5 - Leadership and Culture Flashcards
Personnel management
Human resources management abroad is one of the central challenges of an internationally active company, even more so than at the national level
Cultural factors influencing the success of the construction project
- Qualified local employees
- Clear and conflict-free role
- Decision-making autonomy and influence
- Clear competence guidelines
- Host country knowledge in the head office
- Opportunity to maintaain contacts of visit
- Company culture and cohesion in the host country
What aspects shape a culture?
- Behaviour and customs
- Attitudes and beliefs (invisible)
- Basic values an assumptions (invisible)
Culture types according to Lewis
- Linear-active
- Multi-active
- Reactive
Linear-active culture type
- fact-/ task-oriented
- structured way of working
- direct statements
Multi-active culture type
- dialogue and relationship oriented
- emotional, impulsive
- flexible
Reactive culture type
- Respectful and listening
- Factual relationship oriented
- Avoiding open confrontation
Cultural dimensions according to Hofstede
- Individualism
- Maskulinity
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Power distance
- Long-term orientation
- Enjoyment / restraint
Cultural differences occuring in the problem solving process
Patience - Urgency
Direct communication - Indirect communication
Focus on tasks - focus on relationships
Detailed planning - improvising
Single tasking - multi tasking
Steep hierarchies - Flat hierarchies
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one’s own cultural views and methods are best and should be used as a standard
Ethnorelativenism
Development away from ethnocentrism through intercultural learning (-> smooth transition between cultures)
What are the steps from ethnocentrism to Ethnorelativenism through cultural learning?
Ethnocentric
1. Denial
2. Defense
3. Downplay
Ethnorelative
4. Accept
5. Adapt
6. Integrate
Positive and negative aspects of cultural conflict in a project
Positive: If the solution is successful, strengthening of the group’s consciousness and identity
Negative: In case of escalation dysfunctional effects on cooperation, decrease of trust up to mistrust
Team building process with the Tuckmann phase model
- Forming (Orientation)
- Stroming (Confrontation)
- Norming (Searching for solutions)
- Performing (Identification as team)
- Mourning (Project end)
Possible actions of the project manager in the intercultural team building event
- Kick-off event
- Information about new culture
- Organization of an intercultural training
- Facilitate exchange
- Allocation of tasks according to strengths
- Driving the solution finding process
- Common goals
