Artificial Intelligence and Cross-cultural team management: A pragmatic approach in MNC for Sustainable Development

Submit your paper here!

Introduction

In today's globalized business landscape, multinational corporations (MNCs) are at the forefront of addressing complex challenges. They operate in diverse cultural environments, making cross-cultural collaboration essential to their strategic initiatives (Bucheli & DeBerge, 2023). These global giants strive not only for economic success but also for the realization of broader societal goals (Wood et al., 2021), epitomized by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Shen et al., 2023). Cross-cultural teams within MNCs drive innovation (Wang et al., 2023), market expansion, and progress towards sustainability. However, managing such teams effectively is multifaceted (Shin et al., 2022). It necessitates the harmonization of diverse cultural backgrounds, value systems (Kumar et al., 2021), communication styles, and work ethics. This management challenge often requires a delicate balance that respects and draws strength from cultural differences (Antioco et al., 2023) while maintaining a shared commitment to common goals. 
Recent artificial intelligence (AI) advances offer novel avenues to address these complexities. AI-driven solutions have gained prominence in various business domains, providing tools for data analysis, process automation, and decision support (Abou-Foul et al., 2023). Generative AI, in particular, demonstrates the capability to bridge linguistic and cultural gaps, facilitate communication, and enhance teamwork (Budhwar et al., 2023). As MNCs frequently operate in urban areas, leveraging AI to enhance cross-cultural team management can foster sustainable urban development (Liou et al., 2023). By enhancing global teamwork, MNCs can better address climate-related challenges and pursue environmentally responsible practices (Ginesti et al., 2023). Furthermore, AI's real-time data analysis and problem-solving capacity can foster cooperation among governments, businesses, and other stakeholders. 
This special issue explores the transformative potential of harnessing generative AI for cross-cultural team management in MNCs. Using AI in such contexts aims to augment teams' abilities to address global challenges while contributing to SDGs. This special issue aims to engage scholars from fields such as international business, artificial intelligence, organizational psychology, and cross-cultural management. By uniting these diverse areas of expertise, we hope to foster dialogue, generate valuable insights, and inspire innovative solutions.

List of Topic Areas

• What potential challenges do MNCs face in the administration of cross-cultural teams? How might generative AI be utilized to tackle these challenges? 
• How do cross-cultural teams contribute to knowledge transfer and skill development among team members in an international business environment, and how might generative AI foster it? 
• How do MNCs with cross-cultural teams contribute to sustainability goals, such as decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, responsible consumption and production, etc.? What role can generative AI play in it? 
• Considering global business trends, in what ways can generative AI enhance team cohesion, communication, and overall productivity in cross-cultural settings? 
• How does AI support the development of cultural intelligence within MNCs, and what is its impact on sustainable development efforts?
• What is the current readiness of MNCs to adopt generative AI for cross-cultural team management, and what training and infrastructure are required to bridge any existing gaps? 
• What AI-driven tools or platforms are suitable for multicultural team environments, and how do they affect organizational performance? 
• Can AI platforms adapt to the nuances of different cultures, promoting inclusion and driving cultural synergy? 
• What are some exemplary case studies showcasing the successful integration of AI in cross-cultural team management, and what can other MNCs learn from them?

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”. 
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/04/2024 
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 30/09/2024

Guest Editors

Jawad Abbas, James Cook University, Australia and University of Central Punjab, Pakistan. [email protected] 
Youqing Fan, Western Sydney University, Australia. [email protected]
Wei Liu, Qingdao University, China. [email protected] 
Jie Wu, University of Aberdeen, UK. [email protected]