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Angela Trillo Grace G. Downey MAN 3240 April 12, 2012

IBM'S Multicultural Multinational Teams Case Chapter 10

Case Background IBM was famo s for i!s wri!!en an" nwri!!en r les. T#ey mos!ly foc s on in"i$i" al%s promo!ions an" ac#ie$emen!. IBM is in many co n!ries aro n" !#e glo&e, an" wi!#in !ime !#ey #a" c#ange !#eir c l! re, now !#ey foc s more in 'Team wor(' pro)ec!s, an" comm ni!y ser$ices.

Al *#a(ra is a manager from !#e s!a!e of Nor!# *arolina, an" !oge!#er wi!# o!#er + employees from o!#er co n!ries, #e was sen! !o Green fores!. *#a(ra recommen"e" !#em comp !er sys!ems !#a! will allow !#em !o increase pro" c!i$i!y an" e-por!s !o .es!ern / rope, pl s #e e-plaine" !#em #ow is possi&le !o &ecame a paperless company in only !#ree years. Ano!#er !eam mem&er from /nglan" s gges! a&o ! sales s!ra!egies.

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1. If you calculate the person-hours devoted to IBM's team pro ects! they amount to more than 1"#!### hours of management time each year. $o you think this is a %ise investment of IBM's human resources& 'hy or %hy not& In my opinion i! is a wise in$es!men! from IBM for !#ese m l!ic l! ral m l!ina!ional pro)ec!s, &eca se !#ey are #elpf l for so many places aro n" !#e worl" wi!# economic pro&lems. T#e s(ille" !eam, s#ares !#eir (nowle"ge !o #elp !#em impro$e an" "e$elop a growing &e!!er !ec#nology, w#ic# in !#e f ! re !#ey can e$en &ecome IBM%s po!en!ial clien!s. T#ese pro)ec!s also allow !#e managers !#a! par!icipa!e on !#em, !o impro$e an" "e$elop !#eir own s(ills, &y learning from eac# o!#er new s(ills, an" s!ra!egies.

(. 'hy do you think IBM's culture changed from formal! sta)le! and individualistic to informal! impermanent! and team oriented& IBM0s c l! re c#ange" from formal, s!a&le, an" in"i$i" alis!ic !o informal, impermanen!, an" !eam orien!e", &eca se !eam orien!e" companies #a$e s(ills $arie!y, "i$ersi!y, common p rposes an" goals. Accor"ing !o !#e 1rgani2a!ional Be#a$ior &oo(, 3Team effec!i$eness is a mo"el !#a! ass mes !#a! !eam orien!e" companies is &e!!er !#an !#e ones !#a! only foc s in in"i$i" al wor(.4

*. 'ould you like to %ork on one of IBM's multicultural! multinational pro ect teams& 'hy or %hy not& I will lo$e an" en)oy $ery m c# !o wor( for IBM0s m l!ic l! ral, m l!ina!ional pro)ec! !eams, &eca se I li(e !o #elp people aro n" me a! all !imes, an" also I en)oy $ery m c# !o par!icipa!e in $ol n!eer )o&s 5a! !#e momen! I #a$e 2 $ol n!eer )o&s as a !eac#er6. I

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am also a person open !o c#anges an" !ransforma!ions. I wo l" li(e !o s#are my (nowle"ge wi!# o!#ers, an" a! !#e same !ime learn from o!#ers, !o #elp me "e$elop an" impro$e myself.

+. Multicultural pro ect teams often face pro)lems %ith communication! e,pectations! and values. -o% do you think some of these challenges can )e overcome& * l! re can #elp o$ercome an" face pro&lems wi!# comm nica!ion, e-pec!a!ions, an" $al es. 7eople comm nica!e a! all !#e !ime, in !#eir #omes, wor(places, gro ps, !eams, an" in !#e comm ni!y. No ma!!er #ow well we !#in( we n"ers!an" eac# o!#er, comm nica!ion is #ar". B ! c l! re is of!en a! !#e roo! of comm nica!ion c#allenges. 1 r c l! re infl ences #ow we approac# pro&lems, an" #ow we par!icipa!e in gro ps an" in comm ni!ies.

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.eferences 1rgani2a!ional Be#a$ior, 14!# /"i!ion, 8o&&ins, 9 "ge, 7earson, 7ren!ice:;all, 7rin!.