WORKING IN MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
The literature portrays team members’ countries of origin as creating cultural “differences’ which may lead to different expectations (for example in relation to communication styles) and manner of working. But where does individual personality fit into this discussion? And what impact does it have when the majority of the team are each from different racial backgrounds? And are there hidden benefits and impacts that have been overlooked by focussing on managers rather than team members themselves?
Deloitte Australia had the opportunity to consider these questions following the establishment of a “new” team working on a 3 month project on assignment in NSW, Australia. The project team comprised of 7 members from Spain (the team leader), Australia, Japan, the United States and Germany (the team members), as well as the client who was from Australia. Intriguingly, it appears that the expectation of cultural differences caused team members to become more conscious of their own behaviours and to become more flexible and adaptive. Moreover, cultural diversity provided a unique point of connectivity and enjoyment.
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