Multicultural Teams & Export Intermediaries

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1.
Since you are leading a team composed of representatives from the British, Mexican, Brazilian, and Egyptian subsidies of your firm, you must know the key cultural differences among the team members. From GEERT HOFSTEDE's cultural dimensions we know that British have a high individualism score of 89. This means the British team members thrive when they are given a free hand in making decisions. In case of Mexicans the power distance is 81, and uncertainly avoidance is 82. As a leader you must specify what you want from the Mexicans. In case of Brazilians power distance is 69 and uncertainty avoidance is 76. Individualism is 38. This means as a leader you must give clear directions, specify what you expect from them, and monitor their progress. Egypt also has power distance of 60 and uncertainty avoidance of 80. As a leader you must also give clear directions, specify what you expect from them, and monitor their progress. In general, the British cultural factors are very different from those of the other three countries.

For leading the team through its decision making process, you as the leader must be clear about your own cultural profile. You will understand your communication style, feelings, and actions(1). You must increase your face-to-face communication time, understand each team member from their cultural perspective, and build relationships. As the team leader you must understand your team members and how their culture affects their behavior. For leading the team successfully, you must set the rules and clarify the roles of each team member. Further, you must check in with the team members and listen to what's happening with them. Most importantly you must build trust. You must hold yourself accountable for your actions and clear in your dealing with others. The team members must feel confident that you will do what you promise them. You must encourage team members and communicate ...