THE CHALLENGES OF CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES IN MULTICULTURAL
PROJECT TEAMS
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this research proposal is to look into how cultural differences affect multicultural project
teams and suggest good ways to manage them. It uses a qualitative method and looks at talks with project
staff and case studies from different industries to find common themes. The study looks at how cultural
difference affects how teams work together, how they communicate with each other, and how they make
decisions about projects. It tries to figure out what problems are getting in the way of teamwork and gives
project managers advice on how to get around them. The study helps us understand and deal with cultural
differences in project teams by giving us ideas on how to make multicultural settings more welcoming
and productive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Introduction................................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Research Question...............................................................................................................................3
1.2 Aims.....................................................................................................................................................3
1.3 Objectives............................................................................................................................................3
2. Literature Review.......................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Multicultural Project Teams and Diversity..........................................................................................4
2.2 Cultural Differences and team dynamics.............................................................................................4
2.3 Impact on Project Management...........................................................................................................5
2.4 Strategies for Managing Cultural Differences.....................................................................................5
2.5 The Role of Leadership in Multi-Cultural Teams................................................................................6
3. Methodology..............................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Philosophy, Approach, and Choice......................................................................................................7
3.2 Data Collection....................................................................................................................................7
3.3. Data Analysis......................................................................................................................................7
3.4 Limitation.............................................................................................................................................8
4. Conclusion and Recommendations............................................................................................................9
5. References................................................................................................................................................10
1. INTRODUCTION
In this globalized economy, this is very important to consider various talents to ensure the best results in
various levels in the organizations where diverse talents from diverse cultures take place. This
collaboration ensures a proper workplace culture where all projects are completed with innovation,
efficiency, strategic moves, and navigation of complex situations. A multicultural project team consists of
diverse experiences, perspectives, cultures, and practices (Pauliene, et al, 2019). This research focuses on
the multicultural teams across the organizations with the collaborative effort from individuals from
diverse cultural backgrounds. This comes from the current situation of the multinational organizations.
This comes with communication differences, decision-making processes, work procedures, and values
creating various conflicts, poor performance, and misunderstandings. Though there is scope for
innovation, there are still various problems. The rationale of the report is based on the challenge of a
multicultural team because of the diverse cultures and the differences among those.
1.1 RESEARCH QUESTION
Here is the research question that is the focus of this paper:
How do cultural differences make problems of collaboration and performance in a multicultural team and
what are the strategies to tackle the critical problem in projects?
1.2 AIMS
This report aims to generate knowledge of the potential challenges of the project managers based on the
challenges of a multicultural team with members from diverse backgrounds. The research will explore the
strategies and skills of the project managers to mitigate the challenges based on a multicultural team for
the best performance and outcome from a successful project.
1.3 OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the report are:
1. To analyse the benefits of a multicultural team with diverse team experiences, ethics, and practices
2. To explore various kinds of challenges in a multicultural team and how they can lead to conflicts, poor
project commitment, and project delay
3. To examine the impact of cultural differences on team members’ work and project contributions
4. To explore case studies of multicultural projects including challenges encountered and successes
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
This is an initial literature review conducted for the development of the theoretical foundation for the
research proposal. This will bring up the overall view of the research topic to ensure the proper
development of the whole research initiative (Matta, 2022). This will bring up the view of previously
conducted research based on multicultural project teams and diversity, cultural differences and team
dynamics, impact on project management, strategies for managing cultural differences, and the role of
leadership in multicultural teams.
2.1 MULTICULTURAL PROJECT TEAMS AND DIVERSITY
Multicultural project teams are a prior need in this advanced age of globalisation and inclusion which is
the key to success for a project team in any organisation. Stahl, et al, 2021 tells that multicultural teams
have potential direct effects on the processes the effects must be properly determined because of the high
effect on the team processes and the outcomes from the process and teamwork. The outcome and process
has severe difference with the various diverse teams and this has both good and bad impacts. These teams
bring up better creativity and innovation where communication may become more difficult because of
language barriers, cultural conflict, value differences, and others. The skill and team leader also plays a
major role in the team setting of a multicultural project team. Cherian, et al, 2020 focus on team
diversity which says that some employees may feel comfortable and some may not in a diverse cultured
project team. This paper also tells that there are both sides of a multicultural project team. This is because
of the favouritism and language barriers but this can also bring up effectiveness with various kinds of
talents. This is mainly based on the workplace culture and organisational behaviour in an organisation.
With proper actions, the challenges can be mitigated and the best outcome can be ensured to achieve the
goals and objectives.
2.2 CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND TEAM DYNAMICS
Cultural differences affect the teams and the development of teams differently and as we know it affects
the performance it must be properly considered. Taras, et al, 2019 focus on the personal context in the
team dynamics of the development of teams with culturally different people. This brings up the
relationship among the team members which is very relative based on the objectives and the type of
project team. This also brings up the view of personal diversity and contextual diversity. Personal
diversity affects the team negatively whereas contextual diversity does this positively. This also focuses
on the cultural diversity level in a team which has potential effects on the team's performance in the long
term. Kissi, et al, 2022 focus on the positive sides of the multicultural team particularly where the study
found that there are mainly three key advantages including better personal and professional growth of the
employees with better skill development through diverse experiences, better innovation and team culture
with organizational success, and the effective and proper decision-making ability due to the diverse
backgrounds. This paper supports more cultural diversity in project teams because it brings up successes
with team dynamics in project delivery.
2.3 IMPACT ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management needs various proper sets of action to achieve a shared goal through the coordination
of the tasks of project members working as a team (Kissi, et al, 2022). Here, multicultural project teams
play a significant role where the outcomes and process vary based on the team’s effectiveness and team
dynamics as well as the relation in the team. Brett, et al, 2020 focus on making the view the impact of
cultural diversity on project teams where it is pointed out that trust is the most important thing in such
teams. This also highlights the three key components of bringing up project effectiveness through a
multicultural team with cultural diversity which are transparency, good communication, and
understanding feelings of each other in the team. This study mainly shows that emotional intelligence
doesn’t affect trust and understanding of others' feelings has a very small impact on the performance of a
culturally diverse team. Project management must focus on trust by ensuring enhanced communication,
clarifying the tasks and the rewards, and encouraging more understanding among the team members in a
culturally diversified team. Tabassi, et al, 2019 tells that different conflicts may take place in a
multicultural project team and they propose solutions for the problems to effective management and
completion of the projects. Organisations must strategically use two main conflict resolution method
including cooperative and avoidance which has positive effects on team performance. This brings up
better communication and coordination where accommodating and competitive styles don’t do well in
project management. The multicultural team can better coordinate with cooperative and avoiding methods
for conflict resolution methods in a project.
2.4 STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
Managing cultural differences is one of the most important things for a project to be successful in
achieving the goals and objectives effectively. Pauliene, et al, 2019 suggest that the main barrier to
managing cultural diversity are the language barrier and the trust issues which must be initially
eliminated. By clarifying the visions properly, multicultural project teams can ensure more success in a
project. This tells that the complex factors must be properly recognised which is very difficult but it is
very important for bringing up the success in the projects. Liu, et al, 2020 suggest that in the proper
management of multicultural teams and conflict resolution, it is very important to bring up proper
interaction and communication. A proper cooperation and communication network must be developed in
the teams to ensure the removal of barriers that are making cultural differences bring problems. This will
also effectively resolve issues in a project while making comparisons and more conflicts must be avoided
to manage the team properly for the completion of the projects.
2.5 THE ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN MULTI-CULTURAL TEAMS
Leadership plays a vital role in a team setting where a competent and proper leader is needed in a
multicultural team with diversified members (Stahl, et al, 2021). Abadir, et al, 2019 say that leaders play
a major role in managing multicultural teams with projects. This must be done with agility in approaching
each team member where global knowledge is very important for managing multicultural teams. This also
must be done with proper cultural intelligence of the leaders in the team so that all people in the team
with diverse cultures and values can be properly managed. Polat, 2020 focuses on leadership
development for managing multicultural development where traditional leadership must be improved with
various kinds of inclusive methods. These inclusive methods will bring up a proper strategy to manage
the multicultural team where the inclusion mindset and strategy will ensure better management of the
diversified cultures in the organisation. For better inclusive team actions with a multicultural team, the
company must bring up a proper diversified leadership as well. This report suggests a skilled and
diversified leadership for managing cultural interactions and mix-ups. This brings up the view of inspiring
and encouraging individuals for better involvement in the tasks to ensure proper project completion while
achieving the goals and objectives.
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 PHILOSOPHY, APPROACH, AND CHOICE
The paper will follow a qualitative method with case study analysis and semi-structured interviews. This
report focuses on making an exploratory action to understand the multicultural project teams where the
challenges and strategies to tackle those changes for better performance will be determined. This report
will focus on an interpretivism philosophy where the researcher will gather data from words and interpret
it to come to a solution. This will help to ensure a proper value from the research through exploration. The
research will focus on the secondary data more where various previous researches will be conducted and
interviews will be taken with participants. This will create in-depth knowledge from the resources
available related to the topic. The interpretivism philosophy will be ensured with the interpretation of
various non-statistical data. This philosophy thinks that subjective data collection and society’s various
perspectives bring up the social reality and it is realised through inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning
is a bottom-up approach which is very suitable for such kinds of research and research philosophy
(Coates, 2021). Deductive reasoning is another approach that brings up proving a hypothesis through
statistical data which is not suitable for the study. This study will drive the conclusion by exploring the
existing data and interviews.
3.2 DATA COLLECTION
This research will focus on the secondary data collection method to collect data on multicultural project
teams with diverse team members. Secondary data is the data that was previously collected and utilised to
generate information which is time efficient and saves effort (Bleiker, et al, 2019). This is also cost-
effective and can be collected faster compared to the primary data. In this study, data will be taken based
on various journals, books, research papers, and articles. Here the date limit will be 10 years
3.3. DATA ANALYSIS
A thematic analysis will be conducted in this research which is well suited to a qualitative analysis. This
is based on the knowledge, theory, and personal view of the researcher to bring up a conclusion. This
brings up a better detailed, organised, and comprehensive way (Williams, 2021). This will ensure an exact
pattern in the analysis of data. This will bring up a proper conclusion of themes and familiarising to data
collected.
3.4 LIMITATION
The limitations of the study are as below:
1. The result may be manipulated where it may not be as accurate as that of primary data
2. The result is focused on the project team.
4. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The study will bring up a proper view of the diversity in multicultural teams by analysing the challenges
and benefits along with the strategies for mitigating the challenges. This will mainly focus on the proper
collaboration for that team with diversely cultured members to ensure optimal performance. This will
ensure an overall view of the topic so that a proper critical understanding can be made. This report will
help to develop several recommendations and strategies to ensure the best team for the projects so that
optimal and successful collaborations will be provided (Matta, 2022). The paper must ensure more
effectiveness and flexibility strategies to ensure the achievement of the goals and objectives of the report.
This will bring success in achieving the aims and objectives of this research.
5. REFERENCES
Abadir, S., Batsa, E., Neubert, M. and Halkias, D., 2019. Leading multicultural teams in agile
organizations. Available at SSRN 3507635.
Bleiker, J., Morgan-Trimmer, S., Knapp, K. and Hopkins, S., 2019. Navigating the maze: Qualitative
research methodologies and their philosophical foundations. Radiography, 25, pp.S4-S8.
Brett, J., Behfar, K. and Kern, M., 2020. Managing multicultural teams. In Organizational Collaboration
(pp. 155-164). Routledge.
Cherian, J., Gaikar, V. and Raj P, P., 2020. The role of cultural diversity and how they impact work team
performance. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET), 11(9), pp.11-22.
Galli, B.J., 2019. A shared leadership approach to transformational leadership theory: Analysis of research
methods and philosophies. In Scholarly ethics and publishing: Breakthroughs in research and practice (pp.
751-790). IGI Global.
Kissi, E., Babon-Ayeng, P. and Agyekum, A.K., 2022. Benefits of multicultural project team setting:
views of professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry. EPiC Series in Built Environment, 3,
pp.110-120.
Liu, J., Cui, Z., Feng, Y., Perera, S. and Han, J., 2020. Impact of culture differences on performance of
international construction joint ventures: the moderating role of conflict management. Engineering,
Construction and Architectural Management, 27(9), pp.2353-2377.
Matta, C., 2022. Philosophical paradigms in qualitative research methods education: What is their
pedagogical role?. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 66(6), pp.1049-1062.
Pauliene, R., Diskiene, D. and Matuzeviciute, E., 2019. Complex approach on multicultural teams
management & leadership. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 9(2), p.8.
Polat, H.H., 2020. Successful Leadership in a Multi-Cultural Influenced Organization. Journal of
Business and Economics, ISSN, pp.2155-7950.
Stahl, G.K. and Maznevski, M.L., 2021. Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A
retrospective of research on multicultural work groups and an agenda for future research. Journal of
International Business Studies, 52, pp.4-22.
Tabassi, A.A., Abdullah, A. and Bryde, D.J., 2019. Conflict management, team coordination, and
performance within multicultural temporary projects: Evidence from the construction industry. Project
Management Journal, 50(1), pp.101-114.
Taras, V., Baack, D., Caprar, D., Dow, D., Froese, F., Jimenez, A. and Magnusson, P., 2019. Diverse
effects of diversity: Disaggregating effects of diversity in global virtual teams. Journal of International
Management, 25(4), p.100689.
Williams, H., 2021. The meaning of “Phenomenology”: Qualitative and philosophical phenomenological
research methods. The Qualitative Report, 26(2), pp.366-385.
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Activity Planning
Task Proposed Time for Framework-2024
January February March April May
Topic Confirmation
Research Question Confirmation Jan 12th
Aim and Objectives Confirmation Jan 12th
Research Methodology Confirmation Jan 12th
Literature Review Jan 31st
Data Collection
Searching for Relevant Articles Feb 9th
Article Quality Checking Feb 18th
Final Articles Filtering Feb 25th
Data Analysis
Presenting details of the article Mar 3rd
Presenting summary of findings for Mar 10th
each artcile
Generating Codes in Finding Mar 16th
Identifying Themes Mar 22nd
Reviewing Themes Mar 28th
Defining Themes April 1st
Writing Up
Draft Writing April 17th
Proof Reading April 26th
Final Submission May 5th
