The present paper is concerned with the classical challenges faced by employers working abroad. It aims to shed light on the research area of multicultural teams in a professional context.
This paper is divided into three thematically differentiated main areas. The first part is concerned with the evidence of the special importance of the research area of multicultural teams for research and practice
The second part deals with the description of typical and recurring problems and challenges of multicultural teams. Four potential sources of danger for efficient collaboration are identified and supported by practical examples.
The third part of this paper, then, deals with strategies that enable HR departments to develop the specific skills of multicultural teams used to avoid failure and frustration. Possible strategies are designed according to the challenges highlighted in section two identified and relate to their context.
Finally, the knowledge gained in the course of this work is summarized and the strategy with the greatest and most universal impact on the successful management of multicultural teams is highlighted.
At a glance
- Examines four challenge areas and three strategies for multicultural teams
- Applies the mapping, bridging and integrating approach to multicultural teams
- Discusses communication difficulties between an Indonesian bank and German consultants
- 29 sources in the bibliography
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Importance and potential of multicultural teams
3. Challenges for multicultural teams
4. Strategies for international human resource management
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This work examines the challenges facing multicultural teams and asks how international human resource management can address them while supporting effective cooperation. It draws on academic literature and practical examples to connect sources of difficulty with possible management strategies.
- The potential of multicultural teams in international business
- Language barriers and culturally different communication styles
- Hierarchy, power distance and decision-making norms
- The risks of rushing to structure a team's work
- Language management, trust building and a global mindset
- The mapping, bridging and integrating approach
Excerpt from the Book
Professional work in multicultural teams
In the previous section, sources of possible challenges for multicultural teams could be identified. To exploit the unique success potential of multicultural teams, strategies need to be formulated that enable MNCs, TNCs, and global companies and their respective international HRM (IHRM) departments to respond appropriately. Therefore, the following section focuses on three basic strategies that help to prevent or overcome identified challenges and a detailed description of methods to implement them. The first strategy presented here refers to the language barriers that employees often encounter in multicultural teams and the related challenge area of “communicational issues”. Especially in the age of globalization, a strategy of companies using multicultural teams and their IHRM departments must be to continuously monitor and, if necessary, adapt their internal language capabilities (Welch & Welch, 2018, p. 866) to build up a highly communicative workforce. There are plenty of ways to implement a proactive management of an organizations language capital. A widespread method is the adaption of a corporate language, especially in Europe this is typically English (Meyer & Peng, 2019, p. 69). In addition to the possibility of offering language courses (Briscoe, Tarique, & Schuler, 2012, p. 246), the establishment of a central translation department or the use of computerized translation software and/or individual translators can also improve communication within a multicultural team (Welch & Welch, 2018, p. 866). Moreover, team leaders can be advised to deliberately encourage the participation of less linguistically gifted team members in order to increase their motivation and thus reduce the impact of existing language barriers (Meyer & Peng, 2019, p. 69; Schneider, Barsoux, & Stahl, 2014, p. 219). In line with this thought, the former CEO of AAB referred to "poor English" as the official corporate language to emphasize a focus on effective communication between employees of different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, instead of the mere mastery of a language as part of an employee’s skillset (Govindarajan, 2001, p. 68). In order to reduce the negative influence of accents on functioning communication, the relevant employees can be instructed to address the existence of their accents in order to reduce uncertainty of the opposite and to stimulate queries in case of misunderstandings (Brett, Behfar, & Kern, 2009, p. 95). It should be noted at this point that one-sided commitment on the part of the IHRM departments has little promise of success. In order to improve the communicative skills of the workforce, the cooperation and motivation of the employees involved is expressly necessary (Welch & Welch, 2018, p. 865).
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: The work introduces the growing use of multicultural teams and sets out its focus on their challenges and possible human resource management responses.
Importance and potential of multicultural teams: This section connects international business integration with the use of diverse teams and discusses their potential for innovation and knowledge exchange.
Challenges for multicultural teams: Four areas of difficulty are examined: communication, hierarchy norms, decision-making norms and the rush to structure. Practical examples illustrate how cultural differences can affect cooperation.
Strategies for international human resource management: The work discusses language management, trust building and the development of a global mindset, including the mapping, bridging and integrating approach.
Conclusion: The discussion brings the challenges and strategies together and considers the role of a global mindset in multicultural cooperation.
Keywords
multicultural teams, international human resource management, cultural diversity, communication barriers, power distance, hierarchy norms, decision-making, trust, global mindset, language management, mapping bridging integrating, international business
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work about?
It examines professional cooperation in multicultural teams, the challenges such teams face and ways to address them.
What are the central themes?
The main themes include communication, hierarchy, decision-making, cultural awareness and strategies for managing diverse teams.
What is the primary objective?
The objective is to identify the nature of challenges in multicultural teams and consider strategies that human resource management departments can use to respond.
What research method does the work use?
It draws on published academic literature and practical examples to discuss challenges and corresponding strategies.
What does the main discussion cover?
It considers the potential of multicultural teams, four categories of challenges and three broad management strategies.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include multicultural teams, international human resource management, communication barriers, power distance, trust and global mindset.
How does the work explain the rush to structure?
It describes a tendency to move directly to organizing a task without first identifying cultural differences and selecting ways to address them.
What is the mapping, bridging and integrating approach?
It is an approach for identifying team members' differences, discussing them to build mutual understanding and integrating perspectives into shared work.
What practical example illustrates communication difficulties?
The work discusses cooperation between an Indonesian bank and German consultants, focusing on differences in communication style and reliance on context.
- Quote paper
- Sebastian Henseler (Author), 2019, Professional Work in Multicultural Teams. Challenges and How to Overcome Them, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/916314
