Revisiting Issues, Limitations, and Opportunities in Cross-Cultural Research on Collaborative Software in Information Systems: A Critical Literature Update

Abstract

Previously, Zhang and Lowry (2008) analyzed the issues, limitations, and opportunities in cross-cultural research on collaborative software in information systems. This chapter revisits the issues discussed in that paper and adds to them an analysis of the research done since their analysis, which covered the years leading up to 2005. Five additional articles, published between 2005 and the end of 2008 have been added to their original analysis. Since the beginning of 2005, research has extended to new countries and cultures, and has covered a previously unexplored task type. New insights and opportunities are discussed. Previously, Zhang and Lowry (2008) found seven common failures in CSW-supported cultural research. This update analyzes five new papers against these seven failures and finds their recent research encouraging. The main contribution of this chapter is filling in the gap between the current state of this particular area of research and the previous state at the beginning of 2005 when the analysis of Zhang and Lowry was completed.