Managing Teams of Diverse Cultures
Several project-based teams from diverse cultures were interviewed in order to find out the dynamics of managing the multicultural teams, in case one becomes a manager or a team member of such teams. More inferences were gotten from the teams from the USA relative to teams from other parts of the world. Due to diversity in cultures; communication barrier, conflicting approaches to decision making, diverse attitudes towards the hierarchy of authorities posed a huge challenge (Brett, Behfar and Kern). Communication barriers also came with differences in direct and indirect communication, and some troubling accents and fluency issues by the non-native English speakers. The latter reduced the confidence of expression of some individuals. English is the preferred international business language. It was deduced that unlike western cultures who employ direct and explicit communications, non-western cultures use the indirect approach which has the meaning of the message embedded in the presentation mode ( Brett, Behfar and Kern).
Diverse approaches to decision making and regard for hierarchal authorities cause conflicts when it comes to team work. Most teams are flat structured and this possess a challenges to those teams from cultures not used to the flat structures. A Mexican manager in charge of a team with Americans would be looked down upon due to their humility nature unlike Americans who desire solutions, facts and moving ahead. Successful teams interviewed have four strategic approaches to address the above problems name: adaptation of diverse cultural diversity by members, team structural intervention, managerial intervention at appropriate time and exiting of a member ( Brett, Behfar and Kern).
In conclusion, when members understanding that cultural diversity is inevitable in any multicultural team and purpose to gear their efforts towards accomplishing their project objectives as well as turning their diversities into strongholds, they become successful in their ventures.
Works Cited
Brett, Jeanne, Kristin Behfar and Mary C. Kern. "Managing Multicultural Teams." HBR.org (2006): 1-15. Print.
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