99 Eco Swings in Saudi Arabia

Team 30 Poster

Team Reflection 

Our group, Group 30, greatly benefited from approximately four weeks of collaboration and learning in the AIM2Flourish project. Not only did we deepen our understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and responsible management, but through cross-cultural exchange and cooperation, we gained valuable insights into communication and collaboration within a diverse framework.

 Through this experience, we learned the importance of establishing a universal yet non-coercive framework in cross-cultural collaboration. This means focusing on finding common ground when setting group agreements, rather than getting caught up in minor details. These agreements should be as flexible as possible, allowing members to complete them in their own way and pace, as long as the objectives are met. We realized that the more universal an agreement is, the more it can reduce cultural conflicts. For example, one of our group’s agreements was not, “All members must avoid interrupting others or refrain from discussing political and cultural topics.” Instead, we agreed that “All members should show respect and be open to others’ opinions.” The latter does not restrict specific behaviors but seeks a common ground across cultures: respect. Although each culture may understand respect differently, this allowed us to establish a framework for dialogue and understanding. Each member understood that others were respecting them in the best way they knew, even if the expression differed. As a result, our group did not experience culture-based conflicts, significantly improving efficiency and minimizing time spent debating what is appropriate or inappropriate.

  Interestingly, we found similarities between this approach and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are also universal and non-coercive. The SDGs transcend national boundaries; while each country’s progress can be monitored, there are no specific regulations on how to achieve them. Each country voluntarily focuses on the sections most relevant to its own context(Burga, R. 2022). All 17 sections are built upon common ground across nations, ensuring that each one holds significance both nationally and internationally.

   Additionally, we found that the course content provided valuable assistance for our AIM2Flourish project. For example, our group had multiple companies available for interviews, all of which highlighted their contributions to sustainability, employee well-being, and environmental protection on their websites. As a result, we were momentarily uncertain about which company to choose. One of the research reports provided in the course emphasized the concept of “aspirational” companies. This means that even if a company has not yet fully implemented its sustainability agenda, it can still contribute to sustainable development by publicly sharing its sustainable principles and data, as well as outlining its methods for achieving sustainability goals(Cho et al., 2015).Using this principle, we ultimately identified the company we wanted to interview, as it possesses comprehensive and multifaceted strategies for achieving sustainability and promoting environmental protection. The company also provides data demonstrating the environmental impact of its innovations.

   Our approach to conducting works enhanced our efficiency. Before we selected the company for our interview, we had already arranged individual tasks. Our task division was assignment-oriented, breaking down each part of the AIM2Flourish project among different team members, with each member responsible for two sections. Tasks were assigned to the members best suited to complete them; for instance, the member located in the same country as the interviewee was responsible for the interview, while members in the most differing time zones were assigned more personalized tasks, such as creating the poster.

  To ensure the completion of these tasks, we set clear deadlines that specified the exact dates and times for each task. These deadlines effectively guaranteed our progress.

  Additionally, our decision-making process was noteworthy. Given our small group size, we felt that voting was not the most effective method. To ensure everyone was satisfied with the decisions made, we adopted a consensus decision-making approach. We defined this as making decisions only when no one opposed them, which considered everyone’s opinions and significantly reduced conflicts. All of these methods contributed to the efficiency of our project completion. We can start negotiating and making decisions with our group members in advance of events, allowing us to adjust any inappropriate plans. This approach requires mutual trust among team members and effective, inclusive communication. Moving forward, each of us must recognize this and work to improve in this area.

  In summary, this group project gave us a deeper understanding of how to collaborate and communicate in a cross-cultural environment. We focused on inclusion and finding common ground to advance our work rather than getting stuck on details. We also explored new decision-making models, opting for a consensus-based approach rather than traditional voting to respect everyone’s opinions. These measures helped us avoid conflicts, improve efficiency, and provided valuable experience for future cross-cultural collaborations.

Individual reflection

DongZhao Zhang:

I am very satisfied with our group and the way we worked together. We maintained respect for one another, and while I sometimes felt the influence of our different cultures on our work process, it was encouraging to see how we embrace our differences. By setting deadlines and using online collaboration tools like shared Google Docs, we were able to complete our tasks at our own pace.

My approach to addressing cross-cultural challenges involved maintaining empathy—putting myself in others’ shoes and expressing support for my teammates through both actions and words. This included thanking group members, celebrating our collective successes, or simply acknowledging their contributions during discussions.

My teammates were also very considerate; they coordinated our different time zones to help us find a meeting time that worked for everyone. The success of this project would not have been possible without each member of the group.

Fajr Alaqeel:

Participating in this international team project was both enriching and challenging for me. One of the main obstacles I faced was coordinating across multiple time zones. With team members from Spain and Canada, finding a suitable meeting time was often difficult and required flexibility from everyone. Early mornings for some of us were late evenings for others, and this often led to delays in decision-making or miscommunication when someone couldn’t attend a meeting. I had to adjust my schedule constantly, sometimes sacrificing personal time to ensure everyone’s input was heard.

Additionally, I noticed that language barriers and cultural differences influenced our communication styles and approaches to problem-solving. Team members from different backgrounds brought unique perspectives, with some preferring a structured, step-by-step approach while others were more flexible and spontaneous. These differences sometimes created minor misunderstandings, and I often had to put in extra effort to clarify my thoughts and understand others’ intentions.

However, as we continued working together, I learned to appreciate these diverse viewpoints. Navigating these cross-cultural dynamics pushed me to adapt and improve my communication skills. While it was challenging, these experiences deepened my respect for my teammates and made our collaboration more rewarding. By the end, I felt proud of what we accomplished together despite the initial hurdles.

Rocío Andía Jiménez:

Working on this project has been very enriching. Not only have I learned the part of the subject covered in a dynamic way, but it has also made me understand and learn the different forms of work that occur in other parts of the world. Carrying out this project as a team has made us able to coordinate and understand each other despite the different ways we each have of doing things, and we were all comfortable working, learning from others and moving the project forward. During the meetings there has been very good communication between everyone: we have been able to understand each other and translate into the project the concepts acquired both in class and in our company’s research. I have learned a lot from all my colleagues, and I have been able to see how in each part of the world different principles are taken into consideration when working. Despite this, and having had some unforeseen events, we have been able to reorganize ourselves and continue with the project, each of the team has had flexibility and consideration with the others to adapt to what best suited each one. Each couple brought a totally different vision to the group work but was necessary to move the project forward. It has been a great luck to be able to participate in this project and to have worked with this group, since it has taught me to understand the way of working in other cultures. Although in Saudi Arabia, Canada and Spain they are very different, we have been able to work very well and each one contributed a different and necessary part to the work, learning not only about our work, but also how to work as a team with people from different cultures.

Hissah Alsheha: 

At the beginning of the project, I expected that the most difficult point would be communicating with the rest of the group members with whom I would work coordinating the time between us, and scheduling meetings every week. On the contrary, the members of the group were very cooperative in determining the time of meetings, division of work, and searching for companies, the most difficult point was searching for a company. In the beginning, we searched for companies that meet the required conditions. We presented the options and agreed on a company, and one of the members contacted them and she replied to us that she wanted to see the questions first. We sent the questions and asked them to schedule an interview at it suits them over the coming weeks but we haven’t gotten any response. Because of that we changed the company and looked for another company in a short time because we no longer had time, we agreed on a new company it was golf Saudi Arabia and we did the interview and divided all the remaining parts of the work to finish on time as we had only a week left to work on all the tasks, We try to help each other to do the tasks and finish them on time. One of the weeks before the end of the project, we addressed something that we were not paying attention to, as we have two students from Spain on our team, and it seems that they also did not pay attention to Daylight Saving Time (DST), it was a strange and unique piece of information for me. It was an exciting and enjoyable experience but I wished the project had been earlier because it was at the time of midterm exams.

Meet Jignesh Panchal 

Working on the AIM2Flourish project with Group 30 was an enriching experience that expanded my understanding of teamwork across cultures. Collaborating with team members from various backgrounds, I quickly learned the value of creating a universal framework for communication—one that focused on shared values rather than specific behaviors. This approach fostered trust and mutual respect, allowing each member to contribute uniquely while avoiding misunderstandings.

Scheduling across time zones was an unexpected but valuable challenge. Rather than finding it a burden, I came to appreciate the rhythm we developed—a kind of time-zone choreography that required both patience and efficiency. The task division felt less like an assignment and more like an opportunity for each person to bring their strengths to the forefront, which not only made the work more enjoyable but also increased our productivity.

This experience reshaped my view of collaboration, especially in global contexts. It highlighted that successful teamwork isn’t just about alignment on tasks but about creating a space where each person feels their contribution is valued, respected, and authentically their own.

Lucía Cornide 

Working on this project has been a very enriching experience for me. I am a very active person, and I love to socialize and learn from others, so participating in this team has been a wonderful opportunity. Not only have I been able to engage in the content, but I have also had the chance to interact with colleagues from different cultures, which has broadened my perspective on how work is done in different parts of the world.

This work has been a continuous source of learning and effort. I consider myself a very active person, and I love to socialize and learn from my colleagues. I believe that participating in this experience has provided me with the perfect opportunity. Having the chance to meet incredible people beyond my borders seems to me, to use a redundancy, a unique opportunity, especially for my future, as I would like to work in international organizations.

However, nothing in life is free from negative aspects. Although I have to admit that they are very few, I think it is significant to mention them because it is important. The different cultures and ways of communicating and expressing ourselves have been something new for me, and I believe that each one of us has had to make an effort. I consider that in Spain we are very “salados” (charming) and emotional, and conversely, less organized and in a more colloquial, chaotic way. But I think the beautiful part has been seeing how our ways of working fit together, and in the end, we have formed an excellent group.

Although we come from very different contexts, such as Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Spain, we have managed to combine our strengths. We have also faced unforeseen events, but these have only brought us closer together. This experience has not only taught me about the content of the work but also about the importance of intercultural collaboration and how working together can enrich any project.

I am very happy and proud of our work, and once again, I say that I am more than grateful for this international experience.

References

Burga, R. (2022). The Integration of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability into Responsible Management. https://books.lib.uoguelph.ca/mgmt-3020/

Cho, C. H., Laine, M., Roberts, R. W., & Rodrigue, M. (2015). Organized hypocrisy, organizational façades, and sustainability reporting. Accounting Organizations and Society, 40, 78–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2014.12.003