Cross-cultural competence is critical intoday's globalised business environment

CONTENTS

•What is culture and how does it influence us?•The GLOBE study•Why is cultural awareness important?•What are the key factors to consider?•Food for thought…

Types of culture

National Organisational Sub-cultures

Culture… basic definitions

Culture… basic definitions

Defines a groupBinds together and sets apartShapes group behaviour and interaction

Culture… more basic definitionsSocial learningSelf expressionBeliefs and values

The formative years

Culture & stereotyping….

Culture & Stereotyping….

Cultural theories

Various models exist to analyse culture:Cultural diversity in business

Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner

Cultural factorsEdward T. Hall

Cultural dimensionsGeert Hofstede

The GLOBE Project

Culture &management styles….

Culture & Management Styles ….

The GLOBE study

A multi-phase, multi-method research project examining theinter-relationships between:

Societal Organisational Organisationalculture culture leadership

GLOBE – figures

170Countries

17 300Middle-managers

951Organisations

62 Cultures in 10 societal clusters

GLOBE – nine cultural dimensions

• Society / organisation could beanywhere on the continuumbetween two poles

• Measured (per organisationand wider society):

- Practices (as-is)- Values (should be)

Performance orientation Uncertainty avoidance Humane orientation

Institutional collectivism In-group collectivism Assertiveness

Gender egalitarianism Future orientation Power distance

GLOBE – highlights

• 35 leadership attributes viewed by someas contributing, some as inhibiting

• Worldwide, charismatic/value-basedleadership is effective

• Participative leadership only shows positiveimpact on employee performance in US

• Most managers world-wide strive for abigger focus on performance

GLOBE – more highlights

• Team oriented leadership viewedfavourably in all cultures

• Majority of societies view concernfor gender equality positively

• Leaders are viewed as embodiment of idealstate

• Leaders are therefore societies’instruments for change

Parker Pen went to Mexico with its “It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you"campaign. It was mistakenly thought that the Spanish word for ‘embarrass’ was ‘embarazar’.

www.oocities.org/area51/zone/7474/blco.html

It’s not……. the result was an ad reading

“It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant”.

In Italy, a campaign for"Schweppes Tonic Water"translated the name into the

not-so-thirst-quenching"Schweppes Toilet Water"

http://www.prosar.com/inbound_marketing_blog/bid/166485/13-Brand-Blunders-Busted

The American Dairy Associationran a highly successful “Got Milk?”campaign.

However, when used in Mexico,the slogan translated as“Are you lactating?”

www.washingtontranslationservices.wordpress.com/tag/washington-dc/

Paradoxes

•While globalisation has increased,the national identity of cultures has not receded

Negotiation

Stakeholders & decision-making

Stereotyping & assumptions

Orientation to contracting

Language & rituals,underlying attitudes and values

Ethics

Informal systems and relationships

Patronage and patronage networks

Cultural differences in business ethics

Communication

Cultural influences on verbal, non-verbal, electronic communication

How? To whom? Power distance?

Multiculturalvs virtual teams

Virtual team meetings….

Virtual team meetings….

High performance teamsHigh levels of synergy – tasks and interpersonal relationships

Strong professional networks / communities of practice – conduitfor support and innovation

Heterogeneous teams:More diversity = better

Food for thought…

“In most organisational change efforts, it ismuch easier to draw on the strengths of theculture than to overcome the constraints by

changing the culture.”

Edgar Schein, professor MIT Sloan School of Management

“When strategy and cultureclash, culture always wins...”

Charles Hampden-Turner, Management Philosopher

http://playingforchange.com

“Born of the inspiration to connect the world throughmusic, the producers of Playing For Change Songs

Around The World travelled the globe to findmusicians who shared the common goal of peace and

understanding of their fellow human beings.…

…We may not all speak the same language but withmusic we speak directly from our hearts”

PLAYING FOR CHANGE: SONGS AROUND THE WORLD

Go Well…