The influence of ethical leadership and team learning on team performance in software development projects

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of team learning processes (information acquisition, information processing and information storage and retrieval) on team performance in software development projects and to assess the effect of ethical leadership and its influence on these processes. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined 354 software development project teams in Thailand. A quantitative study was conducted through a Web-based survey, with structural equation modelling used to test the hypotheses. Findings The results of this study revealed that ethical leadership is positively correlated with the team learning processes of information acquisition, information processing and information storage and retrieval. However, only information processing and information storage and retrieval are positively related to team performance. The results indicate that ethical leadership has a positive direct effect on team performance. The results also show that the positive relationship between ethical leadership and team performance is partially mediated by team learning processes, namely, information processing and information storage and retrieval. Research limitations/implications This study highlights the importance of ethical leadership and guides managers towards considering the characteristics of both ethical leadership and team learning processes for enhancing team performance in software development projects. Originality/value This is the first study to the best of authors’ knowledge to examine the role of team learning processes in mediating the relationship between ethical leadership and team performance, particularly concerning software development projects. The present research contributes to the literature on team performance management, emphasising the manner in which ethical leadership can result in team learning and team performance. The findings of this study can be used to encourage organisations to develop ethical leadership behaviours and team learning processes in software development projects.

Nexus between shared leadership, workplace bullying, team learning, job insecurity and team performance in health care

“…H1 is supported, indicating that SL is associated with TP positively, with medium-sized effects ( β = 0.51). The findings are consistent with previous research (Sinha et al , 2021; Chamtitigul and Li, 2021). Sinha et al (2021) investigated the impact of SL on TP with the moderating role of team power base diversity and the mediating role of relationship conflict by drawing on dominance complementary theory.…”

“…This relationship is unexplained in health care and is rarely explored in the literature; therefore, the study findings provide deep insights to scholars concerning the extent to which TL has a vital underpinning mechanism to improve TP. The study results are similar to those of Chamtitigul and Li (2021); they investigated the relationship between TL and TP with ethical leadership in a software development team and revealed a positive correlation. H5 and H6 are moderation hypotheses; in H5 , WPB is suggested to negatively moderate the influence of SL on TL, which is accepted with a small effect size ( β = 0.14).…”

“…When one member experiences less job insecurity than his/her teammates, he compares himself/herself to others who appear more job insecure (Jiang and Probst, 2016). Prior research suggests that the TL and TP relationship is bounded by the contingency factors that influence the social learning process in teams (Chamtitigul and Li, 2021). By emphasizing job insecurity as a boundary condition, we believe that we can examine whether job insecurity strengthens or weakens the effect of TL on TP; hence, the following hypothesis is proposed: H6.…”

Principal systems thinking and senior management team effectiveness: the mediating role of senior management team learning

“…Research on team learning offers insight into how teams become more effective and adaptive, which in turn helps team members improve their performance (Dimas et al, 2022). Furthermore, previous empirical evidence has supported the proposition that team learning stages such as interpretation, integration and codification JEA 61,6 improve team performance (Chamtitigul and Li, 2021). Similarly, recent studies also support the positive relationship between team learning and innovation (e.g.…”

Motivations to share knowledge in professional service teams: the moderating role of project stage

“…We used single-respondent approach as it is useful for investigating topics on which only a specific respondent has in-depth knowledge and is well informed to evaluate people, processes or performance (Kaufmann and Saw, 2014). We use the single respondent approach that is in line with prior studies in team KS literature (Afshar Jalili and Salemipour, 2020; Chamtitigul and Li, 2021; Sawng et al , 2006). In each team, we surveyed the senior auditor as one key-informant who is responsible for managing and executing the engagements and involve closely in all stages and have interactions with all team members.…”