Reduction of Decision-Making Stages: Initially, the study identified four stages based on existing models,

but in a virtual work structure, decision-making processes are influenced by factors like distance, space,
technology, and culture. Consequently, the stages were reduced to three, integrating the stage of responses
and deliberation with the main decision-making stages due to continuous feedback provided by
participants.

Definition of Effective Participation: Effective participation was defined based on two criteria: quantity
(number and frequency of emails) and quality (substance of emails), emphasizing both the volume and
the content of contributions.

Problem Identification: Participants' messages identifying problems or issues were crucial as they set the
initial tone for member participation. Well-stated problems facilitate easier solutions, while poorly
identified ones can hinder progress.

Proposal Making: Participants' behavior in generating ideas and making suggestions was analyzed to
identify shared patterns among high- and low-context cultural orientations. High-context individuals
tended to send lengthy and ambiguous messages when proposing something, while low-context
individuals sent concise and direct messages.

Solution: The manner in which solutions or decisions were reached for each proposal was examined from
a cultural standpoint. Each solution represented a decision point, and only proposals with a decision point
were considered for analysis. Instances without a decision or solution were noted accordingly.

Cultural Influence on Communication Styles: The study aimed to understand how high-context and low-
context cultural communication styles influenced the behavior of participants in the decision-making
process, particularly in problem identification, proposal making, and reaching solutions.

Behavioral Patterns: By examining participants' communication behaviors, the study sought to identify
distinct patterns associated with high-context and low-context cultural orientations, shedding light on how
cultural differences manifest in virtual collaboration.

Decision Points: The focus was on analyzing proposals that led to decision points, emphasizing the
importance of reaching actionable solutions rather than mere suggestions or discussions without clear
outcomes.

Cultural Perspectives: Cultural perspectives were integral to understanding the nuances of communication
styles and decision-making behaviors, highlighting the need to consider cultural diversity in globally
distributed collaboration.
Empirical Analysis: The study analyzed empirical data to explore the impact of cultural communication
styles on decision-making processes, providing insights into effective strategies for managing culturally
diverse virtual teams.