Engagement and Belonging in Global Virtual Teams: Introducing The Communicative Threshold Model

Sammanfattning

As remote and hybrid work become institutionalized, Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) increasingly rely on digital communication to sustain collaboration. While communication technologies enable connectivity, they do not necessarily foster engagement or belonging among employees. This thesis examines how internal communication shapes employees’ experiences of engagement and belonging in newly formed Global Virtual Teams. Drawing on Need to Belong Theory and Social Exchange Theory, the study conceptualizes communication as a relationally contingent process rather than a readily available resource. Adopting a qualitative interpretivist approach, the study is based on 15 semi-structured interviews conducted within a newly formed organization operating across Scandinavia and the Benelux region. Thematic analysis reveals four key relational mechanisms shaping communication: (1) familiarity as a precondition for interaction, (2) the role of formal and informal communication in enabling participation, (3) visibility, recognition, and voice as drivers of engagement, and (4) leadership communication as a central force structuring relational connection. The analysis challenges assumptions that communication inherently enables connection, demonstrating that employees engage in communication only when relational conditions lower perceived interactional risk. Communication is conceptualized as a “relational threshold,” where employees evaluate relational returns against perceived costs before initiating interaction. Building on these insights, the study proposes the Communicative Threshold Model, illustrating how relational conditions shape communicative access and influence relational outcomes such as engagement and belonging. The thesis contributes to research on Global Virtual Teams and internal communication by reframing communication as a relationally conditioned resource. It extends Social Exchange Theory by showing that cost–reward evaluations occur prior to interaction and deepens Need to Belong Theory by positioning belonging as both a precondition and outcome of communication. The analysis highlights the importance of leadership communication and structured informal interaction in fostering relational connection in digitally mediated work environments.