Bridging Gaps : Exploring Cultural, Generational, and Psychological Dynamics in Multinational Organization : The hidden power of psychology

Abstract

Effective management of diverse teams is the new urgency in modern rapidly evolving business society. Previous research studied culture, generation and psychology solely or in the combination of two of these factors, yet a gap remains in understanding the relative significance when examining these three factors simultaneously. This thesis aims to fill the gap: Which one of the three factors is the relatively stronger determinant of team dynamics in multinational organisations: cultural differences, generational cohort or psychological profile? The study addresses following research questions to fill the gap: 1. How do these three factors influence team dynamics in professional setting? 2. What is the correlation between perceived generational differences and statistical disparities in behaviours, and to what extent? 3. How can practical management benefit from the research findings in relation to effective leadership in diverse teams and training strategies?

The study is built on rigorous and well-established theoretical frameworks such as Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede, 1980), Cultural models (Hall, 1976), Generational Theory (Twenge & Campbell, 2008), Psychological Safety (Edmondson, 1999) and Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 1995). A pluralistic method was utilized in this research to analyse data collected from both qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey using statistical analysis tool.

The research revealed a clear conclusion: Psychological factors are proven to be the more powerful predicator of collaborative behaviours despite commonly perceived generational differences. The finding challenges deterministic perspectives on demographic trends which introduce the core recommendation: Organizations should shift their focus from providing trainings on managing demographic differences to nurturing shared human capabilities in order to enhance effective collaboration in multinational and multicultural diverse team environments.