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There are elements that could be a threat for a multicultural team’s performance. Consider some of the barriers and challenges of multicultural teams.
“Teams whose members come from different nations and backgrounds place special demands on managers—especially when a feuding team looks to the boss for help with a conflict.
(Harvard Business Review - November 2006)”
Perhaps one of the most challenging elements in multicultural teams is the merging of an international environment (people from abroad) who might be well acquainted with cosmopolitan environments, with those with less diverse cultural experience; i.e. a local situation where a more restricted international experience is more common. The conflicts can take on the form of jealousy manipulation and a general reduced productivity. These are managerial challenges. Further tests of this type can take the form of classic top-down management structures conflicting with a progressive horizontal ideology. For example, a project organizer might respond to a challenge from a subordinate team member in a different fashion in two different cultures.
Further resources
A plethora of books have been published to reflect the needs of today’s organizers and multicultural team dynamics to comprehend the requirements of multiculturalism and the dynamics associated with it. Perhaps one of the most popular books of this type include Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, the bestselling "Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries."
Group cohesiveness
Whereby a group may function more dynamically considering result orientated management, the actual group dynamic may suffer. There are many factors that affect this aspect of the team’s performances including, stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, and communication issues.
Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination
The location of the organization can have a profound affect on the attitude of the participants. There are some environments that are more used to multicultural surroundings. Cities such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam and New York are used to cultural mixtures in organizations. Although Tokyo, being one of the largest cities in the world, has less diversity. How does this impact a mixture of cultures in a team? There is also the nature of the organization. Academics have traditionally multicultural atmospheres rendering a diverse environment status quo. Compare that with, say, a local political organization, and the challenges become more apparent.
Languages
Communication problems can become an issue. Multicultural situations require a common lingua. There are two billion people world that will soon be working in English. Some cultures have been quick to adapt to speaking the now-accepted business language of the globe. The Netherlands, for example, has been a big promoter of multiculturalism and as a consequence Amsterdam has become a city with more head offices per capita than anywhere else. Frequently, the default language of communication in an entire structure in Dutch businesses is English. Consider the idea that Amsterdam is an hour away from London (even with Brexit). With a population of around a million, it has a significant economic impact on cities ten times its size within its proximity.
English people learning how to communicate
To elaborate on how a monoculture stigma can limit a team environment, a recent article in the New York Times pointed out that English companies in England are giving English lessons to their staff. Imagine this. The international community (being non-English native) is able to communicate with one another, but the communication with native English speakers is not as convincing and is therefore limited. Anglos are not being understood so British and American mono-linguistic groups are out of the communication loop. A Spaniard communicates better with his or her Italian, Korean and Chinese colleagues than with a Brit or an American.
Where does this come from?
What has brought on this monoculture in America? Imagine a unique culture from Norway to Turkey and from Moscow to Gibraltar. Now consider the zone having the same newspapers, language, cultural icons, TV shows, educational standards, business standards, communications systems, military budgets etc… This is the case in North America (excluding Mexico and Quebec). The same business culture permeates an area stretching 5,000 kilometers in all directions. Furthermore, 50 percent of all world production (Global GDP) was being produced in the USA in 1947. Essentially, they did not have any business partners. They didn’t need any. This advantage is now turning into a disadvantage. Globalizing is creating a level playing field. Some would say the US is no longer the dominant business culture worldwide, but we have adapted to the American system culturally, linguistically and systematically. Now it is has become the default business culture.
How does this apply to multicultural work environments?
Regarding fluency and accent and the concept that English is usually not a mother tongue, how does a typical non-native team member participate in a multicultural situation? Let’s take a typical case study. Ebay is an international organization with offices around the world with their head office in Brisbane, California. Most team members including management, tech support, development and sales are required to participate in bimonthly conference calls involving native and non-native English speakers. It is to be noted that teams are expected to have mastered English enough to be able to communicate; i.e. to understand and to be understood. This is considered a given. The typical reaction from neophytes is apprehension and a formula response.
Experience
Gaining experience, usually supported with training, team members become communicative and develop confidence. Accent and fluency become less important. With significant experience the team member is requested to do presentations for international teams. The tendency is that native speakers learn as much in the process so as to communicate well to non-native speakers. In other words it is a two-way street. The conclusion at the organization is that as long as new team members have a functional level in English (which is the case for most university students graduating today) they adapt quickly.
Dressing for work
How we communicate is not only the words used but also the style. Dressing for example can have a profound impact. Not wearing a tie in professional circumstances in Korea is considered bad form, whereas a tie in Vancouver is required for only the most conservative circumstances.
Work habits
This similarly can be reflected in working habits. In France, working until 7:30 PM is considered normal even for support staff. Americans leave at 6 pm. Also the French get five to seven weeks holidays whereas their American counterparts begin with 2 and progress to 4 after many years seniority.
Decision making and meetings
In Korea one does not question the decisions of a boss. It is considered rude. In America decisions are a team activity. The team leader is required to take the advice of the group. In Italy the team meets to brainstorm, and the decision is entirely up to the person in charge. Five minutes late for a meeting in Germany is considered rude. In France there is usually a fifteen-minute leeway. Here is where we see how there are differing attitudes towards authority, hierarchy and time.