Trust in Partially Distributed Teams

Partially Distributed Teams (PDTs) are increasingly utilized as a means for inter-organizational collaboration. In a PDT, members within a subteam are collocated and communicate face-to-face and electronically, but communication between two or more geographically separated subteams occurs primarily through electronic media. A PDT has characteristics and issues unique to its hybrid structure, such as increased likelihood of in-group/out-group dynamics. Trust has been shown to be important for effectiveness. Through a quasi-experimental field study, we examine dimensions of trust and their effects on performance and satisfaction in PDTs. Results indicate that trust in PDTs has multiple dimensions which have different effects on outcomes and that early trust is distinguishable from longer term trust. This research contributes by offering a more articulated understanding of trust at different phases of a PDT’s life cycle and by identifying three distinct types of trust that play a role in the effective functioning of PDTs.

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