The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies Use on Communication Effectiveness of Virtual Project Teams:the Mediating Role of Trust and Conflict

作     者：Sami Mohammed Ahmed Ghanem 

作者单位：山东大学 

学位级别：硕士

导师姓名：魏康宁

授予年度：2019年

学科分类：12[管理学] 0810[工学-信息与通信工程] 1201[管理学-管理科学与工程(可授管理学、工学学位)] 08[工学] 

主      题：Virtual project teams Information communication technologies Trust Conflict Communication effectiveness 

摘      要：The accelerated development of information and communication technologies（ICT）has brought new opportunities for corporate organizations to build and manage virtual project teams.Those teams are composed of employees from different genders,experiences,backgrounds and geographic locations.Virtual project teams have become a norm for organizations whose members work across dispersed geographical locations,relying primarily or exclusively,on the use of ICTs to communicate and achieve common tasks.However,the adoption of communication technologies by virtual project teams has created many challenges especially in term of communication,which is a vital element to the success of these teams.Previous research has attempted to explain the direct relationship between the use communication tools and communication effectiveness in virtual team,yet a few of them have investigated the influence of other team dynamics such as trust,team cohesion and conflict on this relationship.This study examined the impact of using different communication tools（lean and rich）on communication effectiveness as well as the simultaneous role of trust and conflict in mediating that impact.An online survey was conducted to collect the primary data,which was used to test and validate the research model by performing a partial least squares-structural equation modelling（PLS-SEM）approach.Findings of the study revealed that the effective use of both lean and rich communication tools have a positive impact on improving the level of trust among team members.The results also showed that trust has a positive impact on communication effectiveness,which confirms the role of trust in mediating the relationship between the use of communication tools and communication effectiveness in virtual project teams.Furthermore,the study confirmed that the effective use of lean communication tools has a positive role in reducing the degree of conflict among team members.In contrast,the findings did not show that conflict has a role in mediating the relationship between the use of communication tools and communication effectiveness in virtual project teams.This study contributes to both theory and practice.Theoretically,this research extends the existing knowledge and provide a greater insight into communication tools,trust,conflict and communication management in the context of virtual project teams.The practical relevance of this research lies in the guidelines for practitioners who work in virtual project teams.It provides a reference for managers to enhance the productivity of the team and to improve communication effectiveness among team members.This study can help team members in pooling their expertise with their colleagues and work collectively on the task rather than as individuals.