The Increasing Competition in the Global Economy - Article Review
The increasing competition in the global economy has raised the number of virtual teams, and the cultural difference is identified as a critical factor that determines the effectiveness of team performance (Connaughton and Shuffler, 2007, cited in Dekker, Rutte & Van den Berg, 2008). Dekker et al. (2008) investigate whether members of virtual teams from the U.S., India, and Belgium perceived the same critical interaction behaviours as Dutch team members from a previous study; that is, they evaluate whether team members from different cultures have different perceptions of critical behaviours required for effective teams, and whether team members from different cultures assign the same values to the categories of interaction behaviour. A number of other studies mentioned in this article indicate that the cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede (2007) increase the likelihood that virtual teams with different cultures perceive different interaction behaviours for contribution to team outcomes.
Dekker & Rutte (submitted for publication) designed a framework of 13 categories that show the crucial interaction behaviours required in Dutch virtual teams. However in this study, they used five cultural dimensions to show the differences in preferences for interaction behaviours perceived by virtual teams members in different country. These cultural dimensions are: power distance (PD), uncertainty avoidance (UA), individualism (IND), masculinity (MAS), and long-term oriention (LTO) (Hofstede, 2001, cited in Dekker et al, 2008).
In this article, Dekker et al. (2008) seek to validate seven hypotheses:
1. Global virtual team workers from low PD cultures, compared to high PD cultures, attach greater value to Including Team Members. This hypothesis is supported by studies that showed the judgment of subordinates in low PD teams were perceived as more important than the judgement made by members in high PD teams (Earley, 1999; Javidan & House, 2001; cited in
Dekker & Rutte (submitted for publication) designed a framework of 13 categories that show the crucial interaction behaviours required in Dutch virtual teams. However in this study, they used five cultural dimensions to show the differences in preferences for interaction behaviours perceived by virtual teams members in different country. These cultural dimensions are: power distance (PD), uncertainty avoidance (UA), individualism (IND), masculinity (MAS), and long-term oriention (LTO) (Hofstede, 2001, cited in Dekker et al, 2008).
In this article, Dekker et al. (2008) seek to validate seven hypotheses:
1. Global virtual team workers from low PD cultures, compared to high PD cultures, attach greater value to Including Team Members. This hypothesis is supported by studies that showed the judgment of subordinates in low PD teams were perceived as more important than the judgement made by members in high PD teams (Earley, 1999; Javidan & House, 2001; cited in