Lahti2015
Lahti2015 | |
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BibType | ARTICLE |
Key | Lahti2015 |
Author(s) | Malgorzata Lahti |
Title | Sharing cultural knowledge at work: a study of chat interactions of an internationally dispersed team |
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Tag(s) | Membership Categorization Analysis, EMCA, Inter-cultural communication, Workplace, Shared Knowledge |
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Year | 2015 |
Language | English |
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Journal | Language and Intercultural Communication |
Volume | 15 |
Number | 4 |
Pages | 513–532 |
URL | Link |
DOI | 10.1080/14708477.2015.1031673 |
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Abstract
In this study the ethnomethodological method of membership categorisation analysis is applied to examine how members of an internationally dispersed team share cultural knowledge in their Skype™ chat conversations through mobilising categorisation as ‘cultural knower’ and ‘not knower’ for oneself and the others. Four recurring ways of sharing cultural knowledge were identified as the participants managed the distribution and completion of tasks, and attended to building mutual understanding in the unfolding interaction. The findings illustrate that cultural knowledge sharing is dynamic, situational and collaborative. Rather than hindering or enhancing interaction, culture is an interactional accomplishment with fluid referents, boundaries and membership. These observations problematise the predominant accounts of internationally dispersed teaming as either fraught with intercultural misunderstanding and conflict, or brimming with innovation and synergy.
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