Enabling project team culture

This paper examines the cultural context in which projects are realised; how the organisational culture of projects may be influenced and, in turn, what effects organisational culture has on performance. National cultures constitute primary contexts which are mediated through the organisations, and their representative
individuals, comprising the participants in project temporary multi organisations. The
values of participants underpin the brief for the project which expresses performance
goals and targets and so, is fundamental in determining commitment to the project and the motivations of participants, hence, values are examined within the context of
business operational requirements. Recognition of interdependence of participants in
the fluid, power-based, business coalition through which projects are realised promotes the perspective of projects as joint ventures to encourage teamwork. Thus, the ideal of team formation and teamwork is discussed against the construct of temporary multi organisations and their inherent, well-known issues. Drawing on a breadth of culturerelated research, including business alliancing, the paper concludes with a summary of how attention to cultural issues may foster teamwork and, hence, synergetic performance benefits with the increased wealth generated by the output equitably distributed amongst participants.