Speaking of global virtual teams: language differences, social categorization and media choice
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2013-0205 |
| Date | 02 March 2015 |
| Pages | 270-285 |
| Published date | 02 March 2015 |
| Author | Anders Klitmøller,Susan Carol Schneider,Karsten Jonsen |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
Speaking of global virtual teams:
language differences, social
categorization and media choice
Anders Klitmøller
Department of Language and Business Administration,
University of Southern Denmark, Slagelse, Denmark
Susan Carol Schneider
HEC, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland, and
Karsten Jonsen
IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelation between language differences,
media choice and social categorization in global virtual teams (GVTs).
Design/methodology/approach –An ethnographic field work was conducted in a Finnish
multinational corporation(MNC). The study includedinterviews, observations, and languageproficiency
assessment of 27 GVT members located in five European countries.
Findings –In GVTs, the combination of language proficiency differences and verbal media (e.g. telephone)
tends to lead to social categorization, while a similar effect was not found when GVT members chose
written media (e.g. e-mail).
Research limitations/implications –The qualitative study only consisted of GVTs from one MNC,
and thus the empirical findings might not be generalizable to other MNCs. Therefore, quantitative
studies that can add to the robustness of the exploratory findings could be a worthwhile endeavour.
Practical implications –Language training should be provided to GVT members, and virtual
policies should be implemented to ensure the use of written media in GVTs characterized by language
proficiency differences.
Originality/value –Although it is well established in the literature that language differences are
detrimental to co-located team effectiveness no study has explored how the relationship between
variation in language proficiency and media choice affects social categorization in GVTs.
Keywords Media choice, Qualitative, Common corporate language, Global virtual teams,
Social categorization
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Technological developments have made global virtual teams (GVTs) −i.e.,
geographically and temporally dispersed individuals who rely mainly on information
and communication technology to solve organizational tasks −instrumental in
effectively connecting the linguistically diverse units of the MNC (Montoya-Weiss et al.,
2001; Maznevski et al., 2006; Shachaf and Hara, 2007; Neeley et al., 2012). Yet the
members’language differences have the potential to disrupt team functioning
(Klitmøller and Lauring, 2013). It has been argued that not only reduced understanding,
but in particular also social categorization processes can be destructive for team
collaboration (Lauring, 2008). Hence, knowledge about the link between technological
communication media, language use, and social categorization would lay the
foundation foreffective virtual management in MNCs. Until now, however, research has
neglected to explore the combined effects of these fundamental aspects of virtual work.
Personnel Review
Vol. 44 No. 2, 2015
pp. 270-285
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-11-2013-0205
Received 13 November 2013
Revised 26 May 2014
Accepted 14 June 2014
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
270
PR
44,2
While studies on co-located teams have shown how language differences hamper
interpersonal relations and spark social categorization processes (Giles and St Clair,
1979), such insights have only been applied in the study of GVTs to a limited extent
(Hinds et al., 2013).
This is surprising since research on GVTs has shown how differences between team
members fuel in-group formation processes and impair group functioning (Polzer et al.,
2006; Hinds et al., 2013). In addition, studies suggest that virtual workers with low
proficiency in the language used invoke apprehension and uncertainty in the individual
(Neeley et al., 2012). Such findings have not yet been linked to the type of media used,
despite several studies reporting that team members’communication is more challenging
in verbal media as compared to written media (Charles and Marschan-Piekkari, 2002).
This seems to validate a further exploration of the relation between common language
differences, social categorization, and GVT member’s choice of verbal versus written
media. Thus, in the present article, we explore the following research question:
RQ1. How does variance in common language proficiency and media choice affect
social categorization in GVTs?
We begin with a literature review followed by a section describing the organ izational
context and the ethnographic method used in the study. Through an empirical
narrative, we explore the relation between the chosen medium and social categoriz ation
processes related to common language differences in GVTs. Subsequently, we discuss
the results, and finally, we suggest future avenues for virtual management research
and practice.
Literature review
Common language proficiency
The study of language has long been labelled a forgotten and neglected factor in
international management(Marschan et al., 1997). However, in the latter years, increasing
attentionhas been granted to the themedue its importance forthe effective functioningof
international business organizations (Barner-Rasmussen and Aarnio, 2011; Lauring and
Selmer, 2011; Peltokorpi and Vaara, 2014). Thus, it i s by now largely agreed upon that
difference in common language proficiency, defined asindividuals’linguistic skills in
a language which is used between persons who do not share a common native tongue
(Firth, 1996; Clément and Gardner, 2001), pose a severe challenge to international
collaboration (Piekkari et al., 2005; Lauring and Selmer, 2011; Klitmøller and Lauring,
2013). For example, it has been found that language differences negatively impact
knowledge transfer and communication within, and between, organizational units
(Luo and Shenkar, 2006; Mäkelä et al., 2007; Barner-Rasmussen and Aarnio, 2011).
Yet, despite the increased scholarly focus on common language differences, the issue
has largely been omitted from studies on GVTs. This is surprising, since it could be
argued that the capability of articulating and perceiving sounds as well as knowle dge
concerning grammar and sentence structure seems particularly important in virtual
environments (cf. Chen et al., 2006; Maznevski et al., 2006). Studies on co-located teams
have already suggested that common language differences have detrimental effects on
group outcomes. Hence, Tenzer et al. (2013) found that language barriers lowered team
members’trustworthiness and intention to trust. Studies also show how co-located
groups characterized by proficiency variance in the language used are less effective
and experience more emotional conflict and distrust as compared to groups with
a high degree of common language proficiency (Lauring and Selmer, 2010). Less
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Speaking of
global virtual
teams
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