Collaboration between digital teams and its influence on the intention to participate in online projects: a PLS-SEM analysis

Purpose The objective of this research is to analyze how collaboration in digital teams influences the intention to participate in virtual projects, emphasizing psychological and social determinants beyond technological adoption. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine relationships between digital collaboration, trust, perceived competence, and motivation to engage in online projects. Data were collected from users of widely adopted digital collaboration tools such as Teams, Slack, and Google Workspace. Findings The findings suggest that promoting digital participation requires more than providing technological infrastructure. Organizations and academic communities should implement strategies to strengthen trust, recognition, and perceived self-efficacy among participants, fostering meaningful interactions rather than merely facilitating task execution. Originality/value The article advances prior TPB-based PLS-SEM research by repositioning the Theory of Planned Behavior from a technology adoption lens to a psychologically enriched participation model, explicitly incorporating self-esteem and prior collaborative experience as antecedents shaping motivational dynamics. In doing so, it extends existing TPB–PLS-SEM studies by demonstrating how these individual-level factors condition intention formation in digital collaboration contexts rather than merely replicating established TPB relationships.