Does National Culture Influence Peer Evaluations on Global Virtual Teams?

ABSTRACT Using Hofstede’s classification of national culture, this article examines whether culture influences peer evaluation of performance on global virtual teams (GVTs). Two separate analyses were conducted based on the hypotheses developed. The first analysis included close to 8,000 students and the second included over 3,000 students, all who participated on GVTs through X-Culture, a 10-week GVT project. Results indicated that the cultural variables had a weak effect on peer assessment of performance, and the most influential variable on performance was English language ability. This article is particularly timely due to the increased use of GVTs in the business world, which has led to calls for more use of virtual teams to be incorporated into course work. Furthermore, the use of GVTs benefits students because it helps them develop global competencies without having to complete a study abroad.