Applying cognitive adjustment theory to cross‐cultural training for global virtual teams

Abstract

Abstract Global virtual teams are faced with the challenge of developing trust in a technology‐mediated context to overcome anxiety and uncertainty in their interactions. Research shows that adjustment is a function of an individual's ability to manage his or her anxiety and uncertainty in an unknown context (Gudykunst, 1995). We propose that the type of cross‐cultural training (CCT) received can influence cognitive adjustment in global virtual teams. Building on phenomenology and sense‐making theory, we argue that training needs to develop global virtual team members' capabilities in dealing with the unknown rather than providing ready‐made concepts of cultures. Managerial implications of our theoretical discussion of cognitive adjustment and how CCT influences it are discussed, as are directions for future research. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 54 citations exist upstream.

Papers that cite the same references — the relational fallback while embeddings are still backfilling.