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‘Virtual’ meetings
The attack on the Twin Towers in New York in September 2001 prompted an 
increase in the use of the ‘virtual meeting’. It was considered cheaper, more 
cost- effective and, importantly, more secure to arrange conferences and meet-
ings with people of different cultures in other companies and organizations 
around the world. With the increase in globalization for both diplomacy and 
business, more meetings are now becoming virtual conference calls. Such 
virtual meetings conducted via a telephone or video link have introduced 
stricter procedures to ensure maximum efficiency. Advances in technology 
now allow people to communicate by sharing information in real time. Such 
meetings can be arranged at relatively short notice, saving the expense of air 
travel and accommodation and the associated problems of jet lag. Immediacy 
is assured, but regard must be paid to differences in time zones when arrang-
ing virtual meetings, and in order for the meeting to be productive, an agenda 
should be agreed in advance. The conference call convener or moderator is 
the key figure in ensuring the smooth progression of the meeting. There is 
also a need for seriality, with participants ensuring they take turns to speak.
Many companies now use this facility regularly, in contrast to the 1990s, 
when technological problems, such as loss of signal, voice delay and rela-
tively poor picture quality, acted as impediments to the use of such meetings. 
Security has been much improved by the use of private networks and picture 
quality has been greatly enhanced with the capability of using full wall 
displays and multimedia technology.
However, global virtual meetings present certain challenges, as team mem-
bers need training to use the technology and in managing themselves. In a 
virtual meeting, the participants do not have any form of contact other than 
voice and/or visual and may not know each other personally. In addition, 
if English is used as the medium for the meeting, this can (as we have seen) 
disadvantage participants for whom English is not their mother tongue. 
This in turn puts added emphasis on clarity and brevity of contributions. 
Cultural differences must also be taken into account. There is a need to 
maximize the advantages of face- to- face meetings when sensitive and com-
plex issues, privacy and confidentiality, and significant time differences are 
involved. The essential ‘getting to know you’ phase, small talk, informal 
contact and social interaction and networking, considered so important in 
some cultures, are in many cases best undertaken in face- to- face meetings, 
where the overall ambience is more conducive.
Tomalin (2012: 73) identifies the following key points regarding the 
successful running of virtual meetings and conference calls:
greet everybody and check who is online;
if necessary, do a quick round the table identification of each participant, 
which helps people become used to each other’s voices;
identify who will minute the discussion;
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158 Cross-Cultural Communication
ask speakers to identify themselves when they contribute;
ask the chair to briefly summarize speakers’ interventions in order to be 
clear that everything has been heard and understood and to ensure that 
the minutes reflect the conclusions accurately;
at the end, summarize key action points to be undertaken by whom and 
when;
say farewell and indicate when the conference is over.
Tomalin also identifies some of the key problems:
extraneous noise – air conditioning, traffic, other people’s conversations, 
jewellery knocking on the table or tapping on the keyboard can all cause 
distraction;
silence – this is often out of respect for the seniority of other individuals 
taking part in the meeting or the speaker, but can cause problems, as the 
chair may wonder whether some participants have gone offline;
speed and volume of delivery – too quiet, too loud or too fast can all 
cause problems of understanding.
In ‘virtual’ conferences, there are additional visual issues to consider:
how you look – striped shirts, tops and ties may cause a strobing effect 
on the camera;
the background – check that the wall behind the speakers sends the 
message you wish to convey; for example, does it display untidy or inap-
propriate images?;
keep the conference table clear of unnecessary papers, cups and food;
advanced video conference technology enables the camera to identify the 
voice of the speaker and to zoom in. However, the resulting shot may be 
of a number of people sitting close together, and in this situation it can 
be difficult to identify who is actually speaking. A simple hand gesture as 
the person begins to speak avoids this;
people sitting on the periphery run the risk of being out of camera shot.
Summary
Below are key principles regarding the building and sustaining of multi-
cultural teams:
Agree a working structure from the outset.
Select the most appropriate working language.
Learn about the culture of the other members.
Create a climate of trust.
Draw on the strength of all members and develop cultural synergy.
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International Team Building and Teamworking 159
Recognize, accept and celebrate cultural diversity.
Ensure top management support.
Develop a sense of humour that is acceptable to all the team.
Include members who have strengths in key functions following Belbin’s 
research.
It is also important to recognize the advantages of multicultural groups:
a greater spread of values and ideas and the potential for increased 
activity and innovation;
more alternative points of view, new ways of looking at old problems;
teaches patience, cultural sensitivity, humour and listening skills;
provides excellent training in the need for clear verbal and non- verbal 
communication;
reduces the likelihood of ‘group think’ because of cultural diversity and 
minimizes the risk of pressure for conformity;
‘virtual’ meetings offer the advantage of being more cost- effective if the 
circumstances are conducive to do so.
However, one must also recognize the disadvantages of multicultural groups:
more time required to build trust and cultural understanding;
the duration of meetings tends to be longer, with the resultant possibility 
of stress and fatigue;
misunderstandings and frustration due to language problems;
the need to maintain contact with members once the team has dispersed;
more time needed for clarification; fine detail is harder to deal with in a 
second language;
possible misunderstandings about the final agreement and future course 
of action;
the richness of the diversity in the group can make the group dynamics 
more complex;
can result in frustration, dissatisfaction and higher turnover of team 
members.
Regarding meetings, it is important not to assume that your way of running 
or participating is the same as in other cultures. It is advisable to find out in 
advance what the conventions are regarding the approach to the meeting, 
the use of agenda, procedures for decision making, recording agreement, 
taking the minutes and organizing follow- up measures.
The following are key factors for success in organizing intercultural meetings:
detailed preparation;
clear objectives;
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160 Cross-Cultural Communication
clarification of expectations;
agenda – issued and agreed in advance to avoid surprises;
timing – consider jet lag, different time zones and meal times;
attendance – key players, senior observers;
physical layout of the meeting room;
language to be used, use of interpreters;
selection of the chairperson;
gaining consensus – unanimous or majority;
socializing – breaks, formal and informal gatherings;
follow- up – minutes, checking and evaluating progress.