“Do you understand me correctly?” The role of accents in communication in global virtual teams

Mike Szymanski and Carlo Brighi

Journal of International Management, 2025, vol. 31, issue 2

Abstract: This study investigates the role of accent-based status differences on communication within global virtual teams. Through a quasi-experimental study including 117 individuals and 357 voicemails and written messages, we examine recipients' perceptions of the sender's intentions. We show how accent status – distinguished between native and non-native – match in verbal communication plays a role in how listeners interpret feedback. Applying social identity theory and suggesting an extension to media synchronicity theory, our study advances language-sensitive international management research by demonstrating that accent – in addition to language proficiency – constitutes another aspect of language that plays a role in interaction among linguistically diverse global virtual team members. We discuss implications for practice and future research.

Keywords: Accents; Language; Global virtual teams; Social identity; Media choice; Quasi-experiment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:intman:v:31:y:2025:i:2:s1075425324001029

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DOI: 10.1016/j.intman.2024.101221

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