Research Article: 2020 Vol: 23 Issue: 1
Viktoriya Anishchenko, Academy of the State Penitentiary Service
Olga Nikolaevskaya, South Ural State University
Taliat Bielialov, Kyiv National University of Technology and Design
Alexander Koba, National Academy of National Guard of Ukraine
Tetiana Gumenyuk, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts
Citation Information: Anishchenko, V., Nikolaevskaya, O., Bielialov, T., Koba, A., & Gumenyuk, T. (2020). Entrepreneurship education for the development of international communications of project managers. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 23(1).The research solves an actual task of harmonization the competencies of project managers of international teams, working within a multicultural environment, through the development of the entrepreneurship education models and methods based on the competencies, which help to balance the differences and contradictions in the intercultural communication and provide intercultural development of a project manager and the team of the project. Since international communications (i.e. the cases when people have to use a foreign language for communication) appear in a multicultural environment, this issue causes a great number of misunderstandings and challenges regarding effective communications. The crew members are the internal related parties of a project, which have a great influence on the success of a project. The international project team management requires specific approaches. The project mission decomposition structure method makes it possible to take into account intercultural differences and manage the expectations of the project’s related parties.
Entrepreneurship Education, Manager, Development, Project.
M5, Q2
The management of international projects and their successful completion depends on more complex factors when compared to projects of national, regional or local scales. The formation of a project team by the members, representing different cultures, can take place for a variety of reasons.
The team becomes multicultural due to several factors: low-paid manpower in other countries; the absence of the necessary specialists at a local labour market; the availability of specialists who are assigned for a project and cannot be replaced. Thus, the factor of multiculturalism is not an intentional choice of a project manager but an urgent need.
The international aspect of projects directly influences the successful application of standard approaches to project management through to the uniqueness of complex situations, which is caused by many variables, in particular, the human factor, which, in its turn, consists of cultural and sociological background and the inner circle of a human.
The main hypothesis of a research lies in the assumption that the improvement of effectiveness of the international teams management in a multicultural environment can come at the expense of a set-theoretic approach to harmonization of competencies of crew members and introduction of the corresponding models and methods, which make it possible to achieve the reconciliation of intercultural differences and minimize the number of mistakes within internal communications based on the intercultural competencies.
A three-factor model is provided for the introduction at the very beginning of a project with the purpose to optimize the choice of the crew members, and then, at the phase of the project implementation, to develop communications and information processes (Drobyazko et al., 2019a; 2019b).
Maqbool et al. (2017) report about the high level of uncertainty, complexity, a great number of paradoxes and diversity in international projects. These researchers, in particular, view uncertainty and its influence as the possibility of international project teams to establish trust. Furthermore, they mention that in the case of international projects, the relations are not built via fast steps. In addition, they find it difficult to establish a common modus Operandi (lat. “course of action”, in particular, due to a lack of time and pressure of deadlines.
According to Hilorme et al. (2019a; 2019b), there are following factors, influencing the human behavior in the international projects: views, political systems, religion, and technologies.
Aragonés-Beltrán et al. (2017) summarize the following characteristics of a successful project team, identified in the relevant literature: competence; a clear and shared goal; loyalty to a common purpose; an enabling environment where everyone is able to contribute and benefit; the support structure, therefore, the environment has a great impact on the success of the project.
The setting of international projects is often affected by different cultures. One hand, the diversity of a team provides benefits if the project crew can make effective decisions and find creative ways to resolve conflicts; on the other hand, the cultural diversity creates a challenge for motivation and trust (Medina & Medina, 2017).
Ahmed & Anantatmula (2017) demonstrate that one should keep to specific rules of decorum and hold a protocol in the course of application of electronic tools to reach cultural synergy in the virtual team management. Furthermore, intercultural sensitivity is very important during teleconferences or video-conferences.
Thus, one can conclude that factors of international project management have a relation to both people and culture, which cannot be depreciated. In other words, the limits which are set by cultural assumptions and views of people, the difference in values, short-term cooperation, and geographical position should be considered and formalized.
Let us consider the basics of a theory as an example of an approach, which can be used for an international team of project managers in a multicultural setting.
According to the theory of mental space, the basis of project planning and creative team management lies in the management of the project (program) community in the form of specific practice, the purpose of which is to maintain and stimulate the creative process by means of the creation of mental space.
One has found out that the community acts as the basis for the formation and implementation of creative potential, experience, professional skills, and teaming into groups to accumulate their professional competencies and get additional advantages, which are included in the work of a professional crew.
Thus, the main objective of a community is to open creative potential of a team managing the project and other interested parties for successful implementation of a project or a program at the expense of decrease of the influence of emerging changes and their adaptation to the goal, tasks, policy, and regulations or a program. The introduction of the theory of mental space is quite a useful approach to the management of the international teams in the multicultural setting as it provides the possibility to “set a creative atmosphere” that will improve the creativity of the crew members in the course of developing new projects and programs.
The project crew passes through various phases in the course of work under the project. The realization of these phases of a life cycle of a project is very important for the management of international project teams. The setting of a project affects the efficiency of a team and transition from one phase to another one. Thus, if the project crew is international and consists of the representatives of two or more cultures, the setting the work can be defined as multicultural and the one, which produces a specific influence on the dynamics of the project crew development. Table 1 includes a description of all phases.
| Table 1: Main Phases Of A Lifetime Cycle Of A Project Crew (Authoring) | ||
| No | Name of phase | The peculiarities of the project crew management |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Formation | The peculiarities of work in a project lie in the fact that the team specialists are not familiar with each other. They are not a single team that was established by the interaction mechanisms or group settings. At this stage, the team members get acquainted with each other and the project in general. They form common goals and values, define the norms and rules of interaction, determine the tasks for the crew as well as ways and principles for their achievement. |
| 2 | Conflicting | It is the period of starting a joint work and the development of cohesion of the group that solves a collective problem. It is characterized by an increased level of conflicts, caused by the difference in the characters of the specialists, the approaches, styles, and methods of solving problems. Inside the team, one can observe the process of identifying leaders, the formation of informal groups, roles of individual workers, their place in the team, the psychological climate in the team and its internal culture, etc. |
| 3 | Norm setting | It is the longest phase. It takes place based on the formed team spirit. The details of the interaction are clarified in the course of work and communication in various situations related to a project. The main task of the project manager at this stage lies in rational assignment of functions to specialists and departments; ensuring the conformity of personal capabilities and abilities to the structure and content of the work, performed; connections in workgroups and functional units of employees with different complementary individual abilities; maintaining a team atmosphere of trust and mutual assistance, unity in understanding the goals and objectives of the project and ways to achieve them; the identification and resolution of conflict situations; the creation of an effective system of motivation; the control over achievement of intermediate results on the project and coordination of activity of all functional departments. |
| 4 | Reorganization | This phase appears as a result of changes in the quantitative and qualitative composition of a team in the cases, which are caused by the changes in a project (tasks, plans, results of the project); changes in the managerial structure of the project; completion of specific phases of the project; change of volume and types of works and project members; replacements of members due to noncompliance; additional involvement of new specialists; the attraction of temporary experts. |
| 5 | Dissolution | Upon completion of specific phases and the entire project, one dismantles separate units and the entire project crew. Herewith, depending on the accepted organizational structure, the team specialists have two ways for further actions. The matrix structure of management makes the workers return to their functional units of the organization at the end of the project. The project management structure makes the project manager face the problem of further employment of his employees, unable to return to their former jobs. In such a case, if the manager expects a new project order, he has the right to invite a part of specialists to the team for a new project. The team leader is advised to pay attention to the further employment of his professionals in the professional field, to provide objective guidance to project crew members, indicating their qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experience. |
According to the data given in the table, the project crew formation is the first phase of its lifetime cycle. The researchers say that the measures related to avoiding intercultural misunderstandings have the greatest effect at this stage. Herewith, they state that is it is quite important to organize a personal or a kick-off meeting upon the project under the participation of as many crew members as possible. The project team formation phase usually involves the first meeting in person of all project team members. In any case, this meeting provides its members with the possibility to get acquainted not only with a project but with each other.
Let us study the categories of problems that have a direct connection to the management of international teams of project managers in the multicultural setting.
Problems related to oral and written translation are a specific subtype of verbal problems, which appear because of new terminology, the use of metaphors, unusual or puzzling accent, and indistinct pronunciation. Oral and written translation cause significant difficulties in projects as one cannot predict the effort and volume of work that should be paid to translation; often, it is quite difficult to find a translator with enough experience in specific fields of knowledge, and provide simultaneous project management; short-term projects require short-time and intensive engagement of a translator, that is why it is difficult to find such a manpower, the quality of service of which matches the requirements and a limited duration of a project and its budget.
The language-related issues of the above-mentioned types were studied based on the methods and approaches people use for their resolving. In general, neither methods nor approaches are simple solutions. At the same time, the practice and the research, unfortunately, evidence that the use of these simple actions is still not widespread.
The above-mentioned issues of language nature by the type of communication and the corresponding methods and approaches for their solution are given in Table 2.
| Table 2: Language-Related Problems Of The International Communications Management In The Projects And The Corresponding Methods And Approaches Of Their Solution (Authoring) | |
| Problems | Methods and approaches |
|---|---|
| Conversational verbal communication: Puzzling accent Difficult pronunciation A lack of language skills Poor vocabulary |
Explain your ideas using simple words Use the services of a translator who is the expert in the corresponding area Use doubling (explain ideas using two ways) when it is possible Use visualization during the presentation and other situations when it is possible Listening skills: Focus on the main idea of an interlocutor Get rid of potential attention-grabbing tools Show your interest and attention Show signals, reflecting that you listen to a speaker objectively and attentively Be flexible and open to new ideas or topics Ask for clarification when you do not understand Check whether you understand main ideas of the interlocutor correctly |
| Written verbal communication: Misunderstanding and mistakes when translating a message A lack of language skills Puzzling abbreviations and the use of slang |
Avoid uncertainty Check spelling A message should be as precise as possible. Thus, it will be more easy to read and understand Pay particular attention to the topic and the first sentence in a message You should draw the attention of an addressee The key message should be easy to understand Avoid negative statements when it is possible Keep a written contact with business partners in the form of emails with appreciation, postcards, etc. Check your letter for mistakes two times before sending it |
| Oral and written translation: Terminology Metaphors |
Create and provide support for a topical vocabulary of a project /terminology Become familiar with common metaphors and other phrasal expressions to avoid misunderstanding and worries |
It is quite important to keep in view that in the case of crew members who do not speak the same language while working on the project, the generally accepted levels of language certification might differ from each other and not always ensure the required level of language proficiency. Furthermore, due to uncertain language skills or personal factors, crew members can avoid a specific type of communication (for example, conversational verbal communication), and give preference to another variant, which seems to be easier.
People often think that conversational verbal communication provides more perception, and, hence, personal, or tat-a-tat, communication is considered to be the best type of communication. In spite of this, conversational verbal communication should be followed by written communication, where it is possible, especially in the cases of reporting important information.
A successful project manager should make conscious efforts to improve his individual level of performance and career management. This chapter describes the development of project managers in a multicultural environment. Let us view and formalize the specificity of project managers’ development within a multicultural environment, taking into account the identified problems and factors.
The individuals who work in the international project teams face a range of specific challenges in their individual development and throughout career as well. The international and multicultural setting provides both the opportunities and risks for an individual. The concept of learning throughout the lifetime cycle takes into account a wider view at the development of project managers who work abroad or had the experience of working overseas, and international project teams.
The article was finalized with the required data. First of all, the requirements for the individual, working abroad, create a perfect profile of competencies. Secondly, the challenges and opportunities, which appear during a time work, must be determined for the purpose of their further use for creating an individual set of competencies. Thirdly, a project manager who works abroad sometimes faces the choice of whether to stay in this country for permanent residence (PPR) or leave for his native country.
Apart from these elements, determined by the international factor, let us learn the factors, affecting the competencies development of a project manager during his lifetime cycle upon the model of project managers’ development in the multicultural setting.
First of all, in the majority of cases, the development of a project manager comprises academic and professional lifetime cycles, which last from the age of 20 up to 60.
The age from 18 to 30 is characterized by an active development when a person gains new academic competencies, which further become his basic skills and specific technical (professional) competencies. The acquisition of academic competencies might be expressed due to the European Qualification Framework (EQF), which determines the competences of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
Besides, mainly during the academic life cycle, an individual is actively involved in learning foreign languages and the new tendencies of the present: visit foreign countries as a tourist or an employee upon the programs of international cultural experience, such as Au-Pair.
Regarding the professional lifetime cycle, an individual usually starts his carrier at the age of 25 years, on average, and continues it up to the age of 60-65, depending on the country and individual characteristics and capabilities. During this period, people improve their language skills. Furthermore, they take various certifications, practical courses, online learning programs, etc. In the café of a project manager, certification is implemented in two ways: professional certification in the area of project managing and professional (technical) certification. For example, IT project managers can gain competencies in this area upon the following types of certification: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD); Certified Information Security Manager (CISM); Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT); MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure; AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Professional.
In general, the period between the age of 25 and 35 is characterized by the most intensive development of competencies. Herewith, an individual develops both academic and professional competencies. That means that his academic and professional lifetime cycles intersect.
In the course of his academic and professional lifetime cycles, an individual develops his skills, gains knowledge, and works as an assistant of a project manager, a project crew member, a leader of a project team, and a project leader. At the same time, these lifetime cycles of acquisition of the competencies often cannot be linear because of such activities as writing a dissertation or a doctoral work, teaching, training activity and work overseas. In such cases, the development of competencies of individuals will take place at an expense of learning a foreign language, taking certifications, various pieces of training, and seminars (full-time education, external degree program, online study mode, etc.).
The lifetime cycle of an international project manager comprises three phases. At the first phase (1) the project director views different types of work and work offers and makes a decision, considering not only the level of wages and labor conditions but also opportunities for the development of an personal portfolio of competencies, validity of acquired competences in the country or in perspective directions and legal aspects of the documentation in the new country. At the operational phase (2), the project manager faces most challenges and opportunities, developing the intercultural competence, and, sometimes, language skills. The third stage (3) involves a period of time when the individual makes a decision whether to stay in a new country and become an immigrant or return to his home country.
In both cases, the individual deals with aspects of a legal document. When a person decides to go back to his home country, this does not mean that he will automatically return to his social and work schemes he or she got used to. The residence abroad changes personality traits and perception, which leads to a new period of cultural and social transformation and physical and psychological acclimatization.
The article analyses problems which appear in the international projects in the course of communication and ways to their solving. Considering the analysis of literature, one determines four main categories related to the management of project manager teams in a multicultural environment, namely: language barriers, cultural issues, issues related to individual perception, and technological problems.
Thus, the planning of the level of language competencies, obligatory for the successful implementation of a project, is the necessary phase for building the content of a project. Thus, one should differentiate the conversational and professional styles of a language.
If a conversational (foreign) language is urgent for the implementation of a project, and there is no possibility to hire a translator, in such a case, the corresponding level of knowledge of each member of the crew should be checked beforehand.
Thus, the lifetime cycle of an individual in the international and multicultural perspectives turns out to be more complex and unpredicted than the one occurring within the familiar environment of the source country or the country of permanent residence. The international project managers face a larger number of problems, and, hence, should carefully plan their personal development as well as readiness to develop specific competencies.