Abstract. Virtual team communication is a critical antecedent of virtual team outcomes, such as team trust, satisfaction, and performance. However, communicating through virtual tools can be difficult. Many studies have shown that the relationship between virtual team communication and team outcomes is complicated and not well understood. The purpose of this thesis is therefore to answer the question: how can virtual teams communicate effectively to achieve positive team outcomes? My thesis consists of two studies to answer this question. In study 1, I reviewed and synthesized 103 peer-reviewed empirical articles about virtual team communication and its outcomes to delineate this important relationship and suggest promising directions for future research. Results indicate that different dimensions of team communication impact various virtual team outcomes differently. Nonetheless, this study identified that virtual team communication affects virtual team outcomes mainly through two theoretical mechanisms - relational and informational - and that two main contextual variables - communication tool and team development stage - moderate these relationships. In study 2, I explored the relationship between specific communication content and team performance in virtual teams, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of study 2 demonstrate that four types of team communication content (i.e., problem-focused, positive procedural, action-oriented, and social-emotional communication) can help virtual teams perform well and even adapt to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, these papers provide a comprehensive review and testable framework to help us better understand the effects of virtual team communication on virtual team performance, including important qualifiers of this relationship that are critical for effective team communication in virtual teams today.