An exploratory field study of the impact of communication technology on trust within virtual teams

Trust is a significant outcome of effective communication and is an antecedent to effective virtual team performance. This exploratory field study was conducted to explore the impact of communication technology on trust within a virtual team. The main premise of this study was that virtual team leaders influence the development of communication protocols that then facilitates the establishment and reinforcement of trust within a virtual team. The study was both quantitative and qualitative in design. Two of five null hypotheses were rejected and demonstrate a relationship between communication technology and trust within a virtual team. This study extends existing research on group dynamics, communication and trust within a virtual team context and has implications for leadership, HRD, MIS and Distance Education.