Undergraduate Business Students' Perceptions About Virtual and Remote-Work Leadership Skills

Abstract

With changes introduced to the work environment since the COVID-19 pandemic, an ever-increasing amount of interest has been focused on virtual leadership. This chapter researches the topic of virtual leadership and focuses on investigating business students' perceptions of skills relevant to virtual leadership positions. The chapter presents an empirical exploratory research study conducted through four focus groups with 20 undergraduate business students. The findings reveal business students have a relevant understanding of the differences between traditional and virtual work environments. Socialization and isolation are among the most dominant themes regarding the differences in work modes. The findings also show that business students understand the challenges associated with leading in virtual and remote work settings, and they prefer traditional future leadership positions to avoid such challenges. The study highlights several relevant leadership skills needed according to business students such as communication, the ability to engage, and technological competencies.