Ethic Team Problem, Essay Example

Introduction

This paper examines a case study applicable to a group dynamics team management problem.  It is based upon a 6 member team based out of a New Jersey Office. A multicultural team of different ethnic origins.  Conflicts can often arise in teams of different ethnic backgrounds and it requires the right sort of leadership intervention to sort this out.  We consider how these issues should be tackled and resolved in order to create team harmony and achieve the business mission.

Ethnic Confrontation

In this situation we have a conflict between two capable people based upon different ethnic and religious backgrounds that results in: (i) Lack of mutual respect (ii) Cultural indifference and intolerance (iii) Disruption to the other team members.  As such the Manager needs to intervene in order to resolve this issue.  This involves the leadership style of a transformational leader, a person with a strong sense of purpose who leads by example.  This type of leader is identified by the characteristics of a person with vision, a strong sense of purpose and very goal oriented.

He/she believes that people will follow those who inspire them.  Hence goal attainment is by inspiring your subordinates motivating them by enthusiasm and energy.  Working for these types of leaders can be a great experience as they derive a great deal of passion about their work and genuinely want you to succeed.  Such leaders start with a clear identification of a vision.  Leaders of this type are quick to exploit the vision by sharing it with their team. Such leaders are often seen to be using mind mapping or brainstorming sessions with their subordinates.  The believe in inclusivity and the power of team dynamics They believe in structured approaches to Problem Solving and Decision Making and often follow a Kepner Tregoe Management style.    Transformational Leaders are always visible and will stand up and be counted.  They show by their attitudes and actions an example of how others should behave.

Approach to Problem Resolution

In the first instance the Manager must arrange separate interviews with each of the individuals.  This serves two distinct purposes: (i) An opportunity for each individual to clearly articulate their concerns (ii) An opportunity for the Manager to clearly articulate the importance of the mission, the need for mutual cooperation and the importance of the team functioning well so as to achieve the mission.  This involves an empathetic approach but the need to explain the importance of the business mission over personal differences.  (Bass, B. 2008)

The second step after this is to get them both together in an informal setting, possibly over a coffee and get them both to acknowledge the issues and apologise to one another.  It is the concept of acknowledging the problem, agreeing to jointly resolve the issue and be prepared to take action steps to sort the issue out.  In this case Shahid needs to stop undermining Harpreet and agree to be more respectful.  Harpreet needs to respect that there will be cultural differences and these must be set aside to engender better teamwork and working relationships. Both must be made to see that they can be a disruptive influence on the total team effort and they must set an example here.  You will define a short period of time for improvements to be made and agree to review the issue again in 7 days’ time. ( Moran, R.T. 2011)

The third step is monitoring the situation. The Manager should expect to see continued gradual levels of improvement.  If there is a serious deterioration then further intervention may be required to get the position back on track.  If the situation starts to resolve itself then you should arrange some form of reward after 7 days.  This mean meeting them together and acknowledging their success and effort in remediating the problem.  This is a good opportunity to consolidate the bonding by taking them both out to lunch in a friendly environment.

In the unfortunate situation where this does not work you are faced with a difficult decision.  You could move them to work apart elsewhere in the team.  The danger of this is that they become a disruptive influence elsewhere and further spread the contamination.  Another option is to place them on less serious projects in different team environments.  The third option is dismissal but this needs to be done through the HR Manager in order to ensure the right procedures are carefully followed. In most circumstances if this situation is handled correctly it should not result in dismissal. (Dereli, M. 2010)

Multicultural Orientation

The exclusion of understanding different ethnic backgrounds and cultures also results in promoting a degree of ignorance that can lead towards serious consequences in a society that is part of a global marketplace.  One aspect being that of stereotyping and we have historical accounts of this and elements resurfacing today. Prejudice has been described by psychologists as negative intergroup attitude.  In essence this has three components that relate to conditioning in the human brain.  It is these traits that determine the level of prejudicial status.  Bigotry is much more concerned with the attitudes that one section of society has with another. It contains both elements of prejudice and intolerance.  This is reflected in the racial and religious intolerance between Muslim and Hindu and reflects a caste distinction and a position that may be tolerated in Islamic society but not in Western society.  In this sense there are some cultural barriers that need to be knocked down. Stigma may be defined as discrimination, prejudice or bias against other people who are often deemed inferior in some way; this may be a reason for the attitude between a Muslim male and a Hindu female.  Religion is also a contributing factor in denying women their basic rights.  The Islamic world seems particularly at fault here, unable to break away from outmoded tradition.  Prejudice here seems more focused towards women in the lower classes of society.  Whereas a more affluent women are able to gain much more independence and freedom. (Northouse, P. 2010)

Path Goal Leadership

Represents another leadership style that might prove appropriate in these circumstances.  This type of leader encourages and supports their co-workers in goal attainment by establishing a course that is both easy to follow and understand.  This makes it easy for them to work and achieve their objectives.  This leadership style would be particularly effective in a social services context. This type of leader has four key attributes that of being supportive, directive, participative and achievement oriented.  This leader wants to work with you in getting the job done and achieving success

Conclusion

Intervention is often necessary for Managers who are responsible for multi-cultural inter disciplinary teams.  This can often involve dealing with issues of prejudice, bigotry or cultural and religious differences.  In most cases these issues can be resolved in a friendly and sympathetic manner by adopting an empathetic leadership style and changing environmental conditions that improve teamwork and group dynamics.  Cultural intolerance id often attributed to a lack of bonding and the feeling of insecurity on one or more parties.  The Manager must lead by example and get the team to work as a holistic unit valuing the contribution of all team members.

References

Bass, B. (2008). Bass handbook of leadership: theory, research, and managerial applications. New York: Free Press.

Dereli, M. (2010). Leadership Styles. New York: Verlag.

Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and Practice. London : Sage.

Pillai, R. (2003). Teaching Leadership: Innovative Approaches for the 21st Century. New York: Information Age Publishing.

Robert T. Moran, P. R. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences: Global Leadership Strategies for Cross . Oxford: Elsevier.