Walking Through Jelly: Language Proficiency, Emotions, and Disrupted Collaboration in Global Work

38 Pages Posted: 5 Jun 2009

See all articles by Tsedal Neeley

Tsedal Neeley

Harvard University - Business School (HBS)

Pamela J. Hinds

Stanford University - Department of Management Science & Engineering

Catherine Durnell Cramton

George Mason University - Department of Management

Date Written: June 4, 2009

Abstract

In an ethnographic study comprised of interviews and concurrent observations of 145 globally distributed members of nine project teams of an organization, we found that uneven proficiency in English, the lingua franca, disrupted collaboration for both native and non-native speakers. Although all team members spoke English, different levels of fluency contributed to tensions on these teams. As non-native English speakers attempted to counter the apprehension they felt when having to speak English and native English speakers fought against feeling excluded and devalued, a cycle of negative emotion ensued and disrupted interpersonal relationships on these teams. We describe in detail how emotions and actions evolved recursively as coworkers sought to relieve themselves of negative emotions prompted by the lingua franca mandate and inadvertently behaved in ways that triggered negative responses in distant coworkers. Our results add to the scant literature on the role of emotions in collaborative relationships in organizations and suggest that organizational policies can set in motion a cycle of negative emotions that interfere with collaborative work.

Suggested Citation

Neeley, Tsedal and Hinds, Pamela J. and Cramton, Catherine, Walking Through Jelly: Language Proficiency, Emotions, and Disrupted Collaboration in Global Work (June 4, 2009). Harvard Business School Organizational Behavior Unit Working Paper No. 09-138, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1414343 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1414343

Tsedal Neeley (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

Soldiers Field Road
Morgan 270C
Boston, MA 02163
United States

Pamela J. Hinds

Stanford University - Department of Management Science & Engineering ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Catherine Cramton

George Mason University - Department of Management ( email )

United States

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