Browsing by Author "Whitfield, Liam"
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- ItemThe effect of character strengths on job performance in virtual teams(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2023-03) Whitfield, Liam; Goosen, Susan; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.ENGLISH SUMMARY: The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has brought about an unprecedented age of new technology, and with it, a substantial rise in the number of virtual teams. The need to understand the antecedents to job performance within this virtual medium is now prevalent. Therefore, the effects of personality traits, seen through the lens of positive psychology, on job performance within virtual teams holds substantial value. This thesis studies the effects and influence of character strengths on job performance within the context of virtual teams. The analysis of the literature generally found the presence of modest relationships between character strengths and job performance, however, there was a clear lack of empirical backing within virtual teams. To add empirical foundation, a conceptual model was outlined based on the previous work of Harzer and Ruch (2014) and a quantitative methodology was followed, whereby employees in virtual teams measured their character strengths and job performance through a self-report survey. Correlation and regression analysis were performed and it was found that the majority of hypothesized character strengths were significantly related to their respective job performance dimensions in virtual teams. The regression analysis found that a combination of seven character strengths: honesty, perseverance, kindness, leadership, social intelligence, zest, and appreciation of beauty and excellence, can significantly predict between 33% and 49% of the variance in various job performance dimensions. The implications of this research relate to the fields of character strengths, job performance and virtual teams. The limitations of the study, such as the sample size, psychometric properties of the measuring instruments and the nature of virtual teams were discussed. Recommendations for future research such as increasing the sample size and the revision of the VIA-72 have been outlined.