Success of a Company is a Result of its Employees' Performance

By

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Problem Statement2

Purpose of the Study3

Aims and Objectives of the Study4

Research Questions4

Rationale of the Study5

Significance of the Study6

Ethical Concerns8

Limitations of the Study8

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW10

Theoretical Framework of the Study10

Employee Performance11

Relationship between Team Attributes and Team Performance13

Relationship between Team Performance and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Team Scores14

Team Performance Levels and Measurement15

Diversity Management16

Culture and its Characteristics17

Cultural Framework and Managerial Practices18

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY19

Research Design19

Sampling19

Sample of Participants20

Instrument20

Data Analysis21

Trustworthiness and Credibility of Qualitative Data21

Validity and Reliability of Quantitative Data21

Projected Time Scale22

REFERENCES23

APPENDIX - A30

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Today, in many companies and organizations, teams are an important part of how work is performed and productivity is increased. On this point, Hackman (1990) opined that, “Virtually everyone who has worked in an organization has been a member of a task-performing group at one time or another” (p.2). Despite the near ubiquity of teams as an organizational structure, or at least the cry for teamwork within those organizations, there is a lack of clarity about the characteristics of high performing teams, and even less about how members of those teams hold that experience. Many organizations struggle with effectively implementing the use of teams (Katzenbach and Smith, 1994). Effectively implementing teams within an organization is made even more difficult when the organization is multicultural, either by its presence in more than one country or because it operates in a country with more than one primary culture (Adler, 1983). As Adler noted, the effect of multiculturalism and geographic dispersion is greater complexity, which requires more sophisticated integrating mechanisms than are necessary in a mono-cultural, domestic organization. Apud, Johnson, and Lenartowizc (2006) cited a lack of skills in dealing with cross and multicultural issues as a key factor in the failure of international business ventures.

They specifically cited issues with communication and team members' inability to accurately understand communication within the nuances of different cultures, as an impediment to success. Increased experience for organizations operating internationally does not seem to have yet produced greater effectiveness in dealing with cultural issues. Kim (1999) noted that despite the expansion of international business and trade, there remains a patchwork of cultural barriers that can undermine organizational success. Kim further stated that, despite the difficulties, effectively using and managing cross cultural teams will be a key organizational requirement over the next decades. Finally, Sparrow (1998) stated that many of the difficulties that organizations have with individuals and teams come from dealing with issues and employee expectations from a mono-cultural (nearly always Western) perspective. Relative to work, the topic of culture has been explored from a national (Hofstede, 1980), regional (Javidan, Dorfman, de Lugue, & House, 2006), and organizational perspective (Schein, 1992).

No matter the level of analysis, there is general consensus that culture has a significant impact on behavior. Further, as organizations more frequently operate multinationally, concerns about culture and its impact on business become more significant. Given the difficulty of developing high performing teams and the added ...