Modeling job effectiveness and its antecedents from a social capital perspective: A survey of virtual teams within business organizations

This study develops two alternative models concerning job effectiveness, knowledge sharing, and their antecedents related to individuals’ perception about their job effectiveness in a team. Model 1 of this study intends to be as parsimonious as theoretically justifiable. It posits that three dimensions of social capital – structural, relational, and cognitive social capital – simultaneously influence knowledge sharing and job effectiveness indirectly through the mediation of team commitment, while job effectiveness is also influenced by knowledge sharing. Based on Model 1, Model 2 further adds that knowledge sharing is influenced directly by three dimensions of social capital. The two models are tested by collecting data from professionals of virtual teams in high-tech industries. The test results support seven out of nine hypotheses in Model 2. Finally, managerial implications of the empirical findings are also discussed. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.