An analysis of managing the globally dispersed team : a case study of an auto component manufacturer

Abstract

Globalization has become one of the most important strategic issues for almost every business organization. Along with globalization, managers and employees are being required to work with people in geographically dispersed locations as well as in local organizations. For a new project, a global company typically creates a group with professionals located in multiple places. The basic principles for managing a co-located group are important and can be applied to managing a group of people in geographically dispersed locations, referred to as a "globally dispersed team". However, global dispersion involves additional complexities, such as cross-cultural and cross-organizational issues. Managing globally dispersed teams is a new challenge for managers and employees, especially those who are appointed as leaders of such teams. Through a review of the literature and existing management publications, as well as actual case studies of globally dispersed teams, this thesis explores the key issues and develops proposals for managers who must deal with managing these globally dispersed teams.