Global Teams: Trends, Challenges and Solutions (PDF)

Running head: CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Challenges in Managing Global Teams
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Author Note

1CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Executive summary
The research focuses on various types of challenges faced witnessed under the current scenario of
managing global business teams. Next, the study analyzes the project scopes and objectives along
with reviewing prior literature. After that, different research hypothesis and questions are
demonstrated along with an evaluation of different kinds of limitations. Lastly, a schedule is
illustrated representing the entire research plan.

2CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction:......................................................................................................................................3
2. Project objective:...............................................................................................................................3
3. Project scopes:...................................................................................................................................4
4. Literature review on challenges in Managing Global Teams:...........................................................5
4.1. Background of various challenges to control global teams:...........................................5
4.2. Specific challenges in managing global teams:..............................................................6
4.3. Solutions to challenges in creating global teams:...........................................................6
5. Research Questions:...........................................................................................................................8
6. Research Design and Methodology...................................................................................................8
6.1. Qualitative research:.......................................................................................................8
6.2. Quantitative research:.....................................................................................................9
7. Research Limitations:........................................................................................................................9
8. Time Schedule (Research plan):......................................................................................................10
9. Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................12
10. Reference List:...............................................................................................................................13
11. Appendix:......................................................................................................................................16

3CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
1. Introduction:
In the current global economy, the success of the business has involved an acquisition of
various workforce distributed geographically. However, due to globalization, conventional
boundaries existing under businesses are becoming blurred.
The following study demonstrates the challenges faced in controlling global business teams.
It discusses the project scopes and objectives and conducts a literature review. Then various research
hypothesis and questions are answered. Then the research methodologies and designs are evaluated
along with its limitations. Lastly, the overall research plan is illustrated with a schedule.
2. Project objective:
It is seen that leading teams spanning the borders has been difficult and frustrating. Here,
getting teams in shape has been a slow process and taking a great deal of patience. This has been
because of complicacies in differences of time-zones, loss of various face-to-face contacts, barriers
in language, issues with technologies and having various ways to conduct business in various
sectors. Hence, various challenges have been arising, mitigating of what has been the objective of
the current project. They are discussed below.
 To increase the clarity: While working with team members having distinct native tongues,
the standard key message thus gets lost in translation.
 To make decision making higher: As there are only a few hours a day of standard awake
time, it has been taking weeks to get any meeting scheduled for everyone’s calendar.

4CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
 To mitigate disjointed conflict resolutions: Working predominantly through emails has made
that hard to deal with various complicated problems and then get everyone on the similar
page.
 To understand the conflicting corporate cultures: Greater company cultures have been
depending on consistent interactions and bonding of teams taking place among employees.
3. Project scopes:
Globalization and philosophy of free market are the force that has been shaping the current
economy. This has created new needs and demands for customers. Thus it has been challenging
organizations to increase the performances. Thus it has been logical that the ensuring competition
has been compelling for business to create service and products quickly, better and cheaper way.
This has been helping to maintain and raise competitive advantages under the global marketplace.
Moreover, those global forces have been affecting the method to manage projects. The various
scopes are identified below.
 Development of organizational structure that is cost-effective under the global scenario.
 The “state-of-the-art” information systems that have been facilitating quick, reliable
information delivery at anyplace around the globe.
 Helping project management team members to think globally and the ability of the project
management team to communicate and delegate tasks to others in remote locations.
 Enable effective uses of suppliers across the world allowing lower manufacturing and cost of
delivery.
 Achieving global quality irrespective of location.

5CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
4. Literature review on challenges in Managing Global Teams:
4.1. Background of various challenges to control global teams:
There have been various challenges to manage the global projects. Today’s global project
management has extended scopes under various challenges than the local projects. Insecurity in a
global field with the cross-conditional conditions has been the main cause due to a foreign
environment. The global projects tend to be move faster and thus the project managers have
possessed short timeframe for creating proper set-up.
Gibbs and Boyraz (2015) showed that experiences from previous projects have been able to
be only transferred to new projects. This has been impossible to predict the place where the
following project must move what type of partners has been involved. Here every project has been
distinct and familiar with various conditions. In this way, global project management has been a
mostly dynamic domain. Reiche et al. (2016) argue that controlling all differences and then coping
with various on-going instabilities has been presenting a huge challenge for project managers. This
has been the responsibility of project managers to eradicate and execute project plans successfully
under limited timeframe. This has possessed an intense pressure and fast moving scenario under
which project managers have been working efficiently. Here, they have been trained to set project
plans and adjust structures to local legal conditions. As the implementation period goes on, they
have been focusing mainly on infrastructural, regulatory and professional framework according to
Binder (2016).
However, on the other hand, Butler et al. (2018) mentioned that they have not been paying
enough attention to the various hidden stumbling blocks. The causes of this kind of negligence have
been the problems to measure multiple influential factors and lack of analysis and scientific

6CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
methods. Moreover, there has been lack of implementation under industrial practices as shown by
Vance and Paik (2014).
4.2. Specific challenges in managing global teams:
Here, one of the problems of the global organizations has been noticeable disconnect taking
place between international staff and central management. From the survey conducted by Ulziit et al.
(2015) amount, half of the global managers have been poorly equipped in leading their cultural
teams. On the other hand, almost all of them identified as international managers have felt that they
have had the power to control the global units. Thus there has been about 40% disconnection
between the opinion of managers and team members. Morgan et al. (2014) point out that one of the
essential causes that they have failed has been disconnecting corporate communication. They never
knew what that the pre-required forms of communication or the needed infrastructure has been.
Next, another problem is analyzed by Niazi et al. (2016), which is to control global team has
originated from receiving the hierarchy of global virtual team at a proper place. The problem has
been because of various geographic positions. Here the concept of power has been causing an
adverse impact on the overall team. Here the people have perceived power has been feeling like a
team with lesser members can get away with fewer contributions. This has caused them in resenting
smaller teams. Here the smaller group has been feeling like most of them have been drowning them
regarding power and voice.
4.3. Solutions to challenges in creating global teams:
Saarinen (2016) found that one of the answers has been to rise the degree of communication
at a workplace. Under domestic workforce, the interface has been efficiently done under the
workforce through face-to-face communications. It has been the more efficient way to communicate

7CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
instructions and receive immediate feedbacks from the employees. Under global conversation, one
can also employ various face-0to-face communications. This can be done by using virtual interfaces.
Further, there have been various numbers of solutions for virtual communications in the
marketplace as per as Wei, Thurasamy and Popa (2018). For instance, Oshri, Kotlarsky and
Willcocks (2015) have talked about “ezTalks Meetings”. This consists of meetings having the mode
of various video communicating and web conferencing. This tool has been offering multiple benefits
as compared to contemporary competitors. This has included screen sharing where the screen can be
shared among various people for developing the user experiences. Further, the video quality has
been HD and providing near real virtual meeting experiences. This comprises interactive whiteboard
features for enabling them to draw illustrations and ideas. This has always been recording every
video calls as it is needed for future references. There are also chatting options while here is a
necessity to send documents while people are on a video call. To resolve the problems of cultural
differences, there has been the necessity to rise the degree of intercultural training taking place
between management and staff members. Here, the management must be taking up a course in
cultures of every individual member of the group. Further, they have been assuring the way to gave
cultures of distinct members through actually interacting with them. In this way, they must know the
way in which the team members have been and who they have been at a personal level. It must
surely eradicate those disconnects. To correct the problem of power perception, this has been vital to
remind various teams having essential values of the global groups. Further, this has been vital to
remember them of various things. Businesses must keep in mind that they are just a single team that
has been thrived every member functions with total capacity as discussed by Lilian (2014). A sense
of sensitivity has been encouraged to those differences. However, at the same time, they must be
inspired to create unity among their own. Further, Parida et al. (2015) wrote that they must design a
platform where they can talk about various cultures and insert policies that should have a zero

8CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
tolerance towards cultural insensitivity. Moreover, the team members must be reminded that they
have been sharing a common aim and has been focusing all their energies on gaining the objectives.
This has opposed emphasizing the differences.
Thus it is seen that controlling global teams has been proving to be quite challenging. This mainly
takes place from various issues of cultural differences and communications. Here the use of virtual
meeting solutions has been able to solve huge proportions of those issues. Further, there must be
encouraging of policies that never tolerated the cultural insensitivities.
5. Research Questions:
The various research questions are identified below:
Primary question:
 What are the most effective challenges in managing global teams?
Secondary questions:
 In what way one can master challenges of various global projects efficiently?
 In which sectors the project managers must be paying close attentions?
6. Research Design and Methodology
6.1. Qualitative research:
For the current study, a qualitative analysis must be done. Here researches must be done with
direct contact with various employees of global organizations through interviews. Their personal
experience and engagements with global teams are to be identified. As per reliability and validity is
concerned structured approaches are to be done. The sampling must be done across various sources

9CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
answering questions with differences between phenomena. The data is to be collected understanding
the processes leading to particular outcomes and the specifications of variables must be done through
internal validity and evaluate and contextualizing the understandings.
6.2. Quantitative research:
This must be done through online surveys on employees of various global companies as the
data collection tool. The sampling is to be done particular results regarding the cause-and-effect
relationship of various interdependent factors related to challenges in controlling global teams. The
validity and reliability of data must be done through various statistical analyses like variance
calculations, correlated t-tests and regression analysis.
7. Research Limitations:
Firstly, the research has never mentioned about investment over online resources where
members can learn amount each other quickly. Due to physical separation, there have been huge
challenges regarding learning about others and what they can do for the project.
Secondly, the research is unable to answer the breaking up of work modules such that one
particular location never becomes dependent on the progress of the other.
Lastly, the study is unable to bring trust to various employees. It should be understood that
trust among virtual teams is developed from positive and various ongoing references taking place
among a group. Thus there has been a lack of sense of accountability from seeing others following
though what they have agreed to.

10CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
8. Time Schedule (Research plan):
WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
0 Research on understanding in
Managing Global Teams
280 days Tue
7/4/17
Mon
7/30/18
1 Environmental project set-
up
3 days Tue
7/4/17
Thu
7/6/17
2 Pilot Study on various
employees of global teams
through online surveys
3 days Fri 6/1/18 Tue
6/5/18
1
3 Executing "face-to-face"
interviews on the members of
global team
9 days Wed
6/6/18
Mon
6/18/18
2
4 : Survey of Country-
Specific Work Disciplines
15 days Tue
6/19/18
Mon
7/9/18
3
5 Analysis of results collected
from the interviews and
surveys
3 days Tue
7/10/18
Thu
7/12/18
4
6 Statistical analysis of
ultimate results
7 days Fri
7/13/18
Mon
7/23/18
5
7 Analyzing the final results 5 days Tue
7/24/18
Mon
7/30/18
6

11CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Figure 1: “Research plan for studying challenges in managing global teams”
(Source: Created by Author)

12CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
9. Conclusion:
It is already clear that usage of global teams would be continuing to rise as the organizations
have been finding methods to develop competitive advantages under global marketplace. The
primary challenge for the various global virtual groups has been to get people from different parts of
the world and make them work under harmony, share a shared vision and accomplish the goals
successfully. The team managers being the key to team’s success requires being culturally savvy.
They must create solutions such that they can respect every contributions and strength of team
members. Moreover, it is understood from the above research that there has been no definite way
towards cultural management. The professional project work and technical requirements are not the
actual concern of the multinational teams. Here the primary job of the project managers has been to
make smart coordination and then move every stakeholder for the sake of the project. Thus the
report helps in understanding the primary challenge of the multicultural management has been
awareness regarding various cultural influences and mentalities. Hence, it is highly recommended to
pay more focus on harmonization of work mindset and stakeholder-cultural management.

13CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
10. Reference List:
Binder, J., 2016. Global project management: communication, collaboration and management
across borders. Routledge.
Butler, C.L., Minbaeva, D., Mäkelä, K., Maloney, M.M., Nardon, L., Paunova, M. and
Zimmermann, A., 2018. Towards a strategic understanding of global teams and their HR
implications: an expert dialogue. The International Journal of Human Resource
Management, pp.1-21.
Dansoh, A., Frimpong, S. and Oteng, D., 2017. Challenges associated with project teams in
managing variations on construction projects.
Erez, M. and Shokef, E., 2015. Cultural Intelligence and Global Identity in Multicultural Teams.
In Handbook of Cultural Intelligence (pp. 195-209). Routledge.
Future HR Trends. (2018). Challenges for human resource management and global business
strategy - Future HR Trends. [online] Available at: http://futurehrtrends.eiu.com/report-
2014/challenges-human-resource-management/ [Accessed 14 May 2018].
Gibbs, J.L. and Boyraz, M., 2015. International HRM’s role in managing global teams. The
Routledge companion to international human resource management, pp.532-551.
Iidmglobal.com. (2018). Achieving Cultural Harmony | Organizational Culture | Organisational
Culture | What Is Organisational Culture | Business Culture | Culture Change - IIDM
Global. [online] Available at: http://www.iidmglobal.com/expert_talk/expert-talk-
categories/business-basics/cultural_harmony [Accessed 14 May 2018].

14CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Lilian, S.C., 2014. Virtual teams: Opportunities and challenges for e-leaders. Procedia-Social and
Behavioral Sciences, 110, pp.1251-1261.
Morgan, L., Paucar-Caceres, A. and Wright, G., 2014. Leading effective global virtual teams: The
consequences of methods of communication. Systemic Practice and Action Research, 27(6),
pp.607-624.
Niazi, M., Mahmood, S., Alshayeb, M., Riaz, M.R., Faisal, K., Cerpa, N., Khan, S.U. and
Richardson, I., 2016. Challenges of project management in global software development: A
client-vendor analysis. Information and Software Technology, 80, pp.1-19.
Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J. and Willcocks, L.P., 2015. Managing globally distributed teams. In The
Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring (pp. 253-279). Palgrave Macmillan,
London.
Parida, V., Sjödin, D.R., Lenka, S. and Wincent, J., 2015. Developing global service innovation
capabilities: How global manufacturers address the challenges of market
heterogeneity. Research-Technology Management, 58(5), pp.35-44.
Pmi.org. (2018). Managing international and cross-cultural projects. [online] Available at:
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/managing-international-cross-cultural-projects-8924
[Accessed 14 May 2018].
Reiche, B.S., Stahl, G.K., Mendenhall, M.E. and Oddou, G.R. eds., 2016. Readings and cases in
international human resource management. Taylor & Francis.
Saarinen, J., 2016. Managing global virtual teams.

15CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Ulziit, B., Warraich, Z.A., Gencel, C. and Petersen, K., 2015. A conceptual framework of challenges
and solutions for managing global software maintenance. Journal of Software: Evolution and
Process, 27(10), pp.763-792.
Vance, C.M. and Paik, Y., 2014. Managing a global workforce: challenges and opportunities in
international human resource management. Routledge.
Wei, L.H., Thurasamy, R. and Popa, S., 2018. Managing virtual teams for open innovation in Global
Business Services industry. Management Decision, 56(3), pp.570-590.
Zahedi, M., Shahin, M. and Babar, M.A., 2016. A systematic review of knowledge sharing
challenges and practices in global software development. International Journal of
Information Management, 36(6), pp.995-1019.

16CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
11. Appendix:
Figure 2: “The concept of harmony in global leadership”
(Source: (Iidmglobal.com, 2018)

17CHALLENGES IN MANAGING GLOBAL TEAMS
Figure 3: “Challenges for human resource management and global business strategy”
Source: (Future HR Trends, 2018)