Research on teamwork in professional contexts illuminates the issues that arise for students as well. Challenges often arise from sources other than differences of language or classroom experience; they can come from different views of organizations, hierarchy, decision-making, and -- perhaps most important -- expressing agreement or disagreement. Whether students see these differences as being individual or cultural may be less important than helping them identify differences and work through them.
Issues: Challenges to cross cultural teamwork
- Disagreement may be expressed by tone of agreement or absence of agreement, rather than explicit statement of disagreement.
- Disagreement may be expressed by suggesting a different idea, at a later time, rather than immediately.
- These two ways of expressing disagreement may lead a student with a direct style to think that agreement has been reached – because there is no explicit disagreement – and to be confused or irritated when others act as if there is no agreement later.
- Pointing out problems explicitly – to others outside the team – can violate expectations that team members need to "save face" for one another and deal with problems as a group.
- Students in the U.S. typically like to make decisions quickly, and revise if needed; many other cultural management styles involve longer, deeper analysis before coming to a decision. This may leave others looking "weak" in Americans' eyes, and Americans looking "reckless" in others' eyes.
- Deference to authority figures is stronger in many other cultural, national, and educational settings, than in the U.S.
- Maintaining respect for team members even in the face of disagreement or disappointment, is stronger in other cultures than in the U.S.
- Despite their best intentions, native speakers may become frustrated with the time it takes them to get used to non-native speakers' accents, word use, or general fluency.
- Problems with translation can also affect perceptions of competence on both sides.
- Expertise of non-native speakers can be lost to the process if they lose motivation to contribute fully, because the native speakers do not fully include them.
- Side conversations in different languages can be a source of annoyance and division.
- Conflicts that arise due to misunderstanding and impatience can damage relationships and severely diminish motivation and team performance.
Note: The list of challenges is from Brett, J., Behfar, K., & Kern, M. (2006). Explanations are rewritten by Crisca Bierwert, CRLT
Strategies for cross cultural teamwork
- Explain the value of collaboration, and the fact that collaborative skills need to be learned
- Encourage cooperation
- Recognize and acknowledge early signs of differences in communication, and expectations
- Provide students with some training about variations in communication and decision-making styles
- Ensure that all participants have time during discussion to share views and ideas
- Be prepared for gaps in understanding and think of ways to use these as effective learning, and review opportunities for all students; and
- Identify and discuss processes for agreement and disagreement, with room for revision
- Start with well-defined tasks and increase the difficulty
- Be flexible as you keep track of the students' development, and project development
- Be clear whether you expect all team members to contribute to ALL tasks, or if you want them to divide the work
- Assign the teams yourself (as instructor)
- Assure heterogeneity in terms of ability
- Do not outnumber or isolate (e.g. putting one to a group) women and minorities, if possible
- Provide recourse for dysfunctional teams
- Be explicit about grading policies for team assignments at the start of term
- Have students reflect on and assess their collaborations, their team members, their own teamwork; and
- Have them do this during the process – not just at the end
Brett, J., Behfar, K., & Kern, M. (2006). Managing Multicultural Teams.
Harvard Business Review 84(11), 89-96.
Focus groups with U-M faculty and students with cross cultural experience in higher education (facilitated by CRLT).
Views of U-M undergraduate students during a breakout session of 2010 U-M Summit of International Students.
"Student Teams in the STEM Classroom," CRLT Engineering workshop presented on varying occasions by Cynthia Finelli
Additional resources on teaching with group work and team work:
- CRLT Teaching Strategies page on using group work and team work
- CRLT Occasional Paper: Student Teams in the Engineering Classroom and Beyond
- CRLT-TLTC Occasional Paper: Development and Assessment of Intercultural Engagement