Trust in Partially Dispersed Project Teams: The Impact of Face-to-Face Interactions
2019 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Due to globalization, internationalization and outsourcing, there is an ever-growing need for dispersed project teams. Trust in such teams positively impacts the collaboration and productivity, as well as enables overcoming misunderstandings. Virtual communication and face-to-face interactions are important building blocks for trust in dispersed project teams.
The aim of this thesis is to understand and explain whether the impact of face-to-face interactions for trust in dispersed project teams is as crucial as the existing literature suggests. Another aim is to contribute to the theoretic discussion about trust’s role in a dispersed project setting, and to bring new perspectives to the existing knowledge.
This is a qualitative research taking a comparative case research design approach, with some characteristics of a quantitative research. Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and surveys from eleven university students participating in a dispersed project course during fall 2018 and spring 2019.
Face-to-face interactions do not have an impact on competence trust in partially dispersed project teams. Face-to-face meetings are needed, if the team wishes to build higher levels of trust, such as relational trust, but that level is not considered necessary for PDPTs to function. Competence trust can even grow during remote work periods, if the team members show their capabilities to deliver tasks that were promised.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2019. , p. 90
Keywords [en]
dispersed project teams, interpersonal trust, competence trust, relational trust, communication, remote work, face-to-face interactions
National Category
Business Administration
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-157723ISRN: LIU-IEI-FIL-A--19/03139--SEOAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-157723DiVA, id: diva2:1327567
Subject / course
Master's Programme in Business Administration – Strategic
Supervisors
2019-06-202019-06-192019-06-20Bibliographically approved