PEKKA VAHTERA

Research title:  "Development of social capital and social liabilities in cross-cultural intra-firm networks: a longitudinal study"

Research topic:
Networking, multicultural teams, social capital

Research description:
Investigation of network dynamics has become increasingly central research area for organizational studies. However, research to date has tended to focus on culturally homogenous actors, and consequently, we know little about network evolution in international and cross-cultural environments. This is a serious shortcoming because, as various studies have shown, differences in national cultures can have a significant impact on the complexity of managing relations abroad, and consequently, cross-cultural conflicts are one of the biggest challenges in international business. To address this research gap, the goal of the present study is to empirically investigate 1) the development of social capital and social liabilities within networks of multicultural teams, and 2) explore the individual attributes which operate as antecedents behind these processes.

Start Date and Research Form:
Full time PhD candidate from 1st October 2010

Research Supervisor(s):
Professor Peter Buckley, Professor Jeremy Clegg, Mr. Adam Cross

Background
Masters degree in International Business
Bachelor of Hospitality Management