ABSTRACT
As work environments in public and non-profit organizations become more diverse, multicultural teams are more common. Teams develop over time through four stages: forming, storming, norming, and performing. The cultural backgrounds of team members may affect dynamics at each stage of development. Multicultural teams show advantages in producing innovative solutions, and have an in built resistance to groupthink. Six principles of persuasion — liking, reciprocity, social proof, consistency, authority, and scarcity — operate differently in different cultures. Mindful communication is necessary to recognize when persuasion is not working as intended. Groupthink refers to a mode of thinking when individuals are swayed by a desire to maintain harmony or conformity, and forego a critical examination of alternatives. Conflict is conceptualized as an interactive process manifested in incompatibility, disagreement, or dissonance within or between social entities. Cultural norms influence how conflict-handling styles work, and when they are considered appropriate. Mindfulness is important to detect potential differences in how individuals respond.
