The Impact of Culture on Collaboration Technology Use
In today’s COVID-transformed workplace, there are fewer opportunities for global teams to meet and collaborate in person. A hybrid model has the multiple benefits of increased efficiency, talent accessibility, lifestyle flexibility, and reduced overhead costs, to name just a few. We expect this hybrid model to persist…
But these benefits come with a price.
Hybrid work environments require an increased reliance on tools and technology, modifying (often quite negatively) the relationship-building interactions that naturally occur when coworkers see one another regularly and in person. When multiple cultures are involved, the results can be even more pronounced.
Recently, my Bridging Distance colleagues and I convened a series of small (two-three people at a time), 90-minute, roundtable meetings in which we discussed the subject of culture and its impact on collaboration technology use. Included below is a summary of what we learned.
Key Findings
Culture matters (a Lot)
Right from the start, cultural differences and their impact kept popping up as a frequent, prevailing theme.
One roundtable participant shared a humorous incident involving the phrase “herding cats.”
For example, while English is the language of business in most global organizations, that doesn’t mean that everybody has a shared and equal understanding of the words. One roundtable participant shared a humorous incident involving the phrase “herding cats.” An American manager may understand this to mean “organizing a group of people.” But for a worker in Brazil, it was easily misunderstood as “hurting cats.” When this kind of confusion happens through technology – email, MS Teams, Slack, etc. – and particularly since it occurs absent many nonverbal cues, the opportunity for miscommunication is heightened.
Culture is More Than Where You Live
At the start of our research, we thought of culture as primarily national – the country in which someone resides. We discovered quickly, however, that there are other aspects of culture that carry equal weight, as it relates to technology acceptance and adoption. These include organizational culture (how a company operates) and individual culture (a given person’s experience and perspective).
For example, the larger the organization, the more hybrid the workforce, and the more collaboration is required to get the work done, the more technology will be relied upon. Under these circumstances, there needs to be a corresponding increase in intentionality on the part of leadership in creating relationships, cooperation, familiarity, and trust – it doesn’t happen organically.
Individual culture refers to who I am relative to the rest of my company.
Individual culture refers to who I am relative to the rest of my company. If I’m an American living in the Netherlands, I may have quite a different point of view from someone who is native-born. Even within the U.S. itself, there can be vast differences in the way individuals from different parts of the country communicate, use, and work with collaborative technology.
The point is, cultural differences combine and interact at many levels. It is a mistake to assume that our colleagues and team members fit neatly into a single cultural box.
COVID Cuts Both Ways
One of the benefits of COVID has been a rapid and shared understanding of what it means to “work hybrid.” Practically overnight, hybrid went from being something done by a handful of people, to something done by nearly all professionals. Across cultures and geography, our shared experiences of figuring out technology, juggling childcare, finding suitable workspace, etc., has brought us closer. Further, collaborative technologies like Zoom, Teams, Slack, texting, and others have worked quite well in helping us bridge distance.
On the flip side, with more than a year of isolation under our collective belts (and counting), the face-to-face interactions that would have normally occurred across distance have not, removing many of the natural, human connections – and their team-building benefits – that were once common.
COVID has introduced the potential for “virtual harassment.”
COVID has also introduced the potential for “virtual harassment,” as companies struggle to develop DEI policies that don’t infringe on the rights and preferences of their employees. For example, even something as seemingly innocuous as requiring team members to turn on cameras during Zoom meetings, can feel intrusive to some people and in certain cultures.
Education is Often Haphazard
Formal preparation and training regarding cultural differences and their impact, particularly as it relates to collaboration technology, is often lacking. Indeed, several roundtable participants spoke of having to reach out informally to colleagues for insight and guidance when working with team members from other cultures.
We train staff on how to operate the technology; we need to educate them on the relevant cultural differences as well.
There seems to be an assumption that when hiring people who are “globally minded,” they should be able to figure these things out. But this doesn’t necessarily correlate with cross-cultural experience. We train staff on how to operate the technology; we need to educate them on the relevant cultural differences as well.
Technology Decisions Must Involve End Users
While leadership often takes deliberate steps to ensure that end users are given the chance to provide feedback and beta test, final decisions regarding which technologies to use are mostly made at the top of the organization. As a result, considerations of price, vendor relationship, and security often take precedence, potentially leaving end users out of the loop.
Employees will rely on informal, “side technologies” to communicate and get the work done – solutions which may be less collaborative, productive, secure, or culturally sensitive.
This can be problematic. Given the impact that cultural differences have regarding comfort, ease, and use of collaboration technology, if these are not explicitly considered, employees will rely on informal, “side technologies” to communicate and get the work done – solutions which may be less collaborative, productive, secure, or culturally sensitive.
Recommendations
Formal Training
If you are relying on team members to informally share anecdotes as a way of managing cultural differences, you are setting yourself up for conflict and misunderstanding. Training is key It can help reduce conflict, increase the chance of team understanding and communication, and help in the development of nuance awareness, something that may not otherwise occur.
Health and Wellness
Conscientious workers may be reluctant to shut down for the night or weekend, especially if their work involves collaboration with others across time zones, or if their corporate culture operates with a high degree of urgency. Workers whose cultures (organizational or national) are “high power distance” may also find it difficult to raise these issues with their respective bosses.
But 24/7 alertness is a recipe for burnout; it’s important to help team members establish and adhere to boundaries. Likewise, who’s to say that a 9-5 schedule is best? Allowing more workday flexibility – to exercise, be with family, get outside during the day, etc. – is one way in which the hybrid model adds value.
Location Awareness
It’s important that we are deliberate in maintaining equity across cultures. Examples include not always scheduling meetings based on Eastern Standard Time, as well as making sure to schedule around international holidays and cultural observances. Technology can help in ensuring the unform sharing of information and access.
Intentionality
Checking in, following up, caring about the well-being of others. These “soft skills” will continue to grow in importance as employers and leaders work to offset the potentially negative impact that technology may have across time, distance, and culture.
