Preview

Distefano

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
10576 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Distefano
Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 45– 63, 2000
© 2000 Elsevier Science, Inc.

ISSN 0090-2616/00/$–see frontmatter
PII S0090-2616(00)00012-7

Creating Value with Diverse
Teams in Global Management
JOSEPH J. DISTEFANO

INTRODUCTION

T

oday’s economy increasingly requires people to collaborate in teams that cross cultural and geographic boundaries. Sometimes team members are all located in the same physical setting. More and more frequently, they are scattered across a city, a country, or the globe. In theory, these teams should create significant competitive advantage by bringing together different ideas, pools of knowledge, and approaches to work. However, in practice global teams do not often create the value expected. Instead, members clash, and the teams are either paralyzed into inaction or worse. With today’s workforce demographics, the existence of culturally diverse teams is inevitable; and with today’s competitive environment, firms cannot afford to forego their value.
A few years ago we began a systematic study of multicultural teams. The literature told us that diverse teams have a lot of potential. Compared to homogeneous teams they can be more creative, generate more and

MARTHA L. MAZNEVSKI

better alternatives to problems, and generate more and better criteria for evaluating alternatives. However, in no research did diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones on overall solution quality, and in only one study did they equal the homogeneous teams. But a couple of studies and a wealth of anecdotal evidence suggested a slightly different story. Diverse teams tend to perform either better or worse than homogeneous ones, with more performing worse than better (see Fig. 1). We set out to determine what distinguished the poor performers from the high performers, and to develop ways of helping culturally diverse teams at the bottom of the performance graph leapfrog the homogeneous teams and create value. Why Focus on Multicultural
Teams?
Members of



Bibliography: Park: Sage, 1991): 138 –173; F.J. Milliken and L.L Academy of Management Review 21 (1996): 402– 433; and S (1997): 239 –290. Two publications on culturally diverse teams that highly complement the material here are S.C Company,” Organizational Dynamics 24, no. 4 (1996): 50 – 67; and S Ward, Leading International Teams (Berkshire, UK: McGraw–Hill International, 2000). Perspective on Clinical Issues (Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1984); and the article “Towards a Theory of Communication in Terms of Preconditions: A Conceptual Framework Giles and R.N. St. Clair (Eds.), Recent Advances in Language, Communication, and Social Psychology (London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1985). DiStefano and M.L. Maznevski (Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 2000) for cultural mapping include N.J. Adler, International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, 3rd ed., (Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 1997); G.H Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, (New York: McGraw–Hill, 1997); and (Avon: The Bath Press, 1993).

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Langdon-Neuner, E., & Nacinovich Jr, M. R. (2011). Healthcare communication: A question of definition. The Journal of European Medical Writers Association, 20(3), 140-141.…

    • 1419 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    References: Schiavo, R. (2007). Health Communication - From Theory to Practice. New York, New York: Jossey- Bass.…

    • 1321 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hodgetts, R. M., Luthans, F., & Doh, J. P. (2006). International Management Culture, Strategy and Behavior (6th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.…

    • 15014 Words
    • 61 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The way communication works is seen better in the healthcare setting or in the working world altogether.. Communication is an important part of the healthcare setting. But at the same time it can also be misunderstood. So when dealing in any situation, whether its life or work. When it comes to the healthcare setting it is a lot of problems that are being faced. But one of the major problems in the healthcare is communication. As people try to take a better look at improving our healthcare setting this is the first thing that needs to be changed. Communication altogether has effective and ineffective parts.…

    • 2115 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    & Organizational Studies 12 (4): 73-88. http://jlo.sagepub.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au (accessed June 16, 2011). Magala, S. 2009. Crosscultural life of social values and organizational analysis: An introduction to the special themed section. Organization Studies 30 (9): 925-931. Sage. http://oss.sagepub.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au (accessed June 23, 2011). McShane, S. L., A. Travaglione, and M. Olekalns. 2010a. Organisational behaviour on the pacific rim. 3rd edition. ed. North Ryde, N.S.W.: McGrawHill. McShane, S. L., A. Travaglione, and M. Olekalns. 2010b. Organisational behaviour on the pacific rim: Self assessment exercises. http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.au (accessed June 18, 2011). McSweeney, B. 2002. Hofstede 's model of national cultural differences and their consequences: A triumph of faith - a failure of analysis. Human Relations 55 (1): 89. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au (accessed June 24, 2011). Migliore, L. A. 2011. Relation between big five personality traits and hofstede 's cultural dimensions: Samples from the USA and india. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal 18 (1): 38-54. Emerald. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13527601111104287 (accessed June 12, 2011). Minkov, M., and G. Hofstede. 2011. The evolution of hofstede 's doctrine. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal 18 (1): 10-20. Emerald June 23, 2011). Munley, A. E. 2011. Culture differences in leadership. IUP Journal of Soft Skills 5 (1): 16-30. Business Source Complete. http://search.ebscohost.com (accessed June 12, 2011). Porter, L. W., and G. B. McLaughlin. 2006. Leadership and the organizational context: Like the weather? The Leadership Quarterly 17 (6): 559-576. Science Direct. http://www.sciencedirect.com (accessed June 23, 2011). Savage-Austin, A. P., and A. D. Honeycutt. 2011. Servant leadership: A phenomenological study of practices, experiences, organizational effectiveness, and barriers. Journal of Business & Economics Research 9 (1): 49. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au (accessed June 19, 2011). Schein, E. H. 1985. Organizational culture and leadership. San Franciso: JosseyBass Publishers. Shao, L., and S. Webber. 2006. A cross-cultural test of the five-factor model of personality and transformational leadership '. Journal of Business Research 59 (8): 936-944. Science Direct. http://www.sciencedirect.com (accessed June 23, 2011). Smith, P. B., M. F. Peterson, and S. H. Schwartz. 2002. Cultural values, sources of guidance, and their relevance to managerial behavior: A 47-nation study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology 33 (2): 188-208. Sage. http://jcc.sagepub.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed June 25, 2011). Solansky, S. T. 2008. Leadership style and team processes in self-managed teams. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies 14 (4): 332-341.…

    • 3320 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Erez, Miriam and Gili S. Drori. (2009) “Global Culture and Organizational Processes” in Rabi S. Bhagat and Richard M. Steers (eds.) Handbook of Culture, Organizations, and Work, Cambridge University Press,148-179.…

    • 3179 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    As I have progressed from project two to project three my theory of communication has evolved as composing genres put a new dynamic component in my theory. From project two, my theory of communication was essentially nurses are responsible in all areas of communication, whether it is a change in the audience, constraints that occur, the clarity of their content or any rhetorical situations that happen. Nurses are the main entity within their medical community to provide accurate information and superior communication in the field. With the completion of project three my theory is nearly the same, but new aspects have come into play with the functioning of communication. As I have completed the three genre’s I had to consider who was my audience,…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    This is a form of communication that in order to be effective needs to be examined. A supportive climate of communication has description, problem orientation, spontaneity, empathy, equality, and provisonalism. “Description refers to the messages that explain your feelings, reactions, and your needs to others. Problem orientation refers to a point of view you share with another that indicates “we” may have a problem, and we can find a solution. Spontaneity is a genuine, natural way of communicating with honesty and openness. Empathy conveys respect, understanding, and acceptance to another; it involves the ability to put you in another’s place. Equality shares a sense of value and mutual respect regardless of power, status, or position. Provisionalism refers to open-minded view and ideas, trying new behaviors, and seeking new solutions” (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, 2013. The "Physician News Digest "(2013) website states, ineffective communication often reduces the accuracy of clinicians diagnosis. By not listening to the patient and their story it significantly reduces the chances of effective treatment plan and deprives the diagnosis from facts. If a physician can utilize effective communication skills, the patient will become an educated participant in treatment, thereby increasing the likelihood of…

    • 953 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Glass Cliff

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages

    References: Horwitz, Sujin K., and Irwin B. Horwitz. "The effects of team diversity on team outcomes: A meta-analytic review of team demography." Journal of management 33.6 (2007): 987-1015.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Intercultural Leadership

    • 6009 Words
    • 25 Pages

    House, R. J., Wright, N. S. & Aditya, R. N. (1997). Cross-cultural research on organizational…

    • 6009 Words
    • 25 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    The case analysis:Bata Shoe

    • 3574 Words
    • 15 Pages

    20. Richard M. Hodgetts & Fred Luthans. International management: culture, strategy, and behavior, 5th ed. Boston, Mass.: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2003,p279-302.…

    • 3574 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Doh, Jonathan, and Fred Luthans. International Management: Culture, Strategy, and Behavior. 7 ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2008.…

    • 4355 Words
    • 18 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    Cross Management

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    3. CP Thomas, D.C. “How Culture Works,” Ch.4, Cross-Cultural Management: Essential Concepts, 2008, Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Best Essays

    House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V., (2004). „Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies“. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.…

    • 3312 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The skills involved in providing effective communication are vast and varied, however, due to the word constraint of this essay it has not be possible to explore every aspect of communication. Therefore, only aspects deemed by the author, to be relevant to clinical practice are discussed.…

    • 2050 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics