Trust, Performance, and the Communication Process in Ad Hoc Decision-Making Virtual Teams

Abstract

This research explores the communication process variables that potentially determine trust and performance quality in ad hoc virtual teams to better inform the choice of communication media for virtual groups engaged in decision-making tasks. Results of a survey indicate that virtual copresence is significantly correlated with intrateam trust and the performance quality that teams achieve. Results also accentuate the prominent role of trust in the virtual collaborative decision-making process; they indicate that trust mediates the relationship between virtual copresence and performance. It is therefore recommended that the efforts related to the design and adoption of communication systems for decision making teams strongly consider that virtual copresence potentially promotes both high levels of trust and high quality performance in virtual teams.