Intercultural Project Management
What is Intercultural Project Management (IPM)?
Project management refers to the discipline of planning, organizing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. When the implementation of a project is located in another country or/ and involves people from different cultural backgrounds, the issue of intercultural project management comes to the fore. Traditional views on project management are under challenge. What is supposed to be the proper way of organising and motivating a multicultural team, of coordinating a project with function mangers, of perceiving time, task and interpersonal relationship, of analysing risks/ stakeholders and creating networks, and of diagnosing and solving problems, etc. vary from person to person, based on their cultural traditions and prior experience in project implementation. The complexity of working together as a team increases exponentially.
Challenges of IPM today
Project management is born in an individualistic, monochronic and low-context communication culture, which aims at setting up a temporary system to achieve specific goals/ objectives. Accordingly, project managers assume:
- a matrix organisation, where most people are supervised and coordinated both by the function manager and project manager
- compliance with plans and agreements rigorously
- all information is explicit
- commitment to the tasks rather than to people and human relationships
- a short-term work relationship
However, in cultures rooted in a collectivistic, polychronic and high-context communication tradition, people are used to:
- a hierarchical organisation structure, where the function manager is the only boss responsible for supervision and evaluation of the task
- change plans easily and often, with respect to disruptions, intervention, competition, market needs, etc.
- an implicit way of delivering information
- be committed to people and human relationships
- build long-term interpersonal relationship
How to implement IPM effectively?
- Be aware of the key features of project management
- Be aware of the impact of culture, and in particular cultural dimensions on IPM
- Create a positive atmosphere of working together, and build trust towards each other
- Recognise differences of defining, planning and executing a project; when a problem occurs, use communication strategies appropriately and effectively
- Be able to create a common understanding in IPM
Our unique selling proposition
Stanwick provides support on IPM in close partnership with Living Stone Center:
- Tailor-made intercultural advice and training, with a transformative and dynamic perception and analysis of corporate culture
- Strong collaboration in the fields of business management/ operations and intercultural communication
- Dimension of situational leadership consistent with corporate strategies and practices in the homeland
- International consultant team with cross-cultural business experience and expertise from Belgium, China, and other partner countries
About Living Stone Center
Belgium based 'Living Stone Centre of Competence for Intercultural Entrepreneurship' (LSC) is founded in 2005. The centre is born from the coupling of the University of Leuven tradition of entrepreneurship practice and research to the expertise and field experience of Joker sa, pioneer in sustainable tourism, established on four continents. HIVA, K.U.Leuven's Institute for Labour Studies is the academic partner.
