Collaboration can be promoted when the company is willing to promote it by incorporating certain steps into workflows and designing global projects. It is really vital to create ways in which dispersed knowledge and skills can be integrated and used for the development of new products and services.
Another positive outcome is that when it is done well, the company culture is driven towards open, collaborative activities that will not be affected by national boundaries, according to an article published by the INSEAD business school.
Perspective of an individual
The majority of people are not naturally inclined to working in boundary-spanning ways. If a particular role requires this, it is good to practise it on relatively small, non-critical projects. Gradually, mutual confidence and trust are fostered and necessary skills developed.
Three Ts
To bring people together across all kinds of boundaries successfully, you need to promote:
- Tolerance for diversity
- Transparency in decision making
- Trust, which comes when tolerance and transparency are practised
Multicultural people
There are people who are naturally skilled in spanning boundaries. When one is raised in more than just one culture, the understanding of different social norms and behaviours is no longer a threat or obstacle. The ability to switch cultural frames is what makes it easy for these people to lead global product development teams or to bridge different markets.
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