How Gut Feelings Shape Trust in Online Workplaces

What is it about?

This study explores how people build trust in virtual organizations—companies that operate mostly online or remotely. Instead of relying only on rules, contracts, or technical systems, many employees and managers use intuition—their gut feelings—to decide whether they trust digital environments. The authors introduce the idea of “digital intuition”, which is a mix of experience, emotion, and instinct used to judge online interactions. As remote work and digital platforms become more common, understanding this kind of trust becomes crucial. Key insights include: People often trust digital systems based on how they feel, not just what they know. Digital intuition helps fill gaps when there’s no face-to-face contact. Organizations should recognize and support intuitive trust-building, not just rely on formal security measures. This research helps explain why some virtual teams thrive while others struggle—and how trust can be built even when people never meet in person.

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Photo by Mochammad Hafidz on Unsplash

Photo by Mochammad Hafidz on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Intuition is important for Building trust online. This research helps explain why some virtual teams thrive while others struggle—and how trust can be built even when people never meet in person.

Perspectives