The rise of virtual teams due to globalization and technological progress has transformed leadership, requiring cultural and digitally adaptive strategies. This study examines how cultural orientations and technological contexts shape virtual leadership effectiveness, focusing on decision‐making, trust‐building, and team performance. A systematic literature review of peer‐reviewed studies published in 2000–2024 was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Emerald databases. Studies were included if they addressed virtual teams and leadership in relation to culture and/or technology and reported insights relevant to decision‐making, trust, or team performance; titles/abstracts and full texts were screened, and findings were thematically synthesized. The review highlights that leadership effectiveness varies across cultural dimensions; individualistic cultures prefer autonomous leadership, while collectivist cultures value relational approaches. Technology enhances collaboration but may lead to digital fatigue if mismanaged. Trust‐building depends on balancing cognitive and affective trust, shaped by cultural context. The practical implications of the study identify transformational and authentic leadership as most effective and recommend culturally responsive leadership, digital literacy training, and transparent communication to optimize virtual team performance in diverse environments. Future research should test these relationships using longitudinal and multilevel designs and examine emerging tools (e.g., AI‐supported collaboration) and their implications for sustained trust and team performance.
Demir et al. (2026) studied this question.