INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCIES AS A FACTOR OF PROJECT TEAM EFFECTIVENESS: THE CASE STUDY OF GERMANY

Abstract

Migration processes, driven by socio-economic and geopolitical transformations in recent years, have significantly influenced labor markets in European Union countries and highlighted the need for effective integration of foreign workers. This issue has become particularly acute since 2022 due to the large-scale displacement of people from Ukraine, posing challenges for host countries, primarily Germany, not only to ensure employment quantitatively but also to achieve sustainable and high-quality professional integration. Despite the increasing employment rates of Ukrainian refugees, quantitative indicators do not fully reflect the actual level of professional adaptation, team effectiveness, or long-term career mobility. This article examines intercultural competencies as a critical factor for successful project team performance and as a key resource for the professional integration of Ukrainian migrants into the German labor market. It is argued that the effectiveness of collaboration in multicultural environments depends not only on professional qualifications and language proficiency but also on social-behavioral skills, adaptability, empathy, tolerance, and the ability to interact constructively with colleagues and management. The theoretical foundation of the study is based on contemporary approaches to intercultural competence analysis, particularly Jürgen Bolten’s concept, which defines it as a dynamic combination of personal, social, and functional-strategic components manifested through interaction in teams and professional activities. The practical implementation of these competencies is analysed through the example of the forwarding and logistics sector in Germany, characterized by high operational complexity and the need for integration of professional, cognitive, language, and intercultural skills. The study demonstrates that formal competency assessments, including professional tests, language tasks, and exercises in logic and analytical thinking, allow for an objective evaluation of Ukrainian specialists’ readiness to work in a structured and multicultural professional environment.