THE RISE AND EFFECT OF VIRTUAL MODALITIES AND FUNCTIONS ON ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP: TRACING CONCEPTUAL BOUNDARIES ALONG THE E-MANAGEMENT AND E-LEADERSHIP CONTINUUM

The massive shift to virtual modalities and functions has changed the context of leadership and organizational structures, and thus how leadership is exercised. To date, the fields of e-leadership and e-management, or more generally, virtual leadership, have been unable to make much progress. This exploratory study uses adaptive structuration theory, an approach recommended by Avolio (2001 and 2014), to provide a broad framework that is modified for the field. It uses the multi-method, multi-level approach recommended by structuration theory. Findings regarding three specific advanced information technologies (AITs) are discussed, study limitations are provided, and future research opportunities are reviewed.