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International Management > 5. Managing Global Teams > Flashcards

5. Managing Global Teams Flashcards

1
Q

What is a global team?

A

A group of heterogeneous employees from two or more countries, and sometimes two or more companies, who work together to coordinate, develop, or manage some aspect of a firm’s global operations.

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2
Q

Why do companies use global teams?

A
  • Need specific cross-cultural expertise on some aspect of the business or when they partner with a foreign firm.
  • Often do a better job than homogeneous teams consisting exclusively of either home- or host-country nationals.
  • Opportunity to incorporate widely differing social, cultural, and business perspectives into key decisions affecting the success of international operations.
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3
Q

Advantages of global teams?

A
  • Frequently more creative ideas and solutions
  • Takes longer to take decision but often more comprehensive, realistic and acceptable
  • Often leads to better understanding of multinational employees
  • Often increases understanding of global markets
  • Often more effective in working with international customers
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4
Q

Drawbacks of global teams?

A
  • More difficult to develop close-knit groups
  • Takes longer to take decision but often more comprehensive, realistic and acceptable
  • Action plans can take longer to implement
  • Different work habits can lead to conflicts and misunderstandings
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5
Q

What do polychromes believe?

A

Time stretches to accommodate a task; they devote much time to analysis before proposing solutions

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6
Q

What do monochromes believe?

A

Time and tasks should be scheduled, organised and managed; problem analysis should be undertaken quickly to avoid loosing valuable time

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7
Q

How do different cultures analyse problems?

A

Polychrons
Monochrons
People analyse problems from their own cultural perspective

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8
Q

Power-distance-accepting cultures expect

A

team leaders to make decisions

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9
Q

Power-distance-rejecting cultures expect

A

everybody to be included in decision-making

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10
Q

Two types of decision making preferences are?

A

Power-distance-accepting

Power-distance-rejecting

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11
Q

How is decision-making is more complex in multi-cultural teams?

A
  • Members of multi-cultural teams analyse problems differently
  • Diverging opinions regarding which alternative is best
  • Diversity makes building consensus more difficult
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12
Q

Global teams in Sweden (Meyer)

A

Learn to make decisions through lengthy consensus building, which can span many meetings but eventually leads to strong buy-in and rapid implementation.

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13
Q

Global teams in France (Meyer)

A

Descartes-inspired education system teaches that debate and confrontation are necessary elements of any decision- making process.

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14
Q

Global teams in US (Meyer)

A

Managers are trained to solicit input from a team, choose a direction quickly, and make adjustments as the project moves forward.

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15
Q

Global teams in Japan (Meyer)

A

Decisions tend to be made in informal one-on-one discussions before a formal group meeting.

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16
Q

Global team linguistic ability

A
  • Teams forced to communicate in one language
  • Not all members use their own native language
  • Results in miscommunication between team members
  • Undermines confidence to participate in teamwork
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17
Q

Global team communication style?

A

Low-context

High-context

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18
Q

How do low-context cultures communicate?

A

Directly/explicitly

• What people want to say is on surface of their message

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19
Q

How do high-context cultures communicate

A

Indirectly/implicitly

• Crucial information of message is hidden below surface

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20
Q

What is mistrust in global teams?

A
  • People prefer to work with members of their own culture
  • They tend to mistrust ‘others’
  • Mistrust reinforced by inaccurate stereotyping
  • Aggravated by tendency to speak own language
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21
Q

What is stress in global teams?

A
  • Mono-cultural teams can openly discuss problems and issues
  • Cross-cultural teams are more afraid of offending other members
  • Forces a ‘polite diplomatic’ approach to sensitive issues
  • Leads to artificial/superficial behaviour that increases stress on organisation
  • Team members become frustrated
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22
Q

Advantages of cross-cultural teams?

A 
Diversity raises creativity 
- Wider range of perspectives 
- More and better ideas 
- Less groupthink
Increased creativity leads to 
- Better problem definitions 
- More alternatives
- Better solutions and decisions
Teams can become
- More effective
- More productive
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23
Q

Disadvantages of cross-cultural teams?

A 
Diversity undermines cohesion 
- Mistrust
- Miscommunication
- Stress
Lack of cohesion prevents teams 
- Agreeing
- Gaining consensus
- Taking concerted action
Teams can become 
- Less effective
- Less productive
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24
Q

What is the paradox of cross-cultural teams?

A

As creativity increases productivity decreases

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25
Q

What does the paradox curve of cross-cultural teams show?

A

Cross-cultural teams can either be highly effective or highly ineffective
Single-culture teams are typically of average effectiveness

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26
Q

Ma Yun, Global year sunergy?

A

“If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat ten of them.”

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27
Q

What does managing cross-cultural teams involve according to Adler (2008)?

A
  • Using diversity when it can improve creativity

* Minimizing diversity when it can threaten performance

28
Q

What are Adler’s (2008) guidelines for striking cross-cultural balance?

A
  • Select the right people
  • Recognise cultural differences
  • Establish a common team vision
  • Equalise power
  • Create mutual respect
29
Q

What does selecting the right people involve? (Adler, 2008)

A
  • People with homogeneous ability levels (to facilitate communication)
  • People with heterogeneous competencies (to ensure wide range of solutions to problems)
30
Q

What does recognising cultural differences involve? (Adler, 2008)

A
  • Spend time describing each others’ cultures
  • Reflect on how stereotypes affect expectations
  • Understand why people think/feel/act as they do
  • Determine how different people contribute to team effort
  • Ascertain how each contribution complements team effort
31
Q

What does establish common vision involve? (Adler, 2008)

A
  • Clear visions create cohesive groups

* Lack of vision leads to multiple goals and competing sub-groups

32
Q

What does equalise power involve? (Adler, 2008)

A
  • Cultural dominance prevents team members from participating in team effort
  • Avoid giving too much power to team members from host country, to members of same nationality
33
Q

What does create mutual respect involve?(Adler, 2008)

A

• Make all members aware of each others’ achievements

34
Q

What are the 5 influences on global team synergy?

A
  • Clear, engaging purpose
  • Performance goals and measures
  • People
  • Results-driven processes
  • Preparation and practice
35
Q

Features of a Clear, engaging purpose? (Global team synergy)

A
  • Provide direction, inspiration and motivation
  • Clear purpose keeps team together
  • Should be consistent with organisational values
  • Create urgency
  • Be positive and inspiring
  • Easily understood
  • Performance based
  • Flexible, attainable but challenging
36
Q

Features of performance goals and measures? (Global team synergy)

A
  • Specific and measurable goals
  • Focus on results
  • Show how each member contributes
  • Milestones to build team commitment, confidence and competence
37
Q

Features of People? (Global team synergy)

A
  • Members need to have complementary skills needed to accomplish task
  • Committed to teams purpose
  • Specific skillset that contributes
  • Problem-solving, decision-making and implementation skills
  • Relationships skills
38
Q

Features of results-driven processes (Global team synergy)

A
  • Processes to identify problems and opportunities
  • Relationship processes to help deal with conflict and develop trust
  • Can be implicit or explicit
39
Q

Features of preparation and practice? (Global team synergy)

A
  • Preparation and disciplined practice critical to team success
  • Reflect on performance, identify skills needed and acquire them
40
Q

What are Global virtual teams / dispersed global teams?

A

Take advantage of technology to draw knowledge and resources from different parts of the organisation and different geographical locations without relocating workers

41
Q

How are Global virtual teams / dispersed global teams possible?

A

Due to advances in computer and telecommunication technologies such as videoconferencing, collaborative software system, and internet-intranet systems

42
Q

Advantages of dispersed global teams

A
  • Save cost
  • Flexibility
  • Possibly enhanced productivity
  • Increased creativity
  • Better problem solving
  • More effective and productive
43
Q

Special challenges of dispersed global teams

A
  • Time difference
  • Lack of mutual knowledge and context
  • Overdependence on technology
  • Loss of useful details
44
Q

What is the conundrum of dispersed teams?

A

While they often need more information than co-located teams, they usually share less

45
Q

Members in dispersed teams often:

A
  • Do not realize what information is important.
  • Take their own context for granted
  • Assume similarity between locations
  • Have a difficult time imagining what is different for other members
46
Q

Dispersed global teams social distance?

A

Low social distance: degree of emotional connection among team members

47
Q

What is the Framework for building social distance?

A

Neeley, 2018

SPLIT

48
Q

What is SPLIT?

A 
Structure and perception of power
Process and the importance of empathy
Language and the fluency gap
Identity and the mismatch of perceptions
Technology and connection challenge
49
Q

What is the S in SPLIT?

A

Structure and perception of power
• Who we are
• What we do
• I am here for you

50
Q

What is the P in SPLIT?

A

Process and the importance of empathy
• Feedback on routine interactions
• Unstructured time
• Time to disagree

51
Q

What is the L in SPLIT?

A

Language and the fluency gap

52
Q

What is the I in SPLIT?

A

Identity and the mismatch of perceptions
• Learn from one another.
• A savvy leader will avoid making assumptions about what behaviors mean. Take a step back, watch and listen.
• A case in point

53
Q

What is the T in SPLIT?

A

Technology and connection challenge
• Should communication be instant?
• Do I need to reinforce the message?
• Am I leading by example?

54
Q

Who came up with the framework for building social distance?

A

Neeley, 2018

Harvard Business Review

55
Q

Language and the fluency gap 3 categories?

A

Fluent speakers- Dial down dominance
Less fluent- dial up engagement
Team leaders- Balance for inclusion

56
Q

What are the features of dial down dominance?

A
  • Slow down pace
  • Familiar language
  • Refrain from dominating
  • Ask if understand
  • Listen actively
57
Q

What are the features of dial up engagement?

A
  • Resist withdrawal or other avoidance
  • Refrain from reverting to native language
  • Ask if understand
  • Ask to explain or repeat if don’t understand
58
Q

What are the features of balance for inclusion?

A
  • Monitor participants
  • Balance their speaking and listening
  • Actively draw contributions from all
  • Solicit participation from less fluent speakers
  • Be prepared to define and interpret content
59
Q

Strategies for managing globally dispersed team, People:

A
  • Select member with right skills, abilities and motivation
  • Provide training on tech, virtual communication and cultural sensitivity
  • Align rewards system with nature of dispersed work
  • Set clear expectations and measurable goals
60
Q

Strategies for managing globally dispersed team, Tasks:

A
  • Select appropriate tasks for virtual work

- Use richer media for more complex problems

61
Q

Strategies for managing globally dispersed team, Processes:

A
  • Disseminate info among members
  • Arrange periodic face-to-face meetings
  • Allow time for info sharing via video
  • Provide intercultural communication training
  • Develop team-building interventions
  • Ensure individuals don’t feel isolated
  • Communicate frequently
62
Q

What are the 6 aspects of leadership and team building?

A
  • Select members based on skills
  • Provide clear direction
  • Build positive team culture
  • Build team camaraderie
  • Tie rewards to performance
  • Recognise and build on differences
63
Q

Grenier and Meters 1992

A

Work together apart

64
Q

Global teams work together across

A

Space time and geographic boundaries (Lipnack and Stamps 1997)

65
Q

SPLIT

A 
Structure 
Process
Language 
Identity
Technology
66
Q

Grenier and Meters 1992

A

Work together apart

67
Q

Global teams work together across

A

Space time and geographic boundaries (Lipnack and Stamps 1997)

International Management (5 decks)

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