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Running Header: ARTICLE REVIEWS

Article Reviews
Institutional Affiliation
Date
16th March 2018

ARTICLE REVIEWS

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Jimenez, A., Boehe, M. D., Taras, V., & Caprar, V. D. (2017). Working across Boundaries: Current
and Future Perspectives on Global Virtual Teams. Journal of International Management, Elsevier.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2017.05.001
The article gives an overview of what global virtual teams are while explaining their
importance in the internal management field. This article evaluates the challenges experienced
with regards to these groups and mainly focuses on the factors that have led to the success of
Global Virtual Teams. This article also gives insight on how to overcome the challenges presented
by the unique design of the Global Virtual Teams workgroups. In this article, the author mainly
reviews what we already know about the GVTs while basing his article on evaluating other issues
that research should be based on in regards to Global Virtual Teams and their functionality. The
article, therefore, features four issues in specific in an attempt to develop and present evidence that
concerns the dynamic characteristics of Global Virtual Teams and their complexities. The issues
covered give useful insight in designing managerial and development practices for organizations
that use these workgroups.
The article discusses advantages of using virtual teams. One of the advantages of using
virtual teams is that one can get the best human resources by hiring the best talents from all over
the world. The other advantage involved in the global virtual team is the ease of operation. Due to
the fact that virtual operations allow for people to work from different countries all over the world,
there is ease of operation. In this regard the employees do not have to travel to different countries
and obtaining relevant documents to allow them to work there. Some of the challenges discussed
included communication barrier. While Global Virtual teams operate using a common language
mostly English, communication barrier occurs due to cultural diversification since two people can
say the same thing but mean different things.

ARTICLE REVIEWS

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This article gives detailed information on what we already know about virtual teams. The
information given gives us an in-depth understanding of what global virtual teams are, why some
organizations choose to use them, some of the advantages that they present as well as some of the
challenges experienced using this type of workgroup. The information derived from this article
can be used in several ways especially in relation to developing managerial strategies to help gain
the most from Global Virtual Teams. Some of the ideas gained include how to deal with the
problem of communication barrier. Before starting official work with the Global Virtual Team
prior meetings should be held to help familiarize these employees with each other. This can be
done physically or virtually. These meetings would be effective in developing a work plan that
would involve developing common codes to use for communication purpose. This would ensure
that all the employees can understand a common set of codes as their work language. The article
also gives useful information in regards to how to maintain motivation in these virtual groups.
Virtual groups consist of a selection of talented individuals globally. The only common
motivational factor therefore would include attractive monetary incentives in terms of salary since
the organization will be paying the high-end services by professionals. Global virtual teams must
enjoy their freedom in terms of working hours. They are not the kind of group that will work
regular hours from 9am to 5pm. This therefore means the groups have to be recruited for tasks that
require flexibility in time.
Schomaker, S. M., Zaheer, S. (2013). The Role of Language in Knowledge Transfer to
Geographically Dispersed Manufacturing Operations. Journal of International Management,
Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2013.10.004
This article is based on a study aimed at developing a model that analyzes how language
affects the transfer of knowledgeable information from operations in one geographical location to

ARTICLE REVIEWS

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the other. This study does not focus on the geographical distance rather seeks to evaluate the
linguistic relatedness or the commonality of the languages in these locations. This is useful in
developing measures for understanding the dominant languages commonly used in operations
between organizations and their manufacturing partners operating from overseas. In this article,
the focus is on structural formation of language rather than its use and interpretation. This study
was developed from collected survey data involving 22 multinational organizations dealing with
international operations. This article, therefore, establishes that linguistic relatedness reflects
positively in regards to developing positive relationships and easy communication of knowledge.
However, it is seen to relate negatively when it comes to an understanding of knowledge.
This article covers the commonly knowledgeable issues regarding distance and
communication. It establishes that geographical distance has for a long time presented language
barrier due to differences in language as well as due to the different appropriation of a similar
language creating differences in interpretation. Due to this factor, therefore, organizations
operating ...