1. WHAT MAKES INTERNATIONAL TEAMS TICK? Shirley Moreman University of Portsmouth Hot Topics 23 rd May 2007

2. Research Background Multinational company –40,000 employees –80 plants –30 countries European teams –Business process standardisation –Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish team members Team Effectiveness –Communication –Culture –Location

3. What is a team? NOT an organisation chart NOT a group of people “… a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable” (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993)

4. What’s different about international teams? 85 nationalities "There is to say that every day we enjoy 85 different ways of seeing the world.“ “… the wiring produced in [Hamburg] did not match the plane on the assembly line in Toulouse.”

5. International Team Issues LANGUAGECULTUREORGANISATION LOCATION CHANNELS

6. Communication

7. Language / Culture Variations in language ability Colloquialisms Translatability of words/phrases Manners Directness Cultural stereotypes L C

8. Location / Organisation Virtual vs Co-located Travel / work-life balance issues Everyone has two jobs! L O

9. Communication Channels Face-to-face Video conferencing Telephone E-mail C

10. Overcoming the problems Communication –Lessons, interpreters (informal) –Alternative visual methods Break down the barriers –Informal groups –Familiar location Choose the right channel –Face to face / video conferencing –Task dependant Awareness of Team Roles –Choose carefully!

11. Successful International Teams?