Teamwork across cultures
Managers are more likely than ever to be working in teams with people of different nationalities and backgrounds. Working effectively in a team of people of mixed nationalities and cultures requires some understanding of what makes these people “tick” – their significant values and beliefs, and the automatic assumptions they make.
By Sally Lansdell
This commentary describes some different ways of looking at culture and illustrates the effect that national differences can have, before bringing these together to provide some recommendations for working smart in a multicultural team. The word “multicultural” is used to denote a team composed of people from different cultures, different nationalities, or both.
Communications
In addition to the obvious problems of communication, due to the fact that not everyone speaks the same language, other differences may cause problems in multicultural teams. For example, people have different conversational styles. British people and Americans interrupt with comments of their own and even finish other people’s sentences.
In Mediterranean cultures, everyone speaks at once. By contrast, in Finland and Russia, serial conversation is the norm – people take turns speaking and everyone else listens without interrupting. When the speaker has finished, other people think about what was said before they comment.
While someone else is speaking a Japanese person may say “yes” or “I understand” frequently, but this does not signify agreement, merely encouragement. Filipinos may smile and laugh when they are angry, which could give others totally the wrong impression. Italians see it as normal to shout at each other and express strong views with a great deal of gesticulation – which would be considered rude to an Austrian or German.
Leadership style
Different cultures have radically different expectations of their leaders, so leaders of multicultural teams must consider whether their own approach will work with all team members. Some cultures seem happiest with leaders who are dictatorial, even autocratic – France and Germany being examples of these. Status in these countries derives from competence rather than personality. Such leaders give clear instructions, often written, and then often leave people alone to do their work. Orders are obeyed out of respect for the boss’s functional role and competence.
American leaders often reserve the right to become autocratic, and are directive rather than consultative. American bosses do not welcome argument or open disagreement from their subordinates, regarding this as insubordination rather than constructive criticism. Leaders in the UK feel they have a right to manage, but conventionally mask orders in the guise of polite requests. They take personal responsibility for results.
Japanese leaders take great pains to avoid being seen as forceful. They are generally respected because of their age or status, but still have to be competent or they will be sidelined. They concentrate on getting the team to work together and are an integral part of it, sharing their information and knowledge and being accessible.
In Italy, authority is based on personal qualities and having the ear of the owner rather than on technical competence. A leader’s most important role is implementation and control, rather than decision-making or strategy. Many Italians consider that they can do their job better than their bosses and have to be personally committed to doing what they are asked, or they will not do it.
“People from different cultures view meetings
from varying perspectives.”
Spanish leaders are thought to be able to solve any problem. In contrast, Swedish leaders are not expected to have the answer. Managers in Sweden see themselves as coaches, planning and coordinating, and giving suggestions rather than orders. In Denmark, professionalism and competence confer authority and being autocratic is unacceptable.
Power is disguised in the Netherlands, and leadership is not overt. There are flexible boundaries between bosses and subordinates, and relationships are friendly and tolerant. In Austria, managers do not worry about ensuring their staff agree with their actions, and claim personal responsibility for decisions that elsewhere may be taken by a team.
Managing meetings
Just as they have different expectations of their leaders, people from different cultures view meetings from varying perspectives. The problems start with preparation. Should preparatory papers be sent out, and will they be read if they are?
In most north European countries and North America, papers are expected and will be studied, although in the UK they are more likely to be glanced at on the way to the meeting. People of other backgrounds will ignore any paperwork and expect the necessary information to be imparted at the meeting itself.
Meetings are held for different purposes. In the US, they are primarily used