The Technology-Enabled, Task-Specific, and Time-Variant Role of Culture in Teams

Abstract

Abstract This chapter examines the role of culture in organizational teams, moving beyond the direct effects of culture that was the focus of prior reviews to evidence the more complex interaction of culture with other team features, including technology, task, and time. We explore questions such as: Can technology level the playing field such that culture takes a back seat? Or does technology play a catalytic role and accentuate cultural differences? Does team task type modify the influence of culture in guiding team processes? Does the effect of culture change over the lifespan of a team? We address these questions by reviewing and integrating the literature in the past decade. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as new research directions, are discussed.