COURSE AIMS
OHT
1
• Recognise how cultural differences impact on the
process of building effective international relationships
• Identify specific areas of cultural diversity (linked to
communication style, business values and working
practices)
• Agree on how best to work in multicultural teams,
communicate across cultures and manage the
distance factor
• Identify and develop the personal qualities required
for working effectively across cultures
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
PREVIEWING TASK
OHT
2
• What process of globalisation is this company
seeking to go through?
• What is the role of Morel in this process?
• What advantage will the company attain from
moving to a global structure in taking its new
product to the market?
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
ICEBERG THEORY
B1
V1
OHT
3
B2
V2
B = Behaviour (what you do and say)
V = Values (beliefs about what is right to do and say)
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
THE MIS FACTOR
OHT
4
MIStrust
MISperception
MISevaluation
MISinterpretation
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
TYPES OF CULTURAL GROUPS
• Nationality
• Age
• Gender
• Physical ability
• Socio-economic class
• Sexual orientation
• Political group
• Organisational
• Educational level/type
• Functional
• Religion
• Manchester United
supporters
OHT
5
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
TOLERANCE ZONES
Culture B
number of people
Culture A
OHT
6
Relationship focus
essential before
task is typical
Task focus before
(optional) relationship
focus is typical
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
POLYCHRONIC PREFERENCE
OHT
7
Belief: There are various ways to achieve our
objectives so we should:
• Keep options open as long as possible
• Manage activities in parallel
• Discuss things generally first
• Be open to new inputs at all times
• Value commitment to special people
• Respond to changing priorities
• Use schedules as guidelines
• Invest time in people
• Allow plans to evolve
• Value multi-tasking behaviour
Loosely based on the concepts of Edward T. Hall
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
UNIVERSALISTS v PARTICULARISTS
OHT
8
UNIVERSALISTS
PARTICULARISTS
Belief: Common standards and rules
should be followed and everyone should
be treated the same. Exceptions
weaken the system we depend on:
Belief: Obligations to particular people
and special circumstances come before
abstract rules. Without exceptions, we
weaken the human ties we depend on:
• Trust placed in systems and models
• People are assigned to tasks
• Core business focus
• Standardisation & globalisation
• Fairness & consistency
• Transparency & simplification
• Objective measurement
• Similarity and linking (‘Yes, and…’)
• Black & white photo – facts convince
• Analytical marketing
• Science of management
• Trust placed in networks of relationships
• Tasks are assigned to people
• Flexible customer focus
• Customisation & localisation
• Particular circumstances & requirements
• Appropriateness & contextualisation
• Subjective measurement
• Exceptions and disparity (‘Yes, but…’)
• Oil painting – opinions convince
• Personal networking
• Art of management
Loosely based on the concepts of Fons Trompenaars
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
INDIVIDUALISTS v COLLECTIVISTS
OHT
9
INDIVIDUALISTS
• Values of freedom, honesty,
self-actualisation
COLLECTIVISTS
• Values of harmony, face-saving,
meeting in-group’s needs
• ‘I’ identity
• ‘WE’ identity
• Individual goals
• Group goals
• Look after yourself and immediate family
• Group loyalty provides security
• Distinguish own priorities and
opinions from others in the group
• Do not distinguish own priorities and
opinions from others in the group
•Conflict is inevitable and if well
channelled can lead to positive outcomes
• Conflict should be avoided as it disturbs
group harmony and so motivation
• Control through personal guilt
• Control through group shame
• Strong sense of in-group/out-group,
• Low sense of in-group/out-group,
individuals form groups based on common high sense of personal obligation to
in-group members and low or no
interests or tasks; low sense of personal
obligation to out-group members
obligation to members of the group
• There is a basic right to privacy
• Private life is invaded by groups
Loosely based on the concepts of H. Triandis, S. Ting-Toomey and G. Hofstede
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
GAVIN’S STATE OF MIND
OHT
10
GAVIN
I was beginning to feel that I was pushing water uphill.
GAVIN
I mean, it was easy getting Morel to this stage…everyone on
my team in England was singing from the same song sheet.
But here, we had rock, jazz, classical…you name it …
everyone brought their own piece of music with them…
DARREN
A chance to lead an international team…
Think of the challenge, Gavin…
GAVIN
I’m thinking of the headaches!
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
HIGH v LOW CONTEXT
OHT
11
Lower Context
CONTEXT
message
message
TEXT
Higher Context
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
HIGH v LOW CONTEXT
OHT
12
HIGH CONTEXT
LOW CONTEXT
Belief: Appropriate
communication depends
on decoding the
situation, the relationship,
the non-verbal behaviour
(the context), so we
should invest time in
getting to know people to
communicate efficiently
using a shared code.
Belief: Appropriate
communication depends
on using concrete
logical, unambiguous
task-orientated language
(the text), so we should
be explicit and
transparent (personal
relationships are nice
but not necessary).
Loosely based on the concepts of Edward T. Hall
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
High Context
Mexico
Japan, Indonesia
OHT
13
The Middle East
Philippines
Brazil
India
Singapore
Greece
France
Africa (all)
China
Malaysia
Spain
Italy
Costa Rica
England
Austria
Australia
USA
Scandinavia
Israel
Swiss Germans
Germany
The Netherlands
Low Context
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
COMMUNICATION MEDIA
OHT
14
• Telephone (including conference calls)
• Video conference
• Email
• Answering machines/voice mail
• Face-to-face meetings
• SMS
• Fax
• Groupware (eg discussion forums)
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
EMAIL FEEDBACK ORIENTATIONS
OHT
15
HIGHER CONTEXT
LOWER CONTEXT
• Problem is a ‘We’ issue
– no finger pointing
• ‘I’ have a problem
with ‘You’ issue
• Relationship focus is high
• Task focus is high
• Feedback to be delivered
in higher context mode
• Feedback delivered
within email message
• Indirect/implicit language
• Direct/explicit language
• Face saving important
• Clarity important
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
EXAMPLE EMAIL 1
OHT
16
From:
X
To:
Y
CC:
Subject: Urgent problem
Dear…,
I’m very rushed, so I need to keep the information very short and
direct. I’m sorry, but I’m very disappointed and unsatisfied with
the way you are working on this project. It does not meet at all the
criteria we agreed upon from the start. You really need to do this
in a much more professional way and according to our goals and
criteria. Otherwise we really have a problem. I suggest that we will
have a talk tomorrow. Then I will explain clearly what I mean,
in case you don’t know yet, but I’m sure you are aware.
Speak to you tomorrow at 14.00
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
EXAMPLE EMAIL 2
OHT
17
From:
X
To:
Y
CC:
Subject: A request
I had problems with my emails for the past few weeks and I lost
several of them. Could it be possible for you to send me again
the information you have about the project X?
I’m sorry for the inconvenience.
Regards
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
EXAMPLE EMAIL 3
OHT
18
From:
X
To:
Y
CC:
Subject: A slight worry…
Dear …,
I’m a little concerned on the basis of my recent experience
that we might be missing some important information from
your area
We all agree that it was critical to share information
comprehensively and quickly.
Can I perhaps suggest we meet on… to discuss a way forward?
Thanks
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
BRITISH INDIRECTNESS
OHT
19
From:
X
To:
Y
CC:
Subject: A slight worry…
Dear …,
I’m a little concerned on the basis of my recent experience
that we might be missing some important information from
your area
We all agree that it was critical to share information
comprehensively and quickly.
Can I perhaps suggest we meet on… to discuss a way forward?
Thanks
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
GAVIN’S EMAIL TO ALBERTO AND EVA
OHT
20
From: Gavin
To:
Alberto; Eva
CC:
Darren; Jack; Mohammed; Jesse
Subject: A slight hitch with the Market Research
Dear Alberto and Eva
Thank you for your input, however, there seems to be
a bit of a problem with the European market research.
I think we might want to consider cooling some of the
marketing activities until everything is OK.
I’ll be in touch soon.
All the best
Gavin
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES
EMOTIONAL IMPACT
OF CULTURE SHOCK
OHT
21
• Anxiety
• Disconfirmed expectations
• Exclusion
• Ambiguity
• Confrontation with one’s prejudices
Based on Richard Brislin
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES