Assessment 2: Case Study on Multicultural Team Management Challenges

This case study examines the challenges and opportunities of managing a multicultural virtual team at Sunshine 100, a global company. The case focuses on Jane Wilson, the newly appointed Marketing Director, who is tasked with leading a diverse team across multiple continents. The assignment explores the difficulties of communication, building trust, and fostering a shared understanding within the team. It addresses issues such as cultural differences, potential for misinterpretations, and the need for streamlined communication processes. The solution suggests strategies like establishing clear reporting structures, feedback mechanisms, and shared goals to enhance team performance and leverage the strengths of a diverse workforce. The case highlights the importance of effective planning, coordination, and communication in multicultural environments. The references cited provide additional support for the concepts and recommendations presented in the case study.

Case Study
Introduction
The business landscape today is challenged with globalization, rapidly emerging
technologies, artificial intelligence, ageing workforce, diverging national cultures, millennial
work force, environmental degradation, and instability in political leadership in major parts of
the world. Diversity and inclusivity are no longer just corporate buzz-words but a legitimate
demand for all corporations.
Q1
Jane has to leverage on the strengths of the diverse team while handling the challenges posed
by the differences. In managing multicultural teams, it is imperative that every member feels
valued and not culturally discriminated against. Jane should strive to maintain trust and open
communication between all team members so that the diversity may play a complementary
role rather than being a hindrance to their communication (Ho & Bauder, 2012; Mach &
Baruch, 2015). A common understanding of accepted means of communication such as
language and style can go a long way to achieving optimal team performance (Marlow,
Lacerenza, & Salas, 2017).
Q2
The differences in multicultural teams can pose challenges of creating mistrust between the
members, a sense of alienation or marginalization from the group, and an overall decline of
sharing knowledge amongst group members (Bhardwaj & Sharma, 2017). Purdy and
Manning (2015) surmised that listening and respecting a different point of view because of
cultural differences is a major concern, especially when combined with a technology that
does not involve a face-to-face or real time conversation amongst the members. Members
may interpret certain words or gestures incorrectly owing to their pre-conceived cultural
notions that may pose a challenge in effective communication.
Q3
Jane needs to streamline the present team members to have a common shared goal and style
of communication. She can start with having a formal reporting and feedback process that
enables the team to know at all times their expected goals as well as any re-evaluation, if
necessary. Jane can set up a specific routine of team members reporting together on progress
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of work done every week. A continuous feedback process would ensure that all team
members are always in the loop and do not get frustrated waiting around for an answer
(Hunsaker & Hunsaker, 2008; Zeik & Smulowitz, 2014).
Conclusion
It can be said that the world is fast developing into a melting pot of cultures. Multicultural
communication, at the first blush, seems daunting. The case shows that MNCs with effective
planning and coordination can leverage these approaches to accrue their optimal benefit.
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References
Bhardwaj, S. and Sharma, V., 2017. A Study on Managerial Communication in Multicultural
Workplace. BVIMSR’s Journal of Management Research, 9(1), p.60.
Hunsaker, P.L. and Hunsaker, J.S., 2008. Virtual teams: a leader's guide. Team Performance
Management: An International Journal, 14(1/2), pp.86-101.
Mabel Ho & Harald Bauder, 2012. ‘We are chameleons’: identity capital in a
multicultural workplace, Social Identities, 18:3, 281-297, DOI:
10.1080/13504630.2012.661997
Marlow, S.L., Lacerenza, C.N. and Salas, E., 2017. Communication in virtual teams: A
conceptual framework and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 27(4),
pp.575-589.
Mach, M. and Baruch, Y., 2015. Team performance in cross cultural project teams: The
moderated mediation role of consensus, heterogeneity, fault lines and trust. Cross Cultural
Management, 22(3), pp.464-486.
Purdy, M. W., & Manning, L. M., 2015. Listening in the multicultural workplace: A dialogue
of theory and practice. International Journal of Listening, 29(1), 1-11.
Ziek, P. and Smulowitz, S., 2014. The impact of emergent virtual leadership competencies on
team effectiveness. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 35(2), pp.106-120.
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