Working Out Loud: Culture, Technology, and Communication Practices of a Global Team in a Virtual World

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Authors
Aten, Kathryn
Nardon, Luciara
Stanko, Taryn
Subjects
global virtual team
distributed collaboration
virtual world
communication practice
Advisors
Date of Issue
2016
Date
2016
Publisher
Language
Abstract
The effective use of global virtual teams (GVTs) has become critical to the success of multinational enterprises (MNEs). We explored the practices utilized by a GVT collaborating in a virtual world. We found that GVT team culture and technology possibilities and limitations contributed to situated challenges. The team employed three communication practices to address these challenges: articulating presence, articulating experience, and articulating action. These practices allowed the team to develop mutual representations of action in context to allow their collaboration. Drawing on interactive perspectives on culture, we elaborate on the role of cultural and technological factors in creating situational challenges for GVTs and the role of communication practices in overcoming these challenges. This study contributes to the GVT literature in particular and IB literature in general, by highlighting the utility of dynamic perspectives on intercultural interactions for research on how individuals and groups accomplish tasks across cultural boundaries through technology.
Type
Working Paper
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Business & Public Policy (GSBPP)
Organization
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
36 p.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.
Collections