Information and Communication Technology Support for Contextualization, Polychronic Values, and Job Satisfaction: Evidence From Virtual Teams

As companies expand geographically and information and communication technologies (ICTs) become more common, virtual teams gain popularity within corporations. As fast-paced ICT advances have created high demand for rapid response, virtual team members are often expected to have high levels of flexibility and responsiveness. Therefore, it is critical to understand how virtual team members with different polychronic values perceive the degree of ICT support for contextualization and how such a perception influences their job satisfaction. In this study, we draw on Te’eni’s cognitive-affective model of communication to examine how ICT-enabled contextualization influences job satisfaction. An online survey of virtual team workers (N = 314) indicated that polychronic values moderate the relationship between degree of ICT support for contextualization and job satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.