ABSTRACT
This study
embarked on an investigation of the impact of culturally diverse project teams
on project execution in multinational companies using Nigeria as a case study. The researcher elicited information from 50 participants in
Nigerian construction companies through the use of an open-ended questionnaire.
This information was coded and analyzed using the thematic analysis. The study
after carefully sorting coding translation and interpretation of responses from
participants found that socioeconomic status, religion, language, sexual
orientation, and an unexpected emergence of temperament as the prevalent forms
of cultural differences in Nigerian project teams. The study also found that
the major challenges experienced by project teams due to cultural diversity
were lack of trust, difficulty in adjustment/ adaptation, fear of
discrimination and stereotyping, task reluctance from marginalized groups or
individuals, toxic and uncooperative operating environment for workers and poor
communication. The respondents
identified effective communication and feedback systems, periodic check-ins and open communication, cultural
intelligence training, team bonding and adaptation sessions, as some of the strategies employed by their companies for
handling cultural differences within project teams. The study, recommends that
project managers and team leaders pay more attention
to diversity and cultural differences within their teams and make deliberate
efforts through the adoption of diversity management practices, to ensure that
these differences do not degenerate to the point of inhibiting project
execution, create a platform for open
communication, doubt clarification and proper feedback between team members and
managers as a way of encouraging cultural, learn to emphasize the
exclusivity and superiority of corporate goals over individual or sub-group
interests in the organisation.
TABLE OF CONTENT
CONTENT PAGE
COVER PAGE - - - - - - - - - 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - - - - - - - - 2
DECLARATION - - - - - - - - - 3
ABSTRACT - - - - - - - - - - 4
LIST OF FIGURES - - - - - - - - - 5
CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Introduction
- - - - - - - - - - - 8
Background
to the study- - - - - - - - - 9
Research
gap ad contribution to knowledge - - - - - - 10
Aims
and objectives - - - - - - - - - 10
Research
questions - - - - - - - - - 11
Research
outline - - - - - - - - - 12
CHAPTER 2 - LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction- - - - - - - - - - - 13
Concept
of project management - - - - - - - 13
Diversity
in project teams - - - - - - - - 14
Cultural
differences in project teams - - - - - - - 14
Current
Difficulties Faced in Project Execution Due to Cultural Differences- - 17
Positive
and Negative Impact of Cultural Differences on Project Execution - - 20
Cultural
Diversity in Nigerian Project Teams - - - - - 20
Current
Diversity Management Practices - - - - - - 21
Summary
if review -- - - - - - - - - 24
Chapter 3 METHODOLOGY
Introduction
- - - - - - - - - - 26
Philosophy
of the study - - - - - - - - - 26
Research
approach - - - - - - - - - 27
Ethical
approval - - - - - - - - - 27
Research
methods - - - - - - - - - 28
Study
location - - - - - - - - - 28
Qualitative
research - - - - - - - - - 28
Primary
data collection - - - - - - - - 29
Process
of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 29
Secondary
data - - - - - - - - - 31
Methods
of analysis - - - - - - - - - 31
Chapter 4 RESULTS
Introduction
- - - - - - - - - - - 32
Demographic
Variables - - - - - - - - 33
Religion - - - - - - - - - 34
Ethnicity - - - - - - - - - - 35
Cultural
Differences in Project Team - - - - - - - 35
Current
Difficulties Faced in Project Execution Due to Cultural Differences - 36
Current
Diversity Management Practices - - - - - - 37
Chapter 5 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
Introduction
- - - - - - - - - - 38
Cultural
differences in the project team -- - - - - - 38
Current
Difficulties Faced in Project Execution Due to Cultural Differences - 38
Current
Diversity Management Practices - - - - - - 41
Chapter
Summary - - - - - - - - - 44
Chapter 6 EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION
Introduction
- - - - - - - - - - - 46
Self-Evaluation - - - - - - - - - 47
Study
Limitations - - - - - - - - - 48
Summary - - - - - - - - - - 49
Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - 50
Implication - - - - - - - - - - 50
Recommendation - - - - - - - - - 51
Direction
for Future Research - - - - - - - - 52
REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - 53
APPENDICES - - - - - - - - - 58
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 – Research Questions and Corresponding Survey Items - - - 28
Figure 2 – Job Roles of Respondents - - - - - - - 33
Figure 3 – Religion Affiliation of Respondents - - - - - 33
Figure 4 – Ethnicity of Respondents - - - - - - - 34
Figure 5 – Cultural Differences in Nigerian Project Teams - - - - 34
Figure 6 - Current Difficulties Faced In Project Execution Due to Cultural Differences - 35
Figure 7 – Critical Evaluation of Study Success - - - - - - 44
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
This study is concerned primarily with
the investigation of the Impact of Culturally Diverse Project Teams on Project
Execution in Multinational Companies using Nigeria as a case study.
This research report is organized into a
6-chapters report. The first chapter (or introductory chapter) focuses on
presenting an overview of the background of cultural diversity in project teams
and the possible impact it has on project execution, particularly in
multinational companies. After the background, the chapter proceeds to
contextualize the study identifying the existing gap in knowledge and
predicting the expected contribution to knowledge the study is supposed to make
following successful completion. From contextualization, it proceeds to the
specification of study objectives as well as raising the research questions
that are expected to guide the study before presenting an outline (chapter by
chapter) for the remainder of the work. The net chapter (two) is dedicated to a
detailed review of related literature picking specific studies in order of
relevance to the study. The review began with the concept of project management
and diversity in project management, followed by scholarly evidence of the
current difficulty experienced by project teams in project execution as a
result of cultural diversity before concluding with the current cultural
diversity management practices that have been proven over time as effective in
managing these diversities within project teams. Chapter three- methodology-
centres on the specific decision taken upon the best and most appropriate
methods for the study as well as a justification of those decisions. Chapter Four centres on the presentation of results both in
graphs and written form. Chapter five focused on interpretation of data, discussion of findings and integration of study
findings to current knowledge and comparison with the results of other studies.
Chapter six, which is the final chapter, summarizes the entire work from
the very first chapter to the last and everything done in each chapter and
specifically attempts to make meaning of the findings as well as their
implication. It also presents a critical evaluation of the project against the
stated objectives in Chapter One to measure the extent to which the study was
able to meet them.
Background to the study
Project
managers spend approximately 90% of their time scheduling and attending
meetings, planning, analyzing risks, and negotiating and resolving conflicts
within and between project teams in an organisation (Ranf,
2016). This is a very
demanding management task because humans in their very nature are unique and
characterized by vast arrays of individual differences; ranging from social,
physiological, psychological and physical differences. In addition to the
above, there is the recent inclusion of a form of diversity that has been
otherwise absent in past centuries; it is a difference in culture or as the
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation UNESCO, puts
it, “cultural diversity” (Ludviga & Sluka, 2018).
Culture
as defined by Obikunle, (2012) is a shared set of attributes of any group, by
which such group organizes its living together, its environment and its
solution to the questions of the society. The idea of cultural diversity,
therefore, is a pool of human representatives from different cultural groups
who find themselves in a separate cluster from their cultural settings and have
to work with members of cultural groups different from theirs
(StudyCorgi,
2021). Globalization
in the 21st century, however, has created a cross-cultural, and
cross-racial playing ground where individuals from various parts of the world
easily find themselves having to work together. Yet it seems that all
globalization succeeded in creating is not a world of cultural unification but
one in which every corporate setting is tantamount to a gathering of vast
cultural representation (or call it cultural diversity). If culture is what forms the values, attitudes,
and opinions of people, and the attitudes, values, and opinions of these people
are what in turn determine their actions or inactions in corporate settings, it
becomes almost incontestable that the culture of individuals within any group
or company will influence the company’s or group’s output (Alesina, Harness, & Rapoport,
2016).
The key to success in international
business in the present world of diversity is according to Lima and Patah
(2016), a sincere desire to integrate into new and different cultures. The
global search for talents and expertise exposes firms and organisations to the
absorption of individuals from various cultural backgrounds and the continuous
drive for business internationalisation means that companies have to, from time
to time, extend their activities to cultural settings that are foundationally
distinct to their base. The implication is that diversity continues to rise
within multinational companies from all angles of interaction. As the use of culturally diverse
teams continues to grow (Ludviga & Sluka, 2018), it has become imperative to
understand how different cultural backgrounds can influence team functioning
through the particular influences that various cultures have on individual team
members. An increase in the prevalence of conflict, for example, can result
from culture-related differences within project teams. Cultural diversity can
be either a source of creativity or a source of hindrance depending on how it
is managed (Popescu, et al. 2014).
Contribution to Knowledge
Project management
teams and indeed the world of work in general are now at home to the reality
that the likelihood of a return to a mono-cultural set-up is impossible. There
may never come a time again in human civilisation when a multinational company
will possess a mono-cultural setup. The way forward, therefore, is to try to
harness this phenomenon, cultural diversity, in team formation that has come to
stay.
The prospect of talent multiplicity and
availability of skill diversity in project teams is a major feature of
present-day project management (Jameel and Ali, 2016). This is because
globalization has made it easier for individuals from various cultural
backgrounds to find themselves working with other experts from different parts
of the world. This assemblage undoubtedly has direct or indirect impacts on the
successful delivery and execution of projects. Therefore, this research project
is being carried out primarily to examine the Impact of Culturally Diverse
Project Teams on Project Execution using multinational companies in Nigeria as
a case study.
The study, in pursuance of the above
aim, is expected to emerge with substantial information on the current cultural
differences existing in the Nigerian construction industries, how they affect
the project team’s output and practical ways, drawn from the experiences of
project managers within the industry, for managing cultural differences
(diversity) within Nigeria-based construction companies.
Research Objectives
This study aims to investigate the
Impact of culturally diverse project teams on project execution in Nigerian
multinational companies. Specifically, this study seeks to achieve the
following objectives:
1.
Identify the cultural differences that
exist in project teams.
2.
The current difficulties faced in
project execution as a result of cultural differences
3.
Identify ways in which these
challenges can be handled and the current situation improved
Research Questions
The researcher therefore in an attempt
to guide her efforts during this study in attaining the objectives above poses
the following question:
1. What are the cultural differences
that exist in project teams?
2. What are the current difficulties
faced in project execution as a result of cultural differences?
3. What could be improved in current
diversity management practices?
Research Outline
The chapter-by-chapter
outline for the entire study is presented below:
Chapter One (Introduction): The
first chapter of the study was titled “Introductory”. This chapter provided a
background understanding of the study title. Touching such areas as culture,
diversity, and cultural diversity in project teams and the implications for
project success. The current academic position of the authors as well as the
ensuing argument were presented in the chapter establishing a strong
relationship between cultural diversity and the efficiency of project teams in
terms of timing and quality project delivery. The chapter after establishing
the knowledge gap spelt out the purpose of the study and raised three research
questions to guide the research. After this it tried to specify the expected
study outcome and contribution to existing knowledge, before concluding with a
prescribed outline (according to the chapters) the study is expected to follow.
Chapter Two (Review of Related Literature): tried to explore relevant
studies related to cultural diversity in project teams, challenges created by
these differences and the current diversity management practices employed by
project managers to mitigate the negative impact of the phenomenon in their
project teams.
Chapter Three (Methodology). This chapter is dedicated to displaying the
various decisions made on the best and most appropriate method to follow in
carrying out the study as well as a follow-up justification of why the
researcher believes those methods were the best and most appropriate for the
study.
Chapter Four (Presentation of Data): This
chapter is dedicated to the presentation of the data assembled from respondents
using graphs, tables and charts.
Chapter Five: This chapter focuses on the
interpretation of the data presented in the preceding chapter and the
discussion of findings that emerged. It also attempts to integrate the study
findings into current knowledge and compares them with the results of other
researchers.
Chapter Six: The chapter is dedicated to
summarizing the entire work from the very first chapter to the last and
everything done in each chapter. It also contains a critical evaluation of the
entire project about the study objectives. It concludes with specific lessons
learned by the researcher and future direction for further research on the line
of the current title.
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