Re-examining the role of training in contributing to international project success: A literature review and an outline of a new model training program

International projects face greater obstacles to success and fail more often than do similar domestic projects, even those with a multicultural workforce. Cross-cultural training of individuals has been the standard response, and has no doubt been generally effective in equipping personnel with most of the knowledge and skills needed to live and work successfully in another culture. But the question is raised here: Is there a gap between the needs of international projects and what the current approaches to cross-cultural training offer for meeting those needs? The authors contend that current cross-cultural training fails to address adequately the organizational and environmental factors which impact significantly on the overall success of international projects. After reviewing a selection of studies from the literature dealing with the causes of success and failure of international projects, the authors propose the elements of a new model training program intended to equip international personnel with a broader range of the knowledge and skills needed to enhance the chances of project success. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.