Identity Issues
Given the complexity of these types of global interactions, it is not surprising that conflict and negative outcomes often seem inevitable in transnational teams. Shapiro, Furst, Spreitzer, and Von Glinow (2002) even argue that the inherent nature of transnational teams puts performance-effectiveness at risk.
The authors theorize that members of these groups may be at risk for engaging in effortwithholding behaviors because of the difficulty of establishing a salient team identity in the wake of the members’ national/cultural value diversity, global dispersion, and general tendency to not see each other.The inability for transnational teams to develop a salient team identity is complicated by the fact that so many groups are distributed (members are in various locations throughout the world where only some of the group may interact face-to-face) or virtual (where no one shares a location). While colocated teams may build trust through formal and informal face- to-face interactions, distance is an impediment to building trusting relationships (Kanter, 2003). To address these complexities, several theories have been utilized to help scholars and practitioners better understand and manage team conflict.