Global Management Skills

Transcription

1 Global Management Skills Working and Collaborating Successfully in International Teams team work?.. Whether or not one values teamwork is not so much a cultural matter any more; it is increasingly a matter of whether or not one can get the job done at all without teamwork Edgar Schein

2 Stages of Group Development: a classical model Tuckman and Jensen (1976) A reminder. Forming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning Uncertainty about the purpose, structure and leadership Marked by conflict Emotionally intense stage Marked by cooperation and collaboration Stage where the group is fully functional Involves the termination of group activities; disbandment 2

3 A Model of Group Cohesiveness & Performance MEMBERSHIP size of group compatibility of members performance of members ORGANISATIONAL management & leadership HR policies & procedures success external threat GROUP COHESIVENESS & PERFORMANCE Mullins, 2010, p WORK ENVIRONMENT nature of task physical setting communications technology GROUP DEVELOPMENT & MATURITY forming storming norming performing adjourning

4 Global Teams Careful attention to culture s impact on style of group working Consider the cultural context: impact of cultural dimensions and orientation on group members link to Geert Hofstede web pages

5 Potential challenges to culturally diverse groups Lack of cohesion Lack of cultural intelligence in team Preconceived ideas and erroneous perception Communication noise Relationship with time/time lines Comfort with roles Eg attitudes towards taking the lead Is the team a virtual team?

6 Cross Cultural teams Mixed nationalities in a team can: bring richer and more appropriate solutions. broaden a manager s interpersonal skills and CQ Create a company-wide network. When do the costs outweigh the benefits? Do some mixes of nationalities work together better than others? (cultural proximity?) The exact mix of nationalities is seldom chosen

7 Source: Gluesing J.C., Gibson C.B. Designing and Forming Global Teams, CEO Publication, 2003 Differences in Context Between Traditional and Global Teams Traditional Teams Work in a Single Context Global Teams Work Across Multiple Contexts Common physical location and work environment Common national culture in a single geography Multiple physical locations and work environments Multiple national cultures in multiple geographies Common economic and political conditions Native language speakers Professional expertise and communication skills Task is generally contained within organizational and national boundaries Opportunity for frequent, face-to-face and informal interactions and information sharing Work within a single time zone Multiple and dissimilar economic and political conditions Native and non-native language speakers Cross-cultural competence and adaptability in addition to professional expertise, communication skills Task generally involves crossing organizational and national boundaries Opportunities for informal interaction are infrequent and interaction is generally structured and mediated by technology Often work across multiple time zones

8 Competencies for Managers of Global Virtual Teams Cross Cultural Leadership: effective cross-cultural leadership has implications for developing trust and building relationships, facilitating communication, encouraging collaboration, and managing conflict (GLOBE study: House et al. 2004) Cultural Intelligence: It is the ability to interact effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds (Thomas & Inkson, 2009). Communication and Interpersonal Skills: the greater the cultural differences are between sender and receiver, the greater is the expected difficulty in communicating (Pantelli & Chiasson, 2008).

9 Can we assume we agree..? Comfortable atmosphere Discussion Task understood and accepted Listening evident Disagreements occur Decision-making by consensus Criticism is frequent, frank but comfortable Free expression of feelings and ideas McGregor, D. in Furnham, A (2005) The Psychology of Behaviour at Work. 2e, Hove, Psychology Press Val Finnigan, Senior Lecturer and Teacher Fellow Faculty of Business and Law

10 How do we behave in teams? Dr. R. Meredith Belbin Key Management Team Roles

11 Background to Belbin s research Belbin explained Meredith Belbin explains his ideas Belbin Interview

12 Belbin s Team Role Theory Originally 8 team roles, now 9 Belbin interested in what made a team successful Teams made up of different roles Teams of all one type of team role Apollo teams

13 Belbin s Team Role Theory Belbin s research Teams: competed against each other composed of different roles composed of same roles constructed teams deficient in one of the roles

14 Belbin s Team Role Theory Team members: Natural roles Roles that can be assumed Roles best avoided

15 What underpins team role behaviour? Personality Mental abilities Current values and motivations Immediate environment Experience and cultural factors Role learning Source: M. Belbin (1993) Team Roles at Work, Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann

16 Belbin Team Roles: which Plant one are you? Shaper Teamworker Implementer Completer Finisher Coordinator Resource Investigator Monitor Evaluator Specialist

17 Doing roles Belbin Team Roles People roles Thinking roles

18 Belbin Team Roles Doing roles: Thinking roles: Shaper Plant Implementer Monitor Evaluator Completer Finisher Specialist People roles: Coordinator Teamworker Resource Investigator

19 Evaluate your team using the profile Enhance your reflection Improve team performance Improve communication Address weaknesses and undeveloped roles

20 Co-ordinator (CO) Characteristics: Commands respect; inspires enthusiasm; confident; clarifies; sums up; likeable Allowable weaknesses: No marked creative or intellectual power Function: Controls the way the team works

21 Characteristics: Enthusiastic; unites disparate ideas; persuades; outgoing; dynamic Allowable weaknesses: Dislikes vague ideas; impatient; impulsive; arrogant; dominant Function: Shaper (SH) Shapes activities; challenges; disagrees; encourages action

22 Implementer (IMP) Characteristics: Self-disciplined; systematic; sincere; trusting; reliable; efficient; hardworking Allowable weaknesses: Inflexible; unresponsive to unproven ideas Function: Likes to operationalise concepts and plans CO relies on implementer

23 Monitor Evaluator (ME) Characteristics: Critical thinking; good judgment; dispassionate analysis; unemotional; prudent Allowable weaknesses: Hypercritical; unexciting; serious; not tactful; aloof Function: Analyses problems, evaluates ME prevents team from taking excessive risks

24 Plant (PL) Characteristics: Creative; imaginative; innovative; problem solver; dominant; individualistic; unorthodox Allowable weaknesses: Forthright; impractical; sulks; may make careless mistakes Function: Generates lots of new ideas PL needs careful handling by CO and others

25 Resource Investigator (RI) Characteristics: Likeable; enthusiastic; creative; innovative; improviser; extrovert; curious Allowable weaknesses: Over enthusiastic; lack of follow-up; uses tact to escape criticism Function: Explores opportunities; develops contacts; negotiates

26 Team Worker (TW) Characteristics: Sensitive; perceptive; trusting; good communicator; social; adaptable Allowable weaknesses: Indecisive; dislikes conflict; can be seen as soft Function: Supportive role; fosters team spirit; improves communication

27 Completer Finisher (CF) Characteristics: Orderly; purposeful; planner; conscientious; anxious; painstaking Allowable weaknesses: Worrier; dislikes casualness Function: Ensures sense of urgency; results are achieved; deadlines met CF can lower morale of SH and PL

28 Specialist (SP) Characteristics: Single-minded; self-starting; dedicated; committed; professional; self-reliant Allowable weaknesses: Contributes on a narrow front Function: Provides knowledge, expertise; technical skills

29 Belbin Team Roles Doing roles: Thinking roles: Shaper Plant Implementer Monitor Evaluator Completer Finisher Specialist People roles: Coordinator Teamworker Resource Investigator

30 Some thoughts. Reflect on your experience of working in your cross cultural teams What issues/ challenges/ problems have emerged? Do you see yourself as an effective cross cultural team worker? Val Finnigan, Senior Lecturer and Teacher Fellow Faculty of Business and Law

31 Some references Bratton, J et al (2007) Work and Organisational Behaviour. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Mullins, L.J. (2010) Management and Organisational Behaviour, 9 th edn, FT/ Prentice Hall. Gluesing J. C, Gibson C. B.(2003), Designing and Forming Global Teams, CEO Publication, Gibson, C. B., Building Multicultural Teams: Learning to Manage Homogeneity and Heterogeneity, Chapter appear in N.A. Boyacigiller, R.A. Goodman, and M.E. Phillips, Crossing Cultures: Insights from Master Teachers, Blackwell Publishing, 2004.

32 Finally Some lessons from geese geese and team work