In Spanish, It's Un Equipo

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Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for building an effective global team. Part of the problem is that each country has its own cultural peccadilloes. In China, for example, many employees are reluctant to disagree with their managers or assume leadership roles -- a trait linked to the legacy of the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, when speaking out was dangerous. By contrast, companies moving into India often contend with ego clashes and power struggles, according to Gupta, who researched more than 200 companies for his book. "People in India, especially in tech companies, believe they are just as competent as those in the United States," he says. That's a problem if their American counterparts see them as second class.

That's what happened at Approva, a software company that went global as soon as it was founded, in 2000, with 20 employees at a headquarters in Reston, Virginia, and 20 at a research and development center in Pune, on India's west coast. Approva's founder, Prashanth Boccasam, an Indian émigré, had plenty of experience in managing far-flung staff members. His previous software business, Entevo -- which he sold in 2000 -- also had offices in Virginia and in Pune. "I learned from my previous company that building a sense of unity is important," Boccasam says. "It helps for me to be Indian American."

Nonetheless, because Approva and its CEO are based in Virginia, there was a tendency to view the Indian office as a support operation, says Gupta, who studied Approva for his book. What's more, some procedures inadvertently sidelined the employees in Pune. One main issue was that the Indian developers had minimal interaction with customers. After they finished creating an application, they would simply hand it off to the sales and marketing staff in Reston. "In the worst-case scenarios, they would just throw it over the wall, and that was that," says Dana Hamerschlag, senior director of product marketing in Reston. "I think it would be rather unfulfilling to work your tail off and then it disappears."

About a year ago, Approva took a new approach. Now, the R&D staff members in Pune take turns pulling overnight shifts while the company is rolling out its software for a client, so they can deal with any problems that arise. Developers also have more opportunities to interact with clients after product launches -- if they fix a problem, for example, they may deliver the good news to the customer personally rather than letting a rep in Reston do the honors. The small adjustments have given a big morale boost to Approva's Indian staff, says Pranav Mundi, senior director of product development in Pune. "They know how the product is used, and they have a great sense of pride," he says. "That has a motivating effect."

Some changes were more interpersonal than organizational. To encourage chumminess, Approva established a "culture club" with employees from both locations who are responsible for team building programs. Now, employees from Pune and Reston regularly reward one another with tokens, which translate into cash prizes at the end of each quarter. They also can thank one another by passing along the company mascot -- Captain Bizozo, a teddy bear decked out in an Approva T-shirt, sunglasses, and sandals. So far, the bear has logged as many frequent flier miles as has Boccasam, who flies to India at least four times a year. That's the real key to creating a unified global team, he says. "It requires a huge personal effort from the CEO, including a lot of 24-hour commutes and 4 a.m. conference calls," he says. "Globalizing is not for the faint of heart."

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