Do SNS Impressions Matter? Virtual Team and Impression Formation in the Era of Social Technologies

Social media has dramatically changed how we communicate and collaborate both publically and internally within an organization. However, minimal research has examined the impact this media may have within the enterprise, specifically in a virtual team environment. This research examines the use of one social media, Social Networking Sites (SNS), and how the information available through this technology can impact the impression formation process during the initial formation of a virtual team. Specifically, we examine how information available within a SNS impacts the degree of perceptions of social capital (i.e. relational, structural, and cognitive) among fellow virtual team members. Using Toulmin’s model of argumentation, we argue that the strength of information presented will increase perceptions of the social capital dimensions. The goal of this research is to understand how and what kinds of information impact impressions in zero history, virtual teams.