Cultural Influence on Team Performance - Coursework Example

Cultural Influence on Team Performance Introduction People have varying cultures depending on different factors. One of the factors that influence people’s culture is the environment where they live or operate. For instance, people working in the same organization are expected to portray same characteristics and way of doing work due to the common organizational culture they share. The culture and technology used by the teams end up influencing the performance of these groups of workers. The two also affect how distributed teams can be coordinated in various ways. This paper is going to discuss the impact of technology and culture on the performance of teams, and the operations of distributed organizations. A definition of culture and a discussion of cultural influences on team performance Culture can be defined as a collaborated system of beliefs and knowledge that is common in a community that has members with similar characteristics. The community can be one that is brought together by the ancestral lineages, or a group that is formed by colleagues at a work station. The group is usually expected to have a similar code of conduct and norms that influence the operations of the people in the group. It is this code of behaviors that form the culture of these people who in most cases are usually co-located[Bir13]. The culture of a group or organization usually influences the performance of a team in many ways. First it is important for us to note that the culture that influences performance of organizations can either be the organizational culture or the culture of the people living in the region where operations take place. One way through which culture influences team performance is through creating an effective communication channel. The organizational culture of a firm may specify a particular mode of communication that workers are supposed to use for communication. Specifying this makes it easier for employees to easily communicate. Good communication in an organization is a key booster for the firm’s performance. A culture of collaboration within an organization is another factor that can be a major catalyst for good performance within an organization or a team. Some organizations instill the art of collaboration among their workers by explaining to them the benefits of working together and how they are supposed to collaborate. When the stuff of an organization or members of a team work collaboratively, it becomes possible for the team to record better results. When every member contributes positively to the operations of the team, the general performance of the team is also going to be good. A good culture will also introduce trust among a group of people. A team that has its members trusting each other is most likely to produce good results. When there is the element of trust within people, it becomes easier for them to share the duties they have since one will always believe that his or her colleague produces perfect work also. A review of the literature on the influence of both culture and technology on distributed teams and organizations Culture and technology influence the operations of distributed teams and organizations in different ways as was stated in the literature. In the literature, a number of roles that both culture and technology have when it comes to team communication are highlighted. It is highlighted in the piece of work that culture would in most cases determine how members of a team or organization react to the information that is being communicated. The culture that people have will determine what they will be willing to listen to, and also what they can agree to implement. Therefore, it is important that the management of an organization or a team that is distributed ensure that what is being communicated to the members is what their cultures can take in. The paper also highlighted that a collaborative culture within the organization or team is a boost to communication for the group. The managers in charge of distributors workers should ensure that value of collaboration forms a major part of the firm’s culture. The reason for this is because when members of a team are able to corporate with their partners despite the distances it becomes easy to connect the distributed workers. The workers will be able to play their roles in developing the organization at any place they are situated and then send their portion of the work for completion[Bod12]. The useful of technology when managing distributed teams is also highlighted in the literature. It is stated that advanced technology avails an effective channel through which distributed team workers can be affordably and economically collaborated. The use of internet to communicate is among the new modes of communication through which people can swiftly pass messages from one point to another. Avenues created by the internet include things such as emails, Skype and instant messages. These avenues are usually fast and easy to use once one gets the idea on how they are used. Therefore, they can be crucial when team members are to be alerted over the shortest time possible[Bra111]. Technology has also enabled people situated in far places to communicate on a real-time basis. An example of this is the Skype technology that is common today. A discussion of your Learning Teams analysis of the influence of culture and technology on team performance within the Learning Team members’ organizations The performance of an organization is highly influenced by the culture and technology used by this organization for its operations. When our Learning Teams are analyzed in the same way, the same influences that technology and culture have on the performance of our teams are highlighted. For instance, culture and technology play a major role in bringing creativity into the learning team member’s organization. Considering the fact that the people from different cultures might be brought together due to the globalized function of the teams, different cultures are going to collude[Dav13]. To avoid the negative implications that may arise due to this reason, the team has a task of finding a way of coordinating people from different cultural background. Creativity among the members is called for in this case. The team has to be creative enough to ensure there is an avenue through which members of different regional cultures can be connecting to operate as a team. The learning team is also to be creative enough to ensure that the team’s distributed workers can be coordinated from different places on the globe. Therefore technological advancements in communication are introduced to connect the team members for them to work as one body. A creative team is most likely to use better methods of doing different activities thus improving the team’s performance. It is noted here that technology and culture are being used to influence the performance of a team by introducing creativity into the team’s operations[Eva12]. Culture and technology influence the performance of a team by creating trust within the team. The influence is also experienced in my learning team members’ organizations. Having a common organizational culture enables workers to start trusting one another because they both have same interests. The new technologies that keep members of a team communicating despite the geographical location are another factor that creates trust in the team[Car13]. When people communicate frequently it becomes possible for them to trust one another. The performance of a team is usually improved when the team is driven by forces of trust. Therefore, it is expected that the organization is going to deliver better results since the workers trust each other with the activities they do for the team. A discussion of how the Learning Team members experience within their own organizations aligns with existing research The research on the impact of culture and technology in team performance is very relevant to the operations of teams today. The experiences in operations of learning team members in an organization are related to this research in various ways. One common experience in learning teams nowadays is the recruiting of members from different parts of the globe. Organizations have realized that diversity of team players makes the product of the group more favorable to fit into many markets[Mit12]. Due to this managers are now seeking employees from different parts of the globe. The scenario is the same for learning-teams where members are now sought from all over the world so that the knowledge base is widened. People from different parts of the globe have varying cultures. Therefore, there is need for research to note the influences of culture on the performance of the team. Both the individual regional cultures and the organizational culture that is common are considered in this case[Dai123]. Even though organizations and teams are showing more interested on global workforce, it is not guaranteed that all the workers they wish to have can relocate from their residential regions to where the premises of the firms are situated. Due to this reason, learning team members are now forced to adapt technologies that can connect them with their colleagues found in parts of the world. The effect that these technological communication channels have on the organization may be favorable or unfavorable to the firm. Therefore, there is need for research on the effect of the new technology on the performance of teams. Apart from seeking workers from across the globe, companies are also targeting customers and clients found in different parts of the world[Gre11]. The learning team members are now being faced with the challenge of accommodating customers of different cultures in the decisions they make. More channels of social integration that go global are now used by the members. Advancements in the technology used in the firms are being experienced. Therefore, it is crucial that a study on the influence of culture and technology in team performance to be conducted for the management to make informed decisions[LuY11]. A conclusion in which you provide suggestions for future research related to the influence of culture and technology on team performance, based on your reading of the literature and your observations of the Learning Team members organizations, as well as a discussion about what you feel are gaps in the literature and areas that are still not fully understood The research on the influences of technology and culture on the performance of a team is important to the society and the markets generally[Sac11]. The study touches on technology which is a crucial element in the today world. It also involves culture is usually the determining factor for the behaviors of individuals, and the activities an organization can undertake. However, in the future I would suggest that some studies that are related to this topic be conducted to cover the areas that were not discussed deeply in this research. One suggestion that I would make for the future is that another study on how culture and technology can be incorporated productively into any organization or team. It can be noted that the initial research is only on influences of culture and technology on the team performance. The research does not look into how team members can make use of the opportunities that are availed by technology and common organizational culture[Hin11]. Another suggestion that I would make concerning a related study like this one on the influences of culture and technology on team performance is highlighting of how these effects can be dealt with by the members of a team. therefore, it will advisable to conduct a study that is going to highlight the different ways through which team members can adapt to this changes brought by the culture and technology introduced. In this suggestion I would prefer that the team players be educated on how they can deal with the effects that come along with the changes. In the earlier research it is all about noting the influences. Scholars have stated in some works they did that it is important to enlighten people on how they can deal with changes rather than just informing them of the changes[Osh13]. The literature on the influences of these two factors on the performance of a team left out some crucial parts. For example, the literature has not clearly highlighted that it is not only culture and technology that determine the achievements of a team. There are other factors such as employee motivation, work environment, and the management which play a big role in determining the outcome of a team[Hoc13]. The other gap that exists in the literature is lack of indicating the extent to which these two elements influence the performance of a team. It is important that team members and the management get informed about the extent that both technology and culture influence the performance of the team. Through this the management can note the factors that require more attention. A problem and purpose statement regarding one topic for future research One problem that future studies can try to solve is the issue of some team players failing to adapt to the changes that are faced in an organization when cultural restrictions and technology advancements are introduced. The problem would lead to a study on the ways that workers can cope with cultural and technological changes that they face in their places of work. The purpose of such a study would be to make it easier for organizations and teams to cope with cultural factors and technological advancements as they come out. The study would ensure this is possible by providing workers and team players with the techniques they can use to adjust their operations to fit the current environment they are working in[Hoc13]. Conclusion There are various ways in which organizational culture and technology influence the operations of business firms and other groups. First, the performance of these groups is determined by how the two factors are incorporated in the organizations. For instance, the performance of a team can be improved a productive culture is adapted by the team members. Technology can also be useful when it comes to coordinating members of a team. Distributed teams and organizations benefit from this so much since it enables their members to work collaboratively despite the distance between the colleagues. Despite the fact that a study on this topic has proved very useful, more studies that will elaborate the idea further need to be conducted in the future. References Bir13: , (Birukou, 2013), Bod12: , (Boden, 2012), Bra111: , (Brazile, 2011), Dav13: , (Davison, 2013), Eva12: , (Evaristo, 2012), Car13: , (Carter, 2013), Mit12: , (Mitchell & Wynia, 2012), Dai123: , (Daim, 2012), Gre11: , (Gregory, 2011), LuY11: , (Lu & Xiang, 2011), Sac11: , (Sackmann, 2011), Hin11: , (Hinds & Lyon, 2011), Osh13: , (Oshiri, 2013), Hoc13: , (Hoch, 2013), Read More