Cross-Cultural Management
SI-K Exportcoop SEE
12 March 2015
Michael J. Gates
Vice Chairman
RICHARD LEWIS COMMUNICATIONS
Associate Fellow, Said Business School, University of
Oxford
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Fundamentals of Communication
© 1998, 2010 Richard D Lewis
Getting to the Point
© 1998, 2010 Richard D Lewis
GERMAN
“I don’t agree”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
ENGLISH
“Hmm, that’s a very interesting idea”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
AMERICAN
“You gotta be kidding”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
ITALIAN
“Let’s go and have a Campari
and talk about it tomorrow”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
FINN
“…………………”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
The Iceberg of Culture
Food
Arts
Fashion
Mass Media
Communication Patterns
speech styles
non-verbal communication
Use of Space and Time
listening habits
eye contact
audience expectations
interpersonal distance
silence
Culture hides more than it reveals, and it hides most
effectively from its own participants …
E.T.Hall
Values
national characteristics
world views
attitudes
Behaviors
social norms
taboos
Homogeneous vs. Diverse Teams/Groups
Based on
1. Creating value with diverse teams in global management, J.J. DiStefano; M.L.Maznevski,
Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 29, No 1
2. Dr C. Kovach’s research, UCLA
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
STEREOTYPES SHOULD BE…
• accurate
• used consciously
• descriptive, not evaluative
• modified from time to time
• used as a first “best guess”
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Percentage of respondents who said
they would probably NOT lie in court
© 1998, 2011 Richard D Lewis
LAYERS OF CULTURE
NATIONAL
REGIONAL
PROFESSIONAL / EDUCATIONAL
GENDER
CLASS
RELIGIOUS
GENERATIONAL
ETHNIC
CORPORATE
PERSONAL
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Areas of
Cross Cultural Misunderstanding
1.
Values
– core beliefs
– national characteristics
– attitudes and world view
2.
Communication patterns
– speech styles
– listening habits
3.
Concept of time
4.
Concept of space
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
© 2001 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– UK –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– Germany –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– Austria –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– Slovenia –
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– Croatia –
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
Human Mental Programming
– Serbia –
© 2001, 2009
2012 Richard D Lewis
Cultural Horizons and Aristotle’s
Liking Principle
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
French – USA Horizons
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Cultural Categories
LINEAR-ACTIVE
MULTI-ACTIVE
REACTIVE
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2009 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
© 2001 Richard D Lewis
Aristotle’s Rhetoric
Logos
Ethos
Pathos
+ Agora
National Communication Patterns
– Italy –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Finland –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Germany –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Austria –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– UK –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
British Coded Speech
What is said
Hm….interesting idea
You could say that
We must have a meeting about
your idea
What is meant
What a stupid suggestion
I wouldn’t
Forget it
We shall certainly consider it
We won’t do it
I’m not quite with you on that
one
That is totally unacceptable
I agree, up to a point
I disagree
© 2001, 2011 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– USA –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
Listening Habits
– Germany –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Listening Habits
– USA –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Slovenia –
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Croatia –
© 2001, 2009
2012 Richard D Lewis
National Communication Patterns
– Serbia –
© 2001, 2009
2012 Richard D Lewis
Homogeneous vs. Diverse Teams/Groups
Based on
1. Creating value with diverse teams in global management, J.J. DiStefano; M.L.Maznevski,
Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 29, No 1
2. Dr C. Kovach’s research, UCLA
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
Success Factors of CREATOR
teams:
1. Mapping
2. Bridging
3. Integrating
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
Negotiation Styles
Negotiators in Linear-Active cultures will:
•
Demonstrate and look for technical competence
•
Place facts before sentiments, logic before emotion
•
Be deal oriented, with a view to immediate achievement and results –
time is money
Multi-Active cultures
•
Rely on their eloquence and ability to persuade – negotiation is an art
•
Use human force as an inspirational factor
•
Complete human transactions emotionally
Negotiators in Reactive cultures will:
•
Dominate with knowledge, patience and quiet control
•
Display modesty and courtesy
•
Create a harmonious atmosphere – building up trust is key
© 2001, 2010 Richard D Lewis
Leadership Styles
© 2001, 2011 Richard D Lewis
Leadership style
– Austria –
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
Leadership style
– Slovenia –
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
Leadership style
– Serbia –
© 2001, 2012 Richard D Lewis
Leadership Styles
– Russia –
© 2001, 2011 Richard D Lewis
Trust variance
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Linear-Active People (1)
•
Talk and listen in equal proportions
•
Do one thing at a time
•
Be polite but direct
•
Partly conceal feelings
•
Use logic and rationality
•
Interrupt only rarely
•
Stick to facts
•
Concentrate on the deal
•
Prioritise truth over diplomacy
•
Follow rules, regulations, laws
•
Speech is for information
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Linear-Active People (2)
•
Maintain word-deed correlation
•
Complete action chains
•
Stay results-oriented
•
Stick to agenda
•
Compromise to achieve deal
•
Respect officialdom
•
Respect contracts and written word
•
Reply quickly to written communication or e-mails
•
Restrain body language
•
Look for short-term profit
•
Be punctual
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Multi-Active People (1)
•
Let them talk at length
•
Reply fully
•
Be prepared to do several things at once
•
Be prepared for several people talking at once
•
Display feelings and emotion
•
People and feelings are more important than facts
•
Interrupt when you like
•
Truth is flexible and situational
•
Be diplomatic rather than direct
•
Speech is for opinions
•
Be gregarious and socialising
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Multi-Active People (2)
•
Think aloud
•
Complete human transactions
•
Digress from agenda and explore interesting ideas
•
Seek and give favours with key people
•
Remain relationship-oriented
•
Spoken word is important
•
Contracts may often be renegotiated
•
Reputation is as important as profit
•
Overt body language and tactility
•
Accept unpunctuality
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Reactive People (1)
•
Good listening is important
•
Do not interrupt
•
Do not confront
•
Do not cause anyone to lose face
•
Do not disagree openly
•
Suggestions, especially criticism, must be indirect
•
Be ambiguous, so as to leave options open
•
Statements are promises
•
Prioritise diplomacy over truth
•
Follow rules but interpret them flexibly
•
Speech is to promote harmony
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis
Golden Rules for Interacting with
Reactive People (2)
•
Share as much as you can
•
Utilise networks
•
Talk slowly
•
Do things at appropriate times
•
Don’t rush or pressure them
•
Observe fixed power distances and hierarchy
•
Show exaggerated respect for older people
•
Go over things several times
•
Face-to-face contact is important
•
Work hard at building trust
•
Long term profit is preferable
•
Be punctual
© 2001, 2004 Richard D Lewis