Despite business globalization, many U.S. project managers are facing a danger—the inability to operate in multicultural projects. Sensing the danger, companies deploy cross-cultural training programs. The programs deliver dismal performance when it comes to improving multicultural project management. The reason: they leave intact the old belief that one project management fits all cultures. This paper discards the old belief and offers a new paradigm that project team members with different cultural backgrounds interpret the same project management practices differently. It is this paradigm—termed the silent language of project management—that removes the danger.
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