Trust-building in cross-functional project teams: Communication practices described by team members, managers and consultants

Cross-functional project teams represent an interesting context to study social interaction, with trust-building as an important component of team functioning. The present study focuses on describing trust-building as a... [ view full abstract ]

Cross-functional project teams represent an interesting context to study social interaction, with trust-building as an important component of team functioning. The present study focuses on describing trust-building as a social process from the viewpoint of team members, managers and consultants. More specifically, empirical evidence for trust-building through the social practices of team communication is found. Fifteen semi-structured interviews with team members, managers and consultants were carried out and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The inductive subcategories that emerged from the data suggest specific communication practices such as checking for team understanding of requirements and displaying positive body language. Additionally, it seems that the frequencies with which these communication practices are described depend on the professional roles and the project demands.