Exchanging Social Information Across Cultural Boundaries

Abstract

Social information exchange (SIE) in organizations has long been an area of interest for management scholars; however, in recent years, this literature has become fragmented and widely dispersed. As communication and transfer of information increasingly occur between individuals and aggregates of widely varying national and regional cultures, a reconsideration and review of the topic is appropriate, including identification of key issues in this research domain and an integration and synthesis of what we currently know about SIE across cultural boundaries. We examine the last 13 years of cross-cultural SIE research at the country, organization and subunit, team and dyad, and individual levels; provide a basic analytic framework; and provide propositions and direction to guide future research. Our review notes key findings based on three general topics in the literature: (1) antecedents to SIE, (2) process and relational outcomes of SIE, and (3) performance outcomes of SIE. We conclude that this area of research would benefit from increased focus on the nature of the relationship between the exchange partners, the broader social context in which exchanges are embedded, consideration of the capabilities of the actors and their task requirements, and timing of events. Issues regarding SIE quality and fidelity, motivations, cultural distance, and uncertainty are discussed. These research directions can potentially enhance diverse literatures, such as interpersonal interactions, team decision making, knowledge transfer, and corporate governance.