The world is not flat: Examining the interactive multidimensionality of culture and virtuality in teams

• Published in: Human resource management review Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 604 - 620
• Main Authors: Kramer, William S., Shuffler, Marissa L., Feitosa, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greenwich Elsevier Inc 01.12.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Cultural differences; Cultural dimensions; Cultural values; Human resource management; Interdisciplinary subjects; Studies; Virtual teams; Cultural dimensions; Cultural values; Virtual teams
• ISSN: 1053-4822; 1873-7889
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.12.007

As organizations continue to spread their influence into foreign countries and take on increasingly complex tasks, the need for an accurate understanding as to how global, virtual teams function becomes more integral. At this time, although there are many organizations utilizing global, virtual teams, there is a dearth of literature that examines the impact of cultural differences within these teams. This paper aims to bridge this gap by offering an integrative interdisciplinary theoretical review, merging a lens of relevant cultural values, including Hofstede's five dimensions and extending to other conceptualizations such as the Triandis (1995) typology, with the Kirkman and Mathieu (2005) conceptualization of virtuality. Ultimately, theoretical propositions are provided for future examination of each cultural dimension. Finally, implications and future research are discussed in the hopes of providing invaluable insight as to the currently under-researched ‘global’ aspect of global, virtual teams.