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Virtual team interactions are almost always assisted by some form of computer-mediated communication technology. Computer-mediated communication is different in many ways from traditional faceto-face communication, perhaps most significantly because the communication is usually asynchronous instead of synchronous. Temporal independence of communication changes the patterns of work, decision making, and understandings about the work and the relationships between the individuals involved in the work. As a consequence, managing virtual teams is different and more complex than managing face-to-face teams, yet virtual teams are still groups of individuals that share most of the characteristics and dynamics found on traditional teams. The effective management of virtual teams requires knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles of team dynamics regardless of the time, space, and communication differences between virtual and face-to-face work environments.

This article documents how a small, oppressed, and seemingly powerless community in Louisiana persevered to defeat the strategic plans of a multinational chemical company that was supported by local and state government elites. The evolving construct of environmental justice played a significant part in this battle as community groups formed coalitions with local, state, and national agents and organizations to challenge the decision to site a hazardous facility. Lawsuits resulted in costs, lengthy delays, and uncertainty for the corporation, leading Shintech to abandon its original site of choice. Data were gathered from media archives and coded and analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Implications of the study are discussed for stakeholder theory, environmental justice scholars, and community advocacy groups, as it is even more clear from this landmark case that noxious industries can be thwarted as they attempt expansion, start-up, or even permit renewal, especially in minority or economically deprived communities.

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Effective communication is critical to most organizational processes, including team collaboration and decision making. Face-to-face communication is commonly assumed to be superior to all other forms of communication, yet face-to-face communication does not cope well with organizational constraints such as time pressure or the geographic distribution of team members. A partial answer in overcoming some of these constraints may be computer-mediated asynchronous communication (CMAC). CMAC enables increased and more equal team member participation, offers flexibility over time and distance, creates time for additional reflection and thought by participants, and archives a permanent record of all discussion. CMAC overcomes some of the drawbacks common to face-to-face communication in some circumstances, thus enhancing organizational communication, team collaboration, and decision-making effectiveness.

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Effective and efficient teams communicate, collaborate, and perform, even if these teams are not co‐located. Although much is known about enabling effectiveness on face‐to‐face teams, considerably less is known about similarly enabling effectiveness on virtual teams. Yet the use of virtual teams is common and will likely become more commonplace as organizations continue to update and use increasingly sophisticated technology. Cohort and individual trust between team members is a significant component on most effective teams, virtual or face‐to‐face. This paper examines research on virtual teams and trust across disciplines, including management, e‐learning, business communication, decision making, human resource management, psychology, and IT, to identify major characteristics that increase our knowledge of how to establish and maintain trust in the virtual environment and on virtual teams.