EFFECTS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ON E-MAIL COMMUNICATION IN MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTSHasan Cakir Barbara A. Bichelmeyer Indiana University, USAKursat Cagiltay Middle East Technical University, TurkeyAbstract. The values and assumptions of our culture of origin form our beliefs and behavior and thus we see the world through the lenses of our cultural values, mostly without being consciously aware of those values. Because of the availability of new information and communication technologies, recently people from different cultures have started to communicate and work together through computer networks. This type of multicultural communication is completely new for human beings and issues related to it need to be explored. In this study, the researchers explored the cultural dimensions of e-mail communication in a multi-cultural environment.IntroductionBecause of the wide availability and cost effectiveness of Internet communication technologies, people from different countries and cultures around the globe have started to work collaboratively on projects in on-line electronic environments. Various electronic communication tools, especially e-mail, are widely used for this purpose. E-mail communication between multicultural teams is affected by the cultures in which the teams are embedded. Unfortunately not much is known about the dialectic of culture as it relates to computer-mediated communication (CMC) because little systematic investigation has been completed on the subject. Therefore, in this study the researcher will explore the cultural dimensions of e-mail communication and expect to have several findings related with the various aspects of the culture and e- mail communication.Purpose of the StudyThe purpose of this study is to reveal the effects of culture on e-mail communications and the expression of emotions when using e-mail tools in a multicultural environment. This research is especially important for understanding interpersonal communications in a multicultural environment because it proactively addresses the potential negative aspects of cultural differences, and it supports the development of satisfying and productive partnerships among people separated by culture who communicate through e-mail.Conceptual FrameworkScientific research about culture began in the 19th century. Culture and its influence on computer-mediated communication (CMC) is a relatively new research area and most of the research is based on quantitative methods.Culture is a broad term that can be defined through a particular application. According to Geertz (1973), culture is “an historically transmitted pattern of meanings embodied in symbols, a system of inherited conceptions expressed in symbolic forms by means of which men communicate, perpetuate and develop their knowledge about and attitudes toward life” (p. 89). Defined more simply, culture is the way of life for specific human communities. It is the lens through which individuals of the culture see the world. It helps social scientists to predict and understand the behavior of certain communities or societies. As defined by Tannen (1990), cross-cultural communication consists of intercultural, multi-domestic and cross-gender communications. In cross-cultural communication, key issues for research are styles of conflict and negotiation, construction of identity and self-disclosure in group and interpersonal contexts (Ting-Toomey, 1988). In cross-cultural communication, meaning and interpretations of communication are found collectively and individually through interaction: collectively because meanings are negotiated between persons who communicate with each other; and individually, because the interaction process is mediated by individual perceptions that are subject to ones identity, expectations and experiences which are the effects of culture (Gudykunst and Kim, 1996). Therefore, it can be claimed that the culture in which norms ! are developed will be found in all interactions regardless of the communication medium (Steward et al., 2001). There are a notable number of studies which attempt to identify cultural characteristics. One of the most widely used sets of cultural characteristics was established by Hofstede, who collected and analyzed data from 1967 to 1973 about IBM employers all over the world. Hofstede (1997) concluded that national cultures vary on five dimensions; individualism vs. collectivism; femininity vs. masculinity; long-term vs. short-term orientation in life; power distance; and uncertainty avoidance. These five dimensions are now widely accepted as the patterns of culture, and therefore they are likely to play a role in communication in multicultural environments. Although Hofstedes research investigated the patterns of culture that are common across cultures, Hofstedes findings can be applied to cross-cultural communication situations. Scholars of cross-cultural communication consid