Leadership and Conflict Resolution in Virtual and Hybrid Teams

The transformation of work, marked by the widespread adoption of virtual and hybrid confi gurations, has profoundly redefi ned the relational dynamics that characterize contemporary organizational settings. These evolving confi gurations call for renewed attention to the role of leadership, understood as a central factor in orchestrating remote interactions, managing interpersonal tensions, and fostering cohesion in fragmented work environments. By adopting a sociotechnical perspective, this analysis highlights the interdependence between digital infrastructures and social structures, with particular emphasis on how leadership operates within these interactional spaces and contributes to shaping their dynamics. Relying on a qualitative research design grounded in a narrative approach, the study explores how leadership is enacted and perceived in confl ict management processes by a network of human resource professionals within an Italian Community of Practice. Their stories go beyond the description of practices; they unveil ways of being a leader in environments marked by distance, ambiguity, and the ongoing need for renegotiation. This contribution reveals how leaders contribute to confl ict resolution not solely through formal authority, but through the construction of trust, the exercise of empathy, and intentional communication. The author’s refl ections highlight the importance of adopting adaptive leadership models, which are capable of interpreting signals of change and responding to the transformations that are redefi ning the boundaries of contemporary work. A form of leadership that can support individuals in professional contexts increasingly shaped by technology, helping them navigate the challenges of virtual and hybrid work.

Rosario Marrapodi is a contract professor of Organization Design for Sustainable Enterprises at the University of Rome Unitelma Sapienza. He earned a Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Naples Parthenope.