TEAMS

Multicultural Virtual Teams

Multicultural Virtual Teams

What challenges do you anticipate the team will face because of its multicultural makeup?

The most major challenge would be a cultural conflict. Cultural conflict occurs when all the cultures are not treated equally and thought that one culture is superior to the other one.Structural problems, such as the overcoming of time zones, availability and. Operability of communications technologies are a first barrier of understanding. The personal expertise in the handling and acceptance said media is a second. Often overlooked is that in the making of teams different cultures are not handled differently which in conjunction with cross-cultural conflicts .With regard to team interaction, the communication is changing in many Respect: The volume may rise thanks to the technical possibility (which sometimes to an information overload leads)

.On the other hand, the transmitted Less abundant messages to them because of non-verbal part of the context and reference are missing. The risk of misunderstandings is so much higher. Also communication can be intentionally reduced because often informal. The employees about sensitive, personal or critical relevant content only face-to-face want to talk. The lack of personal contact leads to a loss of identification, among which motivation and performance may suffer. The group cohesion is difficult to manufacture because fewer points of contact for the construction of Trust are given because trust through personal contacts and continuous(Gandz, 2001).

How could these challenges be overcome?

The ability of team members to show cultural sensitivity is regarded as critically important. It is almost essential for any manager who wants or plans to work with teams of different cultures or to manage projects abroad. The following behaviours are to be developed to support this capability:

Listening and observation have a good ability and a willingness to listen. Demonstrate understanding of the culture of others, observe, learn about the topic before making a decision, with sensitivity, courtesy and respect for each other(Harvard Business School,2009).

Appreciate the culture of the other and see in a positive light: it is very common to see managers who have worked alongside advanced foreign or abroad, to defend the cultures of others with great enthusiasm and boundless energy. They find meaning and historical dimensions extraordinary. Be invited to share the food of the people, attend family celebrations or local participation in cultural ceremonies are unofficial some aspects of this dimension.

Able to communicate in the language of the other: this is a mark of respect as much as a ...