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

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.