Brannen and Salk’s (2000) research reveals the effects of multifaceted diversity
and suggests that cultural differences do not necessarily have a negative impact on
team performance. Differences do not cause team conflicts; rather, the organizational
context and individual team members’ responses to cultural norms mediate
differences. Team members of an increasingly diverse workforce must actively cope
with cultural differences in order to bridge cultural boundaries. One such mechanism
may be the formation of a hybrid culture within the multicultural team (Kopp 2005).
In line with past work on power and influence, Brannen and Salk’s (2000) work
indicates that uncertainties experienced by teams determine which individual
attributes will influence team behavior. Since team members, having many potential
identities, do not necessarily exemplify the values of their culture or organization,
the organizational context is an important variable in determining which attributes
will affect team performance. The work of Brannen and Salk’s (2000) highlights the