ABSTRACT

When studying work teams, understanding the phenomena which determine or influence the cooperation among individuals is essential. In spite of the importance given to the concept of trust for the good functioning of interpersonal relations and cooperative actions in work teams, little research has been conducted in order to reveal the importance of trust in relation with work team formation and group processes in general. The purpose of this study was to examine trust in work teams for developing a more contextualized understanding of the way trust emerges when temporary research project teams are considered. Nine students who participated in research project teams were interviewed. Detailed descriptions of working in research project teams and the process of trust formation were elicited. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach and a model of trust formation was proposed based on the way the participants described their own experience of trust. Two aspects are emphasized by the research findings: the importance of implicit information processing in trust formation, and the dynamic character of trust formation. Implications of findings are discussed and directions for future research are described.

KEYWORDS: trust, grounded theory, emergent states, work teams.

PAGES:121-140