Complexity and Nuance in Communication in Global Organizations

Abstract

This symposium showcases new research concerning the complexity and nuance of communication in modern global organizations. The power of words in cross-cultural work collaborations is questioned and examined empirically from four angles. First, it is argued that a shared understanding of the meaning of words in global collaborations may only follow observation of behaviors over time. Second, it is shown that not the words themselves but the accent with which they are delivered changes outcomes. Third, we highlight complex cultural signaling models carried in language. And fourth, in contrast to our starting point, it is argued that words have power because they can conjure a socio-emotional climate that may become self-perpetuating. Thus the four presentations seek to stimulate thought and discussion by staking out different arguments but also by identifying common issues and questions. Hiring and Status Evaluation for Accented Nonnative Speakers in Global Organizations Presenter: Tsedal Neeley; Harvard U. Presenter: Tina R. Opie; Babson College Presenter: Wannawiruch Wiruchnipawan; Harvard U. Presenter: Melissa C. Thomas-Hunt; U. of Virginia Presenter: Jeffrey T. Polzer; Harvard U. Culture as Dynamic System or Static Entity: How Does It Matter for Global Teams? Presenter: Catherine Cramton; George Mason U. When Good Communication Models Undermine Communication in Globally Distributed Engineering Teams Presenter: Elizabeth Keating; The U. of Texas at Austin Presenter: Sirkka Jarvenpaa; The U. of Texas at Austin Kick-off message's effect on emergence of trust and team identity in multicultural virtual team Presenter: Ella Glikson; Technion Israel Institute of Technology Presenter: Miriam Erez; Technion Israel Institute of Technology