Paper Title
Value Additionality of Multicultural Teams:A Theoretical Framework
Abstract
Businesses and projects bring people from multiple professional and cultural backgrounds together to deliver
value for owners and other stakeholders. While cultural diversity in teams can be both an asset and a liability, this study aims
to establish value additionality of multicultural teams (MTs). The impact of MTs and dealing with multiple cultures have
received significant attention in research and practice. Positive impacts commonly reported include increased creativity and
increased capacity to expand to new markets. Decreased team cohesion is widely acknowledged. This research goes beyond
the pros and cons of cultural diversity in MTs. It provides depth and insights into drivers of value in MTs. It investigates the
strategic attributes that make them a source of competitive advantage, including their rarity, irreplaceability, and nonsubstitutability
claims. Very little has been reported on these strategic features in MTs and how to unlock them for the
benefit of all stakeholders. This paper presents a conceptual framework of this value additionality of MTs, while empirical
results will be reported on in the sequel to this paper.
Keywords - Multicultural Teams (MTS); Multiculturality; Organisational Systems; Value Additionality; Dynamic
Capabilitiesand Competitive Advantage