When leading a virtual cross cultural team we have to be tolerant of all of cultures.
Responses to Other Students:(POSTS NEEDING RESPONSES ARE BELOW) Respond to at least 2 of your fellow classmates with at least a 100-word reply about their Primary Task Response regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your discussion, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from your classmate’s posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your posting and other classmates’ postings?
List at least 1 article from Bloomberg Businessweek B-school connection program at the end of both of your 2 student responses, and include in-text citations for the articles in APA format.
PATRICK #1- When leading a virtual cross cultural team we have to be tolerant of all of cultures. Organizations must take the time to conduct trainings on different cultures so everyone is comfortable with their surroundings. The organization must have a clear goal in mind so that everyone is on the same page, and decisions can be made based on whether the goal was accomplished or not. Embracing different viewpoints and learning from mistakes can help lead a team to success. Ignoring conflicting perspectives can be costly, as was proven with the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters (Coy, 2019). It is also important to delegate but decide (Coy, 2019). It is important to delegate work according to skill set so that everyone works efficiently, but ultimately it must be monitored by management. If something happens, know how to improvise and think on your feet.
The biggest difference between leading a U.S. based virtual cross-cultural team and a global virtual cross-cultural team is the culture shock. America has changed quite considerably in the last 50 years including increased tolerance for the LGBTQ community as proven by Ellen DeGeneres. Ellen has recently partnered with Walmart to create a line of clothing and accessories that is covered in American flags and rainbows and sold in 2,300 stores (Steverman, 2019). There are cultures where the LGBTQ community may not be as tolerated as in the United States. It is important to put any differences aside when working in teams. Hasso Plattner, the chairman of SAP which is a German software company is preparing is company for the future by hiring newer and younger employees (Nicola, 2019). He thinks this can change the culture and help them innovate faster. There are U.S. based team that may not agree with his opinion. U.S. based teams will want the best people for the job which usually includes older, more experienced individuals.
One factor the team should consider for the interns to be employed in the United States is whether or not the interns will be getting paid for their work. Essentially, if the intern is conducting work that an employee would, they should be paid. However, the intern is not entitled to wages for time spent in the internship (Forbes, 2013). Internships are meant to be a teaching experience for those involved so they can decide if that career choice would be ideal for themselves. Interns should be mindful of their internet presence, and avoid posting things that can scare off potential employers or opportunities (Cain, 2017). Encourage the student to think about their finances, even if it means take a couple of classes (Cain 2017). Money management is very important for international interns because they are completely on their own in a new country and are independent from any family or friends in their native country.
When the interns arrive in the United States they are going to be overwhelmed with the new environment. It is important to be patient with interns when they are speaking English. If they stumble over a few words, help them out and make them feel comfortable. Management should make the rules and etiquette of the office clear. Addressing the dress code and employee conduct should help make the day run more smoothly. One activity that can be hosted would be a potluck that requires everyone to bring their favorite food. This allows for the interns to taste some American food and the interns can bring in some food from their native country so we can celebrate their diversity. Going to a movie theater or play shows the interns American entertainment culture. The interns can take their career skills and turn it into a ‘side hustle’, which can help them go up the corporate ladder. Any extracurricular activities like creating computer software, giving financial advice, or even helping out at a family’s pastry business can improve skills that can make someone more desirable to an employer (Cohen, 2019). Job paths are not as simple anymore, with the average American’s career including 15 job changes (Cohen, 2019).
Interns can benefit from internship programs by getting on the job type training in a field they are starting out in. It gives them exposure to what they will be doing for the future and gives them time to decide if this is something they want to do. However, internships are not only about what the intern will learn, but also who they are going to meet (Vaynerchuk, 2017). Networking and connecting with others is very important in today’s job market. Interns should take the initiative and get to know their co-workers because you never know how someone may be able to help you later in life. Use time wisely and get to know your co-workers and their hobbies so you can relate to them on a more personal level.
Organizations can benefit from internship programs by finding new future employees. There is a lot of new talent presented from foreign countries and these interns will work hard to try and earn a position. This gives the business a chance to ‘test drive’ the interns after the initial interview and see which ones will develop chemistry and gel with the team. The organization can save costs by paying interns minimum wage or in certain situations nothing. Interns are very thankful for the position they are in so companies are also not obligated to pay them unemployment if you do not end up hiring them full time. Younger interns tend to learn quickly so the company does not have to spend a lot of time training them either.
References
Steverman, Ben. (2019). Walmart’s Deal with Ellen DeGeneres shows how much America has Changed. Retrieved from: http://www.
Coy, Peter. (2019). Five Management Lessons from the Apollo Moon Landing. Retrieved from: http://www.
Nicola, Stefan. (2019). A Billionaire Software Mogul Doesn’t want his Company to Grow up. Retrieved from: http://www.
Cohen, Arianne. (2019). Millennials Rely on ‘Side Hustles’ to Climb the Corporate Ladder. Retrieved from: http://www.
CHIRSTOPHER #2
Leading a virtual cross-cultural team can be a challenge, but a rewarding experience. You must do your homework regarding other cultures when putting together a cross-cultural team. Understanding each of the cultures you will be working with plays an important role in the success of your team. For example, in some countries a worker may put in 50 hours or more per week working and that is normal in their culture (Mayer, Bello, 2012). However, some countries such as France, a worker may not work a minute over 8 hours. This would be something to consider when scheduling meetings with all the team members. Another example would be communication. In the United States, we focus more on the business most of the time rather than building a relationship. If we start a conversation with someone from another culture and we instantly start talking business, we could offend that person because they want to build a relationship before they discuss business. After you gain an understanding of the culture of all your team members, you should get them together physically as soon as possible (Watkins, 2013). Face to face communication will help build a stronger relationship with your team members as well as building trust. If you were leading a U.S. based virtual cross-cultural team, scheduling would not be as difficult. We only have four time zones in the continental United States, but a global cross-cultural member may be in another calendar day.
Once you have constructed the cross-cultural team and learned about each team members culture, the next task is to get them to the United States. This takes more than just a plane ticket, however. According to the U.S. Department of State- Bureau of Consular Affairs, a citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the U.S. must obtain a U.S. visa (Travel.State.Gov, 2019). In addition to a work visa, they will need a permit to work as well (Doyle, 2019). Although an internship does not mean they will get the job, if the company chooses to hire one, or even all, the interns, that intern will be required to obtain a green card.
Now that all the legalities and regulations are out of the way, it is time to onboard the interns here in the United States. At this point, you should have a good understanding of their culture and their values. They will be interested in learning more about our culture as well. Taking them to places outside the office would be a good start (Interexchange.org, 2019). Attending a sporting event such as football may be a good place to start. Let them try some American foods, like peanut butter, or smores. This will allow them to learn more about our culture first-hand. Casual conversations outside of the workplace will help build the relationship.
There are many benefits to international internships, and they do not just apply to the intern, the organizations benefit as well. The interns can provide an outside perspective (Loretto, 2019). Along with a fresh perspective, interns may provide the organization with great feedback regarding the organization’s social strategy. The interns gain a wealth of knowledge regarding the industry. Also, it provides them with actual work experience they can add to their resume. This will also give both, the organization, and the intern, a chance to learn about other cultures.
As we move to more globalization, cross-cultural teams are beneficial to everyone involved. If you do your homework and learn about their cultures before you put the team together, you will be able to build a successful team. When people from other cultures start working together, I believe society benefits. The more cross-cultural teams come together, the further we can explore the world.
References:
Doyle, A. (2019, Jan. 20). Guidelines for Foreign Nationals Seeking US Employment. Retrieved from: https://www.
Interexchange.org. (2019). Cultural Activities Guide for Host Employers. Retrieved from: https://www.
Loretto, P. (2019, July 19). What Interns Bring to the Table. Retrieved from: https://www.
Mayer, M., Bello, Y. (2012, May 9). Leading cross cultural teams in today’s global marketplace. Retrieved from: https://www.pmi.org/
Travel.State.Gov. (2019). What is a U.S. Visa? Retrieved from: https://travel.state.
Watkins, M. (2013, Jun. 27). Making Virtual Teams Work: Ten Basic Principles. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2013/06/
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