Cross Culture Organizational Behavior (Management-1 01May 2021)

Cross Culture Organizational Behavior

Cross-cultural management is the study of management in a cross-cultural context. It includes the study of the influence of societal culture on managers and management practice as well as the study of the cultural orientations of individual managers and organization members. At the individual level, individuals' values as well as their understanding of and reactions to their cultural context and experience figure prominently. Contributing disciplines include cross-cultural psychology, sociology, and anthropology as well as the broader disciplines of management and organizational behavior and the related area of international human resource management. General topic areas include the cultural context in which management must take place, the various roles of the international manager, the influence of culture on organizational structure and processes, and management across nations and cultures.

 

A team is the synergy of distinct mindsets and skillsets that collaborate to work for a common purpose. It is anyway difficult to manage a team with disparate personalities. What makes it even more challenging is managing a cross-cultural team that transcends different cultures and geographies.

 

Ever since globalisation has taken over the storm, organisations have begun to interact with clients, suppliers and colleagues around the world. Globalisation at the workplace means dealing with people across several work ethics, languages, traditions and cultures in a way that doesn’t create friction or tension amidst a team.

 

What are the Cross-Cultural Teams?

Cross-cultural teams are global teams that include people who come from different cultures and unique experiences. Companies fail to consider these fundamental differences within a team, leading to conflicts and frustration that can be easily dissatisfied once you gain a quick understanding of the individuals in a team.

 

These differences can stem from communication styles and individual frame of references. For example, members in some countries are willing to work more than the stipulated hours of work, even working remotely from home. On the other hand, workers in different countries may not consider working beyond the said hours except in emergency situations, and their mobile devices are switched off when they leave the office.

 

Another major difference of style in a cross-cultural team is the communicating pattern of each team member. While some team members vociferously voice their unfiltered opinions and ideas, those from hierarchical cultures tend to think a lot before raising their voice.

 

The Challenges of Managing a Cross-Cultural Team

Though teams are now an accepted norm in planning, strategizing and operating throughout several organisations, team management is still in an evolving phase. On top of it, when you unleash an additional element of diversity, it results in various challenges.

 

Here are the top barriers in managing a cross-cultural team:

 

1. Communication and Expression

The nuances of communicating in a way such that everybody is on the same page is a key concern in cross-cultural teams. Everybody might be speaking the same language and be well-versed in English, but certain forms of slang or colloquialism can often be misinterpreted. 

 

Teamwork is a collective onus and all members have to understand the direction of the discussions clearly. Communication problems are often found in virtual teams where there is no face-to-face interaction.

 

For instance, it could be an international virtual team or virtual teams within the same country or city that have to collaborate and finish a task. In either case, both teams have to make their email and telephonic conversations as clear as possible to mitigate any misunderstanding.

 

They also have to develop a working style of responding promptly to queries, for if this is not happening, it can get really confusing. Care has to be taken with a cross-cultural mix of people with regards to the words used. Even mildly sarcastic comments or jokes can be taken seriously by a team member and result in a conflict.

 

For instance, your German counterparts may not appreciate your attempts at small talk, as they usually prefer to get down to business immediately. Also, making a Hitler joke might land you in serious trouble!

 

2. Information Gaps

Everybody should be on the same wavelength to stay on top of data and process flows. There should be no manual effort to reconcile information from different sources. Each and every team member needs to have access to the right resources at the needed time to collaborate and complete their tasks.

 

This especially becomes a challenge with virtual cross-cultural teams. Having a common software with access to a shared database and enabling the sharing of files, online chats, scheduling and jointly tracking projects becomes very important. Effective means to share resources and access resources in a timely manner is a challenge.

 

3. Work Style

Every team member has a unique work style that is predominantly dictated by their culture. Some work cultures value individual contribution and foster individual opinions. Some cultures are more paternalistic, with the leaders deciding on a course of action and employees following it.

 

All fingers are not the same. This also applies to employees who are individuals with distinct personalities. With unique styles, individualistic team members tend to come out as aggressive while the not-so individualistic one’s merge into the team and may seem to contribute less. Despite the differences in the work style, it is vital to filter and get the best out of every team member’s work style.

 

4. Influences

There can be chances that a section or group of the team has similar cultural identity or homogeneity. They may attempt to dominate the process and try to influence the entire team to swing their way. As a result, it can create unnecessary tensions and a frustrating environment for other team members.

Team and group dynamics can be a major concern in a cross-cultural team. This can lead to unnecessary group politics and conflicts within a team.

 

5. Motivation Factors

Normally, companies have a single-threaded motivation and rewards system that is largely determined by the norms and values of the company. It does not account for the distinct motivational factors of a cross-cultural team.

It is important to recognise what motivates each individual to excel in their role so that you can drive them aptly towards performance. In the absence of a proper catalyst, the team members may lack enthusiasm and be less engaged at work.