HR Study Reveals Challenges for Management in Teamwork, Culture and Diversity

 

Isues have come to light for managers who want profits by achieving maximum teamwork and workplace cultures. A human resources study shows 40 percent of men and women don’t want to work on projects with the opposite gender.

A three-year global study of 60 big companies by Innovisor, a Copenhagen firm, published its data in 2012 involving 5,000 workers in collaboration and influence.

People tend to collaborate with people they have a sense of similarity with,” says Jeppe Hansgaard,  the managing partner at Innovisor. “It’s human nature.”

Immediate supervisors weren’t included the study because they are most often men, and the majority of employees prefer not to work with their bosses.

The 60 companies were in 29 nations, which included the U.S., Australia, Brazil, China, India, and the U.K.

Mr. Hansgaard makes an obvious point for managers. He says they “need to be aware of the barriers that exist within their own organizations.”

“We prefer to collaborate with people who look just like us,” he adds. “That’s a management issue, because you want your employees to collaborate with the right people, not just people who look like them.”

He believes such employee biases aren’t obvious – they’re not observed by managers. Bosses often don’t assign teams. The collaboration is decided by employee biases. It shows a lack of employee self-esteem and leadership strategies and employee respect.

That hurts business performance.

My sense is the study’s results indicate the need for employee-teamwork training managers to upgrade their skills and to implement a cultural change for profits. Such companies should better manage collaboration and encourage more inclusionary diversity. As a result, employee confidence will increase for the enhancement of teamwork and overall business performance.

From the Coach’s Corner, here are more management tips:

• 20 Tell-Tale Signs – If You’re Under-Performing as a Manager
• Human Resources – Power Your Brand with Employee Empowerment
• Human Resources: 4 Reasons Why New Managers Fail
• Strategies to Succeed as a New Manager – a Checklist 

 “Skill and confidence are an unconquered army.”

-George Herbert

 

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Author Terry Corbell has written innumerable online business-enhancement articles, and is a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services. For a complimentary chat about your business situation or to schedule him as a speaker, consultant or author, please contact Terry.