How does trust in virtual leaders foster virtual team performance? Serial mediation of team commitment and knowledge sharing

Purpose Based on the social identity theory of leadership and the input-mediator-output framework for team effectiveness, this paper aims to demonstrate how trust in a virtual leader (TVL) might improve virtual team performance (VTP), with team commitment (TC) and knowledge sharing (KS) serving as sequential mediation effects. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 192 members in 21 virtual teams in Tunisia using a cross-sectional design. The authors employed AMOS 28 to conduct structural equation modeling for assessing the measurement model and subsequently tested the serial mediation effects. Findings The results show that TVL has no significant direct effect on VTP, while stronger indirect effects emerge through the serial mediating roles of TC and KS. Practical implications This study gives managers insights into the importance of building trust in a virtual leader to foster team commitment and thus support knowledge sharing, which in turn drives virtual team performance. Originality/value This study opens the black box linking TVL to virtual team performance by articulating and testing a serial mediation model in which TC and KS transmit TVL’s effects. By privileging mechanism over direct association, it clarifies how leadership translates into performance in virtual settings.