Virtual teams should be psychologically safe environments,
where individuals can contribute unsolicited information. This
is achieved through encouraging support, trust, openness, risk
taking, and respect within the team [8]. Values such as these
can be instilled in training [17] and by designing teams of a
size that maintains goodwill and intimacy [13]. As well, if the
leader is democratic, supportive, welcoming questions and
challenges from team members, then members are likely to feel
greater psychological safety in the team and in their
interactions with each other [14]. The presence of individual
trust in a team is an indicator that a psychologically safe work
environment may be present, where individuals feel
comfortable with the support, openness, mutual respect and
ability to take risks [8].
Skills Team members were asked several questions to
determine the extent that a psychologically safe
communication climate existed. The four items in the measure
sought agreement from each member towards statements
indicating they were able to say what they think, communicate
about a problem, be assertive about what they think and feel,
and that team members were considerate of individual feelings.
Agreement with these statements would suggest that the Skills
Team is working in a psychologically safe communication
climate [8].