Global teamwork

Posts : 3 Points : 9 Thanked : 0 Join date : 2014-04-23

Global teamwork inevitably requires the participation of people who have different cultural backgrounds. Differences in the ways members perceive teamwork and how they perform their roles within the team frequently produce serious challenges to the effectiveness of the team.
Issues of trust, communication, individual goals, and shared objectives are all greatly influenced by the different cultural backgrounds of the team’s members. Likewise, the members’ knowledge and skills are shaped within the cultures of their respective home countries, as are each member’s core values.
What Is Culture? Culture is neither a tangible thing nor an observable event, but its importance for global business people cannot be overstated. What exactly is culture? An excellent short definition is:
Culture is how we do things around here.
This definition is on-target because it focuses on “how.” It’s not what people from different cultures do that makes cultural differences important for business people, but how they do those things. For instance, in businesses worldwide there are employees and supervisors, and the latter somehow oversee the work of the former; that’s awhat. Culture is about how, in different regions, the employee-supervisor relationship is structured and maintained so that work gets done. Here’s another definition in the form of an analogy:
Culture is to a society what personality is to an individual.
This definition is on-target because it captures a quality that all of us sense: that there are ways in which individuals who have the same cultural background – Chinese, Russian, Italian, Australian – are similar to one another…at least in some ways, if not necessarily in all ways. The author of this definition is saying that this fact is analogous to the uniqueness that we sense in the personality of each friend and business colleague. That same author, Geert Hofstede, also penned a more typical definition of culture:
Culture is the collective programming of the mind that
distinguishes the members of one human group from another.
This definition is on-target, too, because of the phrase “collective programming of the mind.” People with experience creating computer programs, even very simple ones such as macros, recognize that the programs arrange for certain tasks or processes – what needs to be done – to be carried out each time in a similar manner – how it is done. A program provides a set of directions for the way a computer task is to be carried out; a culture provides a set of directions for the way a human activity or relationship is to be carried out. One big difference: A computer is strictly directed by its program. A human is advised and guided by his or her culture, but the human has a unique personality that plays a guiding role, too.
The Role of Values A useful way to gain insight into cross-cultural differences among groups from different world regions is to focus on their contrasting values and beliefs. Values and beliefs guide the behavior of individuals; shared values and beliefs guide the behavior of groups. Intercultural researchers have long explored the contrasting values and beliefs of national groups. Among the contrasts that, over past decades, have proven applicable to the improvement of global business relationships are these:

Task Relationship
Things get done when processes are in place. Things get done when relationships are in place.

Explicit Implicit
Meanings are stated directly. Meanings are often stated indirectly, need to be inferred.

Individual Group
“Me” is more important than “we.” “We” is more important than “me.”

Risk-Taking Risk-Avoiding
New is good; change is desirable. Continuity is good; change is to be avoided.

Tight Loose
Time is to be controlled; punctuality counts. Events occur at their own pace; flexibility counts.

Shared Concentrated
Power, authority distributed within a group. Power, authority focused on few group members.

Linear Circular
Reasoning is analytical, step-by-step. Reasoning explores options in an unstructured way.

Facts Thinking
Thought uses data and concrete experience. Thought uses concepts and logic.

Simple Complex
Focus on basics, little attention to context. Focus on understanding things in full context.

Value contrasts such as these create opportunities for misunderstandings and conflicts within teams whose members are from different cultural backgrounds. Gaining awareness of these contrasts is an excellent way to begin identifying the value differences that are causing problems, or could soon cause problems, within any global team. Referring to the above list can help to identify underlying causes, to provide clues to resolving problems, and to improve collaboration…and perhaps even build synergies.

Subject: Re: Global teamwork Wed Apr 23, 2014 1:36 am

I wanna conclude that global team requires the understanding of multi-culture from each member. That makes the goal achievement done effectively and easily. So the culture strongly impacts on how global team run their work and what the result is, right?

Posts : 20 Points : 34 Thanked : 4 Join date : 2014-03-21

It is true that global teamwork really need the deeply understanding between cultures and cultures. Smile

Learning about culture difference seems to be very useful for our future business, huh?

Subject: Re: Global teamwork Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:07 pm

Have you ever think that we would set up our own business in the future ; Wink

Six of us =))
Of course international business, so studying international communication as now would play an important role ; Wink

Turning back to the topic, nowadays the technology has been developing significantly. we can easily experience and learn about many different cultures on the Internet or some programs/ channels on TV.
The harder you cultivate the knowledge about cultures, the less difficulty you may face to when running an international business.

Subject: Re: Global teamwork Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:21 pm

I am really interested in your ideal, VuongThiThuHa. I also wanna start-up our own company in the near future afro

Posts : 20 Points : 34 Thanked : 4 Join date : 2014-03-21

True true true! We should have start to plan for our long term future (10 years from now). How about have farm with KOBE cows? haha. That's my dream actually.

Anyways, yes this is true that we are living in the century of technology, so finding information is easier for us. And also education have been care about this, that's the reason why we have some classes like International Communication. In order to prepare for our future plan, right? Cool!!!!

Subject: Re: Global teamwork Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:17 pm

You are so high feeling hyper feeling NguyenTueMinh =))
I like eating KOBE beef Wink

)
I am big fan of beef steak =))

Posts : 20 Points : 34 Thanked : 4 Join date : 2014-03-21

heyyy! don't laugh at my dream. It was a dream since my 7th grade. accidently from a picture that I had to draw. But long story though. Wait for it okay? You would be my partners or my huge customers in the future. I'm gonna make it!!!!! Super duper delicious spicy and sour KOBE beef hot pot is coming for you =)

Subject: Re: Global teamwork Wed Apr 23, 2014 10:28 pm

Oh I don't laugh at your dream Wink

) sorry baby ^^ I have a big dream about establishing a restaurant ; Wink

Your and my dream seems to be the same hehe :X may be a partner for you ^^

Posts : 20 Points : 34 Thanked : 4 Join date : 2014-03-21

great enough to me. haha. I will provide you the best beef ever. Dont forget me baby. haha.
I will start to do research about Japanese culture in order to work with Japanese and buy KOBE cows from there. haha. This is a very helpful topic.

» The Role of Global Mindset in Developing Global Leaders
» How to build a Teamwork
» Elements of effective teamwork
» Building a Global Leadership Pipeline - The importance of Global Leadership
» GLOBAL WORKFORCE TRANNING

Global teamwork

Global teamwork

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