4.1. AWARENESS: UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE AND IMPACT OF NATIONAL CULTURE ON THE TEAM
In the business world of the United States and Great Britain, team building has frequently been thought of as a Western and linear intervention designed to refine and improve a functioning work group or team. The process is an accurate reflection of the business culture. In Southeast Asia however, team building was traditionally not an issue since the team was directed to meet the expectations of the leader. The question for managers of global teams is what other preferred national business styles impact not only the concept or definition of team building, but also the practice of it. How do methods and processes need to be expanded and adapted to help a global team function in a positive, constructive way? How can cultural norms from various continents and countries be learned from, operationalized, and integrated worldwide to ensure high performance? Part of the answer requires first understanding and then paying attention to the potential impact of national culture on team dynamics.
| Kind of Team | Purpose | Duration | Accountability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Team The New Zealand Dairy Board structures global teams for product development and placement | Part of business operations; responsible on a daily basis for adding value to organization | Ongoing part of organization's operation and structure | Joint accountability is ongoing and constant |
| Project Team When Disney begins their new Hong Kong project they will bring people from France, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States for all sorts of projects | Comes together to work on an identified project; not intended to be indefinite; has the objective of implementing a specific change | Depends on resources, the complexity of the project, and commitment to its charter | Joint accountability is around achieving particular goal for which it is formed |
| Task Force When Infineum began to look at global diversity, they had task forces in Singapore, the United States, and the U.K. | To accomplish a specific short-term goal; make recommendations about a specific issue or problem | Depends on the issue, but six months to a year is a common length of time | Joint accountability involves coming up with a set of recommendations to be presented to a particular body |
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[] Three Types of Global Teams