A compendium of current news and headlines with commentary providing unique cultural insight into global affairs, business and daily life around the world.
Check out CultureWizard Digest #24 here!
* Go Global
* Lessons in Leadership from India
* Globalizing the MBA
* Mary Kay, in China?
CultureLinks
+ Toyoda’s Apology
+ A Sense of Culture: Touch
+ Non-Muslims in Mecca
CultureTips
+ Sri Lanka
+ Chile
+ Chilean nuclear families are generally small, although the extended family is quite close. Many young people live with their parents until they marry, although there is an emerging trend for young people to move away from the family.
+ The extended family celebrates holidays and other social occasions together. Weekends are considered time for the family and it is rare for business to interfere with family obligations.
+ Family relationships may carry over into business. In smaller firms, family members first and close friends second often fill positions. Chileans distinguish between business and family, but the line is less clearly drawn than in many other cultures where business and personal lives do not overlap.
+ Indirect communication is usual in Chile, and people are extremely courteous. Consequently, sometimes, if the information is not what they think you will want to hear, they say it in a way that is so courteous that it is difficult to discern the information, especially if it is disagreement.
+ In some ways, you will find Chile less hierarchical than many of its neighbors, thus, in meetings, more participation may occur.
+ For the most part, Chileans are not risk takers. They take pride in performing tasks according to rules, regulations and procedures. Such external restrictions satisfy their need to protect themselves. Chileans are not comfortable in amorphous situations; they prefer transparent business dealings.
- from RW3′s CultureWizard® Country Profiles
+ The influences of Buddhism and Hinduism as well as the caste system have created a culture that emphasizes hierarchical relationships. Sri Lankans are conscious of social order and their status relative to other people, be they family, friends, or strangers.
+ The tenets of karma and reincarnation help foster hierarchical structures because they purport that people are born into their social order based upon their behaviors in their previous life. Therefore, if a person is born to a wealthy family, it is right that this person should be highly educated and achieve material wealth, since that person previously led a good life and should be rewarded.
+ Marriage is considered the most important event in a Sri Lankan’s life. Some parents identify potential souses for their children through a network of friends and relatives, marriage brokers, the Internet, or newspaper advertisements.
+ Meetings generally start with a brief welcoming speech followed by relationship-building conversations. Sri Lankans must feel comfortable with you before they can conduct business.
+ Meetings may be interrupted more frequently than in many Western cultures but less so than in Arab cultures.
+ Relationship building is such a vital part of the business culture that you should expect to be treated extremely well. Sri Lankans pride themselves on being gracious hosts. They also want you to feel indebted to them since they believe that this facilitates negotiations.
- from RW3′s CultureWizard® Country Profiles
Provided by Dawn Shine of Thomson Reuters Ireland
Every 17th of March Ireland celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day, a national holiday, and holds festivals and special events to commemorate the Saint who reportedly banished snakes from the Emerald Isle. Saint Patrick is also the Patron Saint of Ireland and influenced the migration of Christianity to the country.
Traditionally, people wear something green on Saint Patrick ‘s Day, which is known in the Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.S. and other countries that celebrate the day as “the wearing of the green.” Regardless of cultural background, everyone wears green because on this day, everyone is considered to be Irish. In Ireland, however, the wearing of the green is not customary. Instead, Irish will wear shamrocks to symbolize the teaching of the holy trinity by Saint Patrick. A shamrock is a green plant, also known as a clover (see photo below), and a small bunch of shamrocks is pinned to the breast of one’s coat.
Do you celebrate Saint Patrick’s day in your country?
By Sean Dubberke
The moment we started driving, it seemed that traffic in Kathmandu wasn’t governed by a single law, not even the unwritten ones. Each bus, truck, car, moped, bicycle, pedestrian and water buffalo was following its own impromptu trajectory, simultaneously, down a thoroughfare where choosing a side of the road was up to chance. What appeared to be pure anarchy was what my Nepalese friend described as “organized chaos.”
Roadside Parking, Pokhara, Nepal. Sean Dubberke
There is organization to the roads of Nepal’s capital, but for me the approach was foreign and nonsensical. After a short and intense week, I began to call out when the appropriate time was to pass one of the many lethargic buses that dominated traffic, considering the treacherous nature of Nepal’s one- and two-lane mountain roads. After considerable observation, I could explain the various reasons for the frequent horn-honking, which is used equally as an anticipatory signal, an alert to animals and a defensive warning. The way a culture influences organization is a fundamental, which someone from a distant culture might find challenging or wearisome. Ergo, cultural awareness is a core competency for people who live and work in a non-native culture.
Rooftop Transportation, Nepal. Sean Dubberke
The key term is a verb: to organize. Culture defines the way people organize. As an American, I organize to be productive and to complete certain tasks, but not all societies organize with that in mind. Some tether daily life around collective harmony, family or social activities. Many times, the way the day is organized in one culture can be a distraction to the uninitiated. For example, it may be hard to understand why a colleague needs to organize frequent group meetings, where a one-on-one could be sufficient, or why a complex bureaucracy is needed to send a package overseas or to pay utility bills. If you’re able to adapt to new ways of organizing, you may be able to achieve the productivity, peace of mind or group harmony you seek.
Waiting in Line, Manakamana, Nepal. Sean Dubberke
On a recent business trip, I went to Nepal and to parts of the Arabian Peninsula, including the United Arab Emirates and Oman. I observed the numerous approaches to activities that all humans share. Waiting in line, or not waiting, is an example. I noticed that single-file lines were irrelevant and barging in front of people wasn’t interpreted as an offense. No one expressed anger or impatience in these situations, as one would expect in North America and many parts of Europe. In a highly interpersonal country, strangers are not accorded the same respect an acquaintance would receive. I found that if I kindly asked someone to wait in line behind me, or if I began to chat with someone, they became aware of my position in the line. However, my American perception of personal space were frequently breached. Physically bumping into others was an integral part of the wait, and making it to the front at another person’s expense was also the best way to get through, I learned. An inherent lack of trust in a process, like queuing, seemed built into the culture.
Masqat, Oman. Sean Dubberke
Another point of contention for foreigners in places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Masqat and Kathmandu is pricing for goods and services. Americans are accustomed to fixed prices, while in these regions bartering is typical. It requires energy, thought and a strong sense of price. It’s a rewarding experience to bargain for the best price, as is the simple challenge of communicating with vendors. Haggling is common in relationship-oriented cultures. So, in most business settings, it’s important to establish a certain level of trust and an amicable environment when beginning a new relationship. This may mean that you’ll meet several times with a client or partner before talking about business. Another aspect of communication that Americans should consider is interruption. They may happen frequently in this part of the world, which can be frustrating, but learn to understand that people interrupt to demonstrate interest and enthusiasm. As an uninformed foreigner, the solution to many intercultural hurdles may depend on your courage and ability to emulate your culturally distinct counterparts.
Vendor, Kathmandu, Nepal. Sean Dubberke
Oftentimes, ideas on organization are linked to the perception of time. In countries where time is thought to be outside an individual’s control, as in Nepal, organization is loose and flexible, allowing for change when unexpected challenges arise (and there will be many). So, strict adherence to any formal process is not required to achieve a goal. Conversely, the attitude towards organization in countries like Switzerland is usually preconceived and stiffly structured because for the Swiss, time is something the individual controls and masters. Thus failing to adhere to structure is detrimental to achieving one’s goals, it reduces productivity and projects a lack of organization. In either situation, it is crucial to understand that following a protocol or adhering to an outlined guide may or may not be required. Knowing this in advance will reduce the frustration so typical of cross-cultural interaction.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai. Sean Dubberke
Why talk about organization? For people who are new to intercultural communication, it’s necessary to understand the roots of organizational systems, which are spread across ideas we have on time, communication, hierarchy and relationships, among others. Without this knowledge, it is very easy to be dismissive, distracted and confused by distinct cultures. In certain instances, a lack of awareness can obstruct your entire understanding of a place. Learning to be successful around the world means learning to adapt and understand where behaviors originate and to know they are a mixture of personal background and deeply embedded societal values. If you appreciate culture, you’ll soon overcome the shock it can evoke. Equipped with an expanded global mindset and a heightened sense of cultural awareness, you can tune your thinking and your vision to see many locations and cultures through its intended lens.
Reprinted and adapted from Moving Forward with permission of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services.
Read a New York Times journalist’s interesting intercultural account of traveling in Saudi Arabia, and her thoughts on non-Muslims visiting Mecca.
Sean
A CNN report emphasizes that there is much to learn from business leaders in India.
“In terms of lessons for managers elsewhere, one of the most important things is that Indian leaders lead with a sense of social purpose,” said Peter Cappelli, professor of management at Wharton University of Pennsylvania.
“He said every leader interviewed gave a specific social purpose as being the goal of their business. Those purposes ranged from improving healthcare in India, to getting cell phones to people who don’t have access to communication tools, and proving to the international community that Indian companies can lead in IT.”
Motivation in India tends to be fueled by social purpose, along with the well-being of one’s family and work-life balance. Building this purpose into the mission or function of each person’s role within a company reaps true benefits in India. However, would this motivate workers in other parts of the world?
Training and development is also a very important part of working at an Indian firm. “IT firms typically allocate 60 days of formal training for new hires and companies often spend months training even experienced workers hired from other firms.” Given the surge in offshoring and outsourcing over the past years, intercultural and language training have surely been a large part of this.
The article also states that U.S. companies don’t invest in their employees as they do in India, considering the lost investment should the employee quit. Does your organization invest heavily in training and development? What are the expectations of new hires? What kind of training options are on offer?
Click here to read the CNN article online.
Paul
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RW3 CultureWizard Launches State-of-the-Art Online Cultural Learning Platform
Responding to demand by multinational organizations for global business skills development, RW³ CultureWizard, the pioneer in online cultural learning, has created a cultural e-University
NEW YORK, New York—March 15, 2010—For the first time, businesspeople can establish a personalized online learning curriculum that responds to their individual business needs and challenges. CultureWizard 3.0 allows users to customize the learning track for their specific global business needs, learn and practice skills at their own pace and in their preferred learning style.
“Today’s adult learners expect information to be available to them as they need it and when they want it,” explains Michael Schell, RW3 CEO and President. “They look for information to be tactically applicable to real-life business situations. In a contemporary organization, everyone’s work requires sensitivity towards and awareness of culture and diversity. Everyone also needs skills that will enable them to transcend intercultural challenges and achieve their business objectives.”
Cultural dexterity is not intuitive, but it is learnable. CultureWizard 3.0 is an affordable, accessible platform through which everyone can become culturally competent. It contains a variety of training tools and informational components, all designed to provide users with the answers they need to be most productive and effective in their global companies. Users can frequently reference CultureWizard as their business need arises.
Amongst the most popular learning courses are a complete cultural training course, a self-assessment and culture calculator, a global teams tool, a virtual teams course, an assessment tool for international assignees, a global leadership course and culturally-based information on 135 countries.
Contact: Charlene Solomon
Charlene.Solomon@rw-3.com
+1 (212) 691-8900
About RW³ CultureWizard
RW3 spearheaded the cultural e-learning field in 2001 with ReloWizard, an online relocation facility, and reinvented the intercultural training model with CultureWizard. Today, RW3 continues to lead the industry in innovation with CultureWizard 3.0, a powerful resource that cuts the cost of traditional, in person training by supplanting it with a cadre of web-based tools, virtual classrooms and other cultural resources.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit RW³’s website
The importance of intercultural competency for people who may never work outside their home country is the theme of “Going Global, Stateside,” an article by Tanya Mohn in the New York Times.
The excerpt below describes RW3 CultureWizard and the experience one of it’s clients, Thomson Reuters, had with its CultureWizard site.
Andrew P. Walker, vice president of global mobility for Thomson Reuters, said online training was easier, quicker and cheaper than in-person training. Thomson Reuters uses CultureWizard, a Web-based tool created by the company RW3, for its employees in 93 countries for what he said was ‘a fraction of the cost’ of formal training.
Mr. Walker said he also used it himself. ‘Without the course, I think I would have made a lot of mistakes,’ said Mr. Walker, who moved back to the United States in July after five years in London. He said his low-key, light-hearted manner was fine on business trips, but when he was working there full time, ‘I wouldn’t be able to get away with it forever.’ He said the program helped speed the transition.
Michael S. Schell, chief executive of RW3, recounted how a mining and exploration company in Britain contacted his firm because the mining company was unsuccessful in winning business from an American company. ‘During the training, we pointed out that the proposal turned off the Americans,’ Mr. Schell said, because it began with 10 pages detailing all the risks of the venture and how much failure would cost.
Americans tend to view failure as a learning experience that inspires creativity, Mr. Schell said, so the American company considered the proposal negative and unenthusiastic. The British tend to be risk-averse culturally, he said, and perceived the Americans as unrealistic. When the British company redid the proposal with a positive spin, they got the deal the next day, he said.
‘Differences got overlooked because we speak English,’ Mr. Schell said. ‘They look like us, wear the same jeans and use the same cellphones.’
The assumption is that we’re all the same, but we’re not all the same.
Akio Toyoda
Read more about Toyoda’s apology.
Grayson
The New York Times shows how an American beauty brand, Mary Kay, has been impacting women in China. Value placed on individualism and self-image is taking on a new life for women in Chinese urban agglomerations like Shenzen and Hangzhou. Culturally, women in rural China raise children and take care of their families, and beauty products are more or less a luxury. The great rural-urban migration signals a major shift in attitudes and values that are indicative of a new, evolving Chinese culture.
A fascinating New York Times video explains that these products also provide lessons in “how to lead one’s life, how to be happy, and how to look good while doing it.” The simple message aims to build women’s confidence and ambition. Many women have moved from their rural hometowns to China’s urban centers without friends or family. They find Mary Kay’s community of sellers and customers, brought together in seminars and selling parties, an important part of their adjustment to city life. Mary Kay beauty classes and meetings provide these women with a “safe space” to chat and make friends.
Wang Di, left, a national sales director, Paul Mak, president of Mary Kay China, and Xiang Jun Mei, another national sales director. Associated Press
How is this representative of the cultural shift China is experiencing during an era of new economic growth? The video states that many of these women, rural immigrants, strive to “project a new self-image that is modern, urban and sophisticated.” One attendee of a Mary Kay beauty seminar said, “My teacher at Mary Kay told me that successful people are usually extroverts, so I have tried to change.” Extroversion is not highly valued in Chinese culture, where collectivism and teamwork are emphasized from a young age, and conformity is an important virtue. How drastically different is the lifestyle Mary Kay saleswomen exude?
The Asian Pacific Post found that Chinese “women are even more impressed by the way [Mary Kay] lived her life, from putting God and family ahead of her career to practicing the Golden Rule. This kind of connection is helping Mary Kay rapidly expand its sales force. And it’s transforming this army of Chinese women into entrepreneurs, in a country where private enterprise is a relatively recent phenomenon.”
Read the New York Times article and watch the video here.
Sean
In a Financial Times article, an INSEAD professor writes about changes crucial to the future of MBA programs.
“Two things need to change. MBA programmes need to become more global. Our research shows that high performance is evenly distributed across the world. Business schools thus need to scour the globe for role models, innovative ideas and the best students. The MBA curriculum and experience needs more global cases, more discussions of multicultural issues and more comparisons of international ways of doing business.”
This sounds a lot like what NYU’s Stern School of Business is trying to do. I also wrote an article for Mobility magazine called Establishing a Global Mindset: International Education, where I discovered the enormous opportunities a prospective student has today. There are many global graduate school programs, including MBAs, but leaping across several borders and interacting with diverse people is one prerequisite for which students must prepare. In the end, an international course of study will put any job candidate ahead by demonstrating their global skill set, of which intercultural communication and experience abroad is key to getting hired.
Are you in an MBA program that explores intercultural business skills and assigns multicultural business projects? Do you agree that cultural competence, the ability to effectively communicate and work across cultures, is an important attribute of a modern MBA graduate? Let us know.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Sean
A New York Times article details scientific evidence that demonstrates the importance of touch as an important means of nonverbal communication, calling it a part of a “universal human vocabulary.” The article states that certain messages are communicated far more quickly and accurately through touch than through words. However, specific ways of using touch to convey a message is almost always culture-specific. For example, a hug is not the universal greeting between friends, nor is a hand-shake the worldwide greeting between people meeting for the first time.
What is interesting about this article is that it looks more closely at the benefit of touch as a recipient and how it impacts behavior. For example, “students who received a supportive touch on the back or arm from a teacher were nearly twice as likely to volunteer in class as those who did not.” In another example, basketball “players who made contact with teammates most consistently and longest tended to rate highest on measures of performance, and the teams with those players seemed to get the most out of their talent.”
Are you conscious of the positive impact certain forms of touch can make?
Click here to jump to the article.
Sean
