1/4 Effective Multinational Teamwork in the Japanese Context Improving the performance of your multinational teams Background Globalization has led to an internationalization of the labor market. As employers compete for the most highly-skilled employees across national borders, the number of teams where people from different origin countries work together is continually growing. Numerous strains of research indicate that such diverse work teams can provide companies with significant competitive advantages, such as: Access to multiple independent sets of knowledge and experience Enhanced team creativity and rates of knowledge transfer An integration of local and global market perspectives Unfortunately, only a minority of multinational teams and collaborations progress as planned and live up to original expectations. Reasons frequently quoted by experienced international managers include: Communication inefficiencies and a lack of team cohesion Divergent perceptions of priorities and responsibilities Misaligned views on team leader tasks and methods As many of these difficulties can be traced back to differences in the basic conventions for team coordination across cultures, prospective leaders of multinational teams are faced with a demand for extraordinary adaptiveness and mediation skills. Overview The present research project examines predictors for the success and failure of mixed Japanese/non-Japanese work teams. Its main objective is the development of practical advice for team leaders on how to increase the effectiveness of their multinational teams. 日本語版はページ9をご覧ください。 Deutsche Version ab Seite 5.
12
Embed
Effective Multinational Teamwork in the Japanese …1/4 Effective Multinational Teamwork in the Japanese Context Improving the performance of your multinational teams Background Globalization
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1/4
Effective Multinational Teamwork
in the Japanese Context
Improving the performance of your multinational teams
Background
Globalization has led to an internationalization of the labor market. As employers compete for
the most highly-skilled employees across national borders, the number of teams where people
from different origin countries work together is continually growing. Numerous strains of
research indicate that such diverse work teams can provide companies with significant
competitive advantages, such as:
Access to multiple independent sets of knowledge and experience
Enhanced team creativity and rates of knowledge transfer
An integration of local and global market perspectives
Unfortunately, only a minority of multinational teams and collaborations progress as planned
and live up to original expectations. Reasons frequently quoted by experienced international
managers include:
Communication inefficiencies and a lack of team cohesion
Divergent perceptions of priorities and responsibilities
Misaligned views on team leader tasks and methods
As many of these difficulties can be traced back to differences in the basic conventions for
team coordination across cultures, prospective leaders of multinational teams are faced with a
demand for extraordinary adaptiveness and mediation skills.
Overview
The present research project examines predictors for the
success and failure of mixed Japanese/non-Japanese work
teams. Its main objective is the development of practical
advice for team leaders on how to increase the effectiveness
of their multinational teams.
日本語版はページ9をご覧ください。
Deutsche Version ab Seite 5.
2/4
Project Outline
Objectives
Together with our partner organizations we examine the effectiveness of different approaches
to the management of mixed Japanese/non-Japanese work teams. A critical look at popular
team support measures (e.g., intercultural trainings) and the development of best practice
solutions for this specific context complement the scope of our research.
Targets This project targets leaders and members of mixed Japanese/non-Japanese work teams. To
be eligible for participation, a team has to:
Have worked together in a project, department or work unit for at least half a year
Register together as a team where at least the team leader and two additional team
members agree to complete a short anonymous online questionnaire (see below)
Mobilize at least one of its Japanese members to participate
Examples:
Benefits for participating companies and teams
Results of the project are shared with participating companies / team leaders in the
form of a professional management report. The report focuses on practical advice for
the improvement of team efficiency.
A free post-study workshop provides opportunities to clarify remaining questions and
illustrate exemplary applications of the insights gained for all participants.
For companies with five or more teams participating, the management report is
complemented by a benchmarking analysis that highlights the specific potentials and
requirements of that company’s teams.
OK! OK! OK! NO!
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4
3/4
Step 2
Participants automatically
receive an email invitation
How to participate with your team
Companies or team leaders willing to participate with their teams have to register in advance.
A registration form is available from central project management or directly at the project
homepage (see below).
After registration, participants are automatically invited per email to complete an anonymous
online survey on their individual experience with mixed Japanese/non-Japanese work teams.
The questionnaire is available in English and Japanese, requires less than 25 minutes to
complete and can be scheduled at a participants leisure (see project homepage for a sample).
Confidentiality
We ensure complete confidentiality of all participant, team, and/or company information.
Analyses are exclusively based on aggregated data which does not allow for the identification
of individual participants, companies, and/or teams within a company. Participation is entirely
voluntary and in no way linked to any kind of charges or additional duties.
Central project management and project homepage
Joint responsibility for the project rests with the Institute for Leadership and Organization at
the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (ILO) and the German Institute for Japanese Studies
Tokyo (DIJ). Both are public research institutions of the Federal Republic of Germany. If you
are interested in participating with your team or just want further information, please do not
hesitate to contact project coordinators Dr. Julia Backmann ([email protected]) or Dr.
Tobias Soeldner ([email protected]) in English, German, or Japanese, or directly visit the
For comments / questions, please feel free to contact us in English, German, or Japanese
Prof. Franz Waldenberger Director German Institute for Japanese Studies Tokyo (DIJ)
Dr. Franz Waldenberger is director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) in Tokyo. He is on leave from Munich University where he holds the professorship for Japanese Economy at the Munich School of Management. His research focuses on the Japanese Economy, Corporate Governance and International Management. He has published numerous articles and books on the Japanese economy and is member of the editorial board of Japan and Asia related social science and economics Journals. Mr. Waldenberger was visiting professor at Osaka City University, Hitotsubashi University, Tsukuba University, the University of Tokyo and Shimomura Fellow at the Research Institute of Capital Formation of the Development Bank of Japan. He is member of the German Japan Forum and of the board of the Japanese German Business Association (DJW).
Prof. Martin Hoegl; Project Leader
Head of the Institute of Leadership & Organization, Munich University (LMU)
Professor Martin Hoegl is Head of the Institute for Leadership and Organization at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany). He served at Washington State University (USA), Bocconi University (Italy) and WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany). Moreover, Professor Hoegl held visiting professorships at the Kellogg School of Management (USA) and National Sun Yat-Sen University (Taiwan), and has given guest lectures at numerous universities. Professor Hoegl has published in eminent journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Product Innovation Management amongst others. He has conducted several research projects on teamwork and leadership in the US, Europe and Asia.
Dr. Julia Backmann (PhD) Assistant Professor, Munich University (LMU)
Dr. Julia Backmann is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Leadership and Organization (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich/Germany). She has received her PhD from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. Before her PhD studies, Dr. Backmann gained professional experience as a management consultant at Accenture. Dr. Backmann has conducted research projects in Australia, Germany, and Singapore focusing on team collaborations within and between companies and the roles of multiculturals within teams.
Andreas Hundschell is a M.Sc. business administration student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich/Germany, currently conducting his master thesis at the Institute for Leadership and Organization. The master thesis will contribute to the research on effective multinational teamwork in the Japanese context.
Andreas Hundschell M.Sc. Student, Munich University (LMU)
Dr. Tobias Soeldner is a Senior Research Fellow at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) in Tokyo, Japan. Following a research visit to Tokyo University, he received his PhD in Psychology from Humboldt University Berlin. A former awardee of the German National Academic Foundation, his academic interests center on acculturation processes and the interplay between culture, personality, and personal values in group interactions with a special focus on the German, Japanese, and US contexts.
1/4
Effektivität multinationaler Arbeitsteams
im japanischen Kontext
Nutzen Sie das volle Potential Ihres Teams?
Hintergrund
Globalisierung bedeutet nicht nur neue Absatzmärkte, sondern auch eine
Internationalisierung des Arbeitsmarktes. Im Zuge des grenzübergreifenden Wettbewerbs
um hochqualifiziertes Personal nimmt die Zahl multinational zusammengesetzter Teams in
überregional orientierten Unternehmen kontinuierlich zu. Mehrere Studien belegen, dass sich
solche Teams mitunter auszeichnen durch:
Zugriff auf mehrere unabhängige Informations- und Erfahrungsquellen
Integration unterschiedlicher Marktperspektiven und
Gesteigerte Kreativität und Wissenstransfers
In der Praxis entwickeln sich jedoch nur die wenigsten multinationalen Teams planmäßig und
die tatsächlichen Resultate bleiben oft weit hinter den ursprünglichen Erwartungen zurück.
Als Hauptgründe zitieren erfahrenen Teammanager insbesondere Reibungsverluste durch:
Abweichende Ansichten zu Führungsmethoden und Aufgaben der Teamleitung
Unterschiedliche Wahrnehmung von Prioritäten und Verantwortung
Kommunikationsdefizite und fehlenden Teamzusammenhalt
In vielen Fällen lassen sich o.g. Herausforderungen auf kulturell bedingte Unterschiede in
den Grundregeln für die Zusammenarbeit im beruflichen Kontext zurückführen. Angehende
Leiter multinationaler Teams sehen sich daher mit Höchstanforderungen in den Bereichen
Führungs- und Integrationskompetenz konfrontiert
Überblick
Ziel des vorliegenden Forschungsprojekts ist eine Analyse der
Ursachen für Erfolg und Misserfolg gemischt japanisch/nicht-
japanischer Arbeitsteams. Im Vordergrund steht die
Entwicklung praktisch verwertbarer Leitlinien zur Steigerung
der Teameffektivität.
2/4
Projektbeschreibung
Forschungsziele
Gemeinsam mit unseren Partnerunternehmen überprüfen wir verschiedene Ansätze zur
Führung gemischt japanisch/nicht-japanischer Arbeitsteams. Ein kritischer Blick auf weit
verbreitete Supportmaßnahmen (z.B. interkulturelle Trainings) und die Entwicklung
praxisorientierter Handlungsvorschläge für TeamleiterInnen stehen dabei im Vordergrund.
Zielgruppe Das Projekt richtet sich an LeiterInnen und MitarbeiterInnen gemischt japanisch/nicht-
japanischer Arbeitsteams. Um sich für eine Teilnahme zu qualifizieren, muss das Team:
Seit mindestens einem halben Jahr unter derselben Teamleitung zusammenarbeiten
Sich gemeinsam als Team registrieren, von dem zumindest die Teamleitung und zwei
weitere MitarbeiterInnen bereit sind, einen kurzen Fragebogen zu beantworten (s.u.)
Mindestens ein Teammitglied japanischer Herkunft zur Teilnahme mobilisieren
Beispiele:
Nutzen für teilnehmende Unternehmen und Teams
Die Ergebnisse des Projekts werden den teilnehmenden Unternehmen /
TeamleiterInnen in Form eines professionellen Management Reports zur Verfügung
gestellt. Dieser ist auf konkrete Vorschläge zur Steigerung der Teameffizienz
ausgerichtet.
Ein kostenloser Abschlussworkshop bietet allen Teilnehmern die Möglichkeit, offene
Fragen und praktische Wege zur Nutzung der gewonnenen Erkenntnisse zu
diskutieren.
Unternehmen, die mit mindestens fünf Teams an der Studie teilnehmen erhalten
zusätzlich eine professionelle Benchmark-Analyse, die auf die spezifischen
Entwicklungspotenziale und Bedürfnisse ihrer Teams hinweist.
OK! OK! OK! NO!
Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4
3/4
Schritt 2
Automatisierte Einladung
der Teammitglieder
Bewerbung und Ablauf
Unternehmen oder Teamleiter, die sich für eine Teilnahme interessieren, müssen sich vorab
registrieren. Hierfür steht auf der Projekthomepage (s.u.) ein entsprechendes Formular zum
Download bereit.
Nach Überprüfung der Teilnahmevoraussetzungen erhalten alle Teammitglieder automatisch
eine Einladung zur Beantwortung eines Online-Fragebogen über ihre Erfahrungen mit
gemischt japanisch/nicht-japanischen Arbeitsteams. Die Beantwortung ist wahlweise auf
Englisch oder Japanisch möglich, erfordert einmalig 25 Minuten und kann beliebig oft
unterbrochen und zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt fortgesetzt werden.
Vertraulichkeit und Datenschutz
Wir verpflichten uns zu vollständiger Vertraulichkeit in Bezug auf alle Personen-, Team- und
Unternehmensdaten. Die Auswertung erfolgt ausschließlich auf Basis aggregierter Daten die
keine nachträgliche Identifizierung einzelner Personen, Unternehmen und/oder Teams
innerhalb eines Unternehmens zulassen. Die Teilnahme ist an keinerlei weitere Leistungen
oder Verpflichtungen gekoppelt.
Zentrale Projektleitung und Projekthomepage
Die gemeinsame Projektverantwortung liegt beim Institut für Leadership und Organisation
der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (ILO) und dem Deutschen Institut für
Japanstudien Tokyo (DIJ). Beides sind Forschungseinrichtungen des öffentlichen Dienstes
der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Wenn Sie sich für eine Teilnahme mit Ihrem Team
interessieren oder weitere Informationen wünschen, scheuen Sie sich bitte nicht, auf
Deutsch, Englisch oder Japanisch mit unseren ProjektkoordinatorInnen in München (Dr. Julia
Ihre Fragen beantworten wir gerne auf Deutsch, Englisch, oder Japanisch
Prof. Franz Waldenberger Director German Institute for Japanese Studies Tokyo (DIJ)
Dr. Franz Waldenberger is director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) in Tokyo. He is on leave from Munich University where he holds the professorship for Japanese Economy at the Munich School of Management. His research focuses on the Japanese Economy, Corporate Governance and International Management. He has published numerous articles and books on the Japanese economy and is member of the editorial board of Japan and Asia related social science and economics Journals. Mr. Waldenberger was visiting professor at Osaka City University, Hitotsubashi University, Tsukuba University, the University of Tokyo and Shimomura Fellow at the Research Institute of Capital Formation of the Development Bank of Japan. He is member of the German Japan Forum and of the board of the Japanese German Business Association (DJW).
Prof. Martin Hoegl; Project leader
Head of the Institute of Leadership & Organization, Munich University (LMU)
Professor Martin Hoegl is Head of the Institute for Leadership and Organization at Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (Germany). He served at Washington State University (USA), Bocconi University (Italy) and WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management (Germany). Moreover, Professor Hoegl held visiting professorships at the Kellogg School of Management (USA) and National Sun Yat-Sen University (Taiwan), and has given guest lectures at numerous universities. Professor Hoegl has published in eminent journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, and Journal of Product Innovation Management amongst others. He has conducted several research projects on teamwork and leadership in the US, Europe and Asia.
Dr. Julia Backmann Assistant Professor, Munich University (LMU)
Dr. Julia Backmann is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Leadership and Organization (Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich/Germany). She has received her PhD from WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management in Germany. Before her PhD studies, Dr. Backmann gained professional experience as a management consultant at Accenture. Dr. Backmann has conducted research projects in Australia, Germany, and Singapore focusing on team collaborations within and between companies and the roles of multiculturals within teams.
Dr. Tobias Soeldner is a Senior Research Fellow at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) in Tokyo, Japan. Following a research visit to Tokyo University, he received his PhD in Psychology from Humboldt University Berlin. A former awardee of the German National Academic Foundation, his academic interests center on acculturation processes and the interplay between culture, personality, and personal values in group interactions with a special focus on the German, Japanese, and US contexts.
Andreas Hundschell M.Sc. Student, Munich University (LMU)
Andreas Hundschell is a M.Sc. business administration student at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich/Germany, currently conducting his master thesis at the Institute for Leadership and Organization. The master thesis will contribute to the research on effective multinational teamwork in the Japanese context.