1. Session objectives
Identify strengths and weaknesses of cross-cultural teams
Learn to identify potential trouble-spots in cross-cultural teams
Develop and practice a set of techniques for effective management of cross-cultural teams

2. Experiential exercise: The new plant site
You will be asked to work first in a single-culture team to determine the best site for a new plant
You will then be asked to work in a multi-cultural team to make the decision

3. You are no longer students!
Imagine this is a real business situation
Please try to stay in character as best as you can
But, please try to work effectively in your team

4. Cross-cultural teams have strengths and weaknesses
Innovative ideas
Diverse information
Minimization of group-think
Wide-spread commitment
Weaknesses
Process loss (actual productivity = potential productivity - loss due to faulty process)

5. Advantages of multicultural teams
Diversity permits increased creativity--more perspectives; more ideas; less groupthink
Diversity forces enhanced concentration to understand others’ ideas, arguments
Increased creativity-->better problem definition, more alternatives, better decisions
Teams become more effective

6. Disadvantages Lack of cohesion caused by
mistrust (lower interpersonal attractiveness; stereotyping; more within-culture conversations); miscommunication; and stress (tension, less agreement)
Inability to validate ideas, gain consensus, take concerted action
Teams become less efficient, less productive

7. Balance of cultures critically important in cross-cultural teams
“Tokens” who deviate from group norms tend to be ostracized
“Tokens” tend to be stereotyped
“Tokens” tend to be less-listened to
IMPLICATIONS
Avoid tokens in group composition
Build in explicit procedures to allow minority voices to be heard

8. 3 critical tasks in team management
Structure the task
What is the objective?
What is the time frame?
What are the resources available?
Set the norms
How will we communicate?
How will we present information?
How will we make decisions?
Build team emotional intelligence
aware of the emotions of its members and work with these emotions

9. All of this takes time!

10. Cross-cultural teams: Before the first meeting
Prepare !
get to know other team members
circulate agenda and materials
set a concrete goal and obtain team buy-in
make sure that the team has the appropriate resources, training and authority
Decide whether or not your team requires a leader
base decision upon corporate culture and national culture
Be conscious of mix of nationalities
avoid tokens

11. Cross-cultural teams: The first meeting
Teams that start out right get better over time.
Teams that start out badly are difficult to turn around.
Build relationships before getting to work.
Set norms for teamwork.
promptness, interruptions, presentation of data, decision-making
Set norms for equal participation.
Provide written summaries of team proceedings.