INFORMS: What inspired you to research this particular topic?

JANG: I grew up moving back and forth between South Korea and the United States. Perhaps because of this, I’ve always been fascinated with what happens at the intersection of different cultures. More specifically, I stumbled upon the topic of cultural brokerage while interviewing executives and managers about their experience working in culturally diverse settings. I realized that navigating cross-cultural settings is an interactive process, with certain individuals taking on the role of a cultural broker based on their previous cultural experience. Hearing the stories of various individuals who had engaged in—or been the recipient of—cultural brokerage, and trying to better understand their experience, was what initially led me to study this topic.

INFORMS: Did any of your results surprise you?

JANG: Yes, it surprised me that multicultural individuals who had no cultural overlap with other team members (whom I call “cultural outsiders” in the paper) were equally capable of enhancing team performance as “cultural insiders,” or multicultural individuals who shared a cultural background with other team members. This was surprising because cultural outsiders have typically been overlooked in the literature and in practice, under the assumption that one needs to have culture-specific knowledge to facilitate cross-cultural interactions. In light of this, I believe that one of the main contributions of this paper is in highlighting the important role that cultural outsiders can play in multicultural teams.

INFORMS: What is the most important takeaway you hope readers will learn from your paper?

JANG: If readers take away one thing, I hope it’s that cultural brokerage emerges in multicultural teams, with important consequences for team creative performance.

INFORMS: Tell us about the process of writing this paper.

JANG: This paper is based on my dissertation research. Although it was the first paper I wrote on my own, conducting this research was very much a collaborative process. At every step of the way, I actively sought and received input from advisors, colleagues, and friends. I’m convinced that this not only improved the paper, but made the whole process much more interesting and enjoyable.

INFORMS: This article is based on your dissertation titled "Bringing Worlds Together: Cultural Brokerage in Multicultural Teams," which won the INFORMS/Organization Science Best Dissertation Proposal Award in 2013. How did this award affect your work?

JANG: Winning this award was a pivotal point for my research. In the competition itself, I had the opportunity to meet and get feedback from renowned scholars, which was incredibly valuable. The experience also gave me reassurance that I wasn’t the only person who found this topic interesting. I continue to be grateful to INFORMS and Organization Science for this recognition, and what it has meant for my research and career.

INFORMS: Why was it important for you to publish in Organization Science?

JANG: Many of the papers that shaped my thinking and understanding of the field were published in Organization Science, so it is truly an honor to have my paper in the same journal.

INFORMS: Tell us a little about what you are working on now.

JANG: There are several projects that I’m really excited about. For example, I’m working on a theory piece on cultural brokerage, integrating frameworks from different literatures and drawing on the parts of my dissertation that are not in the Organization Science piece. I’m also working on a series of empirical papers exploring the dynamics of global collaboration. In one of them, I’m studying how cross-cultural networks affect learning and performance in a start-up company with offices in multiple countries. In another, I’m using archival data to study how time zone overlaps between team members impact the effectiveness of global teams.

INFORMS: How do you keep yourself up-to-date on the latest research in your field?

JANG: Other than reading journals and attending conferences, I’ve found that teaching PhD classes and working with graduate students provide a wonderful way to stay up-to-date.

INFORMS: What about your career might surprise us?

JANG: If I weren’t a researcher, I would be writing children’s books. Actually, to be honest, I still dream of writing children’s books one day.

INFORMS: As a fairly new INFORMS member, please tell us what compelled you to join, and your favorite member benefits thus far.

JANG: Having direct access to exciting research in my field and being part of a vibrant academic community.

INFORMS: When you’re not using your OR/MS superpowers to try to make the world a better place, what are some of the ways you like to spend your time?

JANG: Traveling. Since moving to France, I’ve spent the last few years exploring different parts of Europe. In fact, I’m in the Italian Alps as I write this. When I’m not traveling, I love walking around Paris and getting lost in little streets full of bookshops and cafés.

INFORMS: What is the best advice you can give to students in your field?

JANG: Study what you’re curious about. The best part of being a researcher is that you get to think about questions that you find interesting and then go out and try to answer them. Also, talk with a lot of people throughout the research process, both in and outside of your field. I’ve found that the most important insights and breakthroughs in the research process usually come from conversations with others, not long hours spent alone in front of the computer.

INFORMS: If we were sitting here a year from now celebrating what a great year it's been for you, what would we be celebrating?

JANG: One concrete thing I’d like to be celebrating is finally being somewhat fluent in French, after three years of living in Paris.

INFORMS: Which social network do you use most and why?

JANG: I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook.

INFORMS: What is your spirit animal?

JANG: Hmm… I’ve thought long and hard about this one. I think I’m going to go with the elephant.