The Impact of Language Asymmetry on Knowledge Sharing in Multicultural Virtual Teams

You are invited to take part in a research study for a master’s dissertation at the University of Glasgow. The study explores how language differences within multicultural virtual teams may influence psychological safety and knowledge sharing.


You are eligible to take part if you:

·l are aged 18 or above;

·l have worked or studied in a multicultural team;

·l have collaborated partly or fully online with team members;

·I have used a shared working language, such as English, within that team.

The following questions are used to confirm whether this questionnaire is relevant to your experience.

*
Have you ever worked or studied in a team with members from different cultural or national backgrounds?
Yes
No
*
Did this team collaborate partly or fully through digital technologies, such as email, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, WhatsApp, WeChat, or other online platforms?
Yes
No
*
Did this team use a shared working language to communicate?
Yes
No
*
Was your experience in this team within the last three years?
Yes
No
*
What was the main shared working language used in this team?
English
Chinese
Spanish
French
Arabic
Other:

Please think about one specific multicultural virtual team that you have worked or studied in.

For this questionnaire, a multicultural virtual team means a team in which:

·l members came from different cultural or national backgrounds;

·l members collaborated partly or fully online;

·l members used a shared working language to complete tasks.

Please answer the following questions based on this specific team experience.
*
What type of team was this?
Study-related team
Work-related team
Internship-related team
Volunteering or society-related team
Other:
*
Approximately how many members were in this team?
2–4
5–7
8–10
More than 10
*
How long did you work or study with this team?
Less than 1 month
1–3 months
4–6 months
More than 6 months
*
How virtual was this team’s collaboration?
Fully online
Mostly online
About half online and half face-to-face
Mostly face-to-face but with some online communication
*
What were the main communication channels used by this team? Please select all that apply.[Multiple]
Email
Zoom
Microsoft Teams
Slack
WhatsApp
WeChat
Google Meet
Online shared documents
Other:
*
Was the shared working language your first language?
Yes
No
*
How would you rate your own proficiency in the shared working language used by this team?
Very low
Very high

Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each statement based on the specific multicultural virtual team you selected.

Scale:

1 = Strongly disagree

2 = Disagree

3 = Neither agree nor disagree

4 = Agree

5 = Strongly agree

*

In this team, differences in language fluency affected who participated more in discussions.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members with stronger skills in the shared working language had more influence in team communication.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Some members seemed less confident to express ideas because of their language proficiency.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Accent, grammar, vocabulary, or fluency differences affected how seriously some members’ contributions were taken.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Language ability created unequal opportunities for members to express their views.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Some members hesitated to share knowledge because they were worried about how they communicated in the shared working language.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members with weaker command of the shared working language had the same opportunity to contribute as other members.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

In this team, members felt safe to ask questions when something was unclear.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members could admit mistakes or uncertainty without fear of negative judgement.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members felt comfortable expressing different opinions in online discussions.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

It was easy for members to ask others for help.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Team members respected contributions even when they were not perfectly expressed.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members felt able to share incomplete or developing ideas for discussion.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Members were worried that speaking up could make them look incompetent.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

I regularly shared task-related information with other team members.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

I shared my experience or know-how when it could help the team.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

I proactively offered suggestions or ideas through online communication channels.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

I helped other members understand information they needed to complete team tasks.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

Team members exchanged useful background or contextual knowledge, not only formal task information.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

I was willing to share incomplete ideas for discussion with the team.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree
*

 I often kept useful knowledge to myself rather than sharing it with the team.

Strongly disagree
Strongly agree

Section 5: Demographic and Control Variables

The following questions are used only to describe the sample and support data analysis. Please do not provide your name, organisation name, or any information that could identify you or other people.
*
What is your age group?
18–24
25–34
35–44
45–54
55 or above
Prefer not to say
*
What is your current status?
Student
Employee
Both student and employee
Self-employed
Not currently studying or working
Other:
Prefer not to say
*
What is your highest completed level of education?
High school or equivalent
Undergraduate degree
Master’s degree
Doctoral degree
Other:
Prefer not to say
*
Which broad field best describes your team experience?
Business / Management
Education
Technology / IT
Engineering
Healthcare
Creative industries
Social sciences
Other:
Prefer not to say
*
Which region are you currently based in?
Europe
Asia
North America
South America
Africa
Oceania
Other:
Prefer not to say
*
How many languages do you use regularly for study or work?
1
2
3
4 or more
Prefer not to say
*
Have you previously had experience working or studying in international or multicultural teams before the team you selected for this questionnaire?
Yes
No
Not sure
*
Overall, how frequently did this team communicate online?
Daily
Several times a week
About once a week
Less than once a week
Other:
If you would like to add any brief comment about communication, language differences, psychological safety, or knowledge sharing in multicultural virtual teams, you may do so below. Please do not include names or identifying information.

Thank you for taking part in this study.

Your response has been submitted anonymously. Your participation will contribute to a better understanding of how language-related differences influence communication and knowledge sharing in multicultural virtual teams.
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