Date of Award

Fall 12-8-2013

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Strategic Communication

Department

Communication and the Arts

Advisor

Dr. Albert Widman

Committee Member

Msgr. Dennis Mahon

Keywords

Cross-Cultural, Virtual, Communication

Abstract

The move toward a more global or geographically dispersed organization, together with the technology that is being used to enable this, has dramatically changed work and the workplace in the United States and United Kingdom within the last few decades (Ouye, 2011). This is prompting leaders to communicate with teams consisting of vastly different backgrounds, languages and styles, and to essentially ‘work at the same table’ in the absence of physical cues, such as facial expressions and gestures. Leaders of such teams are challenged to create a smooth operation despite the many differences; the possibilities for misunderstandings and cultural blunders can be magnified in these work situations, and leaders would benefit from expanding their own tools and techniques to deal with these differences (Zofi, 2012). This qualitative research is guided by the question, “How are selected leaders addressing the challenges of cross-cultural and virtual communication in their workplaces?” and presents the interview results of 16 selected leaders. The research investigates and analyzes the challenges, and identifies strategies and best practices that these leaders have used to address them.

Download

Share

COinS