Managing Intercultural Communication Differences in E-Collaboration

Abstract

This article will be organized as follows: in the first section, I will introduce the phenomenon of globally distributed collaboration, or what I term e-collaboration, to point out the significance of a new working structure—global virtual teams. Next, I will present the research gaps that are identified between cross-cultural management, intercultural communication, and CMC to provide concrete background to the phenomenon. Third, I will highlight the potential cultural impacts on e-collaboration. Fourth, I will provide a conceptual framework of building intercultural communication competencies, with suggestions on how to manage the cultural differences in global virtual teams. Finally, I will conclude the article by providing some managerial and theoretical implications of e-collaboration.