The Paradox of Global Identity

Emerging global consciousness simultane­ously gives rise to a strong sense of individual identity. Conflict, survival, and effectiveness associated with globalization are not rooted solely in pressures for conformity and con­vergence.

In summary, studying conflict in the global workplace demands that scholars and practi­tioners pay special attention to the economic, political, and sociocultural context in which interaction takes place. While there are myriad avenues from which to study conflict in the global workplace, we cast special attention on two domains—teams and joint ventures. The next section explores the underlying cul­tural dynamics of transnational teams lead­ing to a discussion of two major theoretical frameworks commonly used to understand intercultural conflicts. This is followed by a discussion of strategies for making the conflict productive.

Understanding

Conflict in Transnational Teams

Teams, our first domain of analysis, are being utilized in global commerce at unprecedented levels to address demands created by rapid change. New organizational and operational paradigms are emerging, whereby compa­nies use skilled, globally dispersed groups to develop products in a collaborative man­ner.

Given their prevalence and importance, it is not surprising that multicultural transna­tional teams, whether colocated, distributed, or virtual, have been the focus of a great deal of research (Gibson & McDaniel, 2010). And the picture is not all rosy. Cultural diversity has been found to increase oppositional processes and raise barriers to unifying processes, creat­ing a “process loss” of increased conflict (Stahl, Maznevski, Voigt, & Jonsen, 2010). At the microlevel of analysis, transnational teams are often at the epicenter of a storm of personality clashes, frustrations between team members, linguistic inequities, decision making dissimi­larities, unanticipated obstacles, and manage­rial dilemmas. Conflict stems from (a) a lack of awareness of important cultural differences, (b) stereotypic views of the other, (c) and the inabil- ity/unwillingness of team members to acknowl­edge, respect, or develop strategies for working with difference. These issues are often exacer­bated by the larger context in which inequalities related to opportunities, reward systems, and normative expectations are rampant.