Today’s fast-paced and global market has added pressure on firm’s to constantly strengthen their competitive advantage. Over the last couple of years, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have become an increasingly used strategy for firms to acquire resources that cannot be developed internally. However, M&As often fail to achieve the initial purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate two research questions; RQ1: What are the effects on employees in a newly created multicultural team that is the outcome of a merger between two firms? and RQ2: How can managers manage these effects, in order to create a successful team integration?To gain understanding of the phenomena, and their respective connections, qualitative research has been conducted. Through a multiple case study design, and data collection in the form of interviews, empirical data was obtained. In total eight interviews were conducted with individuals originating from different roles and acquired firms. Their experiences and emotions were later analysed through thematic analysis and coding.The findings of this study add an additional layer to the conclusions of previous studies within the area of multicultural team integration, post-acquisition. Well-communicated integration strategies have been deemed important; this study confirms that statement. However, the findings of this study provide evidence that transparency should be considered an important dimension of the communication strategy, in order to increase employee satisfaction.

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In today's globalized world, effective communication and cross-cultural collaboration are essentialfor success, particularly within multicultural teams. This thesis investigates the intricate interplaybetween language proficiency, cross-cultural adaptability, and team performance in the context ofmulticultural teams. Addressing gaps in understanding how language proficiency and crossculturaladaptability impact cross-cultural communication and team performance withinmultinational corporations in Sweden, this study utilizes structured surveys distributed amongemployees in Swedish multinational corporations with at least one year of work experience. Atotal of 117 employees participated in the initial survey distribution, with 103 valid responsesincluded in the final analysis. This study’s findings shed light on the nuanced influence of language proficiency and culturaladaptability on team performance in multicultural settings. While language proficiencydemonstrates a positive correlation with team performance (β=0.247), its impact appears lesspronounced when English, as a second language, becomes the common communication ground.Conversely, cultural adaptability exhibits a strong positive correlation with team performance(β=0.663), highlighting its critical role in navigating the complexities of diverse teams. Thesefindings suggest that in multicultural environments where a shared second language is used,fostering cultural adaptability may be particularly important for maximizing team performance. This research contributes to the understanding of language proficiency and cross-culturaladaptability within multicultural teams, offering insights for optimizing team dynamics andfostering collaboration in diverse work settings. By recognizing the complexities of languageproficiency and its interaction with team dynamics, organizations can enhance their effectivenessin a globalized business environment.

Purpose - The aim of the paper is to understand how management is affected by having the customer as a member of the global virtual team within agile work methods. Research Method - This research is based on a qualitative methodological choice, and an embedded single case study conducted through a cross-sectional time horizon. The research is based on primary and secondary data. The primary data has been collected from management, employees, and customer, through semi- and in depth interviews, and observations in Sri Lanka. Secondary data is conceptualized from literature in the Global Virtual Team research field. Results - A customer is seen as a colleague and a critical team member, where the developers and management work closely with the customer. However, the customer is not fully seen as a traditional colleague. The customer’s influence outweighs the influence of the supplier, resulting in a dynamic shift of influence towards the customer. Not allowing the dynamic shift, i.e. not increasing attention towards the customer significantly, could result in a loss of business. Furthermore, the background of the customer affects the manager’s role as a Bridge Maker. How efficient the collaboration turns out within the team is dependent on the customer background, and how well the management allocates time and efforts accordingly. Research limitations - Due to time and resource limits, and the depth scope of the study, only one case firm and one customer laid the basis of this paper. Further investigation of how management is affected by having the customer as a member of the global virtual team could be the direction of future studies. Practical implications - The findings allow management to allocate their time and resources more effectively cross projects and increase the understanding of how the firm is affected by having the customer as a member of the team in the global virtual team setting. As a result, it will potentially increase the overall success of the company. Originality/value - This study supplies the contribution to existing management literature as it includes an external stakeholder, the customer, in the global virtual team, which is a growing phenomenon that has not been captured by current literature. Keywords - Global teams, Virtual teams, Multicultural teams, Customer as a team member, Bridge Maker, Team leadership, Biculturalism, Agile work process Paper type – Master thesis

Introduction: Communication is said to be one of the most important yet most challenging aspects of leadership. Today's globalized world creates new dimensions, requirements and higher demands are placed on managers' internal communication in order to be able to handle different cultural aspects and employees. Managers may face a myriad of challenges such as language barriers, cultural diversity through different values, behavioral patterns of team members and way of thinking. Previous research on communication shows that the focus has been on external communication, there has been limited connection between cultural impact and internal communication, and the concept of communication channels within internal communication, from a managerial perspective, is still rather unexamined. Purpose: By examining managers' understanding of cultural aspects in internal communication in multicultural settings, we aim to increase the understanding of what is required of managers, when communicating internally, so that the message is interpreted and understood by the various employees in a multicultural team. By adding the perspective of communication styles and communication channels into internal communication in multicultural settings, a broader understanding of the important tools for effective communication can be understood. Research methodology: The study is a case study based on a qualitative research method with an inductive approach. Twelve recorded semi-structured interviews with six main questions, and several sub-questions, were conducted with twelve various managers who lead multicultural teams in six different global companies. The theoretical framework is, from the empirical material, based on four themes- the importance of leadership, internal communication and communication style, the influence of culture and communication channels. Result and analysis: The result from the study shows that the role of leadership, internal communication and communication style, the influence of culture and communication channels are important aspects for managers to have knowledge of, in order to handle internal communication and successfully lead multicultural teams. Conclusion: The role of leadership, knowledge of culture, adaptation and the most beneficial communication channels are important factors for managers to have knowledge of for the effectiveness of internal communication. Culture plays an important role for communication,and it is essential to understand the meaning of culture. At the same time, the individual’s personality behind the culture has significance as well. It is therefore important for managers to be able to look beyond culture and also be able to navigate from other aspects. Keywords: Leadership, Communication, Internal communication, Multicultural teams, Culture, Communication channels, Communication style, Cultural diversity, Management

I takt med Covid-19-pandemins framväxt har de flesta företag tvingats till en mer virtuell kommunikationsform där möjligheten till traditionella, fysiska interaktioner kraftigt minskat. Denna studie undersöker hur globala, multikulturella team upplever omställningen till ett mer virtuellt arbete och hur det påverkar deras möjlighet att vara kreativa. Det har tidigare genomförts en mängd forskning på kreativitetsrelaterade utmaningar som multikulturella team ställs inför. Det saknas däremot studier på de utmaningar som virtuella globala, multikulturella team möter, vars tillgång till traditionell kommunikation är begränsad. För att studera detta har en kvalitativ studie genomförts. De tre kreativitetsrelaterade huvudkomponenterna, kulturell mångfald, kommunikation och konflikt, har undersökts. Med bakgrund i dessas samspel och förhållandet till virtualitet och kreativitet resulterar studien i att omställningen till en mer virtuell miljö upplevs, av teamen, vara hämmande för kreativitet. Framför allt avsaknaden av informell kommunikation visas vara den huvudsakliga anledningen till detta. / Along with the Covid-19-pandemic, most companies across the globe have been forced to work in a more virtual way, where access to traditional, physical interactions has been reduced. This study therefore investigates how global, multicultural teams experience the adjustment to more virtual work and how it affects their perceived possibility to be creative. Previously, numerous studies have been conducted regarding creativity-related challenges that global, multicultural teams face. However, what seems to be missing is research on the challenges that virtual global, multicultural teams face, whose access to traditional communication is limited. To examine this a qualitative study has been conducted. The three creativity-related key components, cultural diversity, communication, and conflict have been analyzed. With a background in their interplay and their liaison to virtuality and creativity, this thesis concludes that the change to a more virtual way to work is perceived by the teams to have an inhibitory effect on creativity. The deprivation of informal communication is especially shown to be the primary reason for this.

Background:  The increment of global population flows has challenged businesses to harness the potential of a culturally diverse environment. Nonetheless, previous studies on the effect of cultural diversity on teams has been equivocal, specifically when it is related to a firm’s innovation process. Mostly, these said studies have been focusing on cultural diversity as an input and innovation performance as an output. This means, understanding the mechanisms under which cultural diversity affects team performance has yet to be established. There is however a consensus among scholars that cultural diversity can act as a “double-edged sword” as it can be a source of friction and conflict, but also synergy and learning.  Purpose:  The purpose of this study is to explore multicultural team dynamics involved in the new product development process and determine if and how cultural diversity affects the innovation process, particularly, in a global knowledge-intensive firm. Our study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how cultural differences drive specific team processes, and thereby, offer both practitioners and scholars important insights.  Method:  We made use of a qualitative research approach with an exploratory design and a single holistic case study of a Swedish-based global, knowledge-intensive company. By conducting semi-structured interviews with members of multicultural NPD teams and one HR representative, we gained an understanding of different views and experiences that shape the team dynamics, which ultimately influences the innovation process.  Conclusion:  The results of this study suggest that cultural diversity does not directly impact the innovation process, but rather the effect is influenced by certain contextual factors and materializes through specific team outcomes. These outcomes could positively or negatively impact the innovation process.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:08:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 71060100679.pdf: 2964392 bytes, checksum: 3f94f5eec2544cf6962a3ad75c321e50 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-09T00:00:00Z / Esta pesquisa investigou a construção de um cotidiano organizacional intercultural a partir da convivência entre brasileiros e estrangeiros em três organizações multinacionais que possuem sedes administrativas em Curitiba-Pr. A interação entre profissionais cria um cotidiano intercultural que é constituído de aspectos estruturais como as relações hierárquicas, o processo decisório, a metodologia de trabalho e os indicadores de desempenho. Também é formado por aspectos subjetivos e informais que englobam a percepção e o compartilhamento de valores e normas, os elementos do relacionamento inter e intrapessoal, a negociação e a gestão de conflitos, a motivação e o comprometimento. As referências teóricas foram formadas por uma base interdisciplinar que contou com contribuições da Psicologia Social, Sociologia, Antropologia e História para interpretação e análise do cotidiano, além dos fundamentos e pesquisas do campo dos Estudos Organizacionais, especificamente sobre a administração intercultural. A pesquisa foi do tipo exploratório e descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa e interpretativista. O método empregado foi a etnometodologia, pois ela visa o conhecimento e interpretação de um grupo de indivíduos acerca de suas interações e atividades cotidianas. Foi utilizada a entrevista semi-estruturada como instrumento principal de coleta de dados. Ao todo, foram realizadas trinta e três entrevistas com três tipos de respondentes: a) gestores de mobilidade internacional; b) profissionais estrangeiros; e c) profissionais locais que convivem com estrangeiros no ambiente de trabalho. Também foram coletados documentos oficiais das três organizações que tratavam de suas diretrizes oficiais e suas políticas de mobilidade internacional. Foram encontradas representações, estratégias e táticas comuns as três organizações, bem como alguns aspectos específicos de cada cotidiano organizacional. Concluiu-se que quanto mais o indivíduo participa de ambientes multiculturais e de interações interculturais, mas ele trata com desembaraço as questões ligadas às rotinas de trabalho e a convivência com chefias, subordinados e colegas de outras culturas. Isto reforça o conceito de mobilidade como capital apresentado por Freitas (2009). Este tipo de interação demanda abertura e desprendimento, principalmente quando em missão internacional, na qual o indivíduo precisa adaptar comportamentos e costumes. As missões internacionais auxiliam no processo de capacitação intercultural dos profissionais e no desenvolvimento de competências culturais no que diz respeito à melhoria da leitura do cenário organizacional e de negócios; à superação de preconceitos culturais e forma etnocêntrica de ver o mundo, o trabalho e as pessoas; à condução de ações derivadas de estratégias globais; ao entendimento das capacidades e limitações dos outros e as suas próprias; ao entendimento e aceitação das diferentes formas de perceber as tarefas cotidianas de trabalho. Isto ocorre não somente com aqueles que aceitam o desafio de viver no estrangeiro, mas também com aqueles que recebem estes profissionais e com eles convivem cotidianamente. / This research investigated the construction of intercultural organizational routine in brazilian and foreign interaction into three multinational corporations. These corporations have their brazilian headquarters at Curitiba-PR. The professional’s interaction creates an intercultural routine based on structural aspects like hierarchical relations, decision making process, methodological aspects and performance indicators. Also, it is formed by the subjective aspects like values and awareness and sharing rules; inter and intra relationship elements; the negotiation and conflict management; the motivation and commitment. The interdisciplinary theoretic references are constituted by Social Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology and History contributions to interpretation and analysis of everyday life and Organizational Studies field research about intercultural management. This research is um exploratory and descriptive study, with qualitative and interpretativist approach. The etnomethodology was used because this method helps to analysis the knowledge and interpretation of a group with their interactions and activities. The main instrument of data collect was semi structured interview with thirty three individuals. There were three types of interviewers: a) international mobility managers; b) foreign employees and c) local employees who interact with foreign people into work environment. Also, official documents were consulted to analyze international mobility strategies and politics. Some representations, strategics and tactics are common in the three organizations, as well as some aspects are specific to each organizational routine. It was concluded that the participation at the multicultural environments and the intercultural interactions are very important to individual to deal with work routine issues and hierarchical and colleagues relationship that evolves local culture and foreign culture. This enforces the mobility concept like symbolic capital (FREITAS, 2009). It is important to highlight this opened mind that this interaction demands, mainly, to adapt to different behaviors and costumes. The international assignments help individual in the intercultural capabilities process and in the cultural competence development to getting better the organizational and business scenario reading; the cultural preconception and ethnocentric view reduction; the conduction of global strategies actions; the comprehension of others capabilities and limitations and their selves; the different ways to perceive work routines. It happens with people who accept to live abroad with its challenges and also it happens with people who receive foreign at work environment.

Der vorliegende Band wirft einen Blick in verschiedene Forschungsfelder, die an der Professur Interkulturelle Kommunikation der Technischen Universität Chemnitz in den letzten Jahren von Studierenden im Masterstudiengang ‚Interkulturelle Kommunikation – Interkulturelle Kompetenz‘ bearbeitet wurden. Die den sechs Artikeln zugrunde liegenden Studien nutzen Methoden der qualitativen Sozialforschung zur Datenerhebung und -auswertung. Die Artikel thematisieren interkulturelle Lernprozesse in internationalen Workcamps und interkulturellen Trainings, Erfahrungen während eines Auslandsstudiums und im interreligiösen Austausch sowie die Zusammenarbeit in multikulturellen Teams. / This volume gives insight into different research projects conducted by students in the master‘s programme ‚Intercultural Communication – Intercultural Competence‘ at the Chair of Intercultural Communication at Chemnitz University of Technology. All empirical studies on which the articles are based use methods of qualitative social research for data collection and analysis. The articles focus on intercultural learning processes in international workcamps and intercultural trainings, experiences during studies abroad and in interreligious dialogues as well as cooperation in multicultural teams.

Der vorliegende Band wirft einen Blick in verschiedene Forschungsfelder, die an der Professur Interkulturelle Kommunikation der Technischen Universität Chemnitz in den letzten Jahren von Studierenden im Masterstudiengang ‚Interkulturelle Kommunikation – Interkulturelle Kompetenz‘ bearbeitet wurden. Die den sechs Artikeln zugrunde liegenden Studien nutzen Methoden der qualitativen Sozialforschung zur Datenerhebung und -auswertung. Die Artikel thematisieren interkulturelle Lernprozesse in internationalen Workcamps und interkulturellen Trainings, Erfahrungen während eines Auslandsstudiums und im interreligiösen Austausch sowie die Zusammenarbeit in multikulturellen Teams. / This volume gives insight into different research projects conducted by students in the master‘s programme ‚Intercultural Communication – Intercultural Competence‘ at the Chair of Intercultural Communication at Chemnitz University of Technology. All empirical studies on which the articles are based use methods of qualitative social research for data collection and analysis. The articles focus on intercultural learning processes in international workcamps and intercultural trainings, experiences during studies abroad and in interreligious dialogues as well as cooperation in multicultural teams.