ERIC Number: EJ1039894
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jun
Pages: 25
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1556-1607
EISSN: N/A
Preventing Undesirable Effects of Mutual Trust and the Development of Skepticism in Virtual Groups by Applying the Knowledge and Information Awareness Approach
Engelmann, Tanja; Kolodziej, Richard; Hesse, Friedrich W.
International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, v9 n2 p211-235 Jun 2014
Empirical studies have proven the effectiveness of the knowledge and information awareness approach of Engelmann and colleagues for improving collaboration and collaborative problem-solving performance of spatially distributed group members. This approach informs group members about both their collaborators' knowledge structures and their collaborators' information. In the current study, we investigated whether this implicit approach reduces undesirable effects of mutual trust and mutual skepticism. Trust is an important influencing factor with regard to behavior and performance of groups. High mutual trust can have a negative impact on group effectiveness because it reduces mutual control and, as a result, the detection of the others' mistakes. In an empirical study, 20 triads collaborating with the knowledge and information awareness approach were compared with 20 triads collaborating without this approach. The members of a triad were spatially distributed and participated in a computer-supported collaboration. The results demonstrated that the availability of the knowledge and information awareness approach overrides the negative impact of too much mutual trust and counteracts the development of mutual skepticism. This study contributes to further clarifying the impact of trust on effectiveness and efficiency of virtual groups depending upon different situational contexts.
Descriptors: Problem Solving, Cooperation, Trust (Psychology), Group Dynamics, Group Behavior, Expertise
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A