Team Dynamics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Team Dynamics - Assignment Example However, it could also cost the organization due to high turnover, communication breakdowns and interpersonal conflicts. These differences determine work attitude and ultimately the success of the organization. This study examines two theories that explain how this cultural diversity presents challenges to managers. It also entails the ways in which managers can overcome the differences and instead use it to grow the organization. The integrated threat theory emphasizes on feelings of fear or threat as the leading reason why managers face challenges when working in a diverse environment. Feelings of threat or fear are closely linked to communication breakdown in an organization. According to this theory, feelings of threats are caused by four conditions including prior conflict history, knowledge gap or ignorance, status and contact. Intergroup conflict history is the main cause of conflicts in a culturally diverse working environment. Past intergroup conflicts present a backdrop on how two groups will interact today. The more stretched and damaging the past conflict is the more negative perceived prejudices and threats attitudes will exist between the two interacting groups (Guilherme, MeÃŒ ndez, & Glaser 2010). Secondly, ignorance or intergroup knowledge gap refers to how little people know about each other or how much they think they know about another group based on stereotypes. As a result, a hostile moment leads one group to perceive the other group as a threat. Thirdly, the type and frequency of contact between two culturally different groups contributes to feelings of trust or mistrust, security or insecurity and familiarity or unfamiliarity. If they exhibit a personalized and positive the contact, they will see beyond their differences. However, if contact is at surface level and negative, then negative prejudices and stereotypes will be used to justify the situation (Guilherme, MeÃŒ ndez, & Glaser 2010). Fourth,

Faculty of Business Environment and Society Essay - 8

Faculty of Business Environment and Society - Essay Example They need to meet and satisfy certain conditions, capabilities and qualities sufficiently in order to effectively manage culturally diverse human resources and agreeably, the international managers must be adaptable, open-minded, flexible and able to speak foreign languages. However, there are other critical strategies to consider and with acknowledgement that culture considerably impacts on organisations and employees, this paper will critically discuss the validity of the statement regarding international managers’ adaptability, flexibility, open-mindedness and proficiency in foreign languages. International assignments serve several purposes and the most significant ones include overseas business expansion, knowledge transfer and career development (Paauwe and Boselie 2010). International managers or expatriates are utilised by multinational corporations because of their expertise in critical areas of interest in global markets and corporate organisation as well as to oversee the entry process into new markets. While on international assignment, the international managers will be in charge of strategically significant tasks and act as the link between the subsidiary and headquarters. They will be involved in recruitment and selection; development and training; performance evaluation, remuneration and benefits; labour relations; developing competitive advantages; and, equally important, self-development (Montana and Bruce 2008). Although the roles of international managers can be generalised, different types of international managers can also be identified. One type will t ypically serve control and coordination roles and give less significance to issues related to personnel development. Another type will complement the coordination and control role by concentrating on the goals of personnel development, which usually include developing leadership competency, acquiring intercultural skills and building social