Globalization has made it easy for people to be exposed to different ideas and cultures. Furthermore, with the growth and expansion of today’s corporations, it has become commonplace to have teams comprised of workers from different countries and cultures. For context, culture is the ‘way of life’ of a group, which varies across the world as different countries have different ways of doing things and these differences are greatest between countries in the East and West. As someone who has spent a few years living in Asia, I can tell you that these differences can be jarring at first, but the show must go on!
One of the most difficult things for Westerners to understand about Asians is their high context, non-verbal communication style. Asians are often stereotyped as shy and well-mannered because a large part of their culture places high value on ‘saving face’. Therefore, there will be little to no communication of disagreements, displeasures or inadequacies. Furthermore, with a traditional high power distance society, it is almost unthinkable to challenge authority, a stark contrast compared to western societies where people give unsolicited advice and opinions that may be impolite and downright audacious.
Does cultural diversity guarantee effective team performance?
Some persons argue that the differences in each team member's experience contribute to innovative ideas. However, these same differences can significantly hinder performance. With the variation in language, values and norms, collaboration in multicultural teams can be difficult. One main reason is the similarity-attraction effect, which tells us that people naturally gravitate toward and like those who are similar to them. Dissimilarity in attitudes or values often contribute to a strain in interpersonal relationships, where individual co-workers become less attracted or committed to each other. This often leads to misunderstanding viewpoints of team members and hinders cohesion. Now, I am not saying that multicultural teams are bad, but it is harmful for low-skill tasks and conditions of intense time pressure. On the other hand, more complex tasks could benefit from diverse viewpoints. The variety of perspectives and experiences contribute to creativity, adaptability, innovation, and higher quality problem solving.
How to manage multi-cultural teams?
Firstly, the team leader or manager’s experience with multicultural environments is important. Because skills and experiences applicable to one country may not be transferable to another, it is important that the leader has knowledge of how work and social interactions vary across cultures. This can be achieved through training or foreign assignments with international clients or subsidiaries. Studies show that internationally experienced managers can integrate best practices from different cultures towards competitive advantage. Notably, all members of the team play a key role in effective team performance. The more international experience each member has, the better. Overall, there are two main characteristics that contribute to effective performance of multicultural teams: cultural intelligence and openness to diversity.
Cultural intelligence- is the ability to identify and modify one’s behaviour to cultural differences. In this way, we can pay attention to non-verbal cues (e.g. eye contact, body language) and verbal cues without being offended and facilitate effective communication. What may be considered respectful in one culture could be offensive in another. For example, Taiwanese people avoid the number 4 because the Chinese pronunciation sounds like “death”. It is such a taboo, that most building do not have a fourth floor! Something as simple as personal space varies across different countries, while most Westerners value personal space and prefer distance, countries like Japan or China generally place less emphasis on personal space, they walk, eat and travel in smaller spaces. In Italy or France its acceptable to kiss or hug a stranger upon first meeting, but in other countries this may border on assault. It is important to know these differences when interacting with persons from different backgrounds. Research findings have shown that members of multicultural teams who have high cultural intelligence integrate into and adapt to their teams more smoothly and are more trusting of team members.
Openness to cultural diversity- Individuals with high levels of openness to cultural diversity view differences as positive, are open to learning from others who are different and try to understand different perspectives. Individuals who are open to cultural diversity seek out new information and experiences about other cultures. These individuals are willing to adopt new behaviours and are tolerant of unfamiliarity, they respect dissimilar individuals, and they are motivated to reduce the possible negative effects of cultural misunderstandings. On the other hand, individuals who embrace their own culture and are closed off to new experiences become ‘stuck’ in their ways and are likely to alienate cultures that are different. The key is to be flexible and adaptable in new environments or situations and learn about the norms and communication style of others.
How to promote cultural intelligence?
Get to know people from different social backgrounds and communities
Learn a new language, join an association or special club
Volunteer for projects that provide international experience
Read, listen news or watch movies about different cultures
Celebrate differences in individuals and participate in special cultural celebrations
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