Distant partners: A case study of global virtual teams between Spain and South Korea

Abstract

Global Virtual Teams (GVT) among higher education institutions stand as a powerful tool of extending internationalization techniques as well as improving collaborative learning and transversal competencies. This study stems from the belief that using these channels allows students to establish connections and strengthen their confidence in networking for professional purposes. Furthermore, it describes a collaborative project involving undergraduate students of 23 different nationalities in two different business schools located in Spain and South Korea (n = 109; 61 in Spain and 48 in South Korea). The courses in both universities had similar learning objectives focused on the development of written and oral communication skills in a business environment. Through a series of semi-monitored activities and questionnaires, the vast majority of students expressed a strong satisfaction with their own achievements during the course including teamwork, learning how to deal with cultural differences, improving communication skills and problem-solving strategies. This case study contributes to a broader understanding of virtual exchange activities in higher education in different cultural contexts in terms of the types of activities engaged, the perceived value and learning outcomes as well as shared challenges. This understanding will help define common strategies in the practice of virtual exchange and to achieve greater integration within university curricula. Virtual exchange activities contribute not only to the improvement of students' language and digital skills but to other transversal competencies such as problem-solving and teamwork, which seem to be gaining importance in an increasingly complex and competitive world of global connections.