Development and validation of a scale for integrating technology in virtual leadership: technological requirements of virtual leadership

Purpose Advancements in technology have made it easier for employees to work flexibly, being regarded as a relevant aspect of employee motivation. Surprisingly, however, the literature does not clearly explain how technology affects leadership when employees work flexibly, as no respective scale is currently available. Thus, the aim of this study is to contribute innovative knowledge on how technology influences the leadership of flexibly working employees in German SMEs. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method scale development procedure was conducted, consisting of five exploratory sequential studies: (1) literature review and qualitative case study, (2) item sort task, (3) pre-test of substantive validity (Anderson Gerbing Test), (4) exploratory factor analysis and (5) confirmatory factor analysis. Findings A new scale on technological requirements of virtual leadership (TRVL) was developed and validated through confirmatory factor analysis. TRVL consists of two subdimension: (1) competent usage of virtual media in communication with employees and (2) (organizational) support to ensure the ability to work flexibly. Empirical results revealed a new nature of factorial relationships, showing that TRVL mediates the nexus between leadership and working flexibly. Originality/value This is the first study to address and close the gap regarding technology as a contextual preconditional for leading flexibly working employees. Therefore, this research can be regarded as pioneering work on integrating technology into leadership within SME settings. We contribute to knowledge by developing and validating a new scale on TRVL. Furthermore, TRVL is a mediator on the relationship between leadership and working flexibly, helping to clarify the fragmented literature on virtual leadership.