Bridging cultural diversity through e-mail

Shachaf, Pnina Bridging cultural diversity through e-mail. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 2005, vol. 8, n. 2, pp. 46-60. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

The implementation of global virtual teams presents modern organizations with significant challenges, such as a multicultural workforce and the use of information and communication technology. Cultural diversity increases teamwork complexity and may weaken a team's effectiveness and jeopardize its viability. Selection and implementation of appropriate information technology may facilitate group processes and overcome potential barriers created by team heterogeneity. This study illustrates how e-mail mitigates intercultural miscommunication. Interviews with 41 global virtual team members in nine countries, who were employed by a multinational corporation, were transcribed and analyzed. The use of e-mail improves language accuracy, mitigates intercultural miscommunication resulting from verbal differences among team members, and eliminates nonverbal differences. Only future studies can determine the extent of this mitigation.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: global virtual teams, e-mail, email, intercultural communication
Subjects: F. Management. > FA. Co-operation.
L. Information technology and library technology > LA. Telecommunications.
Depositing user: Pnina Shachaf
Date deposited: 09 Dec 2007
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:10
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/10814

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