Over the years soft skills become more important when dealing with humans. Those skills will not only be considered by employers in the selection process of a new employee, but are also crucial when trying to successfully accomplish an International Project. The success of a project depends on the cooperation of the project team. Already in national projects misunderstanding and conflicts arise. In international teams this danger is bigger due to cultural differences, which – besides of big distances and different time zones - bear different patterns of thinking and acting, languages, norms and values. An example is a telephone conference between a German and a Japanese staff. The German is informing that he is still waiting for the figures of the last quarter and asking when he will receive them. The Japanese is answering that it will be a little bit difficult. The German is telling that he can understand his situation and points out that he requires the figures by end of this week. The Japanese is answering that he will try. The conclusion of this communication is that the German cannot understand that the Japanese is not able to supply the figures. He feels to be taken not seriously. On the other hand the Japanese cannot understand that the German does not understand that he is not able to supply the requested figures. He feels stalemate and under pressure. That is a typical example of a German-Japanese communication error - the direct versus the indirect communication stile. In German we tend to hear what indeed has been said. Difficult means difficult and is solvable, if you are only willing. In Japan difficult can eventually means difficult, but in the most cases it means infeasible. In order to avoid, handle and solve such cultural differences within International Project teams and thus to ensure a successfully accomplishment of a project the possession of soft skills is getting more and more important in today’s world.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Problem
- Objective
- Structure
- International Project
- Definition of International Project
- Phases of International Project
- Project Definition/Initiation
- Project Planning
- Project Realization and Project Controlling
- Project Closing
- Culture
- Definition of Culture according to Geert Hofstede
- Dimensions of Culture according to Geert Hofstede
- Masculinity versus Femininity
- Power Distance
- Uncertainty Avoidance
- Soft Skills
- Definition of Soft Skills
- Kind of Soft Skills
- Social Competencies
- Methodological Competencies
- Personal Competencies
- Analyzing the Japanese and German working environment
- General Overview about Culture in Japan and Germany
- Masculinity versus Femininity
- Power Distance
- Uncertainty Avoidance
- Critical Acclaim
- Detailed Analyzes of Soft Skills used in a Project of the two Cultures
- Social Competencies
- Methodological Competencies
- Personal Competencies
- Critical Acclaim
- Analyzes of upcoming Conflicts and possible Approaches for Solution
- Examples of Conflicts, its Reasons and Form of Appearance
- Important Soft Skills to work successfully with Japanese team members
- Critical Acclaim
- Outlook towards the future Development
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to explore the dynamics of international project teams, focusing on the interplay between Japanese and German team members. It investigates the impact of cultural backgrounds on soft skills and the necessary adaptations for successful collaboration within a project environment.
- Cultural differences in corporate management and working styles of Japanese and German teams
- Key cultural dimensions like uncertainty avoidance and power distance in influencing team dynamics
- Impact of cultural factors on soft skills required for effective collaboration between Japanese and German team members
- Potential for conflict arising from cultural differences and strategies for conflict resolution
- Future implications of globalization on cultural adaptation and soft skill development
Chapter Summaries
- Introduction: Introduces the problem of cultural differences in international project teams, outlines the objectives of the paper, and presents the structure of the research.
- International Project: Provides a definition of international projects and outlines the various phases involved, including project initiation, planning, realization, controlling, and closing.
- Culture: Defines culture based on Geert Hofstede's theory and explores key dimensions of culture, including masculinity vs. femininity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance.
- Soft Skills: Defines soft skills and categorizes them into social, methodological, and personal competencies.
- Analyzing the Japanese and German working environment: Presents a general overview of cultural differences in Japan and Germany, particularly focusing on masculinity vs. femininity, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance.
- Detailed Analyzes of Soft Skills used in a Project of the two Cultures: Analyzes specific soft skills utilized in projects by Japanese and German team members across social, methodological, and personal competencies.
- Analyzes of upcoming Conflicts and possible Approaches for Solution: Discusses potential conflicts arising from cultural differences, explores the reasons behind these conflicts, and identifies relevant soft skills for effective collaboration with Japanese team members.
Keywords
This paper delves into the realm of international project management, with a specific focus on the cultural dynamics between Japanese and German teams. Key themes include cultural differences in corporate management and working styles, the impact of cultural dimensions such as uncertainty avoidance and power distance, and the adaptation of soft skills for effective collaboration. The paper also explores potential conflicts stemming from cultural differences and offers solutions through the implementation of specific soft skills.
- Citation du texte
- Bachelor of Arts Irini Varvouzou (Auteur), Magdalena Zasepa (Auteur), Benoit Budiman (Auteur), 2010, International Project Teams: Soft skills Germans shall bring in to be successful in Japanese Project Teams, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/213899
