Dear Dallas2000:
A multicultural workforce can present difficulties in fostering
teamwork and communications because of different communication styles
and cultural norms. Large companies, which may have to coordinate
teams located in different regions or even different countries, have
especially large challenges to overcome.
In the case of a team whose members are geographically dispersed, some
members may find it difficult to effectively interact with team
members whom they have never met face-to-face because their culture
places strong emphasis on face-to-face interactions. Some cultures
also encourage significant sharing of one's personal life during
business transactions. Such sharing may be difficult to accomplish
effectively, and team members may feel uncomfortable sharing, when
they do not meet in person. Some countries are also far more
accustomed to using technologies to communicate like e-mail and
instant messaging than others. Different time zones can also create
challenges in scheduling meetings that may require some team members
to work at unusual times.
Even when a team is located in the same place, communication styles
can be a source of problems. For example, different cultures have
different preferences regarding personal space boundaries. People
from one culture who are accustomed to having very little personal
space can wind up chasing around those who like a lot of personal
space and keep trying to restore the spacing. The person having to
chase may feel that the other person is exhibiting hostility.
Some cultures promote team problem-solving more than others. A person
whose culture encourages being submissive to his or her superiors may
be reluctant to interact in a group setting with higher-level people.
The person's quietness may frustrate people from a different culture
seeking that person's input and give them a poor impression of that
person even if the individual is an excellent individual contributor.
Language can also be a barrier to effective teamwork and
communications. Different levels of language ability can result in
confusion and inefficiency. Misunderstandings can potentially be
hidden for long periods of time and cause significant problems before
they are discovered.
Expectations regarding how the work is to be done can also differ
among cultures. Europeans are accustomed to taking off an entire
month or two during the summer, whereas many Americans do not take all
the vacation to which they are entitled. The afternoon siesta, which
is a staple of many countries, may seem strange to people from other
countries.
However, despite these obstacles, most large companies find a
multicultural workforce essential because they have to do business
effectively with many diverse cultures in order to be successful.
Often, the best source of information about how a product or service
will be received by a culture is to involve people from that culture
in its development and marketing. Furthermore, no one country or
culture has a monopoly on talent. As the global economy becomes
increasingly competitive, incorporating people from many backgrounds
is essential. Unique skills and/or lower costs become accessible to
companies when they broaden their work forces.
Provided that companies recognize potential sources of
misunderstandings and educate their employees accordingly, the
problems and inefficiencies that can be associated with teamwork and
communications in a multicultural environment can be overcome.
Please request clarification if needed before rating my answer.
Thanks!
Wonko |
Clarification of Answer by
wonko-ga
on
08 Jun 2004 07:36 PDT
Dear Dallas2000:
Thank you for your positive comments. I wrote my answer based on my
studies at MIT and experiences working for large multinational
companies rather than referring to any specific publication.
However, here are a couple of resources about the issues I described:
Nonverbal Communication by S. Kathleen Kitao & Kenji Kitao, Ikubundo,
Tokyo, Japan (2002) http://ilc2.doshisha.ac.jp/users/kkitao/library/student/textbook/ikubundo/nonverb.htm
Japan by De'Edra Williams, international-business-center.com (2003)
http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/japan.htm
I have edited the answer to keep it focused on issues domestic
companies face rather than international ones. Having worked at
companies of the size you are requesting information about, I can
assure you that issues I describe are relevant for that size of
company. Even small companies, particularly technology companies,
encounter these issues because of the need to have such diverse work
forces in order to be competitive.
Sincerely,
Wonko
A multicultural workforce can present difficulties in fostering
teamwork and communications because of different communication styles
and cultural norms. Large companies, which may have to coordinate
teams located in different regions, have
especially large challenges to overcome.
In the case of a team whose members are geographically dispersed, some
members may find it difficult to effectively interact with team
members whom they have never met face-to-face because their culture
places strong emphasis on face-to-face interactions. Some cultures
also encourage significant sharing of one's personal life during
business transactions. Such sharing may be difficult to accomplish
effectively, and team members may feel uncomfortable sharing, when
they do not meet in person. Some cultures are also far more
accustomed to using technologies to communicate like e-mail and
instant messaging than others. Different time zones can also create
challenges in scheduling meetings that may require some team members
to work at unusual times.
Even when a team is located in the same place, communication styles
can be a source of problems. For example, different cultures have
different preferences regarding personal space boundaries. People
from one culture who are accustomed to having very little personal
space can wind up chasing around those who like a lot of personal
space and keep trying to restore the spacing. The person having to
chase may feel that the other person is exhibiting hostility.
Some cultures promote team problem-solving more than others. A person
whose culture encourages being submissive to his or her superiors may
be reluctant to interact in a group setting with higher-level people.
The person's quietness may frustrate people from a different culture
seeking that person's input and give them a poor impression of that
person even if the individual is an excellent individual contributor.
Language can also be a barrier to effective teamwork and
communications. Different levels of language ability can result in
confusion and inefficiency. Misunderstandings can potentially be
hidden for long periods of time and cause significant problems before
they are discovered.
Expectations regarding how the work is to be done can also differ
among cultures. Europeans are accustomed to taking off an entire
month or two during the summer, whereas many Americans do not take all
the vacation to which they are entitled.
However, despite these obstacles, most large companies find a
multicultural workforce essential because they have to do business
effectively with many diverse cultures in order to be successful.
Often, the best source of information about how a product or service
will be received by a culture is to involve people from that culture
in its development and marketing. Furthermore, no one country or
culture has a monopoly on talent. As the global economy becomes
increasingly competitive, incorporating people from many backgrounds
is essential. Unique skills and/or lower costs become accessible to
companies when they broaden their work forces.
Provided that companies recognize potential sources of
misunderstandings and educate their employees accordingly, the
problems and inefficiencies that can be associated with teamwork and
communications in a multicultural environment can be overcome.
Sincerely,
Wonko
|
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