Global Virtual Team Performance Research Articles

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 influence of cultural intelligence and emotional intelligence on conflict occurrence and performance in global virtual teams

The role of different types of intelligence in the occurrence of conflict in global virtual teams (GVTs) has largely been overlooked in the literature. As suggested by the theory of multiple intelligences, this study explores how cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) influence the occurrence of interpersonal, task and process conflicts in GVTs. Furthermore, by drawing on the contingency theory of task conflict and performance in groups and organisational teams, we examine the impact of these different types of conflict on the performance of GVTs. Utilising multilevel analysis, we tested the research model using a sample of 810 graduate and undergraduate business students from 38 different countries who worked in 232 GVTs. The results show that the CQ and EQ of the team members reduce the occurrence of the three different intragroup conflicts in GVTs. We also demonstrate that process conflict negatively affects GVT performance. We discuss the implications for research and practice.

COVID-19 and individual performance in global virtual teams: The role of self-regulation and individual cultural value orientations.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global virtual teams (GVTs) have become increasingly important. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and self-regulation theory, we examined the mechanism and process underlying individuals' performance in GVTs in this specific situation. We posit that the local severity of the pandemic has a negative effect on individuals' performance in GVTs and that self-regulation functions as a coping mechanism in times of pandemic-related ambient stress, reducing its negative effect on performance. We suggest that three cultural value orientations, that is, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and long-term orientation, explain different levels of self-regulation, which in turn moderates the relationship between the local severity of the pandemic and individual performance in GVTs. Based on a sample of 2727 individuals from 31 countries participating in an international business consulting project during the early stage of the unfolding pandemic, we show that (a) the local severity of the pandemic had a negative effect on individuals' performance, (b) the negative effect of the pandemic on performance is weaker for individuals with high self-regulation, and (c) uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation are positively associated with self-regulation, which mediates the moderating relationship between the cultural value orientations and the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and individual performance in GVTs.

Does Charter Quality Make a Difference to Global Virtual Team Performance?

The following is still in the initial development stage, but we have already found a number of interesting findings that we wish to share with the AOM community. For example, contrary to prior claims, our preliminary results suggest that a team charter, in and of itself, does not result in higher quality outcome performance of global virtual teams. However, when considering the quality of the team charters and comparing the top and bottom quartiles of charter quality, differences in GVT outcome performance were marginally significant (at p=0.051). Teams that reported increasing process conflicts (but not task or relationship conflicts) also reported conflicts to the project’s administration and also referred to their charters. On the other hand, when teammates had greater respect for each other, they reported more conflicts to the administration. This suggests that informal processes may be most important than formal deliverables such as team charters, at least in terms of effectuating GVT outcome performance.

Conflict in Virtual Teams & Necessity of Cultural Intelligence for Effective Performance

Applying an Input-Processes-Output model of team processes, we view cultural intelligence as an input variable to global virtual teams, which could help reduce one procedural aspect of team dynamics – frequency of conflicts– and consequently influence the team outcome performance. Utilizing data from a sample of 1592 global virtual teams (consisting of 7029 individuals) we tested for the effects of cultural intelligence on conflict frequency by type and team performance at both the individual and team level. Results showed that cultural intelligence exerts its effect on both individual process performance (e.g., team member satisfaction with the project) and team outcome performance (e.g., grade of the final team report) indirectly via reduction of team conflict frequency. The effects of conflict on outcome performance were differential depending on the type of conflict, which corresponds with previous literature findings. Overall, the study suggests that educators and practitioners can utilize and develop the cultural intelligence of global virtual team members to decrease negative conflict frequency and ultimately increase global virtual team performance. The study contributes to research on cultural intelligence and conflict within the context of global virtual teams.

How Does Knowledge Sharing Improve Global Virtual Team Performance?

This research investigates the complex role of knowledge sharing in enabling global virtual teams consisting of members located in different nations. The impact of knowledge sharing on team viability and team performance is examined through a longitudinal study involving 74 participants in 23 teams from two countries. Our data analysis shows that knowledge sharing directly increases team viability and performance. In addition, it plays a nuanced moderating role in reducing the negative influence of individualism on team viability and enhancing the positive influence of team viability on performance. This research provides a novel perspective to highlight the importance of knowledge sharing in global virtual teams, which not only makes a theoretical contribution to research on virtual teams but also offers practical guidance in virtual team management.

In search of the Holy Grail in global virtual teams: The mediating role of satisfaction on performance outcomes

Although the satisfaction–performance relationship has been well-established in the context of traditional face-to-face teams, prior research has largely overlooked the context of global virtual teams (GVTs). As the COVID-19 pandemic has given virtual teams a further boost and increased their relevance, it is unclear whether findings based on traditional teams are generalizable to GVTs. Our multilevel analysis, based on a sample of 2,756 participants working in 689 teams, examines the relationship between satisfaction and both individual and team performance in GVTs. Our results show that increased individual satisfaction with the team’s effort and performance is negatively associated with individual performance in GVTs. In contrast, average satisfaction within the team leads to higher team and individual performance. The results show that satisfaction positively mediates the effects of team motivation and technical expertise, and negatively mediates the effect of conflict and individual and team performance. Our study contributes to the “Holy Grail”-literature by extending the satisfaction–performance relationship to the contemporary setting of GVTs and enriches the current literature by examining the mechanisms contributing to high individual performance in GVTs.

Nationality biases in peer evaluations: The country-of-origin effect in global virtual teams

In a post-COVID-19 world, due to the increasing reliance on virtual work, global virtual teams (GVTs) are critical for the international success of firms. A fundamental challenge that firms face in this new remote work context is the need to measure the performance of individuals in GVTs. Peer evaluations are advocated as a way to improve the validity of performance appraisals. Peers work closely with one another and, presumably, are better positioned to observe and evaluate fellow team members’ performance. Even when completed in good faith, however, a fair evaluation of individual contributions and performance in GVTs could be distorted by subjectivity, bias, cultural and institutional differences, and the limitations of online communication tools. Based on a sample of 6634 GVTs comprised of 33,271 people in 79 countries that worked on an international business (IB) project, we tested the country-of-origin (COO) effect in peer evaluations within the context of GVTs. Results indicate that the nationality of the team member is a source of significant bias in peer evaluations. Our tests show that the prestige and the level of economic development of the country that a team member is from is a better predictor of peer evaluations received than objective measures of individual skills and competencies, including English proficiency, technical ability, and cultural intelligence, or national per-capita spending on education, suggesting that a COO effect based on personal bias may affect performance ratings more than actual contributions. We conclude that the COO effect in peer evaluations in GVTs has to be taken into account when designing evaluation systems and discuss implications for theory, practice and future research.

Cohesion and performance in global virtual teams: the moderating role of technical skills

Cohesion and performance in global virtual teams: the moderating role of technical skills

The Holy Grail in Global Virtual Teams: The Mediating Role of Satisfaction on Performance Outcomes

Even though the satisfaction-performance relationship has been well-established in the context of traditional face-to-face teams, prior research has largely overlooked the global virtual teams (GVTs) context. As the COVID-19 pandemic has given virtual teams a further boost and increased their relevance, it is unclear whether or not findings based on traditional teams are generalizable to GVTs. Our multi-level analysis based on a sample of over 2,700 participants working in 680 teams examines the relation between satisfaction and both, individual and team performance in GVTs. Using multi-level modeling, we demonstrate the mediating role of satisfaction between various antecedents of individual as well as team satisfaction and performance in GVTs. We discuss the implications of our findings for both research and practice.

The Influence of Multiple Intelligences on Conflict Occurrence and Performance in GVTs

The role of different facets of intelligence in the occurrence of conflict in global virtual teams (GVTs) has largely been overlooked in the literature. Building on the theory of multiple intelligences as well as the affective events theory and the contingency theory of task conflict and performance in groups and organizational teams, the present study explores the influence of cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, and cognitive ability on the occurrence of interpersonal, task, and process conflicts and the impact of these different types of conflict on the performance of GVTs. Utilizing multi-level analysis, we tested the research model using a sample of 810 individuals from almost 40 countries who worked in 232 GVTs. The results show that the cultural intelligence, emotional intelligence, and cognitive ability of the team members reduce the occurrence of the three different intragroup conflicts in GVTs. We also demonstrate that process conflict negatively affects the GVT performance. We discussed the implications for research and practice.

Motivational configurations of cultural intelligence, social integration, and performance in global virtual teams

Global virtual teams (GVTs), electronically connected workgroups of geographically dispersed team members in multinational settings, may suffer from less social integration. However, they may also benefit from an increased ability to process information due to a richer portfolio of ideas and problem-solving approaches that the team’s diversity provides. We propose that the cultural intelligence (CQ) of team members contributes positively to social integration in GVTs and improves performance. Using data from 263 GVTs, we utilized both structural equation modeling and necessary condition analyses to explore the associations between motivational CQ and a team’s social integration and performance. The results identified the must-have (bottlenecks) and should-have (drivers) levels of motivational CQ among team members in GVTs. We contribute to the CQ and GVT literature by linking variation in the team’s CQ levels (team average, lowest, highest, and leader CQ) to its social integration and performance.

The predictive power of university pedigree on the graduate's performance in global virtual teams

The predictive power of university pedigree on the graduate's performance in global virtual teams

The predictive power of university pedigree on the graduate’s performance in global virtual teams

The university rank is commonly used as a predictor of the performance of graduates. Unfortunately, prior research has primarily focused on the effect of university rank on graduates' pay level, wh...

Adopting a Global Virtual Team Approach to Enhance Performance of an International Nursing Research Collaboration.

Global mobility, technological developments, and evolved organizational design have expanded the scope of workplace teams beyond traditional arrangements, giving rise to global virtual teams. As universities across the world encourage mobility, there are unprecedented opportunities to create discipline-specific international networks, increase cross-cultural understanding, and create rich interactions in research. Team structure, trust formation, and communication processes are known to positively influence global virtual team performance. They are discussed to illustrate the value of a structured model of work in an international research-focused collaboration of nursing academics from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Foreign language skill, anxiety, cultural intelligence and individual task performance in global virtual teams: A cognitive perspective

Global virtual teams (GVTs) operate in a globally dispersed work environment, principally relying on communication and information technologies to achieve work tasks. In this work context, using language effectively is crucial. We utilize the cognitive perspective to explain how foreign language use in a GVT influences individual task performance. This study employs (a) cognitive neuroscience of foreign language processing perspective to explain the relationship between foreign language skills and individual task performance; (b) the theory of cognitive load to explain foreign language anxiety as a pathway that further explains how low-level foreign language skill negatively influences individual task performance; and (c) the theory of intelligence to examine the conditional role of cultural intelligence in the mediation process. Utilizing 294 data pairs (collected from GVT members and their respective supervisors) in a multinational offshoring firm, we found support for the mediation process and the conditional influence of the dimensions of cultural intelligence in reducing the negative effect of foreign language anxiety on individual task performance in GVT.

The impact of peer evaluation on team effort, productivity, motivation and performance in global virtual teams

PurposeThis study aims to assess the effect of peer evaluations on team-level effort, productivity, motivation and overall team performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study explores the impact of a peer evaluation system on 895 multicultural and transnational global virtual teams (GVTs) composed of 5,852 university students from 130 different countries. The study uses a quasi-experiment in which the group project is implemented under two conditions over two sequential iterations. In the first condition, team members do not receive peer evaluation feedback during the project. In the second condition, participants completed detailed peer evaluations of their team members and received feedback weekly for eight consecutive weeks.FindingsResults suggest that when peer evaluations are used in GVTs during the project, teams show: higher levels of group effort; lower levels of average productivity and motivation; and no clear evidence of improved team performance. Results cast doubts on the benefits of peer evaluation within GVTs as the practice fails to reach its main objective of improving team performance and generates some negative internal dynamics.Practical implicationsThe major implication of the study for managers and educators using GVTs is that the use of peer evaluations during the course of a project does not appear to improve objective team performance and reduces team motivation and perception of productivity despite increases in teams’ perceptions of effort and performance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scanty literature regarding the impact of peer evaluation systems on group-level dynamics and performance outcomes.

Why Cross-Cultural Issues in Management and Marketing Are That Important and Worth Our Undivided Attention?

Global business continues to evolve at a mind-boggling speed; it absorbs all types of endeavors and, first and foremost, integrates the activities of human beings representing different cultures. Culture and cultural theory remain the subjects of research by various disciplines. Marketing scholars and practitioners explore and analyze how culture affects consumer motivation and consumption patterns. Management scientists and consultants examine and scrutinize the influence of culture on the organizational structures and effectiveness of teamwork. Without attention to the cultural content in the management of organizations and marketing activities, all strategic plans will remain the proverbial good intentions paving the road to hell. The Journal of Management and Training for Industries espouses a multi-disciplinary perspective and represents the forum for open-minded discussions useful for academics, practitioners, and policy-makers. It was only logical to invite to this forum the representatives from the management and marketing disciplines to consider the exceedingly important cross-cultural issues affecting such diverse business topics as international marketing, organizational diversity, corporate social responsibility, and performance of global virtual teams.

Global Teams: The Effects of Media and Language Diversity on Perceived Proximity and Performance.

Despite geographical distance and diversity in English language proficiency, perceiving proximity to other members is vital for the performance of global virtual teams. Using a sample of 45 global MBA student teams, our model examines how media choice and language-based differences are related to perceived proximity and performance in these teams. The results suggest that when team members are similar in their language proficiency, increased use of verbal synchronous media leads to higher perceived proximity and team performance. In contrast, increased use of written synchronous media leads to higher perceived proximity and performance for team members with diverse language proficiencies.

Global Virtual Team Performance: The Effect of Coordination Effectiveness, Trust, and Team Cohesion

Research problem: Subgroup formation in global virtual teams could negatively impact team performance due to difficulties in coordination, trust, and team cohesion. Research questions: What role do trust and team cohesion play in the relationship between coordination effectiveness and team performance of global virtual teams with two distinct subgroups? Literature review: Prior research suggests that coordination effectiveness on team performance is most strongly impacted by coordination of knowledge. This effectiveness is mediated by trust and team cohesion. However, we have a poor understanding of trust and team cohesion dynamics on intergroup relationships in global virtual teams. Methodology: A survey was conducted with 14 teams with a total of 112 participants in the US and India. The teams were tasked with evaluating customer-relationship-management best practices for a global environment. Results and discussion: We evaluated how the process of effective coordination for teams composed of two colocated subgroups is mediated by individual perceptions of out-group trust and overall team cohesion. Our findings show that individual trust and team cohesion share a reciprocal impact on each other, suggesting that effective coordination in virtual teams can create a positive feedback loop with trust and cohesion, improving overall project performance. Implications for theory and practice include the virtuous cycle that trust and cohesion create in global virtual team coordination and the necessity of establishing appropriate project coordination systems and processes to promote both aspects and, thus, achieve excellent project performance for colocated subgroups.