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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…
