Global Virtual Teams Research Articles

Global Virtual Teams in Building Learner's Resilience: Evidence from a Four-Year Study of Pre- and During COVID Disruption

People worldwide have been grappling with unprecedented levels of stress and related mental health issues, increasing both in the workplace and on campuses before the pandemic, spiraling upward with reports by students and employees from all levels of socioeconomic backgrounds (APA 2023). Countries are lagging in addressing this rising trend (WHO 2022). Simultaneously, global virtual teams (GVTs) have grown in importance in the workplace and classroom. To examine how GVTs impact learners and learning environments, a longitudinal study pre pandemic (2018) lasting through the pandemic (2021) tested a model of resiliency based on the factors of discernment, resourcefulness, problem solving, consideration of future consequences (CFC), critical thinking, and culture. GVTs was used as an intervention comparing resiliency based on a sample of before the GVT experience (n=584) and after (n=399), with learners from seven universities across six cultures. Results show that GVTs can boost resilience but require discernment and resourcefulness. Students value critical thinking after GVTs and after controlling for the pandemic, GVTs did not affect resiliency, suggesting that redirecting learners to new factors can enhance resilience. Resilience helps employers, instructors, and individuals manage mental health issues while GVTs build resilience in students and employees for international business uncertainties.

How far can I trust you? Understanding the social identity perspective of trust development in global virtual teams

How far can I trust you? Understanding the social identity perspective of trust development in global virtual teams

Creating enhanced work environments for global virtual teams: using CQ as the strongest link in the team

PurposeThis study investigates how the maximum cultural intelligence (Max CQ) within a team – defined as the highest cultural intelligence level of an individual member – affects intra-team communication, conflict dynamics and, ultimately, team satisfaction and performance in global virtual teams (GVTs).Design/methodology/approachUtilizing quantitative research methods, this investigation draws on a dataset comprising 3,385 participants, which forms a total of 686 GVTs.FindingsThe study reveals that MaxCQ significantly enhances team communication, which in turn mitigates conflict, increases satisfaction and improves performance. It is noteworthy that the influence of MaxCQ on GVT success is more significant than the average cultural intelligence (CQ) of team members, providing critical insights for effective GVT management strategies.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that managers may optimize team dynamics not by uniformly increasing each member’s CQ but by concentrating on maximizing the CQ of one individual who can act as an influencer within the team. Strategically placing individuals with high CQ in GVTs can enhance overall team function.Originality/valueWhile existing literature primarily examines the individual effects of CQ on communication and conflict management, this study sheds light on the collective interplay between MaxCQ, communication and conflict. It highlights the importance of MaxCQ, along with the frequency of team communication and conflict, in influencing team satisfaction and performance in GVTs.

A configurational analysis of university ranking, cognitive ability and cultural intelligence in global virtual teams: The role of academic pedigree

Previous research examining the GVTs with business students from different universities and with different characteristics has begun to reveal significant findings on team compositions leading to team performance. However, few studies have addressed academic pedigree at the team level and examined its relationship with team performance. This study explores the configurations of academic pedigree, cognitive ability (IQ), and cultural intelligence (CQ) that lead to high levels of performance in GVTs. We performed a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis on a sample of 3688 students nested within 731 GVTs participating in an international project. The results show that three configurations could achieve the same outcome equally and effectively. In particular, two configurations show that IQ and CQ within teams led to high team performance when either the academic pedigree average or the academic pedigree diversity is not high. The third configuration reveals that IQ combined with academic pedigree average and the presence of a team member from a highly ranked institution results in high levels of team performance when academic pedigree diversity is not high. This study offers insights into configurational relationships between team compositions and performance in GVTs, explaining when and if academic pedigree impacts team performance.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in Global Virtual Teams

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) in Global Virtual Teams

Impact of the Timing of Entry and Team Diversity on Global Virtual Team Members’ Contributions

Impact of the Timing of Entry and Team Diversity on Global Virtual Team Members’ Contributions

Reducing freeloading in Global Virtual Teams: A quasi-experimental approach

Freeloading, a challenge faced by all workgroups but particularly acute in global virtual teams (GVTs), is an increasing concern as GVTs become increasingly ubiquitous in international business settings. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of different strategies grounded in equity theory for mitigating freeloading behavior in GVTs. The study used a sample of 2,022 GVTs comprising 12,536 business students from 43 countries who, for two months, worked on international business consulting projects. The results indicate that freeloading could be significantly reduced if the performance management system promotes a sense of equity and fairness by visible monitoring of individual effort coupled with the threat of reciprocations for insufficient contributions. Importantly, making a lack of individual effort visible through regular peer evaluations but taking no immediate punitive action could reduce perceived fairness and actually increase freeloading. The implications of these findings for practice and future research are discussed.

Exploring the impact of cultural diversity in global projects: A comparative analysis of virtual and face-to-face teamwork

In today’s interconnected global business landscape, the rise of international business and technological advancements has led to a proliferation of global virtual teams. This dynamic environment underscores the critical importance of understanding cultural diversity within such teams and its impact on performance. To effectively compete in this milieu, individuals must possess the requisite knowledge and skills to navigate diverse cultural backgrounds, both in virtual and face-to-face interactions. This paper delves into the profound significance of cultural diversity and its multifaceted implications within the context of virtual and face-to-face project team dynamics. To gain insights into global virtual teamwork dynamics regarding cultural diversity, a project involving 65 participants was designed. The project’s progression was closely monitored, and participants provided feedback in two stages, yielding a total of 130 feedback sheets for analysis. The research findings shed light on the nuanced dynamics of global virtual teamwork, highlighting cultural diversity as a perceived risk factor. However, these challenges can be effectively managed through the strategic deployment of project management tools. Conversely, in face-to-face settings, cultural diversity emerges as a potent catalyst for innovation and creativity, offering unique perspectives that enrich problem-solving processes. This study serves as a critical resource for educators, project managers, and stakeholders invested in optimizing cross-cultural interactions in both virtual and face-to-face environments. By leveraging insights gleaned from this research, practitioners can harness the power of cultural diversity to drive success in today’s globalized organizational landscape.

A meta-review of global virtual team research: thematic insights and future directions

PurposeThis study provides a meta-review of global virtual team (GVT)–related reviews, creating a resource that highlights dominant themes, research trends and shifts in topics over time culminating in a summary of opportunities for future research. By analyzing and grouping the evidence presented in previous research, this meta-review provides key insights toward future research and managerial implications.Design/methodology/approachThis meta-review identifies 35 existing GVT-related reviews across 32 publication outlets, providing a longitudinal and cross-disciplinary view of GVT research to date.FindingsResults of the analysis reveal over time that there has been a largely adopted reconceptualization of the GVT paradigm toward a continuum of virtuality. There has been a shift in the view of the cross-cultural and global components of GVTs toward a recognition that a greater variance of dimensionality exists. Additionally, popular themes across the literature emerge, notably, virtuality, concepts of culture, trust, leadership and communication technology.Originality/valueAs a multidisciplinary GVT-focused meta-review, this study complements previous efforts by taking a tour across this wide topic and is dedicated to those who are researching, teaching, working and managing GVT-related strategies. The reviews selected represent work published across multiple literature streams, providing a comprehensive and forward thinking perspective.

Developing Cross-Cultural Communication Skills With the X-Culture Global Virtual Team Project

X-Culture is an 8-week global virtual team project in which students are placed on teams with students from other countries to develop a business proposal for an organization. Students learn experientially how to navigate cross-cultural communication and encounter real-life challenges of working virtually. An overview of the project, guidance for implementing it into a management course, and suggestions for teaching based on experience of use are discussed.

Facilitating action learning & virtual action learning for leadership development: experiences and insights from a UK Masters programme

ABSTRACT Action learning is one of the most effective leadership development interventions [Day, Fleenor, Atwater, Sturm, and McKee. 2014. “Advances in Leader and Leadership Development: A Review of 25 Years of Research and Theory.” The Leadership Quarterly 25 (1): 63–82; Pauleen. 2003. “Leadership in a Global Virtual Team: An Action Learning Approach.” Leadership & Organization Development Journal 2003; Stewart. 2010. “Action Learning and Virtual Action Learning for Leadership Development.” Developing Leaders (1)], yet Virtual Action learning (VAL) has always struggled to be seen as a viable alternative, with both facilitators and participants often preferring face-to-face set meetings, and dismissing the technological options [Dickenson, Burgoyne, and Pedler. 2010. “Virtual Action Learning: Practices and Challenges.” Action Learning Journal: Research & Practice 7 (1): 59–72; Stewart. 2009. “Evaluation of an Action Learning Programme for Leadership Development of SME Leaders in the UK.” Action Learning: Research and Practice 6 (2): 131–148]. However, the onset of the Covid pandemic saw the rapid implementation of this remote technology-enabled approach, where VAL became the only option for action learning due to the restrictions on face-to-face working and travel limitations. This paper shares insights on the differences facilitating action learning and virtual action learning from a research project, based around a two-year Masters in Leadership programme in a UK business school, now delivered to over 300 experienced senior leaders, predominantly working in the UK NHS and a major UK retailer.

Academic pedigree diversity and global virtual team dynamics and performance

Academic pedigree diversity and global virtual team dynamics and performance

Fluid and Virtual Teams

Numerous contemporary work teams encompass both virtuality, marked by geographically dispersed members relying on technology for communication, and fluidity, involving the rapid assembly of members with limited prior experience for immediate, time-sensitive tasks. Instances include global virtual teams, military command and control teams, and similar contexts in which rapidly assembled distributed teams are prevalent. However, research on fluid virtual teams remains scarce. In this article, we expound upon the concept of team fluidity, explain how fluid virtual contexts influence team dynamics, and explore the implications for effectively supporting fluid virtual teams.

Revisiting equity theory in the global virtual teams

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test whether equity theory (ET) – which posits that individuals compare their outcome/input ratio to the ratio of a “comparison other” and classify individuals as Benevolent, Equity Sensity, and Entitled – applies to the modern workplace of global virtual teams (GVT), where work is mostly intellectual, geographically dispersed and online, making individual effort nearly impossible to observe directly.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 1,343 GVTs comprised 6,347 individuals from 137 countries, this study tests three ET’s predictions in the GVT context: a negative, linear relationship between Benevolents’ perceptions of equity and job satisfaction in GVTs; an inverted U-shaped relationship between Equity Sensitives’ perceptions of equity and job satisfaction in GVTs; and a positive, linear relationship between Entitleds’ perceptions of equity and job satisfaction in GVTs.FindingsAlthough the second prediction of ET is supported, the first and third have statistically significant opposite signs.Practical implicationsThe research has important ramifications for management studies in explaining differences in organizational behavior in GVTs as opposed to traditional work settings.Originality/valueThe authors conclude that the main novelty with ET in GVTs is that GVTs are an environment stingy with satisfaction for “takers” (Entitleds) and generous in satisfaction for “givers” (Benevolents).

A configurational approach for analyzing cultural values and performance in Global Virtual Teams

Although there have been decades of research on the effect of cultural values on team effectiveness outcomes, knowledge of the interdependencies of team cultural values for explaining team performance remains nascent. Using a configurational qualitative approach, this study explores how cultural values combine and collectively contribute to the effectiveness of Global Virtual Teams (GVTs). We perform a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on a data set of 1847 individuals nested within 396 GVTs who participated in an international business consulting project. The results demonstrate that cultural values work together to achieve high levels of team performance rather than function independently. The results also show that different cultural value configurations could be equally effective at producing the same outcome, and that the presence of gender egalitarianism and the absence of power distance are the most important for producing the outcome. We discuss implications for practice and future research.

The Impact of Experiential Learning and the Use of Digital Platforms on Global Virtual Teams’ Motivation

ABSTRACT This paper sheds light on the impact of the digital platforms’ enhancement and usage of latest synchronous and asynchronous teaching-learning platforms through a global virtual project involving business schools across five countries. The study focuses on how technology involved in the learning-teaching process at different business schools has affected the commitment of undergraduates and graduates in the post-COVID era. Furthermore, the paper discusses how the global virtual teams of students has increased their motivation in their studies. The paper is based on a blended learning international collaboration (BLIC) project involving 150 students participating in global virtual collaboration via different digital platforms in classes on International Management and International Business. The study results show, that with computer-supported collaborative learning, students across all involved business schools have been highly committed and motivated in conducting their assignments. The paper shows that the enhancement and utilization of digital platforms in face-to-face and online classes in International Business and International Management, within this virtual collaboration, has provided the students with new knowledge and has held motivation high throughout the project.

Safely navigating global virtual teams amid the threat of cyberbullying

In this research, the prevailing issue of cyberbullying within global virtual teams (GVTs) is investigated through the lens of two qualitative studies. The research highlights key antecedents and causes of cyberbullying and underscores the importance of deterrent factors, including organizational policies, team cultures, leadership styles, and peer support. The role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in these dynamics is scrutinized, along with the challenges introduced by team diversity. Despite existing measures and policies, the study emphasizes the need for a proactive and comprehensive strategy focusing on preventing cyberbullying instead of merely addressing its after-effects. It further suggests several preventive measures for organizations and leaders to effectively tackle cyberbullying. These include implementing culturally sensitive ethical training, enforcing robust organizational policies, and fostering leadership that appreciates and upholds diversity, thus contributing to a safer, respectful, and inclusive virtual working environment.

Virtual Teams, Academic Resilience and Mental Wellbeing: A Study of International Students in Virtual Teams in India

The study addresses upon the call of mental wellbeing in global virtual teams. The objective is to explore how virtual scenarios of learning process, influence academic resilience and finally form mental wellbeing among the cohort group of different cultural and geographic backgrounds. Using stratified sampling technique, primary data were collected from 367 international students. In the present study, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used to obtain the results. The results revealed the challenges faced by the virtual teams in online learning setting. These challenges offer a path to both academic practitioners, higher management of the institutions and policymakers to offer an online learning process that is apt and suitable to the team members who participate from different geographical places. It was also found that online learning process is directly linked to academic resilience. Further, academic resilience successfully mediates between online learning process and mental wellbeing. The study opens debates on how online learning process should be made effective and relevant, especially, for those who do not belong to the same geography and cultural backgrounds.

Conditions of Employee Engagement in Global Virtual Teams

Conditions of Employee Engagement in Global Virtual Teams

“It is Difficult to Understand Them...”- The Role of Non-native Accents in Global Virtual Teams

“It is Difficult to Understand Them...”- The Role of Non-native Accents in Global Virtual Teams