Trust in virtual organisations: a synthesis of the literature

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