Over 40 years back, 3 internet marketers, Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn, founded DHL in SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, since that time DHL has extended to extend at a phenomenal rate. Today, it stands large as the global market head of the international exhibit and logistics industry. A global network working in more than 220 countries and territories with 275, 000 employees worldwide offering customers superior service quality and local knowledge to fulfill their supply string requirements (DHL site).
DHL will depend on a far-flung network of employees and has included and merged several different companies all of which have to deliver the same corporate and business objectives. One of their successful integrations methods is a every year football competition that was began over 2 decades ago. This event and it's informal environment has helped DHL to knit jointly it's multinational and multicultural company,
What are we looking for from the DHL research study?
The DHL research clearly highlights some of the cultural issues, such as diversity and cross-cultural dissimilarities, the company experienced to cope with. Their way of organizing a corporation wide football competition might seem controversial initially but is in line with the company's frame of mind and culture. Some of these cultural variations and alternatives are compared with educational review.
Problems interanational
(Cross culture) DHL Europe was considered over/merged with Deutsche post that includes a much more formal culture compared the entrepreneurial spirit of DHL.
(Hybrid culture) Deutsche post itself was merged with several other companies and was struggling to find a new commercial identity. They do prefer the DHL culture but were apprehensive in case a tournament such as this would bring enough benefits
(Communication / Hybrid culture) The DHL Company culture / work needs a high degree of interaction between the several countries. Knowing the individual in a non formal environment really helps to promote cross ethnic cooperation
(Communication) Communication barriers between high position managers and lower level couriers. The team development exercise provides an chance to differing people to mingle, exchange ideas and so get an improved understanding of each other's functions. .
2. 2 Problems Country wide (Portugal)
Recently within the country three companies have been merged, but with the merger not totally completed there is a high opportunity for competition between employees and management for the several positions. The overall game allowed for the companies to set aside there dissimilarities and compete as one team. Something they will recreate home and incorporate in their own work ethics (trust building)
People with differing backgrounds, such as location and company, generally do not reveal one goal. Nevertheless the Portuguese mentor uses the soccer game to make a common goal to achieve their success. His command clearly addresses establishing super ordinate goals and invite for equal opportunity for all customers. (Management)
Integrate distinctions within a little team might be relatively easy. However to amplify the success from a tiny sports team to entire company is actually difficult. In DHL Portugal, they did this by sharing their trophy, but allowing it to travel to the many offices and adding their experience on the front page of the organization web site. This to make all Portuguese DHL employees alert to the success, displaying that assistance among the various locations and companies is key.
2. 3. DHL ways of integration for effective teamwork
Preserving DHL's ground breaking and entrepreneurial culture isn't easy when a company increases as fast so that considerably afield as DHL has. Over time, the football event bas become a location to foster shared beliefs, important within an international company where employees are in frequent contact across borders. With company manager's dedication to vows to continue to foster the spirit and culture they can yield form the tournament, this is clear evidence of DHL's effort towards to cultivate a cross types culture of their corporate.
With the merger of very formal Deutsche Post, with a lot more liberal DHL and Danza there were some genuine concerns about the cultural issues between those three companies and lack of corporate identity However event has shown to be key to successful integration. In fact it created a culture, which combines the best of all three companies. Furthermore a meeting like the tournament is a good way to increase the company's more formal integration.
In terms of communication issues, the event has brought tons of opportunity to all of participants to mingle, from the CEO to couriers. Offering folks from different degrees of the company the chance to mingle also yields benefits, from enhancing morale to offering top management an improved feel for rank-and-file concerns. Not merely hierarchy mingle but also physical mingle has happened. Like Anabela from Portugal can have an opportunity to chats with one of French acquaintances about how exactly differ their techniques are. This would bring an advantage to understand one another and will be beneficial when they come across an possibility to work on a future project together.
How about the management? Alder (1997) and Snow et al (1996) dispute that integration of dissimilarities can be an important responsibility of team authority. David H and Karen W. also state that one of key factors of successful teamwork is effective team authority.
Through the opening and closing reviews from the co-CEO, Peter Kruse regarding continuous commitment for fostering the hybrid culture that yield from the function, DHL employees should be able to understand their common goal and ideals as a whole team under the DHL name such as teamwork and cooperation
At a national scale, the leaders of the Portuguese team provide a prime example of clear and determined leadership. The overall supervisor, Americo and the team coach, Rui both were able to encourage and lead their team, to allow them to set aside their dissimilarities and work together for a higher cause. Or as Americo says, 'we have an absolute attitude, whether it's in customer support or commercial citizenship or soccer.
Snow et al. (1996) suggest the importance of rely upon virtual teamwork in order to prevent geographical and internal distance. As seen above, DHL is functioning over 220 countries with 225, 000 employees. With DHL's business characteristics digital teamwork cannot be avoided. Nevertheless the tournament allows the employees to meet in person in an casual environment, enabling mutual trust and understanding, thus improving their teamwork.
Conclusion: May be the sports game and the ultimate final result worth the investment?
Yes! Although even senior management of DHL has been skeptical sometimes, the football competition as a team building exercise has helped bring together the extended network of employees. Furthermore, merging with two other European delivery and delivery companies increased the need to integrate their differences.
Indeed it's very difficult to quantify the benefits associated with the team building exercise. However as Peter, the business co-CEO, has put, 'this is an improved integration exercise than any blueprint you may come up with. If we can transfer the spirit of the two days to your business life, no person is going to stop us. ' Taking a look at the entrepreneurial track record of DHL and the company culture, the sports tournament has proven to be a very important tool to produce cross cultural understanding and at the same time enhance the corporate identity.
