Tele-Collaborators
The tele-collaborations were conducted on Zoom. The first VE took place just before Russia’s war in Ukraine. The students from the Ukrainian and the U.S. university were placed in seven teams. Recent evidence suggests that team collaboration is improved by the presence of women in teams, and that this effect is explained by benefits to team processes (Bear & Woolley, 2011). Particularly in contexts such as STEM, gender diversity helps alleviate the gender gap and bias in traditional, male-dominated teams, argue these authors. In addition, Rosenauer et al. (2016) show that the effects of nationality diversity in groups depend on task interdependence and the cultural intelligence of group leaders. These authors propose that nationality diversity is more consequential in more interdependent groups, in which group interactions and processes are more salient. Three teams had a Ukrainian leader and four teams a U.S. leader. The leaders were tasked with organizing team meetings and compiling the teams’ Zoom presentations. Table 1 shows the gender and country composition of the first VE’s teams.
Table 1: Gender and country composition of the Fall 2021 VE
| Team 1 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university
|
1 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 2 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
| Team 3 |
3 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
None from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 4 |
3 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
None from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 5 |
3 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
None from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 6 |
3 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
None from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 7 |
1 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
1 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
While the 2021 project examined select Ukrainian and U.S. agricultural sectors (alternative meat, milk, sunflower, seafood, etc.), the 2022 project focused on specific Ukrainian and U.S. companies’ (Arnika Organic, Apple, Kernel, Mars, etc.) sustainability reporting practices. Both projects required cross-country teamwork and research. The 2022 VE took place during Russia’s war in Ukraine. There were five teams participating in this VE. Two teams had a Ukrainian leader and three teams a U.S. leader. The leaders were tasked with organizing team meetings and compiling the teams’ Zoom presentations. Table 2 shows the gender and country composition of the second VE’s teams.
Table 2: Gender and country composition of the Fall 2022 VE
| Team 1 |
1 from the Ukrainian university and None from the American university
|
2 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 2 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
| Team 3 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
1 from the Ukrainian university and 1 from the American university |
| Team 4 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and None from the American university |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
| Team 5 |
2 from the Ukrainian university and 2 from the American university |
1 from the Ukrainian university and None from the American university |
EI in VE and the VUCA World
International VE is valuable in university education in the Global North and the Global South (Figarotti et al., 2022), especially because it promotes equity for all participants. Dovrat (2022) distinguishes several theoretical underpinnings behind extant VE research: 1) pedagogical (learning approaches, learning theories, and teaching approaches/competencies), 2) intercultural competencies, 3) digital literacy, 4) psychological and socio-cultural, and 5) other. This article provides a new theoretical underpinning in the last, ‘other’ category – the VUCA world. To reiterate, the ‘VUCA’ world means ‘volatility,’ ‘uncertainty,’ ‘complexity,’ and ‘ambiguity’ (VUCA World, n.d.). This is a relatively new concept about living in an unpredictable world, where change is fast and constant.
During the two tele-collaborations, a diverse body of students—both male and female (please refer to the two tables above) and both studying in Ukraine and the USA—had an equal chance to work together on team-specific business research topics. The students and instructors alike experienced first-hand the four components of the VUCA world. For example, in 2021, before Russia’s war in Ukraine, both Ukraine- and U.S. based students talked about the possibility to study for a Masters or a PhD degree in the other country and university. The Ukrainian professor offered to translate for the U.S. students the Ukrainian version of her university’s PhD brochure. There was hope for international travel and study on both sides. Before the war, students and instructors felt comfortable discussing Ukraine’s agricultural exports. Very soon afterwards, on 24 February 2022, the war erupted, and the world changed overnight for the Ukrainian students. The American students also felt the effects of this war, such as higher gas prices. Hopes for studying abroad in Ukraine were stifled, at least temporarily. Despite some challenges (working from a war-stricken country and having sporadic supply of electricity, Internet connection, and water in Ukraine), the collaborations fostered EI in business education.
Conclusion
All students, regardless of gender and nationality, experienced a no-cost virtual study abroad. The U.S. students showed sincere concern for the safety and wellbeing of their Ukrainian VE partners before and during the war. One American student shared with his instructor that his team was in contact with its Ukrainian teammates once a week after the start of the war. Lasting friendships were built, both among the students and between the instructors. The latter co-authored several conference presentations and research articles as a direct result of these two VE projects. The classes acquired cultural knowledge about the two countries, besides business content knowledge. The authors encourage university instructors to pursue VE collaborations even when a VUCA world event occurs. VE helps promote EI for all. VE participation in the VUCA world offers moral support to the party(-ies) that is(are) currently experiencing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and/or ambiguity. Nobody is completely immune to the VUCA world. VE makes VE participants empathetic to one another, while learning about the subject matter.
References
Bear, J. B., & Woolley, A. W. (2011). The role of gender in team collaboration and performance.
Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 36(2), 146–153.
https://doi-org.corvette.salemstate.edu/10.1179/030801811X13013181961473
Dovrat, L. (2022). Systematic literature review on the utilization of theoretical underpinnings in
virtual exchange research. Journal of Virtual Exchange, 5, 193–212.
doi.org/10.21827/jve.5.38444
Figarotti, J. L. J., Subbarao, S., & Bagatelia, E. (2022). An unspoken truth: Faculty (in)equity in
the context of invisible violence: Virtual exchange case studies. Journal of Virtual
Exchange, 5(SI-IVEC2021), 42–53. doi.org/10.21827/jve.5.38199
Glaeser, Waltraud (n.d.). VUCA World. https://www.vuca-world.org/. Accessed on 3 April 2023.
Rosenauer, D., Homan, A. C., Horstmeier, C. A. L., & Voelpel, S. C. (2016). Managing
nationality diversity: The interactive effect of leaders’ cultural intelligence and task
interdependence. British Journal of Management, 27(3), 628.
https://doi-org.corvette.salemstate.edu/10.1111/1467-8551.12131