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Ideas and concepts in teamwork research
Edited by Abigail Marks and James Richards
Introduction
In response to the challenge of globalisation and increasing customer demands, organisations are supplementing their conventional team structures with virtual ones ([15] Herzog, 2001). In virtual teams, employees, who are distributed across geographical distance, time and organisational boundaries, are able to work together using information and communication technologies (ICTs) ([9] DeSanctis and Poole, 1997; [27] Lipnack and Stamps, 1997). Via ICTs, virtual team members interact and work together without relocation and unnecessary spending on travel.
In contrast to the benefits enjoyed, one of the obstacles that organisations may face is the escalation of instances of misunderstanding and conflict among their members owing to lack of face-to-face interaction and geographical dispersion ([14] Hertel et al. , 2005). Studies have found that a strong shared identity can reduce conflict in both co-located ([22] Jehn et al. , 1999) and virtual teams ([16] Hinds and Mortensen, 2005). When a shared identity is evident within a team, there tends to be a higher degree of commitment, trust and cohesion among team members, which in turn leads them to be more dedicated to the entire team ([6] Brewer and Miller, 1996). Moreover, research has shown considerable evidence of the importance of identification related to cooperative behaviour which enhances organisational performance ([25] Kramer, 1991; [20] Hogg and Terry, 2000).
The current work aims to understand the identification process in virtual teams, in particular, the impact of cultural differences on the identification processes. Virtual team members often come from a wide range of organisations, countries and continents, and perceived cultural differences may have an impact on their self-conception and sense of belonging within virtual teams ([45] Thatcher, 2003). Such differences may also have an impact on team members' daily communication and co-ordination ([23] Kayworth and Leidner, 2000) and it has been suggested that poor communication may thus lead to conflict ([16] Hinds and Mortensen, 2005).
The paper starts with a discussion of identification and social identity theory (SIT) and how these concepts are applicable to virtual teams. Second, issues of culture and identification in virtual teams are considered. Then, methods adopted in the field work are discussed, following by an analysis of the findings. Finally, the findings are...