Accomplishing Intercultural Collaboration

Intercultural collaboration is a phenomenon typically understood as a source of conflict and difference in collaborative work. As an alternative to typical approaches that document cultural differences and intercultural conflict, I seek to understand how everyday intercultural collaboration is accomplished. I am conducting detailed ethnographic study of an Indian design firm, analyzing their collaboration practices - both remote and in-person - with institutionally and culturally diverse actors. My project is unique as it attends to power, economic flows, and cultural narratives as possible influences on intercultural interaction, particularly between "developing" and Western countries. Results will enrich understandings of technology use, media spaces, mediated interaction, and systems in organizations. Author Keywords culture, collaboration, teams, telepresence