Contemporary business are subject to constant change and growing complexity, which can be explained by globalization, international mobility, geographical disperse of the business and other factors, which build on diversification of the organizational activities and resources. Virtual teams are becoming more and more prevalent in the companies due to growing number of inter-organizational alliances and alternative work arrangements (Wester and Staples, 2006). It is not a secret that working in diverse teams can be a significant advantage as well as a burden for a company. The outcome of a diverse team work depends on the ability of the management to accurately manage cross-cultural background and professionally-disperse profile of the team members. As such the variety of the teams, their nature and composition are very large and the ways diversity influences these teams is very different and often depends on the nature of the teams themselves. The objective of this document is to look at the differences in managing diversity in functional and project teams, challenges in management of these teams and the role of manager in leveraging the teams´ diversity. Finally, to better understand the team dynamics, it is critical to recognize the factors, which encourage and discourage team performance. The point that should be made here is that the difference in the nature of work of functional and project teams outlines the differences in managing diversity in the both and, consequently, the approach chosen to manage these groups should be different.
First of all, it is important to look at the functional teams are different from project groups based on the duration of the relationships developed between the individuals. Project teams are bound by the time frame and single assignment or a group of tasks, which demands more responsive and efficient approach to building on synergies and managing the internal diversity. While functional diverse teams learn through the work together and have essential time for building on group culture, development of personality traits and behavioral patterns within the group, making project teams work effectively under the pressure of time can become a major issue (Ochieng and Price, 2009). One of the major issues in managing diversity under the project is to build on the team integration and effective use of resources. Cultural differences in both, functional and project teams reflect team members expectations and build on internal conflict. In functional teams, closing this cultural gap is the task, which can be achieved through time and training, while in project teams, this gap should be closed or, at least, minimized, within a short time frame. With that in mind, the type of leadership, required for functional and project teams diversity management should possess different set of skills, whereas in functional diversity management crisis and emergency conflict management skills are less critical than in managing diverse project team.
Secondly, motivation is one of the major issues for management of the diverse teams. The methods that can be seen as effectively differ not only by the nature of the team, but also on a case by case basis. Individuals have different learning methods, preferred leadership styles, personal goals and expectations and efficiency and productivity levels. It is possible to argue that the five most difficult elements in building on management strategy understand of why team members behave differently, avoid frustration and anger, understand cultural and background diversity, achieve a desired level of efficiency and personalized training and development management. Taking into account the above, motivating the team is a complex task as the manager should have a good understanding of personal intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of each of the team members and, at the same time, builds on the team motivation strategy, which will appeal to all of the individuals.
When it comes to the manager´s role in leveraging the team diversity and improvement of its performance, one should understand that the major responsibility of a manager and a team leader is to build on the link between the different personalities and ensure that people with different backgrounds work together effectively and, at the same time, use the most of their talent and build on their individuality. This requires effective group and reverse mentoring techniques and development of the management capability to empower and delegate (Meister and Willyerd, 2010). It is the responsibility of a manager to manage emotions, resolve the conflicts and assist individuals to grow personally and professionally within the team. Along with this responsibility for the development of individual elements, one of the most complex tasks of a manager is to create a team culture and team´s identity. These responsibilities are critical for building a successful team as without a strong link and team culture, diversity will only have a destructive impact on the work.
There are many factors that influence the effectiveness and productivity of the team. Some of the major destructive elements include the lack of recognition of the group diversity and individual differences, the lack of focus on group mentoring and feedback methods and failure to understand the bonds that hold the team together and develop group culture (Coutu, 2009). The failures, mentioned above can lead to discouraging the group performance and reduce the productivity of the team. Some of the major encouraging factors include presence of a strong leader, which can create bonds between the team members and build on group culture, employee empowerment and decision-making authority, good comprehension of the task and goals and clear channel of communication within a team, such as group and individual feedback.
Diversity is a major challenge for team work, which, at the same time can become a great advantage. It is important to recognize the challenges in managing the diversity to achieve high-performance culture and effectiveness of the diverse functional and project teams.
References
Coutu D. (2009) Why teams Don´t Work.. The HBR Interview with Richard Hackman [Online]. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 24 October 2014, http://hbr.org/2009/05/why-teams-dont-work/ar/1
Meister J.C. and Willyerd K. (2010). Mentoring Millennials.. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 24 October 2014, http://hbr.org/2010/05/mentoring-millennials/
Ochieng O.G. and Price A.D. (2009). Framework for Managing Multicultural Project Teams. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management. Col. 16, Issue 6.pp. 527-543.
Webster J. and Staples S. (2006). Comparing Virtual teams. Research in Personel and Human resource Management.Vol.25.pp181-215.
