Team adaptive performance in the metaverse workspace: Team cohesion as a mediator

In the evolving landscape of the metaverse, this study examines the role of communication, trust, and knowledge sharing on team adaptive performance. It is proposed that team cohesion mediates these relationships. The descriptive study derives empirical insights from data collected from 426 middle-level managers of leading software companies in India, employing the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework. Data were gathered through both online and offline questionnaires, using a survey instrument that included Likert-scale items. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) software. The findings indicate that team cohesion partially mediates the relationship between communication, trust, and team adaptive performance, while no mediation is found between knowledge sharing and team adaptive performance. However, knowledge sharing exerts a direct, significant influence on team adaptive performance. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.