Working together, apart: Interpersonal communications within virtual team engineering projects in the WA resource industry

Abstract

This study uses a novel combination of thematic coding and cognitive mapping to examine interpersonal communications in engineering virtual teams, developing a substantive theory about virtual project team communications. It captures and integrates macro, meso and micro-environments along with time, location and degrees of entrainment in the project lifecycle. The research draws attention to the importance of professional relationships and trust between personnel; styles and forms of leadership, and characteristics of team members.