Abstract

There exists a widespread increase of modern organizations using virtual teamwork in their business practices. Recent research emphasizes that trust development over time, facilitated by the information exchange process, is the key to improving virtual team performance. Trust development consists of swift/initial trust, influenced by personality factors, and knowledge-based trust, which includes affect- and cognition-based trust. Trust then can have a powerful impact on cooperation in virtual teamwork. As a replication-extension of Wilson, Straus, and McEvily’s (2006) research, the current study examined the differences in trust development among teams communicating through video call, text chat with and without a bonding guide. In pairs and for three rounds, participants (N = 96), assigned to one of the three communication media, used Skype to communicate, played the Prisoner’s Dilemma game (without knowing the results), and answered a trust survey. Finally, they answered a questionnaire regarding personalities. ANOVA analyses indicated that both affective and cognitive trust in three communication media significantly increased over time; and affect-based trust in text chat teams could be significantly improved over time and through bonding, to match or transcend that in video call teams. The results failed to support that cooperation was a direct behavioral outcome of trust. Correlation analyses showed that disposition to trust and agreeableness, as personality factors, strongly and positively predicted trust levels throughout time. Organizations may apply these findings to advancing virtual team effectiveness through time development and team bonding.

Advisor

Gillund, Gary

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

Industrial and Organizational Psychology | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Performance Management | Social Psychology | Training and Development

Keywords

trust, trust development, cooperation, teamwork, virtual teamwork, video call, text chat

Publication Date

2018

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2018 Chuc-Anh (Nora) T. Nguyen