Power distance and group dynamics of an international project team: a case study

Abstract

Project-based team activities are commonly used in higher education. Teams comprised of members from different national cultures can be faced with unique challenges during the creative process. Hofstede's (1991) cultural dimension of power distance was used to examine one such design team's intra- and inter-group interactions in a graduate-level educational technology course in the United States. This case study analysis utilized data from observations, participant interviews and a questionnaire to determine what impact power distance had on team process. Low power distance was one factor that enabled Team Alpha to avoid potential conflicts, conflicts they were not able to avoid with their partner team. Rather than viewing themselves as a group of four individuals from different cultures, Team Alpha members developed their own culture, one specifically in opposition to that of predominantly American student teams. A power distance stance was one component of this opposition.