Working On Global Virtual Teams:
The Intercultural Challenge of
Making Teams Work Across Cultures
Presented by TRC Global
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
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© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Today’s Presenter
Dean Foster,
Dean Foster Associates
01.718.287.9890 / 01.888.845-8749
www.deanfosterassociates.com
[email protected]
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Working on Virtual Teams
The Intercultural
Challenges of Making
Global Teams Work”
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“IF YOU ENTER A REGION, ASK
WHAT ITS PROHIBITIONS ARE;
IF YOU VISIT A COUNTRY, ASK
WHAT ITS
CUSTOMS ARE;
IF YOU CROSS A FAMILY’S
THRESHOLD, ASK WHAT ITS
TABOOS ARE.”
-
Li Ji (The Book of Rites)
One of the Five Confucian Classics (500 BC)
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“A virtual team or globally dispersed
team, like every other team, is a group
of people who interact through
interdependent tasks guided by a
common purpose. Unlike conventional
teams, a virtual team works across
space, time and organizational
boundaries with links strengthened by
webs of communication technologies.”
- Lipnack & Stamps, 1997
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Factors that Influence Team Motivation
PURPOSE
CHALLENGE
CAMARADERIE
RESPONSIBILITY
GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Keys to Building Great Work Teams
 COMMITMENT
(not just compliance)
 CONTRIBUTION
 COMMUNICATION
 COOPERATION
 CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
 CHANGE MANAGEMENT
 CONNECTIONS
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
What are the
benefits of
multicultural
teamwork?
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Benefits
• Close to customer
needs
• Local resourcing
• Local market
knowledge
• Local business
knowledge
• Follow-the-sun
efficiencies
• Learn new
ways/perspectives
• Alternate solutions
• Immediate customer
servicing
• Immediate
communication
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
What are the
challenges of
muticultural
teamwork?
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Challenges
• Clarity of
communications
• Technology overdependent
• Not “high-touch”
• 24/7 scheduling
• Lack of clear
focus/center
• Integrating
alternative
perspectives
• Cultural
misunderstandings
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“WE DON’T SEE
THINGS
AS THEY ARE...
WE SEE THINGS
AS WE ARE”
-Anais Nin
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Cultural Filters

Brazilians say...
- always in a
hurry
- serious,
reserved
- cautious
- restrained
- composed
- methodical

Japanese say...
- relaxed
- friendly,
spontaneous
- reckless
- uninhibited
- emotional
- impulsive
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“IF THE MIND IS THE
HARDWARE,
THEN CULTURE IS THE
SOFTWARE”
-Geert Hofstede
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Cultural “Iceberg”
EXPLICIT CULTURE
PERCEIVABLE BEHAVIORS
TOPOGRAPHY
CLIMATE
IMPLICIT CULTURE
Traditions / Values / Norms
HISTORY
RELIGION
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Explicit Team Behaviors Around
•Punctuality
•Leadership/followship
•Social Etiquette
•Verbal Communication
•Decision-making
•Problem-solving
•Men & Women/age
•Conflict resolution
•Holidays & scheduling
•Meeting protocols
•Negotiation Styles
•Project management
•Non-verbal
Communications
•Boss-subordinate roles
•Deadline/timelines
•Critique/reward
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Implicit Cultural Values
 WHAT IS THE PREFERRED NATURE
OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS?
 HOW DO WE VIEW TIME?
 WHAT IS OUR ROLE IN THE LARGER
SCHEME OF THINGS?
(How do we communicate with others?)
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Implicit Cultural Values
WHAT IS THE PREFERRED
WAY TO INTERACT WITH OTHERS?
•
•
•
•
INDIVIDUAL / GROUP
TASK / RELATIONSHIP
OBJECTIVIST / SITUATIONALIST
EGALITARIAN / STATUS-RANK
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Individualist / Group Teams
INDIVIDUALIST
GROUP
• INDIVIDUAL TASK
RESPONSIBILITIES
• INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE
• INDIVIDUALLY
COMPETITIVE
• SELF-INITIATING
• INDIVIDUAL GETS
CREDIT/BLAME
• ALL TEAM MEMBERS
HANDLE ALL TASKS
• CONCENSUS IS
ACHIEVED BEFORE
ACTION TAKEN
• GROUP IS REWARDED
• INDIVIDUALS
SHIELDED
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Independence…
Interdependence
1
2
3
4
5
_____________________________________
US UK
NETH
GER
FR INDIA ITY MEX CH JPN
NORD
BRAZIL
SAUD
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Task / Relationship Teams
TASK
(transactional)
•
•
•
•
ACHIEVING TASKS
ALWAYS COMES FIRST
ACCOUNTABILITY IS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN
“FACE”
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
MAY BE IRRELEVANT TO
TASK
SPECIFICITY AROUND
TASK IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN BIG
PICTURE
RELATIONSHIP
•
•
•
•
CREATING &
MAINTAINING
INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONSHIPS IS
FIRST PRIORITY
ALWAYS
“FACE” IS PRIORITY
CONSIDERATION
PROFESSIONAL
ADVICE IS SHARED
BIG PICTURE FRAMES
TASKS
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Task ... Relationship
(Transactional…human touch)
1
2
3
4
5
_____________________________________
US
UK NORD FR
BRAZIL ITY CH
NETH GERM
JPN INDIA MEX SAUD
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Objectivist / Situationalist
OBJECTIVIST
•
•
•
•
RULES & SOPs ARE
ABSOLUTE & UNIVERSAL
“EXCEPTIONS” ARE JUST
THAT
PERSONAL &
PROFESSIONAL
OBLIGATIONS ARE TO BE
AVOIDED
“HI-TECH” IS PREFERRED
TO “HIGH-TOUCH”
SITUATIONALIST
•
•
•
PERSONAL &
PROFESSIONAL
OBLIGATIONS
ALWAYS TRUMP
RULES & PROCESSES
EXCEPTIONS BASED
ON POWER,
RELATIONSHIPS,
SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES
DETERMINE ACTION
“HIGH-TOUCH”
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Objectivist / Situationalist
1
2
3
4
5
_________________________________
GER
US UK FR INDIA
NETH NORD
ITY MEX CH
BRAZIL SAUD
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Egalitarian / Hierarchy
EGALITARIAN
•
•
•
•
•
•
ALL EXPECTED TO
CONTRIBUTE: ROLEEXPANSIVE,
INFORMATIONSHARING
AUTHORITY CONFERRED
BASED ON COMPETENCY
GENDER, AGE, RACE, CLASS
IRRELEVANT
INFORMAL, EFFICIENCYDRIVEN
BUREAUCRACY IS NECESSARY
EVIL
PERKS/SYMBOLS OF RANK
MYSTIFIED
HIERARCHY
•
•
•
•
•
CONTRIBUTION ONLY
ACCORDING TO ROLE: ROLESPECIFIC, INFORMATIONENTITLED
AUTHORITY CONFERRED BASED
ON GENDER, AGE, CLASS, RACE
FORMAL, PROTOCOL-DRIVEN
BUREAUCRACY IS INHERENTLY
STABILIZING & USEFUL
PERKS/SYMBOLS
OF RANK CLEAR
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Egalitarian / Hierarchy
1
2
3
4
5
_________________________________
US UK NORD BRAZIL MEX
NETH GERM
ITY CHI
FR
SAUD
INDIA
JPN
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Implicit Cultural Values
HOW DO WE VIEW TIME?
MONOCHRONIC / POLYCHRONIC
 DOING / BEING
PAST (Fate) / FUTURE (Control &
change)
RISK-TAKING / RISK-AVOIDING
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Monochronic / Polychronic
MONOCHRONIC
•
•
•
•
•
LINEAR,
COMPARTMENTALIZED
PLANNING
PUNCTUALITY CRITICAL
TO TASK
PROJECTING &
CONTROLLING FUTURE
ORGANIZED PLANNING
EVEN WHEN MULTITASKING
TIME MAXIMIZED FOR
GREATEST RESULTS
POLYCHRONIC
•
•
•
•
•
TIME IS BACKDROP
FOR ACTION, NOT
DETERMINANT
PUNCTUALITY
SECONDARY TO TASK
FUTURE IS NOT
CONTROLLABLE
REACTIVE MULTITASKING
DEADLINES ARE
DESIRED TARGETS
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Time & Project Planning
MONOCHRONIC:
POLYCHRONIC:
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Monochronic / Polychronic
1
2
3
4
5
_________________________________
GERM
NORD
US UK NETH
FR
CHI
ITY
JPN
BRAZIL MEX
INDIA SAUDI
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Risk / Uncertainty & Teams
RISK-COMFORT
•
•
•
MINIMAL INFO, FAST
DECISIONS
DECISIVENESS IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN
PERFECTION
DOING IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN
PREDICTABILITY
RISK-AVOIDANT
•
•
•
DETAILS ABSOLUTELY
NECESSARY,
DELIBERATIVE
DECISION-MAKING
PERFECTION IS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN
SPEED
PREDICTABILITY &
ESTABLISHING
PRECEDENT IS
CRITICAL
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Comfort With Uncertainty…
Need For Certainty
1
2
3
4
5
_____________________________________
NETH US CHI
SAUDI
FRA
BRAZIL UK
NORD
GERM
MEX
INDIA
JPN
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Implicit Cultural Values

HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE
OURSELVES TO OTHERS?
HIGH CONTEXT / LOW-CONTEXT
CONFRONTATION-DIRECT /
HARMONY-INDIRECT
 DEDUCTIVE / INDUCTIVE /
HOLISTIC
 FORMAL / INFORMAL
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
High / Low Context Commuications
HIGH-CONTEXT: (“Yes” means “yes”, “maybe”, “I see”, “no”…)
COMMUNICATION CONTEXT
LOW-CONTEXT: (“Yes” means “Yes”)
COMMUNICATION CONTEXT
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Low / High Context Teams
LOW-CONTEXT
•
•
•
•
SPECIFICITY & MEANING
IN WORDS
CLARITY IS GOAL
DEBATE,
CONFRONTATION IS
PRODUCTIVE
EXPLICIT INFORMATION
HIGH-CONTEXT
•
•
•
•
OBLIQUE &
REFERENTIAL SPEECH
MAY BE PREFERABLE
“FACE” & HARMONY IS
PREFERRED
DEBATE,
CONFRONTATION IS
UNPRODUCTIVE
INFORMATION IS
EMBEDDED IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES &
RELATIONSHIPS
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Non-Verbal Communications
•
•
•
•
•
•
GESTURES, BODY
MOVEMENTS
EYE CONTACT
FACIAL
EXPRESSIONS
PHYSICALITY
GREETINGS
BODY
COMPOSURE
•
•
•
•
PERSONAL SPACE
DRESS
USE OF SILENCE
HYGIENE
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Deductive / Inductive Teams
DEDUCTIVE
•
•
•
•
PROCESS IS FOCUS, NOT
RESULT
METHOD, “BLUEPRINT”,
PRECEDENT IS
PREFERRED
SMALL DETAILS ARE
IMPLICIT TO FINAL
OUTCOME:
BACKGROUND IS KEY
CORRECT CONCEPTUAL
APPROACH IS CRITICAL
(“why”, “how”)
INDUCTIVE
•
•
•
•
RESULT IS FOCUS,
NOT PROCESS
RESULT CAN BE
ACHIEVED IN
NUMEROUS WAYS
SMALL DETAILS ARE
BOTHERSOME
DISTRACTIONS:
BACKGROUND IS
IRRELEVANT
“WHAT WORKS” IS
BEST APPROACH
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Low Context / High Context
1
2
3
4
5
_____________________________________
GER
US FR BRAZIL
NETH
NORD UK
CHI MEX CH
JPN
ITY
INDIA SAUD
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“PLEASE TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF
THE
CHAMBERMAID”
- Japanese hotel
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“BROKEN
ENGLISH,
SPOKEN
PERFECTLY”
- Mexico City hotel
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Managing “Global English”








Slow down, give time: use “conscious speech”
Simplify your words: speak in phrases
Remove all slang, sports terms, acronymns,
abbreviations
Avoid double negatives & “yes/no” questions
Remain formal until cued otherwise
Never shout; if anything, tone down
Learn basic ten phrases of team languages
Tune into non-verbals & context
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Roadmap For Multi-Cultural Teams
1.
2.
3.
IDENTIFY the cultural
differences in the team.
DETERMINE “one-way”
team direction.
INSTRUCT & INCENT “oneway” team behaviors.
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Tips &Tactics
•
•
•
•
•
•
For telecons, what you do BEFORE and BETWEEN meetings
will determine the success of the meetings: distribute
clear, concise agendas ahead of time that everyone has
agreed on.
Insure that all team members master language
management techniques.
Spread the 24/7 pain equally, and do not assume all team
members have access to technology for 24/7 meetings.
Insure that individual roles and responsibilities are clearly
understood by all.
Use technology to build relationships, not only efficiencies.
Schedule face-to-face opportunities whenever possible.
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
“Although working with a
variety of cultures in
teams has been the most
difficult challenge of my
career, it has also been
the most rewarding.”
- Quote from a global project manager
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Worldwide ERC® Member Questions
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
Visit the Worldwide ERC® web site at
www.worldwideERC.org, or contact
Worldwide ERC® for more information
on these topics. 703.842.3400
© 2011 Worldwide ERC®
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