11. “A FRENCHMAN, A GERMAN, AND AN ENGLISHMAN …”: THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL HETEROGENEITY ON TEAMS

Abstract

Most traditional research on work groups has studied groups and teams that are homogeneous with respect to culture. To alleviate the dearth of material on culturally heterogeneous teams, this chapter provides an overview of the impact of cultural diversity on groups and teams in today’s workforce. First, we focus on the problems involved in defining the constructs of “teams” and “culture.” Second, we provide a brief review of the cultural factors that have been identified as affecting human performance. This review serves as the basis for the third section of this chapter, which investigates if – and how – cultural heterogeneity affects team performance. Finally, we conclude with how culturally diverse workplaces can be managed and how to improve performance when faced with cultural diversity.

Citation

Jentsch, F., Hoeft, R.M., Fiore, S.M. and Bowers, C.A. (2004), "11. “A FRENCHMAN, A GERMAN, AND AN ENGLISHMAN …”: THE IMPACT OF CULTURAL HETEROGENEITY ON TEAMS", Kaplan, M. (Ed.) Cultural Ergonomics (Advances in Human Performance and Cognitive Engineering Research, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 317-340. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3601(03)04011-6