Paper Type
Complete
Abstract
Asynchronous online collaboration has become increasingly established in educational and organizational contexts yet exploring the individual mechanisms underlying successful teamwork in temporary online teams in real-life longitudinal settings remain insufficient. This mixed-methods study examines engagement, the evolution of trust, and psychological safety in asynchronous online teams. Forty-five participants worked in small teams over a ten-week project using an online collaboration platform. Trust in the team was measured at three time points, complemented by measures of psychological safety, engagement, and perceived team effectiveness, as well as qualitative reflections. Results indicate various factors to be essential for successful online collaboration, such as trust in the team, engagement, team familiarity, and working on a meaningful task. This study extends existing research on trust and engagement by demonstrating their relevance in temporary, asynchronous online teams. Furthermore, practical implications for the facilitation of online collaboration in educational and organizational contexts are provided.
Paper Number
1414
Recommended Citation
Nissing, Elena; Blomqvist, Kirsimarja; and Siemon, Dominik, "Collaboration in Temporary Asynchronous Online Teams: An Exploratory Study of Trust and Engagement" (2026). AMCIS 2026 Proceedings. 6.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2026/sig_hci/sig_hci/6
Collaboration in Temporary Asynchronous Online Teams: An Exploratory Study of Trust and Engagement
Asynchronous online collaboration has become increasingly established in educational and organizational contexts yet exploring the individual mechanisms underlying successful teamwork in temporary online teams in real-life longitudinal settings remain insufficient. This mixed-methods study examines engagement, the evolution of trust, and psychological safety in asynchronous online teams. Forty-five participants worked in small teams over a ten-week project using an online collaboration platform. Trust in the team was measured at three time points, complemented by measures of psychological safety, engagement, and perceived team effectiveness, as well as qualitative reflections. Results indicate various factors to be essential for successful online collaboration, such as trust in the team, engagement, team familiarity, and working on a meaningful task. This study extends existing research on trust and engagement by demonstrating their relevance in temporary, asynchronous online teams. Furthermore, practical implications for the facilitation of online collaboration in educational and organizational contexts are provided.
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