Leadership within a cross cultural team : How to create and improve motivation?
Schmidt, Timo (2021)
Schmidt, Timo
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202201311929
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202201311929
Tiivistelmä
Our business world is nowadays ever more manifested through increased competition, globalization and a growing pressure for overall performance. Companies, with their teams and team members are, accordingly, facing ever more challenges to meet the given standards.
Within the fast changing and fast paste business environment, some globally operating companies with their diverse teams succeed better than others. The aim of this theses was, therefore, to find out, how these companies are able to manage effectively through change, meet their goals, elevate productivity and increase performance. Special interest was given here to the subjects of diversity, leadership and especially motivation.
To fulfil the objective of this thesis, a qualitative research method was chosen and seen as most effective. Previously gathered theory, covering all the main elements of the topic, was later compared with practical data, derived from a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview.
The theoretical and practical data showed similarities. Various theories made by different psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists and researchers, were reflecting the gathered data from my conducted questionnaires and interviews for the most part. The companies, successfully operating their diverse teams, showed according to the scores of the field-data, high value on set goals, positivity, optimism, communicational skills, empathy, team spirit, conflict reduction, intrinsic motivation, emotions, etc.
My conclusion of this research was that members of a diverse team were adjusting fast to each other and building a functional hybrid culture on their own, within the diverse context. This was mostly possibly with a leader having empathy and emotional skills supporting such process, by concentrating mostly on a servant and transformational leadership style, paired with cultural competence. Motivation as a goal orientated behavior was manifested by the given goal itself and strengthened with a positive outcome expectancy. Effective communication in terms of affirmation, support and feedback was reinforcing such behavior and triggered other crucial factors, such as persistence and drive. Further findings emphasize intrinsic motivation with elements connected to it. Internal satisfaction of needs was achieved mostly via recognition by others, connectivity to the given environment and interest of a subject. Thus, making this motivational field the strongest one. All of the successfully operating case companies within this thesis were able to establish such motivation and allowed their employees to be creative and to have freedom of thought.
Within the fast changing and fast paste business environment, some globally operating companies with their diverse teams succeed better than others. The aim of this theses was, therefore, to find out, how these companies are able to manage effectively through change, meet their goals, elevate productivity and increase performance. Special interest was given here to the subjects of diversity, leadership and especially motivation.
To fulfil the objective of this thesis, a qualitative research method was chosen and seen as most effective. Previously gathered theory, covering all the main elements of the topic, was later compared with practical data, derived from a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview.
The theoretical and practical data showed similarities. Various theories made by different psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists and researchers, were reflecting the gathered data from my conducted questionnaires and interviews for the most part. The companies, successfully operating their diverse teams, showed according to the scores of the field-data, high value on set goals, positivity, optimism, communicational skills, empathy, team spirit, conflict reduction, intrinsic motivation, emotions, etc.
My conclusion of this research was that members of a diverse team were adjusting fast to each other and building a functional hybrid culture on their own, within the diverse context. This was mostly possibly with a leader having empathy and emotional skills supporting such process, by concentrating mostly on a servant and transformational leadership style, paired with cultural competence. Motivation as a goal orientated behavior was manifested by the given goal itself and strengthened with a positive outcome expectancy. Effective communication in terms of affirmation, support and feedback was reinforcing such behavior and triggered other crucial factors, such as persistence and drive. Further findings emphasize intrinsic motivation with elements connected to it. Internal satisfaction of needs was achieved mostly via recognition by others, connectivity to the given environment and interest of a subject. Thus, making this motivational field the strongest one. All of the successfully operating case companies within this thesis were able to establish such motivation and allowed their employees to be creative and to have freedom of thought.