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    The Challenges and Enhancing Opportunities of Global Project Management: Evidence from Chinese and Dutch Cross-Cultural Project Management
    23 Feb 2015Working Paper Summaries

    The Challenges and Enhancing Opportunities of Global Project Management: Evidence from Chinese and Dutch Cross-Cultural Project Management

    by Ying Zhang, Christopher Marquis, Sergey Filippov, Henk-Jan Haasnoot and Martijn van der Steen
    In a study of how project management is handled cross-culturally, the authors conducted observations and interviews with Chinese and Dutch managers in a variety of industries from food to engineering. Focusing on three key elements—process, people, and technology—the authors found that people of two seemingly opposite cultures are able to work together in a project-based environment to complement each other and reap mutual benefits for a win-win result. These findings will significantly help managers who work on cross-cultural projects in a global economy.
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    Author Abstract

    This study investigates the role of national and organizational culture in day-to-day activities of multinational project teams, specifically focusing on differences between Chinese and Dutch project managers. We rely on fieldwork observation and interviews with representatives from a diverse set of organizations in China and the Netherlands. Analyses focus on the impact of cultural differences on five project management processes: (1) project planning, (2) cost and quality management, (3) risk management, (4) scope management and project promises, and (5) communication. Although there are many differences observed in these five processes, research subjects report no significant impact of cross-cultural collaboration on project performance. We conclude that cross-cultural project teams can provide critical elements for an effective combination of different project management practices involving people from various national and organizational cultures, who are enriched by different experiences and management theories, and have a mix of skills. This study provides insights for those who work cross culturally (especially between western and eastern contexts) and is also a contribution to both the project management and cross-cultural management literatures.

    Paper Information

    • Full Working Paper Text
    • Working Paper Publication Date: February 2015
    • HBS Working Paper Number: 15-063
    • Faculty Unit(s): Organizational Behavior
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