed that teamwork quality mediates the association between shared leadership and project success. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that teamwork quality and project complexity moderate-mediate the relationship between shared leadership and project success. Practical implications Shared leadership enhances project success in virtual teams by improving teamwork. It requires investment in team development and collaboration initiatives, which ultimately lead to project success. Originality/value The findings complement previous research with new insights on behavioral dimensions of shared leadership and their effects on outcomes on the level of the individual. To date, no prior study has employed this nascent methodology to investigate the relationship between shared leadership and project success.