THE THREAT OF CROSS-CULTURAL CLASH: LESSONS LEARNT FROM INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS

Abstract

The article is based on both literature review and authors’ experience related to about forty international projects – over more than a decade. Besides their creative potential based on the opportunity to exchange cross-cultural knowledge, the international projects have their negative side as well: if not timely identified, and properly managed, the cross-cultural clash might be a threat for the successful completion of the project. The authors investigate engineering, development and technical assistance (DTA) international projects, aiming at identifying their main characteristics, by the project lifecycle stages (as feasibility, design, implementation, evaluation). Among the notable results of the study are the management lessons learnt in order to mitigate cross-cultural clash, and avoid inter-cultural misunderstandings and even conflicts

Keywords

• cross-cultural clash
• project lifecycle
• project management
• development and technical assistance
• international projects
• engineering pprojects