Exploring Cultural Influences on Project Management Approaches in Global Business Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FS.2023.12.20.02Keywords:
project management, approaches, global business development, cultural diversity, cultural influencesAbstract
The aim of the research is to investigate project management approaches which can be applied in culturally diverse teams effectively. The research objectives include the study of culture influences on project management in the organization, identification of project management approaches that are applied in the context of cultural diversity, to outline the most effective project management approaches when multinational projects are initiated, planned, organized, and monitored. Within the framework of our research, we studied a number of scientific sources that revealed the problems of project management approaches in culturally diverse teams and selected about 50 articles in internationally indexed journal that were published during the recent five years to answer the research questions. During the research we used mixed methodology that included qualitative and quantitative methods. The research was conducted in three stages between March and December, 2022 and included 27 experts from 14 different companies that are involved in multicultural projects. The results showed that there are 11 project management approaches in global business development that are applied in the context of cultural diversity and are oriented towards maximize cultural differences within the team. They include cultural awareness assessment, customized communication, cultural liaison, adaptive leadership styles, inclusive decision-making, cross-cultural training, team building, use of feedback, conflict resolution, recognizing cultural differences, implementation of diverse projects. Implementation of these approaches makes project management creative, inclusive and culturally sensitive. Project management in a culturally diverse team is introduced in three grades: elementary, middle, and advanced. The grades constitute competency framework for project managers that are to implement multicultural projects and organize team members who belong to different cultures effectively. The findings can be used for formation of effective culturally diverse teams and management of teams where the members differ in beliefs, behaviours, languages, practices, background, and experiences.
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