THE IMPACT FACTORS ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT SUCCESS IN GLOBAL TEAMS: THE CASE OF COMPANY “X” PROJECTS

Abstract

Nowadays, with globalization and the development of information technology, global teams are one of the fastest growing types of teams. Communication technology capabilities have significantly reduced the cost of team management and remote collaboration. Current management science has a broad theoretical basis for managing teams that are physically located in one place, but there is much less understanding of how leaders can effectively manage global teams. Company X is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. All company projects have virtual teams and participants from different countries The goal of this research is to identify and study the factors that influence the success of global project team management and operations in Company X. The research provides answers to the following questions: 1) Which factors impact the project management success  at global company X?; 2) What is the impact of a team member’s role and experience on project management success at company X?; 3) What are the cultural differences within the project teams? The data was collected from a survey of two global teams (n=31) at global company X. Team members represent three cultures: Finnish, Indian and Latvian. The analyzed factors were communication, remote communication tools, roles and rules, and trust and cooperation in a multicultural environment. Communication, remote communication tools, and roles and rules showed a statistically significant impact on project management success in global teams.  The current role of team members has a negative effect on project management success. No statistically significant differences between cultures were found which supports Cultural Convergence Theory which suggests that two cultures will be more and more like each other as their interactions increase.