BUILDING MULTICULTURAL TEAMS

An essential skill for all tourism professionals is the ability behavior and produce significant results. The
to Work in a Team . The reason it is important is because all combination empowerment and training to plan, direct,
facilities and services offered by tourism enterprise are the monitor and control their own activities distinguishes
result of the input of many (Shannessy at al., 2008). this team from many others. They have wide-ranging
autonomy and freedom, coupled with capability to act
TEAM - According to (Shannessy at al., 2008) is a collection
like managers. What is Self-Managing team Like?
of people who work together to achieve collectively
Typically, teams’ members learn a wide range relevant
established common goals. A team has one main
skills; this practice is called multiskilling. As a result,
objective: Achieving a goal through the combined efforts of
members are flexibly float from area to area and task
the members of that team. On the other hand, TEAM SPIRIT
to task, depending on where they are needed the
is an attitude that enables people to work together, it is about
most. They make joint decision about work schedules,
camaraderie, cooperation, and collaboration. A team
resource requirements, and assignment of tasks.
spirit exists in successful teams, team members who have
- Self-Managed Team may begin by assuming
team spirit demonstrate through their actions, commitment
responsibility for simple matters such as housekeeping
to the other members, the job and themselves.
issues and safety trainings. Later, they may begin to
TEAMWORK – It is the collective effort of all team members manage their own absenteeism, set overtime and
to achieve the team’s common goals. When teams are vacation schedule, select and appraise team members,
effective there is no doubt that is the result of teamwork, train co-workers, and engage in direct contact with key
organization will benefit and that our work life will be customers.
considerably more enjoyable as a result. When the work
ORGANIZATION USING SELF-MANAGING TEAMS REPORT
environment is pleasant, employees are generally
SEVERAL ADVANTAGES
happy. When employees are happy, the customers will
benefit. (Shannessy at al., 2008) • Improved flexibility of the staff
• More efficient operations through reduced number
TYPES OF TEAMS
of job classification
According to (Moga, 2017) in any organization, no one works • Lower Absenteeism and turnover rates
alone. Every employee is a part of a team and works in close • Higher level of organizational commitment and job
coordination with the team members to perform his level satisfaction
best and in turn benefit the organization. The team members 2. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAM - Teams where people from
should complement each other and come to each other’s different functions work together towards a common
need whenever required. Teams can be formed anywhere, goal. Members of this team could be subject matter
anytime whenever the task is little difficult and experts from different functions, say for example, one
complicated. person is from Marketing, one person from Sales and

4 MAIN TYPES OF TEAMS the other one from Product Development. These
people are put together to make a cross functional
1. SELF-MANAGED TEAM
team. Cross Functional Teams are used when a
- Also known as Self-reliant or Self-Directed teams. They
company is working on its improvement projects,
are natural work groups that are given substantial
which require a team involving a number of
Autonomy and in return are asked to control their own
functions. By their very nature, they contain a high
 element of diversity, at least in terms of professional operation or involving other major units or
background and work specialization any unforeseen events or challenges. The team’s aim is
3. VIRTUAL TEAM to come up with proper solutions to help the
- Information technology has a powerful effect on the organization climb up out from a steep recession or
individual behavior in organizations, and its effect is whatever its current difficult state.
equally strong on social networks at the Team
STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT
level. Technology has allowed the emergence of Virtual
teams. Groups of Individuals from around the globe that For teams to be effective, the people in the team must be

meet through the use of technological aids without all able to work together to contribute collectively to team

their members being present in the same location. outcomes (Shannessy et al., 2008). But this does not happen

- The explosion in the use of Virtual teams came about automatically: it develops as the team works together. You

due to several compelling reasons. For example, the have probably had an experience when you have been put on

global marketplace has created a demand for placing a team to work on a school assignment or project. When your

employees (e.g., customer-service persons) near their team first gets together, you likely sit around and look at

customers. Also, the most highly qualified team each other, not knowing how to begin. Initially you are not a

members maybe located thousands of Miles from each team. You are just individuals assigned to work together.

other, and the cost and time constraints of travel to a Over time you get to know each other, to know what to expect

central location would be prohibitive. Further, the from each other, to know how to divide the labor and assign

personal expectations of contemporary employees for tasks, and to know how you will coordinate your work.

flexibility and involvement also create a push in this Through this process, you begin to operate as a team instead

direction. Finally, the rapid development of both of a collection of individuals.

transmission capabilities (fiber-optic lines) and 5 STAGES OF TEAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

communication software has made it possible for
1. FORMING - Members share and exchange basic
groups to "meet" from afar.
personal information, start to get to know and accept
THREE (3) DIMENSIONS CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRTUAL one another, ask questions about their assignments and
TEAMS objectives, and begin turning their attention towards the

• TIME: When people work – working with different group's task. An aura of courtesy prevails, uncertainty

hours, shifts or time zones is in the air, and interaction are often cautious.

• SPACE: Where they work – different 2. STORMING - Members compete for status, jockey for

locations/countries/continents position of relative control, and argue about appropriate

• CULTURE: How and to whom people work for – direction for the group. External pressure interfere with

Gender, Race, Language, Profession, Education, the group, and tensions rise between individuals as they

Nationality etc. assert themselves and disagree about initial actions. If

4. PROBLEM-SOLVING TEAM these stresses are not confronted, hard feelings may

- They are usually temporary and focus on solving emerge and slows the group's progress.

specific issues. Once guidelines are set in place and 3. NORMING - The group begin moving together in a

plans are formed the task force, committees or such cooperative fashion, and tentative balance among

problem-solving teams are disbanded. competing forces is struck. Group Norms emerge to

- Many times, PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM are created when guide individual behavior, role clarity emerges,

an organization experiences a crisis, financial,

 cooperative feelings are increasingly evident, and a with. While some employees work with the same team for a
sense of cohesion becomes apparent. long period of time, it is more likely that new team members
4. PERFORMING - The group matures and learns to handle will come and go as business needs change. However, not
complex challenges. Functional roles are performed all employees have the same cultural background or
fluidly exchanged as needed, and task efficiently personality traits, so it can be difficult to get along with
accomplished. However, a sense of achievement may everyone and function effectively as a productive team. As a
also prematurely emerge because of errors made, result, it is important to understand the differences between
pessimism about the prospects of success, and team members and know how to work through them in order
complacency among some members. Eventually, to achieve business goals. (Ahmed, 2020)
however, a fully functioning team will resolve their
Cross-cultural teams are global teams that include people
issues, establish a unique identity, and develop an
who come from different cultures and unique experiences.
atmosphere of openness.
Companies fail to consider these fundamental differences
5. ADJOURNING - Even the most successful groups,
within a team, leading to conflicts and frustration that can
committees, and project teams disband (or change their
be easily thwarted once you gain a quick understanding of
composition) sooner or later. Their break-up is called
the individuals in a team.
adjournment. which requires dissolving intense social
relations and returning to permanent assignments or These differences can stem from communication styles and

moving on to another jobs. The adjournment stage is individual frame of references. For example, members in

becoming even more frequent with the advent of flexible some countries are willing to work more than the stipulated

organizations, which features temporary hours of work, even working remotely from home. On the

groups. Successful teams examine their own history in other hand, workers in different countries may not consider

search of lessons they have learned and bid farewell to working beyond the said hours except in emergency

their teammates. situations, and their mobile devices are switched off when
they leave the office.
Advising new teams of these likely stages can be helpful to
group members and their leaders. Awareness by all team Another major difference of style in a cross-cultural team is

members can help them better understand what is the communicating pattern of each team member. While

happening and work through the issues some team members vociferously voice their unfiltered

involved. Consequently, not all teams will clearly opinions and ideas, those from hierarchical cultures tend to

experience all the stages of the cycle. Some groups maybe think a lot before raising their voice. So, how can you make

temporarily stuck in a certain stage and others may find sure that in such a team all the ideas of the members are

themselves reverting to an earlier stage from time to heard equally and manage the team effectively?

time. To prevent unnecessary trials and tribulation and CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AFFECT TEAMWORK AS A RESULT
expedite their own development, team members may find it OF THE FOLLOWING AREAS
useful to study what problems other teams have
1. RELIGIOUS & POLITICAL BELIEFS - a person’s religious
encountered and also know what elements help create
or political belief should not affect the team as their
successful teams.
relevance in the workplace is insignificant. However,
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN TEAMS religious observation may influence a person’s ability to

The workplace is a dynamic environment that is frequently perform their task, which they need to observe certain

changing. Whether it is people, processes, markets or practices during work time.

products, there are often shifts that employees have to deal

2. COMMUNICATION STYLES - In some cultures, it is benefits of increments, bonus, incentives, career
considered rude to speak directly, whereas in others it progression and intangible benefits that include
is encouraged. This can cause miscommunication, recognition, job satisfaction, encouragement, etc.
resentment, and confusion. Some team members may - It is important to recognize what motivates each
not speak up if they disagree with another team individual to excel in their role so that you can drive
member because it is not something that is done in their them aptly towards performance. In the absence of a
culture. In other cases, providing direct feedback or proper catalyst, the team members may lack
instruction may be taken as stepping on toes or taking enthusiasm and be less engaged at work.
too much authority.
OVERCOMING DIFFERENCES TO IMPROVE A TEAM
3. HIERARCHY AND POWER EQUALITY in the workplace is
PERFORMANCE
the norm in some cultures, whereas in others the
structure is more hierarchical. For employees that come A prime concern in managing a cross-cultural team is to find

from cultures that focus on status and authority, a unified thread to tie across all the distinct personalities. A

speaking up about problems may be difficult because one size fits all approach is not an effective solution. Since

they feel uncomfortable or disrespectful. On the other there are different beliefs and styles of communication at

hand, those that value equality may perceive others as play, multicultural teams are prone to friction.

lacking competence if they don’t share their thoughts The good news is that there are simple ways to minimise this
and opinions with leadership. friction and manage a cross-cultural team successfully.
4. RISK AND DECISION MAKING - In some cultures, making
According to statistics, culturally diverse teams outperform
a decision requires more data and information than
non-diverse teams by 35%. If you have a cross-cultural team
others. Some employees may have a low tolerance for
and steer it in the right direction, it can lead to greater
risk and not want to commit to making a decision
efficiency. Companies are afraid to implement diversity with
without having context or details. Others may be
a fear that introducing people who may not agree with each
confident in making decisions without much data. This
other will hamper productivity.
can affect the pace of the team and how work is
conducted. On the contrary, having different types of people on the same
5. INFLUENCES - There can be chances that a section or team can help others look at problems prudently while also
group of the team has similar cultural identity or being more innovative, creative and inclusive about their
homogeneity. They may attempt to dominate the process solutions.
and try to influence the entire team to swing their
TIPS TO FOSTER CROSS-CULTURAL WORKING
way. As a result, it can create unnecessary tensions and
RELATIONSHIPS
a frustrating environment for other team
members. Team and group dynamics can be a major 1. GET TO KNOW EACH TEAM MEMBER - It is essential for
concern in a cross-cultural team. This can lead to the team leader to take the time and get to know each
unnecessary group politics and conflicts within a team. team member. Learn about their story and journey. This
6. MOTIVATION FACTORS - Normally, companies have a will help you analyses individual skills and leverage the
single-threaded motivation and rewards system that is knowledge to help the group. You might uncover
largely determined by the norms and values of the specialized skills that can be beneficial to everyone and
company. It does not account for the distinct understand the personality of the member at the same
motivational factors of a cross cultural teams. The time.
motivators for employees can range from tangible
2. ADOPT FLEXIBILITY - According to a book named the Organizations will be able to create resilient global teams
Cultural Map, scheduling and decision making are two and better relationships with clients, customers across the
key workplace values that greatly vary across globe.
cultures. Assessing these values can go a long way to
7. DEVELOP A TEAM IDENTITY AND CLEARLY DEFINE ROLES
understand the priorities of your team members. For
AND RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBERS - In a team, it’s
example, different cultures prioritize either flexibility or
important that all members understand the common
a linear time construct to finish a task.
goal. Having a shared goal and a common purpose will
3. PROMOTE OPEN COMMUNICATION - Give every team
give your team an identity that can bring them together.
member a chance to voice their opinions. An open
At the same time, clearly outline the expectations of
communication line is essential for greater efficiency.
each team member and let everyone know that their
Otherwise, team members feel under-appreciated and
contribution matters.
dominated by either the management or the dominant
players in the group. Break down the common goal into actionable steps that
define each member’s role and responsibilities. This way,
When attempting to reach a consensus through virtual
everyone will collaborate and work together without
meetings, plan ahead and ensure to send the agenda well in
stepping on each other’s territory.
advance to actively solicit each team member’s opinions.
8. BUILD GREAT RAPPORT AND TRUST - Building work
4. ENCOURAGE TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES - When a mix of
relations and trust cannot happen overnight. Take the
cultures is trying to come together in a team,
steps to slowly build an environment for collaboration.
organizations should make every effort to create
Respect individual differences and understand them to
opportunities for casual interactions. Happy hours, team
build unity in a culturally diverse team.
outings, lunch and learn, birthday parties, pantry banter,
etc. help employees to bond with each other despite The proliferation of cross-cultural teams might bring

their differences. Encourage team members to interact challenges, but it can be handled successfully with

during their downtime and through social events. sensitivity and respect for other cultures. We need to

5. ADDRESS CONFLICT IMMEDIATELY - If a conflict ensues institute a framework that makes it easier to understand

regardless of your efforts, make sure to address it individual differences and leverage those differences to

promptly before it is too late. Understand different bring out the best capabilities in a team.

cultural perspectives at play and try to resolve the Most of the times a clear understanding and acceptance of
conflict by taking the middle path. A leader should serve cultural differences is what it takes to successfully manage
as a cultural bridge to connect different members of the a cross-cultural team.
team and bring unison.
Having a cross-cultural team is the greatest opportunity to
6. CREATE A CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS PROGRAM -
learn different backgrounds, innovate new solutions and
You can teach your members how to interact with others
procreate success. It’s time to consider cross-cultural teams
in different regions and countries effectively. Training
as an asset and not a liability!
and awareness can include sessions on greetings,
business etiquette and dining customs. This will help to PERFORMANCE TEAM FEEDBACK
dissolve the tension and educate members on the
TEAM FEEDBACK - This is information about a reaction to a
prevalent cultural styles of other team members.
product, or a person’s performance of a task, which is used
This will also enable you to identify and embrace cultural as basis for improvement. Giving and receiving feedback is
differences rather than ignoring them altogether. an important component of successful teamwork. In
addition, feedback should always focus on work EXAMPLE: “I think you did a great job with this account. Sales
performance. According to (Shannessy et al., 2008) Team are up 13% since last quarter.” “However, we've had a few
feedback must: customers still complaining about product.”

o Be communicated positively to have the desired 4. BE DIRECT BUT FORMAL - Try not to use technology
effect. (Phone, email, SMS) to relay your feedback, as this can
o Positive Feedback would include communicating your lead to misinterpretation and make it seem less
concerns assertively, openly and by highlighting the important than it really is. Find a quiet room where
impact the behavior has on achieving the team’s you can have an honest and informal one on one chat
goals. with the employee.
o Positive feedback allows the person to receive the 5. BE SINCERE - If your tone and manner do not match
information without feeling defensive or hostile in the context of the feedback itself, you could send out a
return. mixed message that confuses the recipient
o Negative feedback must also be expressed but should
If feedback is positive, let your emotions indicate that you
not be done in a harsh way, intended at making the
appreciate their effort. On the other hand, if providing
person feel guilty and defensive. The feedback may be
negative feedback, a more concerned tone will show that you
negative but the purpose of communicating it is
believe that the problem should be taken seriously. Always
always to be constructive so that the situation and
avoid displaying negative emotions, such as anger, sarcasm,
performance will improve.
or disappointment, as they are likely to be perceived as
TIPS ON HOW TO GIVE VALUABLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE personal criticism.
FEEDBACK TO STAFF ACCORDING TO JONES, (N.D.)
6. LISTEN - While giving constructive feedback, make
1. BE PROBLEM FOCUSED AND SPECIFIC - Telling the sure that staff is given a chance to respond. You must
employee what they need to do better. Explain them be prepared to listen to their concerns and their
why one needs to be clear about the actual problem at interpretation of events; it can also be used as an
hand. opportunity for employees to express their ideas.
7. MAKE TIMELY - Always try to give positive feedback
Example: “You need to be getting into the office earlier”
when the employee's praiseworthy achievement is still
2. TALK ABOUT THE SITUATION, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL - fresh in everyone's memory. The same applies to
Constructive feedback focuses on outcomes and negative feedback. When giving constructive
impartial observations rather than the employees’ feedback focus on the behavior, not their personality
personal attributes. You are just showing that you are and it is given in a tone and setting that conveys
concerned about fixing the problem at hand not the support and respect.
employees personality.

Example: “Your presentation put a lot of people to sleep”

3. GIVE PRAISE WHERE IT IS DUE - Weaving some positive

among the negative can be a good way to reassure
employees that you have not lost perspective. It tells
the employee that you are not criticizing their overall
performance; just that certain aspect of the job that
needs attention.