Examining the Relationship Between Knowledge-Sharing, Individual Trust, and Multinational Team Performance in a Virtual Setting: A Non-Experimental Study

The global workplace is rapidly evolving due to the influx of new ideas from the diverse workforce that comprises it, and multinational virtual teams (MNVTs) are the result. The problem addressed by this study was that there was a risk of a breakdown of the team if the leaders of MNVTs were not aware of the critical variables which impacted its success. This research was a correlational, nonexperimental study in which the relationship between three variables, trust, knowledge-sharing, and MNV Team performance, was examined. The study population consisted of 110 employees of a single multinational technology company, who operated in an MNVT, and 70 responses were received from the target population. Multiple regression analysis was used, and the test results of the regression indicated the knowledge sharing and trust explained 65.2% of the variance in team performance, R2 = .652, F (2,68) = 65.714, p < .001. This study provided data which suggested that knowledge sharing and trust were significant predictors of team performance in MNVTs. This study suggested there could be negative implications for global organizations, MNVT leaders, and MNVT members if a culture and environment which supports knowledge-sharing and trust are not available. By focusing on perpetuating knowledge sharing and trust among MNVTs, global organizations can positively contribute to the success of their MNVTs, thereby enabling the advantages MNVTs offer.