Changing Cultural Signs

Globalization makes it more important than ever to appreciate the impact of culture. At the same time, globalization has obscured the visible manifestations of cultural differences.

We all know that cultural understanding is the key to success in our global economy. What’s more we’ve learned that while deeply held cultural values and beliefs dictate the way people around the world prefer to behave, and how in fact things get done in other cultures. Fortunately, those deeply held hidden value structures can be recognized and adjusted to by recognizable behaviors.

Wherever we go, people wear similar clothes; the global language of business is English, and we see Starbucks and McDonalds.

Globalization has also standardized many other forms of business behavior. Meetings start or end on time, first names are used in most business circumstances, and everyone uses email and similar computer software programs. Global corporate cultures are also obscuring some more deeply held national cultural beliefs. For example, corporate culture now defines performance-based standards of promotion as well as communication styles. In other words, people from high context cultures who might want to use more flowery language are writing brief, direct email notes.

Nevertheless it’s a mistake to think that because people adopt the corporate style and communicate in a way that is brief and direct that they don’t appreciate a higher form of relationship and gentler communication style. More importantly, even though external behaviors appear to look and sound the same, people around the world don’t all respond the same way to leadership nor do they make decisions or initiate actions in a way that these external signs would indicate. It’s still important beneath the surface to recognize that deeply held values and beliefs don’t change just because someone is drinking a Starbucks.

-Mike