Achieving high performance outcomes through trust in virtual teams

Developing trust among team members is critical for achieving high performance outcomes. Recently, global business operations necessitated working in a team environment with colleagues outside traditional organizational boundaries, across distances, and across time zones. In this article, we discuss how human resource practices can support organizational initiatives when business operations mandate increased virtual teamwork. We examine the role of HR in enhancing relationship building and the development of trust among workers who may rarely, if ever, meet face-toface. Using research from teamwork, social exchange theory, and knowledge sharing, we discuss how four areas of human resources management—recruitment, training, performance appraisal, and compensation/reward— might combine with technology to facilitate the development of trust among virtual team members

Competencies of Entry-Level College Graduate Employees in Agribusiness

Agribusinesses firms were surveyed to assess the competencies of their recent college-graduate employees according to whether the employees had agricultural or business degrees. Both graduate types received high average ratings for their computer skills and low average ratings for their knowledge of cultural and economic differences in international business