Intellectual capital is the global business world’s primary asset, as President Obama reiterated this in his address to Congress yesterday:

“In a global economy, where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity. It is a pre-requisite.”

Education must progress and cultural competency needs to be an inherent aspect of learning. A global mindset must be developed by everyone to take advantage of being part of a globalized planet.

- Mike

See the transcript of the speech here on the New York Times website.

rw-3.com

As the generations including and following Gen Y adapt to communicating without the using their voice or facial expressions, others may find it difficult to reach younger individuals. In the coming months, other websites will be covered, but the following will be handy when using Facebook:

+ Facebook (sometimes abbreviated as FB) is a highly multicultural meeting place, since its members represent countries on all continents (approximately 175 million users, making it the most popular of social networking websites).

+ The website enables you to visualize your entire network of friends and family through a friends list and individual friends profiles, which contain basic and detailed information on a person’s life, including pictures and videos.

+ It is important to remember that Facebook thrives off constant usage, as members will engage in site activity throughout the day, as if it were a cell phone, to perpetually be in the loop of what is happening in their network. Culturally, hyper-communication has become a norm, where going for days without checking your FB account, or not having your mobile phone, is like being in solitary confinement.

+ Voyeurism, which is considered offensive and taboo in many cultures, is euphemistically one of FB’s inherent attractions and controversies. It is not typically used for professional or business communication, as the information most people put on display is of a very personal, individual nature (it is, however, oftentimes used as a promotional/networking platform for artists and entertainers, given the highly photographic foundation of the website).

+ People can ‘add friends’ to their network by soliciting friendship. This may seem bizarre to new users, but ‘friending’ another person has become a verb to describe the active pursuit of adding someone to your friends list (whether you know them or not). It is good FB etiquette to introduce yourself in a message before ‘friending’ someone, as random solicitations are usually misinterpreted, regardless of culture. One no longer requires a formal introduction by a mutual friend to make friends online, as most information about a person, e.g. interests or hobbies, is readily available knowledge.

+ The establishment of trust is one social aspect that is markedly different on FB than in reality. Some may find it very easy to trust a person they’ve never met in person because they can see their life in pictures and words on FB. Others are extremely suspicious of adding strangeres to their friends list, even if they have mutual friends. Either way, Facebook has made interaction between strangers a seemingly acceptable method of expanding your group of friends.

+ The growing hunger in internet culture to know everything that is happening as it happens is a trademark of Gen Y and subsequent “millenium” generations. This desire for instant gratification is achieved by updating your personal profile to notify friends about your current status (known as ’status updates’), which is similar to the purpose of another networking site called Twitter.

+ The visibility of your profile can be modified to varying degrees, depending on who you’d like to see your profile and who you wouldn’t. Limiting visibility has become a very important feature of social networking, as being contacted by an overwhelming amount of people can be either a blessing or a curse.

There is much, much more to learn about the culture of online social networking. Hopefully, these tips better prepare you to interact through websites like Facebook.

rw-3.com

+ Although Castellano, the regional dialect of the provinces of Madrid and Castile-La Mancha, serves as the national language, most regions have their own dialects, e.g. Catalan in Catalonia (an area near France surrounding Barcelona). These vary in prevalence, so it is good to investigate the importance of speaking a regional dialect before arriving.

+ Regionalism is also maintained through cultural policies established by regional communities to strengthen local language, tradition, literature, and art. Many Spaniards have a strong allegiance to their region, so you would be well-served to learn about the areas in which you are doing business.

+ When conversing, interrupting someone is common and not meant as an insult. Rather, it demonstrates that the person is engaged in the conversation.

+ Spaniards often give each other unsolicited advice. Do not interpret this as an offense, but as a genuine interest in the well-being of others.

+ El Pais Vasco, or Basque Country, is one of Spain’s autonomous regions. The separatist group known as ETA is still active, as the region has historically seen itself as a sovereign nation, but persists as a part of the greater Spanish state. Culture here is distinct, as is their language, which is a complete isolate, carrying no known relation to any other language in the world.

+ As a rule, Spaniards do not say “please” or “thank you” as frequently as in other cultures. When they ask for something they may sound harsh, saying “give me” instead of “I would like.” This is not rudeness on their part, but the way language is executed.

+ Machismo, a word for male dominance, may have been one of Spain’s well known characteristics in the past, but today Spain is far more egalitarian, as the country’s birth rate is one of the lowest in Europe and women are present at university and work.

- taken from RW3’s CultureWizard™ Country Profiles

rw-3.com

In support of Jewish and Arab co-existence in Israel, both sectors will soon be required to learn about the other’s culture, history, beliefs and heritage, from pre-school to the 12th grade, according to Haaretz, Israel’s oldest daily newspaper. The decision was supported by the Education Minister and a government committee established to explore the topic of fostering democracy and egalitarianism via education.

The program hopes to “develop dialogue skills between [both] sides and reduce negative stereotypes and prejudices.” The committee determined that students will learn about each other’s “collective narrative in the context of granting respect and legitimacy to that narrative, without necessarily agreeing with it.” These powerful, proactive moves may prove fruitful when moral relativism is substituted by a sensitivity to history, customs, language, religion, areas that are collectively known as culture. Much like a previous post on integrating ethnic minorities into mainstream French schools, this committee also wants to modify the student body’s of schools to contain both Jewish and Arab teachers and students. The synergy of a heterogeneous group could lead to a greater tolerance for not only Arab culture, but for diversity in general.

rw-3.com

+ Singapore is a multi-ethnic society accustomed to foreigners where Chinese, Malay and Indian traditions coexist beneath the veneer of a western, modern metropolis.

+ Face is an important cultural concept in Singapore, which roughly translates to reputation, and can be lost by openly criticizing someone, challenging someone in authority (especially if done in public), showing anger at another person or refusing a request by saying “no.”

+ A law passed in 1996 states that parent’s offspring must assume their financial responsibility, should the need arise. This is indicative of senior citizen’s high status and the challenges facing a small country as the next generation becomes more individualistic.

+ Singaporeans are group dependent and rely on facial expression, tone of voice and posture to tell them what someone feels. They often trust non-verbal messages more than the spoken word.

+ Many foreigners who live in Singapore think of it as “Asia Light,” since the culture is not as formal as in Japan or Korea – and in many ways it may appear quite Western.

+ The government recognizes two kinds of Singaporeans: “Heartlanders” are typically older, less educated, factory workers who are more comfortable speaking their native language. “Cosmopolitans” are highly educated, middle-class, business owners or employees of multinational corporations who are comfortable working in an English-speaking environment and often travel abroad.

+ Singapore prides itself on being corruption free; consequently, business gifts are not part of the culture. The government is so firm on maintaining their status as independent that officials may not even accept entertainment invitations.

- taken from RW3’s CultureWizard™ Country Profiles

rw-3.com

A Chinese designer, Yang Liu, reflected on her life abroad in Germany by creating a series of placards contrasting East & West. The blue side represents West and red represents East. The image above is on anger: in the West it is explicit, while in the East one maintains a cheery exterior, despite a frustrated interior (excellent observations, as most Western cultures are direct in communication and indirect in Eastern cultures). The image below demonstrates the importance of the boss, and hierarchy, in places like China. In, for example, Germany, the boss treats everyone in a similar manner.

The whole series is a truly remarkable expression of life abroad that offers an entertaining path to cultural awareness. See the rest of the images here on The London Paper’s website.

rw-3.com

The Guardian stated Prince Harry has been ordered to attend a diversity course because of his use of several derogatory terms in video diaries he made several years ago (see our previous post). The British military decided his actions would go into his personal files, but would not affect his career, thus terminating its consideration of the matter. This particular report was embedded in a section of the Guardian’s UK News that is devoted completely to Prince Harry, which demonstrates the media’s interest in the Royal Family member.

How does his insensitivity influence culture and the use of racial slurs? How much does it represent the current perception of diversity in our cities and countries? Military and defense units are groups in constant touch with foreign culture, yet cultural sensitivity is not the kind of preparation (or benchmark) used to ensure success. These are important issues, but who is talking about them?

rw-3.com

The forces of culture and interaction between cultures are not always attributed to the West’s failures in business and politics. However, it’s quite common to use cultural explanations, e.g. inherent cultural fatalism, to describe failure in other parts of the world. The Cross-Culture Blog has recently posted a very thoughtful, yet critical essay on this.

The message it sends is simple: to make progress in the 21st century, the West must ramp up its understanding of culture and implement this understanding to effectively exist on the global playing field. The essay’s theme is geared towards socioeconomic development and modernization. It refutes the historical attempts at advancing the developing world by having them copy what has been done in the West. Because of cultural differences, this method is like mixing oil and water, as mindless duplication does virtually nothing for a countries’ progress. The writer favors leveraging indigenous ways of learning and encourages the promotion of these cultural institutions by understanding them and working within a framework that developing areas can relate to. The stipulations that accompany foreign aid have not worked up to now, which can surely be related to a lack of cultural sensitivity.

Image: the UN Human Development Index for 2007, dark green being the most developed and red being the least developed nations.

rw-3.com

The Brussels Journal reports that a fierce new diversity initiative is underway in France, lead by a man President Sarkozy appointed: Algerian-born Yazid Sabeg. The French term métissage has been used to describe the process that will now give preference to and enforce the hiring of ethnic minorities (effectively, a type of affirmative action).

The more controversial aspect of the President’s words used to describe the topic was when he claimed France will not “survive” if its denizens do not intermarry racially. Mr. Sabeg confirmed that the country is deepening its fear of non-French ethnics by ignoring their demands, which often take the form of a riot (he has even used the word ‘apartheid’ to describe a potential future). He is enthusiastic to raise the “glass ceiling” immigrants and minorities face. He is also very interested in increasing the presence of minorities in politics and the mixing of demographics in schools (i.e. creating student bodies that are not ethnically homogeneous). Cultural métissage , which in this context is intended to mean ‘mixture,’ is one of the new political efforts of the nation.

www.RW-3. Learn about Glucotrol (Glipizide), including potential side eff Entries RSS | Comments RSS. Low Prices On greenPremium Jewelry in wide range. Buy Green Pearls StringingBuy Three-strand FW Keshi Green Pearl Necklace (6. Premium, Chinese Jasmine T Apologetics, Bible Studies & More. Love by love neared Rotated whole of heart Feel by feel surrounded Encumbered hands to feet Light of yourHeart Shield Heart Shield is a 100% natural supplement used to help treat heart diseases and to keep your heart healthy. Leading Discount Online Pharmacy. Risperdal 100 Tabs Starting $35. Buy Risperdal Risperdal side effects information on adults and children, including stroke and death. Compare RisperdalCheapest price: 1mg 30 pills only for $18. Buy Heart Shield HeartHeartKeep your interior cool and looking great. Cheap heart-shield, quick shipping, and free secure online medical consultations. ea. ects and drug interactions. in fasting insulin in all GLUCOTROL XL-treated patients combinedfor Glucotrol (glipizide) Tablets. Buy Glucotrol Learn about Reglan (Metoclopramide hydrochloride), including potential side effects and drug interactions. Choose a lawyer. Buy Reglan We have the answers you seek. Suffer tardive dyskinesia or NMS while on Reglan. $5 Off To The First 300 Customers. Guarantee Low Prices. com

The US State Department has been funding English language instruction in conservative areas of Egypt with seemingly impressive results, according to the New York Times. Not only have young Egyptian girls and boys learned to read, speak and write in English, but they have learned to respect human differences and appreciate diversity (albeit an emphasis on American culture has been at the process’ core). Egypt is a highly conformist society, thus Egyptians think negatively of individualism.

“Everything in my life is different now,” said one of the students, a 16-year-old girl from a conservative, rural town. “Before, I was afraid to deal with anybody who was different, I thought it was bad. Now, I think it’s important to get to know other people and other cultures.”

In general, Egypt is pro-American, although some younger Egyptians resent American influences in their country. When the battles between Israel and Palestine worsen, students increasingly resent foreigners. The language and culture program, titled Access, has inadvertently built a tolerance for pluralism amongst the few involved. I strongly recommend reading the full article here .

rw-3.com

February’s issue of Training + Development, a publication by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), highlights the value and necessity of Cultural Synergetic Intelligence (CSI), a concept similar to this this blog has cited, e.g. cultural competence. It places significance on synergy, or cooperative action among groups that create an enhanced combined outcome.

CSI “is more about pushing one’s comfort zones and feeling confident in ambiguous, unfamiliar situations, while recognizing the value each individual brings to the table.” Recognizing how your own ideas and emotions affect your behavior can lead to a skill in recognizing the same in people of other cultural backgrounds, according to T+D. A powerful section of the article states that CSI “enables us to refrain from moral judgment so that we better interact with others from diverse backgrounds.” Cultural relativism thus substitutes a less desirable form of interpretation.

This website cites cognitive, physical and emotional sources of cultural intelligence, all used to identify the behaviors that are neither specific to an individual nor universal (i.e. found in all humans), but culturally rooted. It sounds like a good dose of training is required to develop one’s CSI for those who have yet to experience life in a foreign country.

Check out the electronic version of the magazine here (the article starts on pg. 40).

rw-3.com

Worldwide ERC’s December Mobility magazine raised a very interesting topic in an article titled “Workers without Borders”: demographic change and the shifting supply of labor. Answers to frequently asked questions about Asacol, also called Mesalamine, including dosage and other medical conditions which could contraindicate its use. 100’s of medications. Asacol prescription This page contains recent news articles, when available, and an overview of Asacol but does not offer medical advice. Order today. The article sites a study called “The Global Skills Convergence,” by KPMG, which explains how many developed and developing countries will face labor shortages in upcoming decades. Demographic change will force corporations to move talent across borders to meet demands that can’t be met locally (an earlier post on Japan shows how this process has already begun).

Furthermore, the exit of Baby Boomers and the entrance of Generation Y into the labor pool will spark a change in the way talent is attracted. The latter are “highly educated, have an international mindset, and display less loyalty to individual companie Select the credit card, loan, or savings account to fitEnjoy Savings & Selection On atarax for dogs. We will beat any competitor’s price. Atarax prescription com does comprehensive research & reviews for products like Atarax, link to this & other mental health items. Order securely online – free shipping plus 100% delivery guarantee. s.” Moving frequently between jobs and countries is less an exception and more a career norm for Gen Y.

Culturally, the establishment of understanding between generations can be tricky. As culture constantly changes and revises itself, organizations need to be aware of the different attributes Gen Y carries with them, e.g. work/life balance, technological experience and frequent change of workplace. This layer of culture reminds us how complex national cultures are, and how one conceptually needs to consider the generation, among other things, of an individual of a foreign cult MicrozideAll about Microzide. How Taken It it recommended that you take MicrozideWhat conditions or indications might Microzide (Hydrochlorothiazide) treat. Microzide prescription Microzide patient information. If so, do you experience any adverse side-effects. ure. See entertaining and informative column on Gen Y in Mobility.

www.RW3.com

Warner Brothers says they will not officially release The Dark Knight in China due to the country’s “pre-release conditions” and “cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film.” The negative portrayal of several Chinese people in scenes shot in Hong Kong may be worrisome in the eyes of censors (WB didn’t submit the film to Chinese authorities in fear of this). Generally, Chinese culture is group-oriented while the American filmmakers are from a more individualistic culture, thus a divergence of perspectives. Where the acts of a character in the movie, e.g. a Chinese money-launderer, may only reflect that individual’s character to an American viewer, a Chinese viewer may interpret that person’s actions as a stereotype and find the movie offensive.

The theme of national and cultural unity runs deep in China’s history, as many movies are kept from the market to avoid certain forms of outside influence from entering mainstream society. In 2005, Memoirs of a Geisha was banned by Chinese censors, since the actresses playing Japanese geisha were actually Chinese. Their portrayal was inappropriate to censors, as some critics said the casting didn’t acknowledge China’s historically troubled relations with Japan (e.g. its violent occupation of China in the 1930s). For most Chinese viewers, geisha are akin to prostitutes, which is not how they are known in Japan. The act of a Chinese woman being intimate with a Japanese man incited a feeling of ‘national disgrace,’ regardless of the movie being a fictional account.

See this website for more.

rw-3.com

Diversity Executive’s January/February issue contains an article titled “Negotiating Group Dynamics,” which refers to the power of diverse groups, and the challenges to harnessing that power. While homogeneous groups may work faster, teams made of culturally varied individuals “achieve higher quality and more innovative results.”

Cultural diversity can simultaneously hinder communication, since the “lens of culture” changes the way things are interpreted from one person to another (this happens in culturally homogeneous groups, but to a lesser degree). The frequent use of sports analogies in the US is one case used in the article to describe language barriers, which are culturally rooted, despite widespread use of English.

Furthermore, a piece in SHRM’s Relocation Trend Book for 2009 stresses the selection of candidates for expatriation based on their global mindset. How does one define this term, anyway? This article notes that individuals who have global mindsets “support consensus-building among colleagues from different cultures” and without this, failure is all too easy when working internationally. The ability to vocally and physically adapt one’s language, and to listen carefully, whilst recognizing cultural meaning, are also required to communicate across cultures.

Do you have a global mindset? How do you develop this?

Read Diversity Executive magazine online here. Find the article on page 20.

rw-3.com

An article in the Washington Post portrays Japan as a government desperate to retain laid-off immigrant laborers, as the country’s population continues to age (in other words, the birth rate is not high enough to sustain replacement). Japanese authorities deem this move “revolutionary,” as Japan has historically been extremely averse to interaction with foreigners. While most developed countries eschew the loosening of immigration restrictions, e.g. in North America and Western Europe, Japan now welcomes immigrant labor. The government has begun to dedicate funds to the integration of immigrants into mainstream society via language instruction and job training.

In prior centuries, many Japanese had emigrated to South American countries like Peru and Brazil where they worked in agriculture. The offspring of these immigrants have in the recent past been able to immigrate into Japan based on their Japanese heritage and a shortage in Japan of young labor.

Culturally, Japan has been suspicious of outsiders and continues to be, as non-Japanese settlement usually instills fear of increased crime. Japan will certainly need to be prepared to accommodate and appreciate the benefits of increased diversity, which is what it seems to be attempting at the moment.

rw-3.com