Determinants of Effective Leadership in Information Systems Development Teams: An Exploratory Study of Face-to-Face and Virtual Contexts

In this paper, we identify characteristics/behaviors of effective information systems development (ISD) team leaders/managers. Our exploratory analysis of United States (US)-US face-to-face (FTF) and US-Norway virtual teams reveals that FTF and cross-cultural virtual ISD team-members value different ingredients of leadership in different phases of the ISD project. Further, within virtual ISD teams, national culture plays a role in determining what is considered effective leadership. We conclude that while the behavioral and trait approaches are dominant in explaining effective leadership, other leadership theories must also be considered. The paper concludes with actionable suggestions for guiding leadership in FTF and virtual teams