Trust

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Permalink Reply by Robert J. Vitello on March 4, 2008 at 4:36pm

I'm not sure that I understand the question you're raising. It seems that you're not talking about trust in an information security sense, involving authentication that an individual is who he seems to be and an individual's inability to repudiate his actions and commitments. Are you then talking about how strong virtual world are in establishing commitment (or social contracts) for work to be done? If that's it, I don't see where a virtual setting makes for any stronger or weaker contract than email and other media. If I know you only via email exchanges, why would I know you in any weaker way because I am "speaking" to you through an avitar? Am I looking at the question the way you intended?
-Robert

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Permalink Reply by Dorje Kawabata on March 4, 2008 at 7:04pm

I'm thinking about the social contracts. Essentially, if someone doesn't trust that my teammate is going to uphold her commitments to a project, then I won't put in the effort. Also, I will be extra vigilant at scanning for breaking commitments during times closer to project deadlines. It would seem that having opportunities to meet after a meeting in VW would help with trust as opposed to other mediums where once the meeting is finished the connection with the team ends (conference calls, IMs, video conference, etc).

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Permalink Reply by Dave Elchoness on March 4, 2008 at 4:51pm

Well, anyone can send any email they wish at any time. But if we consider the avatar as a proxy for the colleague, and "see" the avatar working, then I suspect trust would increase. Of course, we can always make an avatar look busy, when he/she isn't doing anything, but we can do that in real life. Now we need to consider how to represent the completion of work tasks within the 3D environment, i.e. a way of seeing for oneself that work is being completed based on some set of metrics built into the virtual environment.

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Permalink Reply by Robert J. Vitello on March 4, 2008 at 5:01pm

Surely there's nothing special needed in a virtual environment, or at least a need for special metrics would only arise for some new kind of virtual product. If, in a virtual world, I commit to write a paper, the paper itself is the product to be measured, and I can send that to you via email. If the product is virtual architecture, the architecture that we can both witness in the virtual world is proof of delivery. It seems to me that a set of special metrics would only be needed if there were some product that could only be comprehended in the virtual space by some new, virtual senses. But then, would we be talking about a virtual world, or a virtual extrasensory world? ...shudder!... Could make a good movie, though. :)
-Robert

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Permalink Reply by Dave Elchoness on March 4, 2008 at 5:15pm

Sure a completed project is the best evidence that someone is working. But -- imagine a tool that is able to measure completion of particular tasks (say, coding a piece of software) and depict its completion in a virtual way. As you code, a 3D sphere in our shared workspace takes shape. That would be something, huh? A visual representation of actual work being done.

I also think, by the way, that avatar to avatar is more interpersonal than email, etc. So, I can imagine a stronger social bond between coworkers inside of the environment and therefore more trust.

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Permalink Reply by Ken GB on April 6, 2008 at 2:26pm

Double edged sword that; 'clock watching'.

Personally I prefer emails/phone to avatars, it's been my experience that 3D conferencing is too slow and too heavily reliant on people have the kit to actually use it without any degree of frustration involved.

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Permalink Reply by Dorje Kawabata on April 6, 2008 at 6:16pm

Yes, there will be a necessity for a good training program in order for work in VWs can be researched on the dimension of trust without it being tainted by the lack of training.

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Permalink Reply by Tia Carr Williams on April 6, 2008 at 2:42pm

This is a topic I have researched during the last year for our project for Relationship Capital over at www.RNIA.org. The nature of 'contracting' and upholding your 'Word as your bond' can build or impugne your integrity and therefore reputation, whether you work virtually or in a bricks and mortar space.

Trust suggests a confidence that when you say something, promise based that you will fulfill accordingly. We are suggesting that there is a learning curve that assists people in understanding that they must consider carefully before making a promise and conversely the 'contractee' needs to consider carefully also before agreeing to someone's request. Which is why we have lawyers when it all goes wrong....

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Permalink Reply by Dorje Kawabata on April 6, 2008 at 6:20pm

Regarding your research, how would you finish this phrase: "In nutshell, my research hypothesizes.....?"

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Permalink Reply by Tia Carr Williams on April 7, 2008 at 7:50am

In a nutshell, my research hypothesized that trust is critical to forging strong ties that result in sustained relationships in both social and business interfaces. Trust, once lost, means that full and unabridged confidence is no longer viable, impeding a quality and authentic exchange vital for truthful and robust bonding.
Bit more than a phrase really.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Rigby (Tele3DWorld/MellaniuM/InterVerzaL) on April 7, 2008 at 2:41pm

We use SKYPE and VRW to develop and maintain the VRWs. Support more than trust has been the big advantage as being able to walkthrough someone else's work and offer support and help develops trust.

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