An Empirical Investigation of How Trust, Cohesion, and Performance Vary in Virtual and Face-to-Face Teams

As technology improves, more teams are meeting virtually. In this study, we analyze how individual levels of trust, cohesion, output, outcome satisfaction, and process satisfaction differ in virtual and face-to-face teams completing different tasks. A controlled experiment in which business students were randomly assigned to either a virtual or face-to-face team, completing either an intellective or a preference task, was completed. Comparisons of the four task/technology conditions showed that virtual team members reported lower levels of trust, cohesion, outcome satisfaction, and process satisfaction. However, their output was essentially the same as individual working in face-to-face teams. No significant differences were found between the teams completing the intellective or preference tasks.