Cross cultural management 3rd chapter 16 (6) working with international teams

Chapter 16 Working with international teams... • Cultures: – have different assumptions as to the purpose of groups and teams: • to spread information and discuss problems; or • to m

Chapter 16

Working with international

teams

Groups processes during international encounters

• Trust:

– a prerequisite for working effectively in a team

– Developing a climate of trust is a challenge

– varies from culture to culture.

• Cultures:

– have different assumptions as to the purpose of

groups and teams:

• to spread information and discuss problems; or

• to make decisions and take action; or

• to enable the creation of social relations.

Trusting other people

Degree of trust in other people in other cultures:

Team dynamics

• The differences between team members:

– profession culture, personality, style and role, as well

as organisation.

• These differences:

– help increase the performance of the team

– be the source of conflicts

• depending on the way the team deals with these differences

The management of multi-cultural teams

• Some managers:

– will appeal to the professional culture of its members

• to bring an international team together

- will emphasise the communication between the actors

- such as making the unspoken explicit, rules explicit

• Multicultural groups:

– with the most harmonious relations appear to be those whose members:

• have the same status

• do not have contradictory interests

• do not feel that their identity is threatened.

Afro-Western Teams (Continued)

• Time the key factor

– Time:

• needed for a group to develop a real team spirit

• otherwise the team manager loses credibility and ability to

mobilise all team members

– The members of a cross-cultural team:

• must be given enough time to gain a clear perception of the project they are undertaking.

– Time needed:

• for every individual to grasp exactly the purpose of their work, the exact goal and period of time

• Working in a team:

– implies change not only in the way of doing but

also in the way of thinking

• This teamwork:

– pre-supposes the creation of common values and ideas, a delicate process in multicultural teams and organisations

End