Leading global teams

• Published in: Journal of world business : JWB Vol. 47; no. 4; pp. 592 - 603
• Main Authors: Zander, Lena, Mockaitis, Audra I., Butler, Christina L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greenwich Elsevier Inc 01.10.2012; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Biculturalism; Boundary spanner; Bridge maker; Business Studies; Cultural values; Experimental methods; Företagsekonomi; Global teams; Leadership; Leverage diversity; Multicultural teams; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Multinational corporations; Multinational enterprises; Organizational behaviour; People-oriented leadership; Studies; Team leadership; Teams; Teamwork; Virtual teams; Work environment; Multicultural teams; Biculturalism; Global teams; Leverage diversity; Virtual teams; People-oriented leadership; Boundary spanner; Team leadership; Bridge maker
• ISSN: 1090-9516; 1878-5573; 1878-5573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jwb.2012.01.012

Global teams that are characterized by national, cultural and linguistic heterogeneity and operate in a globally dispersed virtual environment are becoming an established form of organizing work in multinational organizations. As global team leadership research is rather limited, we review the literature on leading multicultural and virtual teams in a global context, focusing on leadership competencies, styles, strategies and modes. We also examine the emergent concepts of biculturalism, global mindset and cultural intelligence with respect to team leaders. Our aim is to add to our knowledge of leading global teams, highlight recent trends and suggest directions for future research. Three themes for global team leadership emerged: leaders as boundary spanners, bridge makers and blenders; people-oriented leadership; and leveraging diversity. We discuss implications for research and practice.