Working together, starting from different experiences
Globalisation and the pandemic have led to widespread intercultural and virtual working groups that need, however, to be properly understood and “governed”
‘Cross-cultural virtual teams’, or, the virtual (and virtuous) intersection of different cultures within a group. Different experiences creating positive contamination. Sowing new seeds for a better, improved and higher-quality crop. These are also themes around which a corporate culture aiming to remain up-to-date, topical and more competitive revolves around and, therefore, reading “The management of cross-cultural virtual teams” intervention by Nuno Baptista (researcher at the School of Social Communication in Lisbon) and recently published on European Journal of Human Resource Management Studies, will prove very useful.
The author’s aim is to explore “the contingencies of intercultural virtual teams, discussing the main challenges they entail and exploring a number of practices to manage them in a virtual environment.” Thus, Baptista wants to reach a better understanding of the reality arisen after the pandemic, starting with an observation: “The accelerated development of information technologies and communication, the transformation of entrepreneurial activities that are now more global and competitive, and the prevalence of services based on knowledge and information have led to the emergence of new models of virtual work teams, more flexible and adaptable, which go beyond typical departmental functions and require the collaboration of employees with different skills, opinions and abilities.” The whole phenomenon was then further accelerated by the outbreak of COVID-19.
In order to achieve his aim, Baptista first focuses on the main possible virtual and intercultural working groups, then goes on to outline these groups’ potential organisation and “governance” strategies, and finally describes the shape and meaning that their leaders take. Thus, in his conclusions the author points out the working difficulties that, however, these groups may encounter (from different perspectives to work habits), while nonetheless emphasising their value. In the end, “governance” skills, culture and ethics remain the most effective tools to make the most of these experiences.
The management of cross-cultural virtual teams
Nuno Baptista, European Journal of Human Resource Management Studies, 6/2022
Globalisation and the pandemic have led to widespread intercultural and virtual working groups that need, however, to be properly understood and “governed”
‘Cross-cultural virtual teams’, or, the virtual (and virtuous) intersection of different cultures within a group. Different experiences creating positive contamination. Sowing new seeds for a better, improved and higher-quality crop. These are also themes around which a corporate culture aiming to remain up-to-date, topical and more competitive revolves around and, therefore, reading “The management of cross-cultural virtual teams” intervention by Nuno Baptista (researcher at the School of Social Communication in Lisbon) and recently published on European Journal of Human Resource Management Studies, will prove very useful.
The author’s aim is to explore “the contingencies of intercultural virtual teams, discussing the main challenges they entail and exploring a number of practices to manage them in a virtual environment.” Thus, Baptista wants to reach a better understanding of the reality arisen after the pandemic, starting with an observation: “The accelerated development of information technologies and communication, the transformation of entrepreneurial activities that are now more global and competitive, and the prevalence of services based on knowledge and information have led to the emergence of new models of virtual work teams, more flexible and adaptable, which go beyond typical departmental functions and require the collaboration of employees with different skills, opinions and abilities.” The whole phenomenon was then further accelerated by the outbreak of COVID-19.
In order to achieve his aim, Baptista first focuses on the main possible virtual and intercultural working groups, then goes on to outline these groups’ potential organisation and “governance” strategies, and finally describes the shape and meaning that their leaders take. Thus, in his conclusions the author points out the working difficulties that, however, these groups may encounter (from different perspectives to work habits), while nonetheless emphasising their value. In the end, “governance” skills, culture and ethics remain the most effective tools to make the most of these experiences.
The management of cross-cultural virtual teams
Nuno Baptista, European Journal of Human Resource Management Studies, 6/2022