The impact of individual expectations and expectation conflicts on virtual teams

Abstract

Virtual teams are characterized by geographical dispersion, organizational, and cultural heterogeneity, and their members have little history and lateral and weak relationships. Literature denotes the importance of expectations in virtual settings, but individual expectations of virtual team members are hardly investigated. In this article, the author discusses the presence of different kinds of expectations and the impact of mismatches of individual expectations within virtual teams. Psychological contract literature states that expectation mismatches result in negative outcomes, whereas learning literature posits that mismatches enhance learning. These concepts addressing mismatches of expectations are discussed as a theoretical paradox. © 2007 Sage Publications.