Interpersonal relationships in transnational, virtual teams – towards a configurational perspective

Previous research has observed that strong interpersonal relationships are especially important for the functioning of transnational, virtual teams (TNTs), but are at the same time particularly hard to achieve in these teams. This article reviews and integrates the transnational and virtual team literature to provide an overview of examined cognitive, behavioural and affective relationship aspects. By demonstrating the interrelations between these relationship aspects, the article deviates from the prevalent, linear input–process–output models of team functioning and makes a first step towards a configurational perspective on relationships in TNTs. It further reviews how several characteristics of the team structure, organizational context and socio-political environment may facilitate or inhibit relationship aspects. Through a synthesis of previous research, the article develops two examples of likely relationship configurations and their driving factors. The review concludes by recommending methods for future empirical research on relationship configurations in TNTs

Interpersonal relationships in transnational, virtual teams - towards a configurational perspective

This article uses a literature review to develop a configurational analysis of interpersonal relationships in transnational teams (TNTs). The configurational approach posits that organisational reality cannot be explained by uni-directional, causal relationships between isolated variables, but only in terms of variable configurations, i.e. „multidimensional constellations of conceptually distinct characteristics that commonly occur together‟ (Meyer et al. 1993, p. 1175). The effect of single variables is seen to depend on their interaction with the multitude of other variables in a configuration. TNTs are defined as groups composed of members of different nationalities, who work on a common task. Previous research on TNTs has observed that strong interpersonal relationships are especially important for the functioning of these teams, but are at the same time particularly hard to achieve. Moreover, many studies have singled out particular processes that will here be termed „aspects‟ of relationships. This article firstly integrates the transnational and virtual team literature to provide an overview of examined relationship aspects. The article identifies cognitive relationship aspects, which encompass team identity, subgroup formation, shared understanding, and trust. Communication, knowledge creation, and conflicts are described as behavioural aspects, and interpersonal affect is identified as an affective relationship aspect. These relationship aspects are regarded as elements of complex relationship configurations. The paper therefore describes the influence of each of these aspects on other relationship aspects, thereby demonstrating complex interconnections between relationship aspects. This provides a first step towards a configurational analysis. The paper further reviews how several characteristics of the team structure, organisational context, and socio-political environment may facilitate or inhibit several relationship aspects. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of cultural diversity and virtuality as the two factors that are characteristic of TNTs, and which have also been discussed most frequently in the literature. Through a synthesis of previous research, the article then provides an overview of suggested mutual influences between relationship aspects. This leads to a suggestion of two examples of relationship configurations and their driving factors. These configurations are characterised by the orchestrating themes of „commitment and tight coupling‟ and „commitment and loose coupling‟, respectively. The paper concludes by recommending methods for future empirical research on relationship configurations in TNTs. It argues that a broad range of relationship aspects needs to be included in such research, to examine relationships across a number of different team structures and organisational contexts, and in different socio-political environments. In-depth, qualitative case research is the most suitable for exploring this complex social phenomenon

An exploration of two perspectives on global leadership and the potential consequences for global leadership development

The paper explores two logics of global leadership; the logic of instrumentality and the logic of appropriateness. These two logics and their relation to multinational enterprises are traced in organizational theory and in global leadership theory and the consequences of the two logics for the design of global leadership development programs are explored. It is argued that applying a logic of instrumentality uncritically to global leadership in multinational enterprises is potentially fraught with great risk given the diversity and complexity of MNEs and their environments. It is suggested that a logic of appropriateness in global leadership and in global leadership development programs constitutes a viable, suitable and complementary alternative. What is referred to as a mixed service logic of global leadership development programs involves exploration and reflection concerning the particular contexts in which global leadership processes and exemplifies a logic of appropriateness in global leadership and global leadership development

Interpersonal relationships in transnational, virtual teams

This article uses a literature review to develop a configurational analysis of interpersonal relationships in transnational teams (TNTs). The configurational approach posits that organisational reality cannot be explained by uni-directional, causal relationships between isolated variables, but only in terms of variable configurations, i.e. ‘multidimensional constellations of conceptually distinct characteristics that commonly occur together’ (Meyer et al. 1993, p. 1175). The effect of single variables is seen to depend on their interaction with the multitude of other variables in a configuration. TNTs are defined as groups composed of members of different nationalities, who work on a common task. Previous research on TNTs has observed that strong interpersonal relationships are especially important for the functioning of these teams, but are at the same time particularly hard to achieve. Moreover, many studies have singled out particular processes that will here be termed ‘aspects’ of relationships. This article firstly integrates the transnational and virtual team literature to provide an overview of examined relationship aspects. The article identifies cognitive relationship aspects, which encompass team identity, subgroup formation, shared understanding, and trust. Communication, knowledge creation, and conflicts are described as behavioural aspects, and interpersonal affect is identified as an affective relationship aspect. These relationship aspects are regarded as elements of complex relationship configurations. The paper therefore describes the influence of each of these aspects on other relationship aspects, thereby demonstrating complex interconnections between relationship aspects. This provides a first step towards a configurational analysis. The paper further reviews how several characteristics of the team structure, organisational context, and socio-political environment may facilitate or inhibit several relationship aspects. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of cultural diversity and virtuality as the two factors that are characteristic of TNTs, and which have also been discussed most frequently in the literature. Through a synthesis of previous research, the article then provides an overview of suggested mutual influences between relationship aspects. This leads to a suggestion of two examples of relationship configurations and their driving factors. These configurations are characterised by the orchestrating themes of ‘commitment and tight coupling’ and ‘commitment and loose coupling’, respectively. The paper concludes by recommending methods for future empirical research on relationship configurations in TNTs. It argues that a broad range of relationship aspects needs to be included in such research, to examine relationships across a number of different team structures and organisational contexts, and in different socio-political environments. In-depth, qualitative case research is the most suitable for exploring this complex social phenomenon

Scientific mindfulness: a foundation for future themes in international business

We conceptualize new ways to qualify what themes should dominate the future IB research agenda by examining three questions: Whom should we ask? What should we ask and which selection criteria should we apply? What are the contextual forces? We propose scientific mindfulness as the way forward for generating themes in IB research

Internal Legal Protection Provided for Investors Participating in Capital Investment from Political Risks

Capital investment is defined as direct investment not portfolio investment, where in the latter the capital investor only owns some stock invested in a company but is not directly involved or has no direct authorities in the management of the company. Capital investment is aimed to build the economy in Indonesia as intended in the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. It is obvious that investment is inextricable from risk, in which higher risk means higher potential profit. This law applies in developing economic markets including those in Indonesia. Any risk transfer taking place involves obligations given to the party that performs the transfer under a particular agreement. The agreement under which transferring or sharing risk is performed is commonly known as insurance agreement. It is, then, essential that internal protection be provided for capital investors. Some theories aimed to help find the solutions to the research problems involve particular legal theories on which the analysis of this research was based: theories of legal protection, legal certainty, investment, and insurance. The methods used in the research were categorised as normative juridical, supported by statute, conceptual, case, and comparative approaches. The analysis of this research is descriptive-based, in which observed phenomena are presented in relation to the aspects observed to profoundly discover the existing conditions. All investors always expect to live a more prosperous life in the future from what they have invested. When the money invested is not circulated without any further financial management, expenses made will just burn the money without a trace along with its value. People seek way to make the money to remain valuable by investing it. From investment, they expect for incremental figures to their invested money. Internal legal protection is provided for the agreement made by investors. Keywords: legal protection, internal, political risk DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-10-01 Publication date:May 31st 201

Increasing Intercultural Effectiveness Through a Global Citizenship Approach

The authors conduct pre-treatment and post-treatment observations on students taking a first semester freshman course designed to enlighten them about their role in the world as global citizens. The authors use the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale to measure the students across the dimensions of Continuous Learning, Interpersonal Engagement and Hardiness. Results suggests that students undergoing such a course may increase their intercultural effectiveness, especially in the area of interpersonal engagement, as well as, global mindset

Working Across Boundaries: Current and Future Perspectives on Global Virtual Teams

Global Virtual Teams (GVTs) are a commonplace in contemporary organizations, and an already established topic of research in international management. While we have a good understanding of advantages and challenges associated with this ubiquitous form of work groups, this special issue aims to contribute to theory development by focusing on key drivers that influence the success of GVTs, along with ways for mitigating their challenges. We briefly review current knowledge on GVTs and propose a structuring framework that can help with both organizing what we know about GVTs, and with guiding the conversation on where the research on this topic might focus next. We then introduce four special issue articles that illustrate avenues for generating new empirical evidence towards uncovering key characteristics and dynamics underlying GVTs complexities, providing useful insights for both theory development and managerial practice

Kompetencje społeczne i ich rozwój w zespołach zróżnicowanych kulturowo – wyniki pogłębionych wywiadów grupowych

Social competences in the workplace have been of interest to researchers for years. They are among the key competences for lifelong learning and relate to all types of behaviour that enable individuals to participate and cooperate effectively – both socially and professionally – in various environments (European Parliament, 2006). Employees’ social competences play a vital role in the workplace as they influence relationships within teams. These relationships affect team effectiveness, thus are particularly significant in culturally diverse work environments. In the theoretical part of the article, the author explains the term “social competences,” describes their elements, and discusses their role in the effective functioning of multicultural teams. In the empirical part, she presents the methodology of her study, the results obtained, and the conclusions derived from them. The study described in the article (two in-depth group interviews) was conducted in 2022, and its participants were managers of different nationalities who work in multinational companies and have been managing culturally diverse teams for a minimum of three years. The Author assumed the preliminary nature of the study and intends to continue it in the future within the area analysed in the article. Based on the review of the literature and the results of her study, the author has demonstrated a vital role played by employees’ social competences in culturally diverse workplaces. In the opinion of the managers who participated in the study, the most important social competences include verbal and non-verbal communication, social intelligence, and building positive interpersonal relations. As far as the most effective ways of developing these competences in members of multicultural teams are concerned, they listed individual trainings, workshops, and coaching.Problematyka kompetencji społecznych pracowników jest analizowana przez badaczy od lat. Kompetencje społeczne to jedne z kluczowych kompetencji, które odrywają ważną rolę w uczeniu się przez całe życie i odnoszą się do wszystkich zachowań pozwalających jednostkom na efektywny udział i współpracę w różnych środowiskach, w obszarze życia zarówno społecznego, jak i zawodowego (European Parliament, 2006). Kompetencje społeczne pracowników mają bardzo istotne znaczenie, bowiem wpływają na relacje w zespołach. Od tych relacji zależy sprawność i skuteczność funkcjonowania zespołów, co jest bardzo istotne w warunkach zróżnicowania kulturowego środowiska pracy. W części teoretycznej artykułu wyjaśniono pojęcie „kompetencje społeczne”, opisano elementy tych kompetencji. Omówiono również rolę kompetencji społecznych w skutecznym funkcjonowaniu wielokulturowych zespołów. W dalszej kolejności przedstawiono w artykule metodologię i wyniki przeprowadzonych badań oraz wynikające z nich wnioski. Badania opisywane w artykule (dwa wywiady grupowe pogłębione) przeprowadzono w 2022 r. z menedżerami różnych narodowości, którzy pracują w międzynarodowych przedsiębiorstwach i minimum od trzech lat zarządzają zróżnicowanymi kulturowo zespołami. Autorka przyjęła, że badania mają charakter wstępny i w przyszłości mogą być kontynuowane w zakresie analizowanej w artykule problematyki. Na podstawie literatury przedmiotu i w nawiązaniu do wyników badań wykazano istotną rolę kompetencji społecznych pracowników w środowisku różnic kulturowych. Menedżerowie zarządzający wielokulturowymi zespołami jako najbardziej istotne kompetencje wymienili: komunikację werbalną i niewerbalną, inteligencję społeczną i budowanie pozytywnych relacji interpersonalnych. Natomiast w zakresie rozwiązań związanych z rozwojem kompetencji społecznych pracowników zespołów wielokulturowych zwrócili uwagę szczególnie na indywidualne treningi, szkolenia i coaching indywidualny

Cultural orientations and preference for HRM policies and practices:the case of Oman

This study empirically examines the influence of cultural orientations on employee preferences of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in Oman. Data were collected from 712 employees working in six large Omani organizations. The findings indicate that there is a number of differences among Omani employees regarding value orientations due especially to age, education and work experience. The findings show a strong orientation towards mastery, harmony, thinking and doing, and a weak orientation towards hierarchy, collectivism, subjugation and human nature-as-evil. The results demonstrate a clear link between value orientations and preferences for particular HRM policies and practices. Group-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those who scored high on collectivism and being orientations, and those who scored low on thinking and doing orientations. Hierarchy-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those scoring high on hierarchy, subjugation and human nature-as-bad orientations, and those scoring low on thinking and mastery orientations. Finally, preference for loose and informal HRM practices was positively associated with being, and negatively associated with thinking, doing and harmony orientations. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in detail