Dirigir proyectos con equipos interculturales

Abstract

A large majority of projects currently undertaken have an international character, with the participation of a wider set of stakeholders (client, contractor, banks, consultants, local partners, subcontractors, local administrations) that usually include people from different cultural backgrounds. This cultural diversity is undoubtedly an opportunity to enrich the project team, bringing new points of view and innovative solutions, but it can also raise issues regarding communication and misunderstanding. When working in an intercultural project team we immediately discover behaviors different from ours which can be more or less shocking. We need a chip change, to be flexible to see things from another point of view and to consider that there are different ways of getting things done, depending on the cultural origin of the team members. A cultural model that helps us predict and understand the different behaviors due to national cultures will be presented briefly. It is a rigorous and proven scientific model, the Hofstede 6D model, a worldwide reference in the academic field that is becoming increasingly important in the business world. The model will be briefly explained and examples applicable in international projects will be given.