Virtual Harmony amid Cultural Dissonance
The meaning and means to work together have forever changed with the advent of the Internet. Teamwork and collaboration no longer require geographic proximity or even the same time zone. New technologies enable us to reach across the global divide and work together virtually without being hampered by distance or space—it is a great new world of work—or is it?
Are global virtual teams (GVTs, in short) the perfect tool for this perfect new technologically enhanced global workplace, or are there still challenges that teams must face even when the global divide is broached?
What hampers, hinders, or facilitates GVT success are the key questions that Dr. Norhayati Zakaria, an expert in the study of GVTs, continues to address in her writings and research since she first delved into this new world of inquiry nearly 20 years ago. A keen observer of the advantages and challenges this new connectivity brings to the global workplace, Dr. Zakaria brings to the fore the importance of culture and cultural influences on all aspects of GVT interactions.
In Culture Matters: Decision-Making in Global Virtual Teams, Dr. Zakaria provides a clear, articulate examination of the significance of cultural influences on team decision-making processes and team determination outcomes.
By addressing how the distinct cultural norms held by individual team members influence communication protocols, the perceptions of task and relationship importance, and the concepts of time, which, in turn, impact team relations, cohesion, and efficacy, Dr. Zakaria amply demonstrates the need for managers to gain cross-cultural competencies and effective strategies in order to manage productive GVTs.
Culture Matters offers managers, students, and scholars alike a highly readable and accessible narrative that effectually explains why GVTs pose a variety of new managerial and organizational challenges while likewise providing organizations with a tremendous new and potentially rewarding team structure when managed well, as Dr. Zakaria so clearly states.
Dr. Zakaria’s book is exceptional in that it bridges the gap between scholars and practitioners by providing a thorough comprehensive analysis of why culture matters for GVTs and synthesizing the challenges of managing effective GVTs, as well as providing practical strategies (dos and don’ts) on how to manage GVTs. In this context, Dr. Zakaria points out that technological tools alone are insufficient, and it is imperative to better understand how technology and cultural influences interact and shape globally distributed collaboration in order to lead successful GVTs.
Culture Matters is a book that addresses what culture is and why it matters in a world of globally distributed entities endeavoring to be productive and responsive to internal and external exigencies. Dr. Zakaria has succeeded admirably in presenting a framework for understanding why cross-cultural differences within a team impact the GVT performance and providing worthwhile recommendations for GVT management and performance enhancement.
Andrea Amelinckx, J.D.
Director, International Management Program
Faculty of Management
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada