Teams are a fact of organizational life, and developing and leading effective teams is one of the most critical challenges for effective managers and leaders alike. The Xplane case illustrates many key elements of effective teams. You are asked to demonstrate your knowledge of these concepts in this activity. Read the case below and answer the questions that follow. Xplane, a consulting and design firm based in Portland, Oregon, acquired a small firm in Madrid in order to establish a presence in Europe and bridge to other Spanish speaking markets worldwide. Dave Gray, the founder and chairman, arranged a number of face-to-face meetings between the Spanish and American employees to build rapport. However, during a dinner in Madrid an Xplane employee from St. Louis refused to try the tripe and then made crude jokes about it. This was a seemingly minor incident, but it foreshadowed many larger and more significant differences between the American and Spanish offices. Companies often have a particular protocol for building teams (e.g., off-sites and social events), but in the global workplace such simplistic and sporadic efforts fall far short. Differences can be large and numerous, and can compound over time. The resulting "us" versus "them" mentality presents particular problems and undermines team and company effectiveness. The culture clashes at Xplane affected morale. Spanish employees were put off when excluded from e-mails sent to only employees in the U.S. locations, as this was interpreted as "you're not one of us." Gray took action and decided that providing too much information was better than too little. He surveyed members of the Madrid office to learn from their experiences and feelings. He found that a lack of communication was a major complaint, not just the volume or content but the technology too. Xplane switched to a web based phone service that required only four numbers instead of 13 to make calls and created a wiki with pictures of all employees. Additionally, managers made particular efforts to include people across offices and countries in discussions and decisions. Technology helped but other efforts were necessary. Instead of spending money on a one-off team building trip, Xplane initiated an ongoing employee exchange program between the two countries. Employees fly from one country to the other for weeklong visits. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for building an effective global team. Each country has its own cultural differences. Many Chinese employees, for example, are reluctant to disagree with managers or actively seek/assume leadership roles. This norm is a vestige of the Cultural Revolution where standing out was problematic. In contrast, Indian employees commonly engage in ego clashes and power struggles and feel they are just as competent as their American counterparts. This can be problematic if the Americans see them as inferior or second-class. Which of the best practices for effective virtual team participation and management described in the text seems to have been violated in the case? A. Select the right people B. Availability C. Updated D. Partner E. Pace
A Transatlantic Team Learns the Ropes
Teams are a fact of organizational life, and developing and leading effective teams is one of the most critical challenges for effective managers and leaders alike. The Xplane case illustrates many key elements of effective teams. You are asked to demonstrate your knowledge of these concepts in this activity.
Read the case below and answer the questions that follow.
Xplane, a consulting and design firm based in Portland, Oregon, acquired a small firm in Madrid in order to establish a presence in Europe and bridge to other Spanish speaking markets worldwide. Dave Gray, the founder and chairman, arranged a number of face-to-face meetings between the Spanish and American employees to build rapport. However, during a dinner in Madrid an Xplane employee from St. Louis refused to try the tripe and then made crude jokes about it. This was a seemingly minor incident, but it foreshadowed many larger and more significant differences between the American and Spanish offices.
Companies often have a particular protocol for building teams (e.g., off-sites and social events), but in the global workplace such simplistic and sporadic efforts fall far short. Differences can be large and numerous, and can compound over time. The resulting "us" versus "them" mentality presents particular problems and undermines team and company effectiveness.
The culture clashes at Xplane affected morale. Spanish employees were put off when excluded from e-mails sent to only employees in the U.S. locations, as this was interpreted as "you're not one of us."
Gray took action and decided that providing too much information was better than too little. He surveyed members of the Madrid office to learn from their experiences and feelings. He found that a lack of communication was a major complaint, not just the volume or content but the technology too. Xplane switched to a web based phone service that required only four numbers instead of 13 to make calls and created a wiki with pictures of all employees. Additionally, managers made particular efforts to include people across offices and countries in discussions and decisions.
Technology helped but other efforts were necessary. Instead of spending money on a one-off team building trip, Xplane initiated an ongoing employee exchange program between the two countries. Employees fly from one country to the other for weeklong visits.
Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for building an effective global team. Each country has its own cultural differences. Many Chinese employees, for example, are reluctant to disagree with managers or actively seek/assume leadership roles. This norm is a vestige of the Cultural Revolution where standing out was problematic. In contrast, Indian employees commonly engage in ego clashes and power struggles and feel they are just as competent as their American counterparts. This can be problematic if the Americans see them as inferior or second-class.
Which of the best practices for effective virtual team participation and management described in the text seems to have been violated in the case?
A. Select the right people
B. Availability
C. Updated
D. Partner
E. Pace
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