1. An Action Plan:
Leading a Multicultural Team through a Change Process
Brittany Mey
MGMT 615 9026
Professor Simonsen
July 28, 2015
Turn it in: 14%

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Abstract
This paper is focused on the development of a new action plan for managing a
multicultural team. Over the past months, there have been several conflicts within the
team. Deadlines have been missed as well as costs spiraling out of control. Aside from
these issues, there are internal conflicts happening within the staff. The past director was
let go due to unethical practices by accepting bribes. Therefore, communication and
decision-making will be discussed in terms based around ethical practices and the Team
Leadership Model. This paper will aim to focus on how communication and team
development can improve work ethic and company productivity. The action plan will be
based around the Team Leadership Model and Adaptive Leadership theory.

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Introduction
A team is a “ type of organizational group that is composed of members who are
interdependent, who share common goals, and who must coordinate their activities to
accomplish these goals” (Northouse, 2013, p. 363). In order for a team to remain
successful, there needs to be cohesiveness within the team. For a team to become
“cohesive”, a team needs acceptance of leadership, trust, and role stability. Having a
diverse team is an advantage when it comes to performing specialized roles (Adler,
2008). When employees are able to interact and combine skills, the productivity of the
group increases. Having a diverse team can be beneficial yet pose potential conflict.
The purpose of this action plan is to establish one common objective for the
company. There are internal conflicts amongst the employees that need to be addressed
before anything else can be accomplished. In order to resolve these internal conflicts, the
Adaptive leadership theory will be used. This theory touches on problems that cannot be
solved solely by leadership authority. The leader solves these issues through
encouragement, communication and support. “Adaptive leaders engage in activities that
mobilize, motivate, organize, orient, and focus the attention of others” (Heifetz,1994,
p.258).
Since there are not clear-cut answers to any internal conflict, certain limitations
may apply. Employees may not want to engage in communication nor be open to a new
leader. These are issues that will be discussed thoroughly in this action plan.

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Implementing Change
Before any of the project deadlines can be productively met, the inner conflicts on
the team need to be resolved. The first issue that needs to be addressed is the inner
conflict between employees. Darius and Tom have been in conflict for weeks because of
their opposing views on the project. In order to resolve this issue, I will hold separate
meetings with Tom and Darius. During the first meeting, Tom and Darius will meet with
me separately, allowing them to speak candidly and freely about their own ideas,
concerns, and conflicts. Once these meetings take place, I can better understand how each
employee feels individually. My next step would to hold a meeting with both Tom and
Darius together, sort of like mediation. During this meeting Tom and Darius can express
each other’s concerns to one another and hopefully come to a mutual understanding.
Aside from this meeting, I will be holding a team meeting (this will include all
employees). The group meetings will be prioritized to discuss goal focusing. Teams who
have an end objective tend to have a higher productivity rate. “A compelling purpose
energizes team members, orients them toward their collective objective, and fully
engages their talents” (Hackman, 2012, p.437). According to the Team Leadership
Model, the goal focusing stage is important for a leader to encourage and motivate the
team. In the first stage of the change process, employees are learning how to trust one
another and develop cohesiveness. After this stage is complete, the team is able to focus

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on objectives and problem solving. This is why having team meetings is critical. In our
meetings we are able to communicate our concerns and ideas about the project.
I understand that all employees may not fully agree with another but our main
focus is to come to a basic understanding for the best interest of the company. We will
shift our focus to setting specific deadlines and assigning specific roles. Since Tom and
Darius have a difficult time agreeing with one another, I will assign them to work on
separate assignments. For instance, Tom can focus on the budget while Darius can focus
mainly on deadlines. This way they are still working together but have separate
responsibilities. The meetings will occur weekly on Monday mornings and are
mandatory.
During the first couple of weeks, I will be holding a cultural training during our
weekly meetings. These trainings will help employees gain a sense of each other and gain
an appreciation for one another’s culture. These trainings help build relationships
between employees. I am hoping by holding these cultural trainings, we can build
trusting relationships, use criteria appropriate for cultures represented, and gain a mutual
understanding.
Aside from the meetings, there are other issues to address. One of the employees,
Tom, does not enjoy using Google to share his work. This is starting to distant him from
the team. In order to address this issue I will suggest training for Tom to better
understand Google. This way, he is comfortable, and hopefully, more open to using this
application. Providing training incentives is a great way to increase employee motivation.
The meetings will also help Tom resolve his other concerns about sharing his ideas
through talking. This way Tom has another outlet to share other than technology.

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Another issue concerning the team is John and Julie’s search for new jobs. These
are two valuable and important employees to the project. John and Julie possess skills the
team needs in order to complete the project. In order to prevent them from pursuing
another job, I will offer incentives. If the project meets the deadline, without high cost, I
will offer bonuses and raises for all employees involved. According to Hyatt and Ruddy,
providing employees with “clear direction, information, data, resources, rewards, and
training, enables the team to achieve performance goals” (Northouse, 2012, p.371).
Jinsoo is the final employee who needs to be addressed. Jinsoo tends to stress
when it comes to conflict amongst team members. This in turn results in a decrease in
work productivity. Once I have addressed each issue concerning the other employees,
hopefully Jinsoo’s conflict decreases. Setting an end objective will also help Jinsoo focus
on the work rather than the stress of conflict. Aside from an end objective, holding
weekly team meetings will help Jinsoo communicate his stress and address it with his
coworkers. The meetings are a great way to express positive communication and
hopefully motivate employees.
While setting these goals for the team, it is important that I, as a leader, practice
good ethic behavior. The last director was fired because of unethical behavior. This will
not be an issue. I will not be accepting bribes and I tend to remain an ethical and
motivational leader for my team even under stressful situations. “There are numerous
pressures confronting business in addition to increasing sales, maintaining competitive
advantage and market shares and being profitable” (Research Starters Business, 2008,
p.8). By redirecting the team and refocusing our budget, the company can start
controlling the spiraling costs of the project.

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Along with practicing good ethics and holding weekly meetings, I tend to provide
a structure for my team. It is my responsibility to make sure the team finds the best
structure for accomplishing the end objective. Each employee will have his or her own
assignment and deadline. Every employee will have his or her own responsibility.
Summary Analysis
Leading a multicultural team can be difficult for numerous reasons. This is
especially true when there are inner conflicts going on with the employees. When it
comes to designated assignments for each employee, it is important to focus on skills
rather than cultural. According to the Team Leadership theory, “a leader helps integrate
the team’s activities by matching member’s skills to roles, providing clear performance
strategies, monitoring feedback, and adapting to environmental changes” (Northouse,
2012, p.371). Certain employees possess stronger skills in different areas.
Below is a list of the tasks assigned for each employee.
Budget Deadlines
Darius Tom
Jinsoo Julie
John Harpreet
Since John and Julie both have a strong skill set, I have separated them so each team can
benefit from their skills. Since Tom and Darius have been in conflict, I have separated
them by task. Harpreet and Jinsoo are the most neutral team members so I have separated
them as well. I will be overseeing each task. Each week, during our meetings, our team’s
progress will be discussed as well as concerns and suggestions. In order to remain

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productive, I will be focusing our structure around the internal Team Leadership Model
displayed below (Northouse,2012, p.367).
Internal Leadership Actions
Task Relational
Goal Focusing Coaching/Collaborating
Structuring for Results Managing Conflict/Building Commitment
Training/Maintaining Standards Modeling Principles
Conclusion
Overall, there are multiple steps I need to take in order to refocus this team. I need
to first and foremost address the inner conflicts amongst employees. As stated above, I
will be providing weekly meetings to enhance and encourage communication amongst
employees. I will also be providing incentives for employees such as training, bonuses,
and raises. The bonuses and raises, however, will only occur after a successful end
objective. My overall objective is to reduce tension and stress on the team. I want to
refocus and reassign roles based on skill set. I will set an end objective that states a clear
structure and clear assignments. I will remain an effective leader by leading by example. I
will practice good ethical behavior and continue motivating my staff. “To build an
atmosphere that fosters collaboration, we need to develop trusting relationships based on
honesty, openness, consistency, and respect” (Larson& LaFasto, 1989, p.370). Our end
objective is to have the product ready for testing in six months. We need to limit costs

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and make sure we meet deadlines. If we continue to focus on our skill set and practice
communication, I believe we can accomplish our goal.

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References
Adler, N.J. (2008). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, (5th ed).
South-Western Cengage Learning.
Binsiddiq, Y. A., & Alzahmi, R. A. (2013). WORK ENGAGEMENT AND GROUP
DYNAMICS IN DIVERSE AND MULTICULTURAL TEAMS: CRITICAL
LITERATURE REVIEW. Review Of Management Innovation & Creativity,
6(19), 121-133.
Ethical Responsibilities of Business. (2008). Research Starters Business (Online Edition)
Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice, (6th ed.).
Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Smith, W. K. (2014). Dynamic Decision Making: A Model of Senior Leaders Managing
Strategic Paradoxes. Academy Of Management Journal, 57(6), 1592-1623.
doi:10.5465/amj.2011.0932