Title: Trust in virtual organisations: a synthesis of the literature

Authors: Judy Young

Addresses: University of Tasmania, Post Office Box 252, Private Bag 87, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia

Abstract: There appears to be no evidence of research that has attempted to bring together the knowledge relating to trust among team members working in virtual organisations. Unlike traditional workplaces, the nature of virtual teams is such that working relationships are typically short and often there is no actual personal contact. In this environment trust must be taken to a new level as it is essential for the success of collaborative ventures. The scope of this review will involve an examination of a range of articles sourced through Proquest and Business Premier Resource databases. These will be reviewed based on a content analysis to develop patterns of issues raised. This will involve using a combination of integrative and interpretative approaches. It is anticipated the outcome of this review will contribute to a greater understanding of trust from the perspectives of key stakeholders in virtual working relationships.

Keywords: trust; virtual organisations; VOs; virtual teams; communications; research; virtual working; relationships.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2008.018822

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2008 Vol.5 No.3/4, pp.244 - 258

Published online: 19 Jun 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article