Multiculturalism and Multicultural Teams: A Historical and Theoretical Review

Abstract

This conceptual review paper examines the effective management of multiculturalism and multicultural teams in modern organisations, with particular reference to public universities in Uganda. The paper adopts a narrative review methodology based on the synthesis of recent scholarly literature on multiculturalism, diversity management, cultural intelligence, and multicultural team performance. Multiculturalism emerged prominently in the mid-twentieth century in response to globalisation, migration, decolonisation, and civil rights movements, and has increasingly become central to organisational studies and public sector governance. The review identifies major theoretical foundations underpinning multicultural team management, including Social Identity Theory, Cultural Dimensions Theory, Cultural Intelligence, Contact Theory, and Intersectionality Theory. The paper further highlights key challenges affecting multicultural teams in Ugandan public institutions, including communication barriers, ethnic identity politics, leadership dynamics, and inclusion concerns. The study concludes that effective diversity management, inclusive leadership, and cultural intelligence are critical for improving innovation, collaboration, and service delivery in multicultural public organisations.