International project management

LEADING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Chapter 8

LEADING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Leading international projects means spanning cultural, organizational, geographical, and time boundaries.

Indirect and virtual leadership skills play an important role.

The international project manager has to lead heterogeneous stakeholders in a sensitive and creative way.

Leading international projects means influencing, motivating, and enabling project members from different national cultures.

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Context of leading

international projects

Geogra- phic

dispersion

Temporal dispersion

Cultural dispersion

Organiza- tional

dispersion

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Challenges of leading international projects

LEADERSHIP AND CULTURE

According to the GLOBE study, leadership styles and leadership preferences of each national culture vary.

Depending on the national culture of leader and followers, different leadership styles are effective.

The international project manager needs to adapt his or her leadership style accordingly.

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Leaders from hierarchy cultures tend to act

like a benevolent autocrat with absolute

authority and decision making power. Leaders

from equality-oriented cultures may prefer a

participative leadership style with shared

responsibilities including the staff into the

decision making process.

Equality Hierarchy

Leaders from collectivist cultures tend to

prefer a patriarchic leadership style giving

their subordinates the feeling of (emotional)

security.

Incentives would be rather team or group-

oriented than given to single individuals.

Leaders from individualistic cultures tend to

assume the role of a coach developing their

subordinates. They tend to take decisions

based on facts collected from the whole team.

Leaders from group-oriented cultures tend to

take decisions based on opinions of major

stakeholders.

Individual Group

CULTURAL IMPACT OF CULTURE ON LEADING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

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For leaders from task-oriented cultures, the

project team is only a temporary organization to

accomplish the project task. For leaders from

relationship-oriented cultures, good morale and

close relationships in the project team are the

sine-qua-non for task accomplishment and hence

relationships in the team are more important.

They may also support their subordinates on

private issues.

Task Relationship

Leaders from achievement-oriented cultures tend to

measure themselves and their followers by the

accomplishment of objectives. A preferred leadership

style would be management by objectives.

Leaders from status-oriented cultures tend to focus

on networking with politically important players in

order to safeguard their status and tend to manage

subjectively.

Achievement Standing /

Status

Leaders from conflict-oriented cultures tend to

initiate open discussions on issues when

providing feedback. They use brainstorming

sessions for constructive conflict resolution.

Leaders from consensus-oriented cultures tend to

build up networks and use them to reach

compromises. They may tend to provide indirect

feedback to give face.

Conflict Consensus

CULTURAL IMPACT OF CULTURE ON LEADING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

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NATIONAL CULTURE, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE, AND MOTIVATION

Motivation is a crucial component of leadership.

Motivation highly depends on individual preferences.

Organizational culture plays an important role regarding motivation, reflected in available HR systems.

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (see next slide) provide the project manager with a rough orientation regarding motivational preferences allocated to national cultures.

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Safety Needs

Culture influences: Uncertainty Avoidance

Physiological Needs

Social Needs Culture influences: Femininity,

Individualism / Collectivism

Esteem Needs

Self-

Actualization

Culture influences: Power Distance

Culture influences:

Individualism Collectivism

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National culture and motivation

DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES BASED ON GLOBE STUDY

Charismatic / Value-based leadership.

Team-oriented leadership.

Participative leadership.

Humane-oriented leadership.

Autonomous leadership.

Self-protective leadership.

An international leader has to be able to switch between the

styles.

Charismatic / Value-based leadership style is most

appropriate for leading across geographical boundaries.

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COMPETENCIES FOR LEADING INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Competencies are consistent ways of behaving or thinking.

They can be divided into:

Motives

Traits

Self-concept

Knowledge

Skill

Important competencies for international project managers:

1.Global organizing skills.

2.Technical skills.

3.Cross-cultural skills.

4.Global communication literacy.

International project managers should have a certain personality in order to be effective (see next slide).

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Traits of effective

international project

managers

Adaptabilit y

Authenticit y

Empathy

Context/ Culture-

sensitivity

Courage

Enthusias m

Initiative &

Innovative -ness

Personal stability

Open- mindedne

ss

Patience &

Persistenc e

Respect for

difference s

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Are you ready for leading international projects?

1 Initiating 2 Planning 3 Executing 4 Completion

1. Staff the project

2. Secure early

involvement

3. Conduct team building sessions

4. Assess

training needs

5. Provide context

6. Organize for

success

7. Continuously clarify project mission and scope

8. Foster a culture of open-mindedness and improvement

9. Build and maintain commitment

10. Ensure effective communication

Re-assess

training needs

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Main tasks of an international project manager

THE INTERNATIONAL PROJECT TEAM

International project team:

 Number of people from different cultures, ideally with complementary skills, who pursue a common goal together.

Criteria of a successful international project team:

 Commitment

 High moral and team spirit

 Fun at work

 High need for achievement

 Self-direction

 Change orientation

 Quality orientation

 Effective conflict management

 Effective communications 13

1. • Interview key players

2. • Plan the first meetings

3. • Decide on the contents of the first meetings

4. • Focus on building interrelationships

5. • Explore cultural similarities and differences

6. • Agree on ground rules for co-operation

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How to build a successful international project

team