ABSTRACT
In global virtual teams (GVTs), although barriers such as time and space are reduced, communication barriers can be greater because of cultural differences. Not only are people geographically dispersed; they are also functionally diverse and bring in various areas of expertise, unique knowledge, and specialized skills (Morley et al. 2015). For example, a team composed of people from Malaysia, Canada, the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, and France is more socially, culturally, and linguistically complex than a team composed of people from New York, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and California. The larger the cultural distance between GVT members, the greater the challenge of working together. Even for members that come from nearby geographical regions, for Eastern countries, the Japanese style of working is different from that of people from Thailand. The German negotiating style is different from the British. Hence, it is both demanding and complex to manage at a cultural level, but it is a necessity when GVT members may come from opposite ends of the world.
