The Harvard Business Review article “Managing Multicultural Teams” by Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern explains why culturally diverse teams pose unique managerial challenges and offers a practical framework for diagnosing and resolving them. The authors identify four primary cultural barriers—direct vs. indirect communication, accent and fluency issues, divergent attitudes toward hierarchy, and conflicting decision‑making norms—that can derail collaboration. To address these barriers they propose four intervention types: adaptation (team members openly acknowledge and work around differences), structural intervention (re‑organize sub‑groups or roles), managerial intervention (set norms or involve higher‑level leaders), and exit (remove a member when all else fails). A decision matrix links specific problem types and “enabling situational conditions” to the most suitable strategy, emphasizing that adaptation is preferred when possible because it preserves learning. The article is illustrated with numerous real‑world case studies (U.S.–India software project, U.S.–Japan system design, multicultural consulting teams, call‑center language dynamics, etc.) that show how mis‑aligned communication styles, language fluency, hierarchy expectations, and decision‑making speeds create conflict, and how the four interventions can restore performance. The piece concludes with practical advice for managers to recognize cultural roots of conflict, intervene indirectly, and foster cultural intelligence, supplemented by a further‑reading list on diversity, cultural intelligence, and cross‑cultural case studies.
Topics
Identifying the Four Core Cultural Barriers
A taxonomy of the most common sources of conflict in multicultural teams: direct vs. indirect communication, accent/fluency gaps, hierarchy attitudes, and decision‑making norms.
Four Managerial Intervention Types
The authors’ toolkit for responding to cultural barriers: adaptation, structural intervention, managerial intervention, and exit.
Real‑World Case Studies Illustrating Barriers and Interventions
Narrative examples (U.S.–India software timeline clash, U.S.–Japan system design, multicultural consulting disputes, call‑center language dynamics) that map specific barriers to the four interventions.
Strategy‑Selection Decision Matrix
A table linking problem types and enabling situational conditions (e.g., team permanence, emotional intensity, manager availability) to the most appropriate intervention.
Adaptation as the Preferred Path and Its Learning Benefits
Argument that when teams can openly acknowledge cultural gaps, adaptation yields minimal managerial overhead and promotes collective learning.
Guidelines for Building Cultural Intelligence
Practical steps for managers and team members to develop cultural awareness, observe cues, and cultivate confidence in cross‑cultural interactions.
Author Credentials and Research Foundations
Brief bios of the three authors and the research methods (interviews, dispute‑resolution literature) underpinning the article’s recommendations.