Team Heat (technical and cultural obstacles affecting global teams)

http://www.cio.com/archive/090198_team.html

This article discusses a number of technical and cultural issues that sometimes arise in information system teams whose members may be dispersed across the world. Among other ideas, it cites Geert. Hofstede's five dimensions of a national culture: power distance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, uncertainty avoidance and future-orientation versus short-term perspective.

Questions:

1. The article mentions cultural imperialism. What is this and how is it pertinent to some information system projects?

2. The article mentions a number of anecdotes about confusions or other problems in interactions between people from different cultures. Identify some of these examples and explain why you believe these are valid generalizations versus stereotypes.

3. The article notes that some cultural issues exist even for teams within the United States. Explain how ideas in the article might apply to a large company based in your home town or state.

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