Trust and Control in Virtual Teams: Unraveling the impact of Team Awareness Systems in Virtual Teams

Abstract

The inability to convey contextual knowledge has proven to be harmful to the development of trust in virtual teams. Awareness systems have been offered as a way to provide contextual information and promote trust. However, awareness systems allow both team members and supervisors the ability to monitor virtual team members. Monitoring is a form of control and the relationship between trust and control is not well understood. Prior literature indicates that control can both impact the development of trust and alter the effects of trust. In some cases, control helps, hurts, or has no effect on the development and influence of trust. This position paper argues that a clear understanding of control and trust is needed to fully comprehend the implications of awareness systems.