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 #27 here!

* Vuvuzela
* UNIQLO: Unique Clothing
* Ears and Eyes
* Cultural Force: The World Cup

CultureLinks
+ Hp Replaces 6,000 Jobs
+ Global Wal-Mart
+ “How the Gulf crisis made BP British again.”

CultureTips
+ South Africa

RW-3.com

In its efforts to expand globally and compete with brands like H&M, Fast Retailing, owner of Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo, is establishing stronger international roots. Recently, the firm has opened stores in new cities including Paris, Moscow and Shanghai. The intercultural challenges and implications of these moves are plentiful, but the brand has already begun to tackle one obvious issue: in order to appeal to culturally distinct audiences, Uniqlo designers are collaborating with Jil Sander, a German fashion designer. In relation to this collaboration, The Economist writes

it will have to manage a multicultural, multilingual workforce—an area where Japanese firms often trip up. And merchandise will need to be tailored to national tastes, so scale will be harder to achieve.

In addition to the cross-cultural hurdles the project will present, founder Tadashi Yanai

is also unable to delegate, say Fast Retailing executives. He controls all decisions, down to approving samples and colours. Mr Yanai defends his meddling. ‘A good business manager’, he says, must ‘pay attention to the details.’

His behavior has influenced the departure of executives at Fast Retailing, which has made it hard for the company to name a successor, which is traditionally fulfilled through primogeniture. Nevertheless, micromanagement is a trait of hierarchical cultures, and Mr. Yanai’s intensive, “hands-on” approach fits the cultural tendency. Strong hierarchy is an important dimension of Japanese culture, and it is even built into the Japanese language. Modifiers and special words exists to differentiate between people of lower and higher status and age. In fact, according to RW3′s Country Profile on Japan,

these rules are taught at school where children learn to address other students as senior to them or junior to them. The more senior students are spoken to with respect and reverence. This carries into business. If two people from the same school work in the same organization, the more senior person is expected to mentor the more junior.

Do you think Uniqlo’s line of clothing has the potential to be successful around the world? What is your take on Mr. Yanai’s management style?

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

+ Known as the “Rainbow Nation,” the government officially recognizes 11 languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Shangaan, Sotho, Tsona, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. English is widely used for business purposes.
+ The black South African concept of “African time” intimates that time is flexible and is viewed in a relaxed manner. Most white South Africans think time is something that can be controlled. In general, they expect people to arrive on time for both business and social occasions.
+ Two phrases frequently used in South Africa are “I will do it now now” and “I will do it just now.” Although they sound very similar, they are quite different. “I will do it now now” indicates that the task has a high priority, while “I will do it just now” means that the task has a low priority and will be postponed.
+ South Africa is a high-context communication culture, which means people use non-verbal body language to enhance their spoken words.
+ Greetings: shake hands with everyone upon arriving and upon leaving. Maintain eye contact while shaking hands and wait for a woman to extend her hand.
+ Because the country was closed to outside influences for many years, some older Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans, remain suspicious of anyone who might dilute their culture, including foreigners.
+ South Africa has a medium tolerance for change and risk. Changes are made, albeit slowly, and require considerable amount of thought, planning and evaluation.
+ In conversation, do not compare cities within South Africa. Most people are proud of their city and do not appreciate being told that another city is better. Do not raise controversial subjects such as race relations or local politics. Also, Capetonians have a strong sense of proper decorum and view off-color humor as distasteful. Discretion is advised.

- from RW3′s CultureWizard® Country Profiles

RW3 CultureWizard

I recommend reading The Arab Ear and the American Eye: A Study of the Role of the Senses in Culture, by Sharif Kanaana and translated into English by Ibrahim Muhawi, along with several thoughtful responses. The researchers explore the relevance of seeing versus hearing in American and Arab cultures. The abstract describes how Kanaana

seeks to establish the hypothesis that in Arab culture the ear is more significant than the eye as a guide to belief. While [Dundes'] “Seeing is Believing” is about American culture, in using its categories as a basis for the study of the Arab ear, this article brings to the fore its implicit comparative perspective. The theoretical point at issue is the determining power of culturally established cognitive patterns.

Furthermore,

The analysis elaborates upon the metaphorical significance of the eye in Arab culture, showing that the Arab fear of the eye may be justified in view of the manipulative power that resides in images. Translated in terms of culture, it may be that the reliance on the eye breeds a need for visual stimulation and constant change, while reliance on the ear leads to reliance on tradition and fear of change.

Jewelry people commonly wear in many countries (pictured below), which provide protection from the “evil eye,” is one of the first items that comes to mind. The belief is that the desirous eye of a person has the power to inflict harm on whatever it sees. So, many people wear amulets to deflect the gaze of the evil eye, thus confounding it and averting any harm.

For protection against the evil eye, charms are commonly worn in the Middle East, North Africa and beyond

What are your thoughts on the preference Arabs give to hearing versus seeing, and vice versa for Americans? Do you agree with the argument that relying on hearing has caused Arab countries to stagnate, while a preference for the visual has inspired innovation and growth in the US?

Special thanks to Marion Burgheimer for sharing this research with us.

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

Did you know the vuvuzela (a Zulu word) was originally crafted out of the horn of an antelope and used to alert far away people of a community gathering?

Amidst the uproar about the vuvuzela’s damaging effects to one’s hearing and the loss of concentration players have suffered (and the annoyance to viewers), there are also many people supporting its use for symbolic, cultural reasons. Below is a selection of quotations from various people involved in South African football/soccer and the World Cup.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, a member of the England Supporter’s Band said

the plastic instruments were part of the local culture and should not be banned from inside stadiums…I bet there is not a single South African player complaining about the vuvuzela. They see it as more than just a noise, it’s about the whole spirit of the thing.

A story in The Express Tribune, a Pakistani periodical, describes that

…some commentators have defended the vuvuzela as being an integral and unique part of South African football culture and say it adds to the atmosphere of the game. BBC sports commentator Farayi Mungazi said the sound of the horn was the ‘recognised sound of football in South Africa’ and is ‘absolutely essential for an authentic South African footballing experience’.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter commented,

I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound. I don’t see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country. Would you want to see a ban on the fan traditions in your country? We should not try to Europeanise an African World Cup.

We’d love to hear other perspectives on the topic, so leave a comment below. And, click here to read 10 interesting facts about the vuvuzela from the BBC.

Mike

RW3 CultureWizard

The World Cup is an inherently multicultural, global event that brings people from a number of cultures together in support of various national teams, much like the Olympics. Today, it’s curious that many so-called “national teams” consist of players who themselves represent a multitude of nationalities while bearing a single country’s name on their jerseys. As a highly regarded sport in many countries, scoring goals becomes a pseudo-national cause, which for many people fuels a certain sense of national pride and even power. Let’s take South Korea as an example.

Foreigners cheer for Korea in Seoul last week when they played against Nigeria. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

According to the Korea Times, fans of various national origins (as seen in the picture above) reacted exuberantly after Korea’s advance to the second round of the World Cup.

Some set off fireworks, threw shreds of paper in the air or sprayed beer they were drinking on surrounding people, fueling the festive mood. A handful of supporters sobbed out of unbearable pleasure.

‘I’m so happy. My feelings cannot be better at this moment,’ said Kim Young-sook, a Korean-Brazilian, while wiping away tears rolling down her cheeks with a handkerchief. ‘I’m really proud of being Korean. I expect to see the Korean team pitted against Brazil in the final match.’

Another spectator explained he became a patriot after experiencing Korea’s victory.

I’ve never seen a football match like this. Our team’s advancement to the final 16 instilled a sense of patriotism in me. I’m so happy.

I was in Hamburg when Germany won the match against Australia (4 – 0). The streets were flooded. People were riding on the roofs of their cars, honking their horns and waving German flags, chanting words alluding to the potential of Germany winning the World Cup. People were cheering and smiling at everyone that passed, regardless of where they came from.

The sense of unity through victory is a powerful cultural force that allows friendly competition between nations. Victory simulated an intense feeling of gratification in the cases of both South Korea and Germany, which was also an opportunity for the press to boast on a global playing field. There’s a book by Franklin Foer called How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, which provides a very interesting look at the nearly universal appeal of the sport and its unexpected global impact.

We’d love to hear any stories, intercultural or otherwise, from our readers, especially those who’ve attended a game in South Africa. What has the vibe been in the stadiums? Have the games affected your perception of other peoples and cultures? Let us know.

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

HP recently cut 9,000 jobs and will hire 6,000 new employees outside the US. According to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, HP is shedding the sizable portion of its workforce to be more competitive with IBM.

This story, like many others, underscores the continuing effects of globalization and the increasingly crucial need for managers to develop global business skills and intercultural competency. We now understand companies can no longer rely on a national approach to the market to be competitive. Developing economies around the world have created an environment multinational corporations find hard to resist. Can their global endeavors be sustainable without acknowledging significant cultural differences before establishing operations in numerous foreign countries?

Joshua

RW3 CultureWizard

An article in the Washington Post notes the growing dominance of Wal-Mart stores in countries outside the US.

The company…opened its annual shareholder meeting last week with Bollywood-style dancers, Asian balancing acts and Brazilian martial artists representing some of the 14 foreign countries in which Wal-Mart operates. Last year, its international division topped $100 billion in sales for the first time and this year it is expected to surpass the United States in number of stores.

We’ve written about the company’s successes and failures in countries around the world, and it has learned to embrace the cultures of its customers in a truly robust fashion. Ultimately, Wal-Mart has found a way to bring value to its global audience in a culturally aware way, which has influenced its success.

Have you been to a Wal-Mart business outside of the US? We’d love to hear about your thoughts on the approach the discount retailer takes and its reputation in the countries it currently operates in, e.g. Argentina, China, Mexico and the UK. Let us know what you think.

Click here to read the full article, “As growth in U.S. slows, Wal-Mart puts more emphasis on foreign stores”.

Paul

RW3 CultureWizard