Fostering Trust and Leadership in Virtual Teams for Sustainable Development

ABSTRACT Virtual teams (VTs) have been widely implemented in the built environment industry to facilitate Sustainable Development. This study aims to: (i) examine the barriers hindering trust development; and (ii) identify the influencing factors and strategies for leaders to build trust in VTs, and perceived differences across respondent characteristics. To achieve these objectives, comprehensive literature reviews, a structured questionnaire survey, statistical analyses and the post‐interview validation were conducted. The findings revealed that VTs primarily face barriers like member detachment and lack of interaction. Influencing factors such as clear communication and respectful interaction are crucial. Effective strategies include setting clear goals, fostering team culture and establishing early collaboration standards. Moreover, these factors are perceived differently across respondent characteristics. Finally, this study innovatively proposed a comprehensive framework which links trust‐building leadership practices with Sustainable Development goals in VTs, thereby contributing to the digital transformation and Sustainable Development of the built environment industry.