The Rules of Virtual Groups

Concerns about virtual groups include how members develop trust and liking for partners. Previous studies have explored behavioral variables leading to subjectively-experienced trust and/or liking, or trusting behaviors that are associated with group productivity. Drawing on practices described elsewhere and deriving principles from social information processing theory of computer-mediated communication, this research identified a set of communication rules for virtual groups. A quasi-experimental procedure promoted variance in rule following behavior, allowing assessment of rules in an inter-university course. Six rules were assessed through self-reported measures, and results reveal correlations between each rule and trust and liking. Less consistent are the relationships between rule-following and actual performance. Results suggest that either a powerful set of rules has been identified, or that rule-following per se reduces uncertainty and enhances trust in distributed work teams.