scholarly journals When technological savviness overcomes cultural differences: millennials in global virtual teams

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-303
Author(s):  
Andres Velez-Calle ◽  
Misha Mariam ◽  
Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez ◽  
Alfredo Jimenez ◽  
Julia Eisenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type

Purpose There is a generalized belief that cultural differences can have more negative consequences than benefits within the international business (IB) literature. This study argues that cultural differences are not perceived as constrains in millennial global virtual teams (GVTs). Additionally, using the theory of cooperation and competition and the motivated information processing perspective, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the process by which millennials working in GVTs address various challenges to ensure effective functioning and accomplishment of desired team outcomes. Design/methodology/approach This paper analyzes a data set of 503 project journals from the global enterprise experience, a virtual team competition. It uses qualitative content analysis tools and secondary data sources. Findings The authors find that for millennials, cross-cultural issues are not the predominant challenge when working in GVTs, unlike the prevailing understanding in the IB literature. This is because contrary to expectations, cross-cultural problems are often not experienced, while other team phenomena become more relevant, such as interpersonal and task-based issues. In addition, the paper describes how members of GVTs apply distinct challenge reconstruction and solution generation cognitive schemes to deal with both, expected and unexpected challenges. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on virtual teams by identifying how millennials and post-millennials deal with the challenges embedded in the GVT interaction context by simplifying the unfamiliarity associated with the broader context rather than addressing each issue in isolation. Finally, the paper elaborates on factors that highlight the positive outcomes of multicultural teams while making cultural differences less salient in contemporary GVT contexts.

scholarly journals Cultural adaptation in cross-national buyer-seller relationships

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 837-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gøril Voldnes ◽  
Kjell Grønhaug
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Cultural Sensitivity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Market

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how buyers and sellers in cross-cultural business relationships manage cultural differences to ensure functional, successful business relationships. Failure to consider specific cultural issues may lead to the failure of business ventures crossing national borders. To succeed in today’s global business market, it is critically important to understand and manage cultural differences. Adapting to each other’s cultures is one way of managing cultural differences between business actors. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative, explorative approach examining both sides of the exchange dyad was adopted to obtain insight into adaptation as perceived by both buyer and seller. Findings – The results of this study indicate that mainly Norwegian sellers adapt to the Russian culture and way of conducting business. This is explained by power asymmetry between partners, as well as cultural barriers and lack of cultural sensitivity from the Norwegian partners. Still, the business relationships function well. Practical implications – Knowledge of and applying strategies for managing cultural differences should be helpful for business managers engaged or planning to engage in business ventures with Russia and Norway – especially those doing so for the first time. Originality/value – The study provides new and important information about West-East business relationships and how to manage cultural differences in cross-cultural business relationships. The study shows that business relationships can function well in spite of the absence of some factors previously found to have detrimental effects on these relationships. In addition, the study investigates both sides of the buyer-seller dyad, which is a limitation in previous studies of adaptation.

scholarly journals The upside of cultural differences

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Günter K. Stahl ◽  
Christof Miska ◽  
Hyun-Jung Lee ◽  
Mary Sully De Luque
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
International Business ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Global Business ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to encourage scholars to look at commonly considered phenomena in international business and cross-cultural research in new ways and to theorize and explore how cultural diversity, distance, and foreignness create value for global organizations. These considerations should result in a more balanced treatment of culture in cross-cultural management (CCM) research. Design/methodology/approach The idea that there are negative consequences associated with cultural differences is pervasive in hypotheses formulation and empirical testing in international business and CCM literature, as reflected in widely used constructs such as “cultural distance,” “cultural misfit,” “foreignness,” and related concepts. Consistent with a Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) perspective on culture and cultural differences, the authors emphasize the positive role of distance and diversity across national, cultural, institutional, and organizational dimensions. In addition, they provide an overview of the contributions to the special issue. Findings Examining the positive side of culture is not only beneficial theoretically in terms of filling the existing gaps in the literature, but is also crucial for the practice of international and global business. Accordingly, the contributions to the special issue highlight how explicitly considering positive phenomena can help better understand when and how cultural diversity, distance, and foreignness can enhance organizational effectiveness and performance at multiple levels. They include five research papers, a Distinguished Scholar Essay by Kim Cameron, the Founder of the POS movement, and an interview piece with Richard Nisbett, a Pioneer Researcher in culture and cognition. Originality/value The overemphasis on adverse outcomes associated with cultural differences in existing research has hindered the understanding of the processes and conditions that help organizations leverage the benefits of cultural differences in a wide range of contexts. This introductory paper together with the contributions included in the special issue showcases the positive dynamics and outcomes associated with cultural differences, distance, and diversity in a wide range of international business contexts.

Cultural Implications of Collaborative Information Technologies (CITs) in International Online Collaborations and Global Virtual Teams

2011 ◽  
pp. 120-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bolanle A. Olaniran ◽  
David A. Edgell
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Online Collaboration ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Collaboration ◽  
Cultural Implications ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
The Cross

This chapter introduces and explains some critical issues regarding Cultural Implications of Collaborative Information Technologies (CITs) in International Online Collaborations and Global Virtual Teams. This chapter attempts to addresses some of the cross-cultural issues in international online collaboration, which include but are not limited to language, culture, trust, and technology along with the implications for organizational virtual collaboration. The chapter also provides useful recommendations and strategies for improving international online virtual collaboration with CMC.

scholarly journals The power of individual cultural values in global virtual teams

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audra I. Mockaitis ◽  
Elizabeth L. Rose ◽  
Peter Zettinig
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Virtual Teams ◽  
Virtual Team ◽  
Global Teams ◽  
Global Virtual Teams ◽  
Team Processes ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Relationship

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of 43 culturally diverse global virtual teams, with respect to team processes and outcomes. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the challenges presented by cultural differences in the context of global teams, little is known about the effect of these differences on team dynamics in the absence of face-to-face interaction. Using a student-based sample, we study the relationship between global virtual team members’ individualistic and collectivistic orientations and their evaluations of trust, interdependence, communication and information sharing, and conflict during the team task. Our results suggest that a collectivist orientation is associated with more favorable impressions regarding global virtual team processes and that cultural differences are not concealed by virtual means of communication.

Exploring innovation creation across rural and urban firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giri Aryal ◽  
John Mann ◽  
Scott Loveridge ◽  
Satish Joshi
Keyword(s):  
National Survey ◽  
Negative Binomial ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rural Firms ◽  
Urban Firms

Purpose The innovation creation literature primarily focuses on urban firms/regions or relies heavily on these data; less studied are rural firms and areas in this regard. The purpose of this paper is to employ a new firm-level data set, national in scale, and analyze characteristics that potentially influence innovation creation across rural and urban firms. Design/methodology/approach The authors use the 2014 National Survey of Business Competitiveness (NSBC) covering multiple firm-level variables related to innovation creation combined with secondary data reflecting the regional business and innovative environments where these firms operate. The number of patent applications filed by these firms measures their innovation creation, and the paper employs a negative binomial regression estimation for analysis. Findings After controlling for industry, county and state factors, rural and urban firms differ in their innovation creation characteristics and behaviors, suggesting that urban firms capitalize on their resources better than rural firms. Other major findings of the paper provide evidence that: first, for rural firms, the influence of university R&D is relevant to innovation creation, but their perception of university-provided information is not significant; and second, rural firms that are willing to try, but fail, in terms of innovation creation have a slight advantage over other rural firms less willing to take on the risk. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to analyze the 2014 NSBC, a firm-level national survey covering a wide range of innovation-related variables. The authors combine it with other regional secondary data, and use appropriate analytical modeling to provide empirical evidence of influencing factors on innovation creation across rural and urban firms.

Individual and cultural differences in newsvendor decision making

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 164-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Li ◽  
Lucy Gongtao Chen ◽  
Jian Chen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cognitive Reflection Test ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Order Quantities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate cultural and individual differences in newsvendor decision making.Design/methodology/approachThe online experiment, programmed in the PHP scripting language, had 107 participants: local managers of four large, well-known and supply chain–intensive firms in China (Lenovo, Shenhua, CMST and GM).FindingsThe authors find that, as compared with American subjects, Chinese subjects engage in more demand chasing, order quantities that are closer to the mean demand, have a lower expected profit and exhibit greater variance in order quantities. However, these observations may not hold when the cross-cultural comparison is conducted for each pair of ethnic subgroups whose members have the same cognitive reflection test score, a measure of individual differences. Moreover, cultural differences also affect how individual differences manifest in newsvendor decisions.Practical implicationsThe authors findings have important implications for employee selection, training and management in any cross-cultural business environment.Originality/valueLittle attention has been paid, in the behavioural operations literature, to individual differences and how they interact with culture. This paper is the first to examine the interaction effects of cultural and individual differences in newsvendor decisions, and it highlights an important research area that is currently understudied in operations management.

A revision of Hofstede’s model of national culture: old evidence and new data from 56 countries

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Minkov
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Internal Reliability ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gender Egalitarianism ◽  
Fifth Dimension ◽  
National Differences

PurposeHofstede’s model of national culture has enjoyed enormous popularity but rests partly on faith. It has never been fully replicated and its predictive properties have been challenged. The purpose of this paper is to provide a test of the model’s coherence and utility.Design/methodology/approachAnalyses of secondary data, including the World Values Survey, and a new survey across 56 countries represented by nearly 53,000 probabilistically selected respondents.FindingsImproved operationalizations of individualism-collectivism (IDV-COLL) suggest it is a robust dimension of national culture. A modern IDV-COLL index supersedes Hofstede’s 50 year-old original one. Power distance (PD) seems to be a logical facet of IDV-COLL, rather than an independent dimension. Uncertainty avoidance (UA) lacks internal reliability. Approval of restrictive societal rules and laws is a facet of COLL and is not associated with national anxiety or neuroticism. UA is not a predictor of any of its presumed main correlates: importance of job security, preference for a safe job, trust, racism and xenophobia, subjective well-being, innovation, and economic freedom. The dimension of masculinity-femininity (MAS-FEM) lacks coherence. MAS and FEM job goals and broader values are correlated positively, not negatively, and are not related to the MAS-FEM index. MAS-FEM is not a predictor of any of its presumed main correlates: achievement and competition orientation, help and compassion, preference for a workplace with likeable people, work orientation, religiousness, gender egalitarianism, foreign aid. After a radical reconceptualization and a new operationalization, the so-called “fifth dimension” (CWD or long-term orientation) becomes more coherent and useful. The new version, called flexibility-monumentalism (FLX-MON), explains the cultural differences between East Asian Confucian societies at one extreme and Latin America plus Africa at the other, and is the best predictor of national differences in educational achievement.Research limitations/implicationsDifferences between subsidiaries of a multinational company, such as IBM around 1970, are not necessarily a good source of knowledge about broad cultural differences. A model of national culture must be validated across a large number of countries from all continents and its predictions should withstand various plausible controls. Much of Hofstede’s model (UA, MAS-FEM) fails this test while the remaining part (IDV-COLL, PD, LTO) needs a serious revision.Practical implicationsConsultancies and business schools still teach Hofstede’s model uncritically. They need to be aware of its deficiencies.Originality/valueAs UA and MAS-FEM are apparently misleading artifacts of Hofstede’s IBM data set, a thorough revision of Hofstede’s model is proposed, reducing it to two dimensions: IDV-COLL and FLX-MON.

Cross-cultural influences on e-value creation in supply chains

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Davis ◽  
Carlo Mora-Monge ◽  
Gioconda Quesada ◽  
Marvin Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
National Cultures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creation Process ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Value Creation Process

Purpose – This paper seeks to report the results of an empirical study examining the influence of cross-cultural differences on the value creation process from e-business systems in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was sent out to senior managers in companies operating in two culturally distinct national cultures. The effects of cross-cultural differences were examined by testing for between-group differences in the structural model using the multi-group partial least squares (PLS) statistical approach. Findings – Consistent with the resource-based view (RBV), contingency “fit” theory, and prior research, this study demonstrates that the value creation process from e-business systems is significantly enhanced in companies operating in national cultures that emphasize cooperation and interdependence, and promote group-level interests over individual interests. Originality/value – The mechanisms through which performance improvement is achieved from e-business systems are still not fully understood. Little is still known about how digital capabilities and environmental factors work together to influence e-business value creation along the supply chain. In addition, while contextual factors have been highlighted within the stream, the knowledge base is especially limited regarding the role of global factors in shaping the attainment of value from e-business systems in this context. Filling these gaps, this study simultaneously investigates the roles of intermediate capabilities and the macro-environment in creating value from e-business in the supply chain.

The impact of online reviews on product returns

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaofei Li ◽  
Baolong Ma ◽  
Hongrui Chu
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Quantitative Model ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Product Return ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe value of online reviews has been well documented by academics and practitioners. However, to maximise the benefits of consumer reviews, online sellers must avoid the negative consequences associated with customer feedback, such as reputation loss, or product returns after purchase. In developing a better understanding of the relationships between online reviews and their potential for negative impacts, this research aims to explore product returns. Through a quantitative model, this research demonstrates why online reviews can result in product return behaviours.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested via two studies. In Study 1, the authors examine the direct effects of review valence and review volume on product returns by analysing secondary data on 4,995 stores on China's Taobao.com. Study 2 further extends and validates the findings of Study 1 with a survey sample of 795 participants across several online shopping platforms. This analysis examines the mechanics and conditions that influence the relationships between online reviews and product returns through partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe results show that both review valence (i.e. average star ratings) and the number of reviews can increase the probability of product returns due to the high expectations that result from positive online reviews. Further, the effect of review valence on product returns is stronger for first-time purchasers at a store. In terms of mitigation, the analysis shows that bilateral communications between sellers and buyers can temper the unrealistic expectations set by positive reviews, leading to fewer product returns.Originality/valueThis research adds to the literature on online reviews by exploring the negative consequences of online reviews and the role they play in online purchasing decisions. The findings also provide direct evidence as to why online reviews can result in more product returns, adding clarity to extant research which contains conflicting conclusions as to how online reviews affect product return behaviours.

Dealing With Cross-Cultural Issues in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

2020 ◽  
pp. 1170-1186
Author(s):  
Joost Bücker ◽  
Rens Bouw ◽  
Alain De Beuckelaer
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Research Universities ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Culturally Diverse ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Institutional Support ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Diverse Classrooms ◽  
Teachers And Students

This study examines the extent to which faculties receive support in their coping with the challenge of cultural differences in their international classroom. The authors explore this relationship in eight business schools in Dutch research universities. These cases offer an in-depth description of the problems encountered in cross-cultural interactions, such as development of monocultural groups, lack of proper foreign language understanding, and stereotyping. They also discuss potential solutions in terms of language training, cultural awareness training for both teachers and students, institutional support, and the business school's rationale for internationalization.

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