Challenges of managing communication within virtual...

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/1352-7592.htm The challenges of managing cross-cultural virtual project teams Margaret Oertig and Thomas Buergi Managing crosscultural virtual project teams 23 University of Applied Sciences, Basel, Switzerland Abstract Purpose – This paper seeks to present the challenges reported by project leaders of cross-cultural geographically distributed, or virtual project teams operating within the matrix organisation of ABC, a multinational company based in Switzerland. Design/methodology/approach – The research is qualitative and exploratory, taking the form of inductive thematic analysis. Findings – The key themes reported to be†¦show more content†¦Many of the project team representatives also lead a sub-team in their own ï ¬ eld or function, and these sub-teams also work virtually. Study aims and methodology The study had two aims. The ï ¬ rst was to discover what project leaders perceived as the main challenges arising from managing international teams working in geographically distributed locations, and second, how they managed these challenges. This paper outlines the main themes which emerged from a thematic analysis of interview data, summarising areas of difï ¬ culty and how the project leadership deal with these. The research is qualitative and exploratory, taking the form of inductive thematic analysis. The themes emerged from the qualitative data collected. Interviews were conducted at two sites, in Switzerland and the USA, with six project leaders, six project managers and two ex-project leaders, who are now product area heads. Background interviews were also conducted with three members of senior management responsible for strategic planning, innovation management and executive information systems. Ten interviewees were based in Switzerland and seven in the USA. The nationalities of the interviewees were as follows: three Americans, four British, four Swiss, three German, one French, one French- Canadian and one Japanese. Nine interviewees were male and eight were female. Interpretation of results Interviews were coded for key themes and three major themes emerged asShow MoreRelatedKey Challenges in Cross Cultural Management1071 Words   |  5 Pagesculturally sensitive. Although it appears that managing virtual teams is more complex than managing traditionally aligned teams, success of virtual teams in software fields would suggest otherwise. This paper focuses on the interactions of people in virtual teams trying to understand its challenges as well as its advantages. It also highlights the importance of managing virtual teams in view of its advantages. Whereas it appears that cross cultural issues in teams arise primarily due to miscommunicationRead MoreCommunication Is Defined As â€Å"A Process Of Circular Interaction1190 Words   |  5 PagesCommunication is defined as â€Å"a process of circular interaction involving a sender, receiver, and message† (Moran; p. 80). Effective workplace communication can be difficult when interacting with employees from different cultures and areas of the world. Familiar social and communicative norms may be interpreted as offensive to employees who are not accustomed to the culture in the country of operation. Managers incur the sole responsibility of building and employing best approaches for employeesRead MoreCross Cultural Relationships1105 Words   |  5 Pagesneed t o develop intercultural competences that can help them be more aware of their own culturally-based perceptions, norms, and patterns of thinking, and consequently adapt their behaviors according to specific cultural contexts. Managing people across cultures  offers solid theoretical frameworks and practical insights to handle the cultural challenges in managing people in a globalized workplace. Cross cultural management addresses topics including cross-cultural communication and understandingRead MoreCommunication in Virtual Team1524 Words   |  7 PagesAssignment 1 Communication in Virtual Team Capella University September 26, 2013 Communication Communication is the activity of conveying information though the exchange of thoughts, messages, or information by speech, visuals, signals, writings or behaviors (Grosse, 2002). These processes are done over time, culture, and geographic boundaries, while this has become a common practice for organizations and has give rise to the concept of globally dispersed teams known as virtual teams (LaLondeRead MoreThe Effects Of Culture On Diversity Management Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesKenya. Modern organizations are faced with challenges because of turbulent environments and a competitive global economy. Among these challenges are the use of information and communication technology (ICT), a multicultural workforce, and organizational designs that involve global virtual teams. Ad hoc teams create both opportunities and challenges for organizations and many organizations are trying to understand how the virtual environment affects team effectiveness. Cultural diversity has a positiveRead MoreAdvantages and Disadvantages of Collaboration in the Workplace1417 Words   |  6 Pages Finding new and creative solutions to problems is a challenge in todays business world. In order to stay competitive companies and organizations must produce better products in a shorter amount of time. The development of collaborative teams is becoming a common practice in organizations with growing popularity across the nation and around the world. Collaborative teams can be defined as a group of individuals who have open communication, share common thoughts, ideas, or beliefs, and are workingRead MoreIntercultural Leadership6009 Words   |  25 Pagesleaders: Exploring intercultural competence in leadership education Irving, Justin A. Bethel University Abstract The globalization of the world has brought about massive shifts over the past two decades. With the increase of international travel, the quantum leaps in global communication brought about by the World Wide Web and the increasingly interdependent global economy, the way leaders and organizations approach business has dramatically changed. While intercultural competence was onceRead MoreIdentification Of Challenges Within Lanx Delhi Essay2062 Words   |  9 Pages2.2: Identification of Challenges within Lanx Delhi In view of the proposed move to Delhi by Lanx, there abound three (3) major human resource challenges that may impact on the performance of the organization, they include Diversity, Power and Politics and Management of Virtual teams. 2.2.1 Diversity management Diversity can be defined on two (2) multidimensional basis namely â€Å"demographic and human capital diversity†. However, diversity is a management process where varying views and perspectivesRead MoreMulticultural Management in the Virtual Project Setting3394 Words   |  14 PagesMANAGEMENT IN THE VIRTUAL PROJECT SETTING Carlos Galamba, University of Liverpool Introduction The Virtual Project Setting In today’s globalisation era, effective cross-cultural management of virtual teams is an emerging subject in international business literature and practice. Virtual teaming has a number of potential benefits; not only in terms of human resources flexibility but it can also reduce the operating costs of one organisation. On the other hand, the challenges of such environmentRead MoreManaging Virtual Teams15162 Words   |  61 Pages(2005) 69 – 95 www.socscinet.com/bam/humres Managing virtual teams: A review of current empirical research Guido Hertela,T, Susanne Geisterb, Udo Konradtb a Department of Psychology, Work, Industrial Organizational Psychology, University of Wuerzburg, Roentgenring 10, 97 070 Wuerzburg, Germany b University of Kiel, Germany Abstract This review summarizes empirical research on the management of virtual teams, i.e., distributed work teams whose members predominantly communicate and