Title: Personality influences trust differently in virtual and face-to-face teams

Authors: Kimberly Furumo, Emmeline de Pillis, David Green

Addresses: College of Business and Economics, University of Hawaii, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA. ' College of Business and Economics, University of Hawaii, 200 W. Kawili St., Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA. ' College of Business, Governors State University, 1 University Parkway, University Park, IL 60466, USA

Abstract: Trust is important in teams because the transaction costs in teams are lower when trust is high. The individuals who trust each other feel less compelled to monitor or double-check the work completed by others. In this study, we examine the impact of individual personality dimensions on trust for individuals working in virtual and face-to-face teams. We randomly assigned participants to either a virtual or face-to-face team to complete a project. As expected, higher levels of trust were associated with higher levels of satisfaction. In addition, personality traits predicted trust levels. The effect of personality on trust and of trust on satisfaction is stronger in virtual teams. In order to maximise the trust levels, virtual teams should be comprised of members who are high in agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion, while in face-to-face teams, extraverted individuals seem to report higher levels of trust.

Keywords: virtual teams; big five; personality traits; trust; satisfaction; transaction costs; teamwork.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2009.021554

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2009 Vol.9 No.1, pp.36 - 58

Published online: 30 Nov 2008 *

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