Question

Imagine seven years from now you have finally gotten the promotion you were working hard for at that dream job working for Porsche headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. You’ve been asked to put together a team to develop a feasibility study looking into electric cars in the Asian market. You estimate that you need a staff of about five employees to handle the project.

(a) What type of team interdependence would you want for this project and why?

(b) What personality traits from the Big 5 should members of your staff possess, and why? Additionally, what other individual differences (other than the Big 5) should they also have? Also, how would you interview or vet them to ensure you find the ideal team in terms of personality and cultural diversity?

(c) Consider how you will deal with potential conflict using conflict management strategies as well as potential communication barriers.

Answer 1

(a) What type of team interdependence would you want for this project and why?

Answer (a) Putting together a team to develop a feasibility report from electric cars in the Asian Market for Porsche Automobiles, it was estimated that there will be requirement of five employees team for the report fulfilment. The team will include the market researchers, analyst, operations manager, finance experts and IT expert. The feasibility report will include the contribution of each of the team members working independently along with the support of each other at different phases of the report building process. As from the job role, it is evident that each of the team members has his/her separate as well as an independent role in this project report. As the team member will proceed their independent work approach, after a point of time with initial research complete, the coordination between the data, ideas, brainstorming sessions, etc. will be required to consolidate the conclusive factors for the report presentation.

            Team independence could be of three types: Pooled Interdependence, Sequential Interdependence, and Reciprocal Independence. Initially, the team member will be working independently without the requirement of the inputs from each other but as the initial research is over, ultimately they will have to share their findings and outcomes to complete the report at the intermediate or final stage and hence to be said into pooled interdependence for the ultimate goal of report completion.

            Sequential interdependence of the team will be required at the analysis stage when the raw data is collected but the analyst will be coordinate to carry out the inferences with the data and hence although being into their independent working territories but sometimes require sequential interdependence.

            The cyclic interdependence will be required when the final report and feedback of each team member will be required for any final inputs/correction/modification in the report. After the necessary updates in the report, the same cyclic procedure of feedback from each member will be repeated making the team fall into the cyclic interdependence at the final stage of report preparation.

(b) What personality traits from the Big 5 should members of your staff possess, and why? Additionally, what other individual differences (other than the Big 5) should they also have? Also, how would you interview or vet them to ensure you find the ideal team in terms of personality and cultural diversity?

Answer (b)The requirement of following personality traits from the Big 5 will be required from the team:

1. Openness to experience: The project requires open mindset, readiness for a unique and challenging experience to work in a team for the ultimate goal of a different geographic and demographic market. Employees having prior experience in this field, belonging to Asian demography, any prior or exposure of a similar market will be the right fit in the interview.

2. Conscientiousness: The employees having a great record of efficiency, competencies and discipline will be required for the project and employee potential of these talents or prior history will be preferred in the interview.

3. Extraversion: The project being reasearched for the foreign international market of Asia, therefore, the team needs a person with high extraversion qualities, social skills, energetic and enthusiastic for the interaction with native market leaders, representatives, common customers, etc. These skills can be easily judged by natural behaviour as well as a questionnaire on extroversion in HR strategies.

4. Agreeableness: The factor requires the team to be trusted and have faith in their co-workers of the team for their independent work. In case of any conflict between area of own expertise and views or inputs from other area of expertise, the team member should be capable of the judgement of critical issues and adjustment for mutual agreeableness. During the interview session, situation-based analysis and critical thinking can be helpful in such cases.

5. Neuroticism: The team require the least quality of the neuroticism among the teammates therefore, situations such as offensive interviews, temperament testing, etc. can be tested during the interview.

(c) Consider how you will deal with potential conflict using conflict management strategies as well as potential communication barriers.

Answer (c) In order to manage the conflict among the teammates, the strategy of compromising, accommodating and collaborating can be suitable according to the situations during the market research, research analysis and report preparation. The management always has to face the trade-off between the interest of the firm and individual importance of the team members. Keeping the common goal of putting the interest of the firm first instead of proving the best performer in the team, the team member should be capable of understanding and respecting the views of others, non-compromising the critical issues, using redressal of the conflict by mediation and advice from the supervisor, and accommodate the ideas and views of other into the research for a new perspective approach in research is required in the team.

            The potential communication barrier can be handled by hiring or taking the consulting from the native consultants and third party research agencies, from the diverse workforce including someone with relations or origin from Asian countries will be helpful for the team at a great extent.

“If you liked my answer, please don’t forget to give an UPVOTE!”

“That will be very helpful and encouraging for me!”

THANK YOU!