Title: Cultural standard research and its implications for managing multinational teams: cooperation with Croatians and Slovenes – the Austrian perspective

Authors: Sylvia Meierewert

Addresses: Research Institute for European Affairs, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Althanstrasse 39-45, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Abstract: This article examines the impact of different cultural variables in the particular contexts of Austrian, Croatian and Slovenian task groups. Referring to the concept of taxonomy of team processes developed by Marks et al. (2001), I analysed about 102 qualitative interviews with managers and identified cultural traits that significantly influence process dimensions relevant in cooperations. In contrast to other culture studies (see e.g., House et al., 2002; Sagiv and Schwartz, 2007; Hall, 2000; Trompenaars, 1997; Hofstede, 2001) the framework of narrative interviews (Thomas, 1993, 1996) focuses on many different cultural variables and on the particular contexts of these variables. I identified the following critical elements relevant for interactions in intercultural teamwork: time concepts in different context situations, level of personal responsibility and importance of social relationships.

Keywords: cultural standards; time behaviour; team leadership; cross-cultural management; intercultural comparisons; nonverbal communication; multinational teams; cultural variables; cooperation; Croatia; Slovenia; Austria; teamwork; personal responsibility; social relationships.

DOI: 10.1504/EJCCM.2009.026737

European Journal of Cross-Cultural Competence and Management, 2009 Vol.1 No.1, pp.119 - 135

Published online: 24 Jun 2009 *

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