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Managing Multi-Cultural teams

Teams whose members Click to edit Master subtitle style come from different nations and backgrounds place special demands on managers especially when a feuding team looks to the boss for help 4/28/12 with a conict.

Introduction
The company: An international software developer Task: Teams : Conflict: New product on immediate delivery American and Indian Date of 4/28/12 delivery

The Challenges

Direct versus indirect communication with accents and fluency attitudes towards hierarchy and

Trouble

Differing

authority

Conflicting

norms for decision making 4/28/12

REPRESENTATI ENABLING VE SITUATIONAL PROBLEMS Conict arises from decisionmaking differences Misunderstandin g or stonewalling arises from communication differences Team members can attribute a challenge to culture rather than Personality Higher-level managers are not available or the team would be embarrassed to involve them
4/28/12

CONDITIO COMPLICATING NS

Team members must be exceptionally aware Adaptatio Negotiating a common n understanding takes time

REPRESENTATIVE ENABLING CONDITION COMPLICATING PROBLEMS SITUATIONAL S

The team is affected by emotional tensions relating to uency issues or prejudice Team members are inhibited by perceived status differences among teammates

The team can be subdivided to mix cultures or expertise

If team members arent carefully distributed, subStructural groups can Tasks can be strengthen Interventi subdivided Preexisting on differences Subgroup solutions have to t back together
4/28/12

REPRESENTATIENABLING VE SITUATIONAL
PROBLEMS

CONDITIO COMPLICATI NS NG

Violations of The problem has hierarchy produced have resulted a high level of in loss of face emotion An absence The team has of ground rulereached is causing a stalemate conict A higher-level manager is able 4/28/12 and willing to intervene

The team becomes overly dependent on the Manageriamanager


l Interventi Team on members

may be sidelined or resistant

REPRESENTATI ENABLING VE SITUATIONAL PROBLEMS

CONDITION COMPLICATIN S G

A team member cannot adjust to the challenge at hand and has become unable to contribute to the project

The team is permanent rather than temporary Emotions are beyond the point of intervention Too much 4/28/12 face has been

Talent and training costs are lost Exit

4/28/12

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