Comparison of Military and Business Culture and their Impact in Cross-Cultural Teams

Abstract : The challenges involved in developing new products for the marketplace or for military use in today's dynamic and technologically advanced environment are more complex than ever before. To meet the demands of these challenges, military and business organizations need to cooperate and manage multiple tasks jointly to provide successful and improved products for end users and customers. The competitive advantage gained by superior products determines the survival of a military force on the battlefield or, conversely, a business in the free-trade market. As such, military and business organizations must actively collaborate as they pursue common goals, especially when cross-functional teams come together sharing joint operations or tasks. Each particular organization is expected to be distinguished by its unique culture, which may serve to support or hinder the process of accomplishing the organizations' and members' shared goals. Observing that their purposes are often based upon very different starting assumptions, it is surmised that different operating cultures exist for organizational members representing these entities. Consequently, as members come together in cross-functional teams from different organizations representing the military and business culture, there may be a potential for situational conflict. This study creates propositions based upon the existing research literature, that identify the potential areas where conflicts may ensue from cultural differences, when cross-functional teams comprised by military and business members come together, to achieve a shared task.