Working in intercultural teams

Project management in an international environment differs in many respects from its national counterpart and is, in any case, much more than simply "project management in english". For international project teams to meet expectations and succeed, the cultural discrepancies that exist between the project parties must be taken into account. But what is meant by culture, and how are we shaped by it?

A person's development can be illustrated using a three-layer model. The first layer is human nature, which universally defines us as human beings. Above this lies the second layer of learned, culture-specific conditioning, and finally the third layer, which makes us a unique and individual personality. In practice, this means that cultural conditioning cannot be used as the sole characteristic for evaluating a person. Their personality may reinforce or, equally, override their cultural conditioning. Cultural conditioning takes place in different stages and depends on the surrounding environment, beginning with the family home, then the circle of friends during youth, followed by the environment during education and finally the workplace. It should be noted that different cultural groups may also represent different, or even opposing, values. A project manager must therefore continually question and adapt their perception of their environment.

Culture can be defined as a system of values and rituals, rules and norms, heroes and symbols that we internalise from childhood onwards. Like the tip of an iceberg, only some of these culture-specific parameters are visible and are reflected in everyday life through practised behaviours and the objects we use. The much larger part of the iceberg that lies beneath the surface remains invisible. The same applies to the values that form the deeper foundation of these culture-specific parameters. These, too, initially remain invisible to outsiders. At the same time, however, they form the core of culture. These values are the standard by which we classify and evaluate our environment and the people around us.
The following terms are illustrated by way of example:
Values: Typical pairs of concepts that allow for a polar classification, such as good – evil, brave – cowardly, dirty – clean, fast – slow, boring – exciting, etc.
Rituals: Greetings, gifts, table manners, religious practices, public holidays, parades and political celebrations.
Heroes: Political, military and business figures, athletes, fictional characters and media personalities.
Symbols: Architecture, food, hairstyles, clothing, flags, coats of arms, signs and colours.
By incorporating environmental influences, the specific or geographical location of a culture and the impact of the environment upon it are also taken into account, for example water scarcity, extreme weather conditions, proximity to the sea or to mountain ranges.

Different communication and working styles can present a challenge to collaboration. Conflicts arise more easily and are more difficult to resolve. Different values make it more difficult to define quality criteria, assess risks and reach agreements, including those relating to scheduling.

Even when a common project language has been established, differing levels of language proficiency increase the likelihood of misunderstandings. The use of interpreters would compensate for this shortcoming on the one hand, but on the other hand it reduces the pace of project implementation and at the same time the project manager loses control over what is being said. Beyond language barriers, communication media such as email and SMS also repeatedly create potential for conflict because of their limited ability to convey the other person's intentions and reactions.

Depending on the project, the project manager may find themselves in an environment that differs significantly from the one they are accustomed to, ranging from the political and legal framework to climatic and geographical characteristics. A sound and thorough environmental analysis is essential and helps to avoid problems later on.
 

For many team members, it is entirely possible to work in distributed teams. In this context, people often speak of virtual teams. Strictly speaking, however, this is not correct, because virtual means the opposite of physical, not the opposite of real. The virtual teams referred to here are genuine, real teams, but because they are spread across geographically separate locations, they are not physically co-located. Teams must nevertheless exist physically despite – or precisely because of – their geographical separation. Distributed teams cannot practise "social" interaction in the same way. Team members cannot keep an eye on one another. They cannot properly look after one another or ensure the joint progress of the project. Without personal contact, relationships drift apart, which is why face-to-face interaction is extremely important. Networking team members on an online platform such as LinkedIn is no substitute for personal contact. Nor is starting a project with analysis and planning sessions conducted solely via video conference. For project success, networking through social media, working via telephone and video conferences, combined with face-to-face meetings, is indispensable.
 

Depending on the project, project managers and team members may face a significantly increased workload. This includes telephone and video conferences at inconvenient times in order to communicate with team members across different time zones, long periods away from friends and family because of increased travel or overseas assignments, and unfamiliar or perhaps even extreme demands caused by local climatic conditions.

However, international projects do not only present challenges; they also offer considerable advantages. These may include shorter project durations, cost savings and greater creative potential.

International project teams also go through the usual stages of team development. The IAPM states: "Particularly during the early phase, it would be desirable to draw on the experience of seasoned colleagues and coaches in order to come together during joint team seminars."
Project managers can relatively easily identify and learn to deal with the visible, conscious aspects of cultures – for example by imitating greetings or table manners. This represents a first step towards intercultural understanding – outwardly, they are now part of the team. At the same time, however, they must recognize that a large part of the "cultural iceberg" remains hidden from them, and therefore so do the motives and underlying reasons for certain behaviours and viewpoints of their international partners. For a deeper understanding and successful collaboration, it is therefore not sufficient merely to adopt visible behaviours. Instead, it is essential to engage actively in dialogue. Project managers should deliberately ask about expectations, ways of working, communication habits and any potential uncertainties. The aim is not to assign people prematurely to a particular culture, but rather to make individual perspectives visible and build mutual understanding.
Shared team activities are particularly helpful in this regard, providing opportunities to discuss roles, decision-making processes, feedback practices, approaches to conflict and expectations of collaboration openly. This creates a common framework that provides guidance and reduces misunderstandings. The project manager's role is not to judge differences, but to address them constructively, facilitate discussion and translate them into workable agreements for the team.

Successful international project work requires far more than technical expertise or a common language. Intercultural sensitivity, openness, and a willingness to understand and integrate different values and ways of working into collaboration are of crucial importance. Those who see cultural differences as an opportunity and encourage personal interaction lay the foundation for high-performing teams and long-term project success.