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Who benefits from virtual collaboration? The interplay of team member expertness and Big Five personality traits

Author

Listed:
  • Mengxiao Zhu

    (University of Science and Technology of China
    Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Science Education and Communication)

  • Chunke Su

    (University of Texas at Arlington)

  • Jiangang Hao

    (Educational Testing Service)

  • Lei Liu

    (Educational Testing Service)

  • Patrick Kyllonen

    (Educational Testing Service)

  • Alina von Davier

    (Duolingo Inc.)

Abstract

This research applies and integrates transactive memory systems (TMS) theory and the Big Five personality traits model to investigate the performance dynamics of dyadic teams engaged in virtual collaborative problem-solving (CPS). Specifically, this study examines how the personal attributes of team members, including their expertness and Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism), as well as the resultant diversity in expertness and Big Five personality traits within teams, influence both team-level and individual-level performance gain from virtual collaboration. Studying 377 dyadic teams composed of 754 individuals working on an online collaborative intellective task, this research found that dyads with high expertness diversity had greater performance gain from virtual collaboration than dyads with low expertness diversity. Further, dyads, where both members scored low on agreeableness, showed the most significant improvement in team performance. At the individual level, a team member who had a low expertness level but was paired with a high-expertness teammate demonstrated the greatest performance gain from virtual collaboration. The integration of TMS theory and the Big Five personality traits model provides a richer and more nuanced understanding of how individual attributes and team dynamics contribute to successful virtual CPS outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengxiao Zhu & Chunke Su & Jiangang Hao & Lei Liu & Patrick Kyllonen & Alina von Davier, 2024. "Who benefits from virtual collaboration? The interplay of team member expertness and Big Five personality traits," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03678-y
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03678-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

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