Jan 1, 2017
Virtual teamwork in a multicultural context: common issues and strategies for success
Sagami Women's University Journal
- Language
- English
- Publishing type
This paper deals with communication strategies in a multi-cultural virtual team context. Virtual teams have become an increasingly common part of the 21st century workplace as a result of deepening global economic integration and advancements in information technology. An important component in the success of virtual teams is trust. However, trust can be difficult to establish and maintain when team members have different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In a cross-cultural virtual team context, the most serious issues that can lead to a breakdown of trust are 1) lack of understanding of cultural differences; 2) differences in language and communication styles; 3) cultural barriers to the sharing of information; 4) differences in incentives and reward systems; and 5) differences with respect to ethical issues. This research note will explore a system of best practices that addresses each of these issues in turn. Research was based on a constructivist methodological approach, specifically through a synthesis of results from case study analyses found in the business management literature.