Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, Vol 30(1), Mar 2026, 30-46; doi:10.1037/gdn0000246
Objective: Although hybrid teams are increasingly common, little is known about the relational dynamics through which leadership emerges in such settings. Drawing on social identity construction theory, particularly the claiming–granting perspective, this study investigates how relationship- and task-oriented behaviors contribute to leadership emergence in hybrid contexts and whether these effects depend on virtuality. We further examine follower perceptions of warmth and competence as proximal cognitive mechanisms underlying early leadership recognition. Method: The study participants were 188 university students in Indonesia, most of whom were female (79%) and between 18 and 20 years old (70%). They were randomly assigned to small teams to complete a management simulation task under low- or high-virtuality hybrid conditions. Relationship- and task-oriented behaviors were coded by trained observers during the team interactions. Team members subsequently rated one another on perceived warmth, competence, and leadership emergence using established measures. Results: While virtuality did not moderate the relationship between leadership-claiming behaviors and initial leadership emergence, relationship-oriented behaviors predicted initial leadership emergence indirectly through perceptions of warmth, and task-oriented behaviors predicted initial leadership emergence through perceptions of competence. Conclusions: These findings locate leadership emergence in followers’ evaluative processes rather than in behavioral enactment alone, highlighting how early leadership claims are provisionally recognized in hybrid teams characterized by fragmented interactions. By demonstrating a neutral role of virtuality and clarifying the cognitive bases of granting, this study extends relational theories of leadership emergence and offers a more nuanced account of leadership emergence in contemporary hybrid work settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)