The Conceptualization of Social Complexity in Global Teams

Abstract

The purpose of the article is 1) to shed light on the complex nature of global teams by reviewing variables that make up this complexity, 2) to explicate potential barriers this social complexity poses for teamwork and 3) to reflect on how global teams may overcome these barriers, by exploring the cognitive processes that take place in a team, as members try to manage of the complexity that surrounds them. Team members' cognitive complexity and the team's shared cognition about the social complexity are proposed to influence the team's ability to overcome these barriers.

Keywords:

• Social complexity
• Global teams
• Cultural diversity
• Geographical dispersion
• Cognitive complexity
• Shared cognition