The Value of Teamwork in YWAM’s Multicultural Context

Serving outside your home country often means navigating the complexities of being part of a multicultural team. This can sometimes feel overwhelming, but if God calls us to missions, working and relating in a multicultural environment is essential.
Youth With A Mission (YWAM) values functioning in teams. Although this value doesn't explicitly mention "multicultural," YWAM’s international commitment requires viewing this through a multicultural lens.

Understanding Multicultural Teams
A multicultural team is a group of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds who work interdependently, share responsibility for outcomes, and manage their relationships across organizational boundaries. These teams can include formal teams, informal teams, task forces, committees, self-managed teams, and virtual teams.

Studies show that while multicultural groups often outperform monocultural ones, the latter can avoid the "process loss" caused by unpracticed communication and subsequent conflict (Halverson and Tirmizi, 2008, p. 8). This implies that improving communication and relationships within a multicultural team can make it more effective than a monocultural one.

The Role of Team Culture
Establishing clear goals and emphasizing the importance of relationships is crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of multicultural teams. Multicultural teams can offer greater creativity in problem-solving by balancing individualistic and collectivist cultural dynamics. Conflict resolution is vital, and understanding how cultural norms affect perspectives on power distance and individualism versus collectivism can help navigate these challenges.

Insights from Leading Multicultural Teams
Leading Multicultural Teams by Evelyn and Richard Hibbert (2014) highlights the potential for exceptional effectiveness in multicultural teams if they overcome inherent challenges. Key cultural factors like power distance and collectivism significantly influence leadership perceptions. Effective teams are committed to a common vision, hold each other accountable, and work interdependently with shared values.
The stages of team formation (forming, storming, norming, and performing) require goal-setting and a shared vision. Team building, conflict resolution, and leadership qualities such as humility, patience, respect, and teachability are essential. Organizations should support team leaders and address issues of collectivism and power distance.

Multicultural Team Dynamics in Missions
Kim (2013), a Korean researcher, has extensively studied international mission agencies in the Caucasus region, particularly a significant YWAM location. He reveals that expatriate workers in multicultural teams face more relational challenges than those in local teams. Non-native English speakers often struggle the most, as team culture tends to be Western due to meetings in English. This creates unintentional inequality, affecting team dynamics and emphasizing the need for clearer relationship definitions. (to read more on this Click Here)

Biblical Perspective on Multicultural Teams
A biblical approach to multicultural teams starts with recognizing that we are made in God's image. Understanding our identity in God helps us relate better to others. Human relationships should respect and preserve life through words and actions. Our cultural judging systems often distort the image of God, and recognizing these distortions can help us relate more effectively in a multicultural context. Silzer (2011)

Challenges and Benefits of Multicultural Teams
Multicultural teams model the diversity of the Body of Christ and can bring healing to various nationalities. They are more sensitive to distinguishing between biblical and cultural aspects of behavior. However, these teams face challenges such as leadership styles, communication breakdowns, and differing cultural norms regarding timeliness, child-rearing, and conflict resolution.

For multicultural teams to succeed, relationships must be prioritized, and all members must be willing to work on building a common understanding. Despite the challenges, the benefits of forming strong, diverse teams are significant, demonstrating God's transforming power in intercultural relations and enriching the home churches of those involved.

Conclusion
Multicultural teams take time to develop and face more challenges than monocultural ones but offer substantial rewards. By understanding each other's cultural values and practicing biblical principles of mutual edification, these teams can thrive, reflecting the international movement YWAM aims to embody.

To read more articles on YWAMs Value and Culture Click Here

References
Halverson, C. B., & Tirmizi, S. A. (Eds.). (2008). Effective multicultural teams: Theory and practice (Vol. 3). Springer Science & Business Media.

Hibbert, E., & Hibbert, R. (2014). Leading multicultural teams. William Carey Library.

Kim, J. Y. (2013). Perceptions of working relationships among multicultural team members in international mission agencies: A languacultural analysis. Trinity International University.

Silzer, S. T. (2011). Biblical multicultural teams: applying biblical truth to cultural differences. William Carey International University Press.

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