Trust and leadership in virtual teamwork: A media naturalness perspective

Abstract

Paradoxically, virtual teams are ubiquitous and often successful, contrary to most current communication theories'predictions. Media naturalness theory (Kock, 2001), an evolutionary perspective on communication and its principles of media naturalness, innate schema similarity, and learned schema diversity can be used to understand, study, and manage successful virtual teamwork. In particular, potential problems of trust and leadership in virtual teams are shown to be amenable to solutions rooted explicitly in an evolutionary context. From a media naturalness perspective, geographic distance and technological complexity are secondary to processes of adaptation, as humans remain the most complex and flexible part of the communication system. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Benefits and Barriers of Virtual Collaboration Among Online Adjuncts

“…Virtual platforms may pose communication obstacles because of the distance and differences in technology between collaborators (DeRosa et al, 2004). Virtual communication stunts the use of emotions and nonverbal cues (Garrison et al, 2000).…”

“…Virtual communication stunts the use of emotions and nonverbal cues (Garrison et al, 2000). Emotion indicates social presence, but in a text-based environment, representing feelings of emotions can impede communication when collaborators are from different cultures and rely on nonverbal cues and gestures to interpret interaction (DeRosa et al, 2004). Without social cues, online communication and collaboration may mode of communication in face-to-face situations and the lack of visual prompts may act as a barrier in virtual collaboration which can be perceived as mistrust.…”

“…Without social and visual cues, trust in fellow participants becomes imperative to successful online collaboration. Several researchers found that trust is an integral component of successful virtual collaboration (DeRosa et al, 2004;Jarvenpaa & Leidner, 1999;Moore, 2006). Trust and common purpose characterize successful collaboration experiences among professional learning communities (Moore, 2006).…”

“…Trust and common purpose characterize successful collaboration experiences among professional learning communities (Moore, 2006). Of all of positive experience in virtual collaboration, trust al., 2004;Jarvenpaa & Leidner, 1999). Trust also attitude toward accepting others' criticisms (Hu et.…”

Four Guiding Principles for Research on Evolved Information Processing Traits and Technology- Mediated Task Performance

“…The study of evolved information processing traits and their effects on technology-mediated task performance arguably holds the promise of bringing fresh new insights into the study of human behavior in contexts shaped by various information and communication technologies (Dennis & Taylor, 2006;DeRosa, Hantula, Kock, & D'Arcy, 2004;Hantula, Brockman, & Smith, 2008;Hubona & Shirah, 2006;Kock, 2004Kock, , 2009Porra, 1999;Porra, Hirschheim, & Parks, 2005;Rajala & Hantula, 2000;Saad, 2008;Smith & Hantula, 2003;Spink & Cole, 2006). Evolved information processing traits are defined here as mental traits, associated with the processing of information that reaches us through our five senses, and which have been evolved by our species in response to selective forces related to one or more fitnessimpairing events (Kock, 2009).…”