I imagine many of you were waiting for this day to come: the day when the troubles of outsourcing begin to outweigh the benefits. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to start a reverse consulting firm – US consulting firms assisting US companies in relocating their production back to the US. How’s that for irony!

As an article in Wired examines, for many companies, particularly small- to mid-size firms, the problems with outsourcing their production to China has begun to reach a zero sum point, where the labor savings are nearly to entirely negated by delays, malfunctions, rising Chinese labor costs, double outsourcing (where your Chinese factory outsources to another Chinese factory in a different part of the country), and the ever present risk of intellectual property theft – in other words, having a knock-off of your product made by a Chinese producer.

Especially troubling was the difference in service between what the huge manufacturers receive, those who produce in the millions, verses companies whose orders to China are only in the tens of thousands. For many mid-size companies, the potential labor savings are no longer worth the trouble and risk.

Are you beginning to see companies from your country relocate their production back home?

Adam

RW3 CultureWizard

“Excuse me,” I said in my barely passable Spanish to our waiter, “might you have anything for breakfast more appropriate for a young child, perhaps some fruit?”

“No,” answered our waiter flatly, as if coffee and bread wasn’t the perfect breakfast for children of all ages.

It was early morning, at least early by Andalusian standards. 9 AM. We were in Seville, Spain. My wife, one year-old child and I. Sitting at an outdoor cafe hoping to find something for our boy to eat that might, err, well, help counter the distinctive lack of fiber in the Southern European diet. Coffee, bread, beer, cheese, ham, olives, wine, fried potatoes and olive oil might suite the Iberian digestive system, but for us three Americans, a bowl of muesli and plate of spinach was badly in order.

“But I just noticed a dozen ripe bananas in the counter, next to the ice cream?” I asked innocently enough.

“Not possible,” she replied. “We only serve bananas with ice cream.”

“Okay, then,” I felt like we were getting somewhere, “how about an order of ice cream with banana?”

“Not possible,” again, answered our waiter, without the slightest stitch of irony. ”We don’t serve ice cream before noon.”

Though our waiter didn’t find a thing funny about her comment, my wife and I burst out in uproarious laughter. It was the quintessential American-in-Europe moment. That inevitable showdown with a surly waiter, who, not motivated by the necessity of working for tips, is far more interested in conserving energy and enjoying her own coffee than in providing anything beyond the most basic modicum of service – even for an adorable and constipated one year-old!

What struck my wife and I as doubly funny, is that the situation was not at all comic to our waiter. Had she not seen this exact scene replayed in dozens of movies and TV shows from her country and ours? Was not the humor of our interaction and our ensuing laughter somehow able to transcend the ocean, language and culture that divides our two nations?

This is exactly the question posited by the author of this piece, about how in Russia, “Everybody Loves Raymond,” the decade long hit TV show, became, “Everybody Loves Kostya,” in which every comedic value of Raymond was changed. His sloth, absentmindedness, bufoonishness and complete reliance upon his wife – in fact, the whole original premise of the sitcom – was translated in both cultural and comedic terms to suite Russian tastes. I would have thought that such modern male archetypes transcend culture. Evidently not.

“Exporting Raymond” is a documentary of the process the show’s producers took to bringing this sitcom to Russia, and it airs this Friday, April 29.

So tell us, intrepid and worldly man and woman of international business, might you have a story in which a comedic moment transcended or reinforced cultural differences?

Adam

RW3 CultureWizard

“The idea that children exposed to two languages from birth become confused or that they fall behind monolingual children is a common misconception, says Janet Werker, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia…”

An NPR story highlights the possibility of bilingualism increasing our brainpower. I’d say this is more of a commonly held belief – that people who speak second and third languages are certainly intelligent – but one that hasn’t necessarily been proven in the scientific world.

In the context of children growing up speaking one language at home, and the dominant language at school, the concern for parents and educators has been that confusion may delay a child’s development. The article tells us there is no evidence to support that theory.

In contrast, there is evidence that bilinguals are always cerebrally engaging the two languages they speak. In other words, even when speaking one language in a completely monolingual space, the brain has to work to separate the languages in order to effectively comprehend the language being used.

Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist from York University in Toronto, calls the feature of the brain that does this the “executive control system,” and it excels at maintaining distinctions between languages, and is strengthened in bilinguals who exercise this part of the brain on a daily basis.

Bilingual speakers have been shown to perform better on a variety of cognitive tasks, and one study Bialystok did found that dementia set in four to five years later in people who spent their lives speaking two languages instead of one.

Sean

RW3 CultureWizard

A Nielsen report shows how the Royal Wedding buzz is far louder in the US than in both the UK and Australia combined. All the jokes we’ve thrown around the office in New York about the intense bombardment of press surrounding the majestic nuptials is not just a joke, but a reality. Why?

Our UK-based team also jokes about how British newscasters show footage of “crazy” American journalists camping out all over to bring live reports of the scene in London, whether from Piccadilly Circus, Buckingham Palace or Westminster Abbey. UK journalists are apparently not camping out anywhere.

Sick of the Royal Wedding? Lydia Leith has created special sick bags for purchase.

Because every TV network will be streaming the same video feed of the wedding, US networks like ABC and CBS have been warring to hire the best personalities and commentators for their specials. According to a New York Times article, The most sought-after pundits have been signed to contracts worth over $100,000 and others have committed to several networks.

Why is this such a newsworthy event for the US? Is it the fact that the US has no royalty? The fairy tales of Western Europe, many of which come from Germany and the UK, have captured us as children and taught us that the elusive, endangered Royal species is unlike any other. The decline of royalty worldwide makes a royal wedding an even rarer occasion indeed.

The romanticism with which the US media and film industries impact our perception of celebrity may explain the hype. While we know plenty about William, we know very little of Catherine’s personality. Nonetheless, the media is drawn to the little they know of her, her sense for fashion and other details they’ve excavated from a paltry record of her background.

How would you articulate your interest, or disinterest, in the Royal Wedding of April 29, 2011? How do you see the fascination connected to the cultural background of the US?

A throwback to a previous Royal Wedding—Princess Margaret's wedding: The excitement overwhelms a woman in the crowd, 1960. George Rodger / Magnum Photos

RW3 CultureWizard

What would you go to jail for? To protect a loved one? To make a stand for justice? Or to defend the British sense of humour?

On the 4th of January last year, a UK accountant, Paul Chambers, had his travel plans scuppered by the snow. He was so frustrated that he decided to let off a little steam (click here for the BBC report). It seemed funny at the time, he knew his friends would appreciate it, so he tweeted:

Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You’ve got a week and a bit to get your s**t together otherwise I’m blowin the airport sky high!!

Oh dear. What Paul had meant as a silly joke became the cause of his lifetime airport ban, a £1000 fine and a conviction under the Terrorism Act.

Whether your own reaction to his tweet was LOL or WTH, one person – the UK’s national treasure, Stephen Fry, was outraged, not by the content of the tweet but by the damming legal blow to another national treasure – the Great British sense of humour.

Stephen Fry

Fry argued that Chambers’ tweet was a classic example of Britain’s tradition for self-deprecating humour and banter. In supporting Mr Chambers’ court appeal, he said “This [verdict] must not be allowed to stand in law” and vowed to repeat Chambers’ message and to face prison himself “if that’s what it takes.”

Is Mr Chambers’ conviction a victory for the Terrorism Act or a blow to the UK’s cultural heritage? Is this a classic example of a culture clash where the time-honoured British sense of humour walks head first into the post 9/11, Americanised culture of fear? Is Stephen Fry caught where the sparks fly as the cultures collide?

The US psychiatrist Scott Peck had some thoughts on the origins of such run- ins:

Most of us fail to transcend the influence of our particular culture…It is no wonder then, that humanity is so full of conflict. Human beings who must deal with each other have vastly different views of reality. Yet each one believes that his or her view is the correct one since it is based on the microcosm of personal experience. And to make matters worse, most of us are not fully aware of our own world views, much less the uniqueness of the experience from which they are derived.

Look out for our upcoming WorkingWith the UK e-learning module – how to make sure you keep on the right side of the British sense of humour.

Mark

RW3 CultureWizard

The following tips will help develop your cultural knowledge of the United Kingdom.

Language & Communication

Even though the United Kingdom is the birthplace of the English language, it has evolved under separate, unique circumstances, making it distinct from international versions of the language. Depending on the kind of English you’ve been exposed to, you may or may not know what the following words actually mean. Ask yourself if you know the British meaning:

+ The “queue”
+ “Cheers!”
+ “Skinny milk”
+ “Dodgy”

(Answers: the line you wait in e.g. at the store, used in conjunction with goodbye or at the end of a phone conversation or when making a toast, nonfat or fat-free milk, an adjective for something negative or troublesome.)

+ The subtle way Brits give negative feedback may make it hard to understand the core of their message. They are likely to cushion bad news by sandwiching it between more positive messages. This can obscure underlying, yet important information, so be alert.

+ As a group, the British are not animated speakers. In fact, if you insult someone, their facial expression may not change. This only shows they do not believe in putting their innermost thoughts on display. Likewise, emotional appeals will not be effective in many business environments.

+ Humor is a vital element in British communication. As a general rule, it tends to be subtle and clever. Irony and self-deprecation are very common.

Behavior in General

+ The British sense of politeness is world renowned, so keep this in mind. Personal space (at least an arm’s length) and privacy are important aspects of British culture.

+ Do not confuse the geography of the country. Referring to someone from Wales as ‘English’ is inaccurate and offensive. The United Kingdom, much like the United Arab Emirates and the US, is a union of smaller political entities (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and numerous outlying islands). Regionalism is a strong cultural aspect of the country.

+ The British aversion to risk is a key cultural concept. Think of the American proverb, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” as opposed to the British proverb, “Let sleeping dogs lie,” which means that disturbances cause complications. Brits will often initiate business discussions by outlining the history and risks involved before discussing the actual opportunities.

+ Business meetings are generally structured although not excessively formal. They begin and end with a modicum of social conversation. This may center on the weather, a favorite subject among the British. Meetings tend to end without a recap or “next steps.”

Finally, it is important to differentiate between living in London and living in other parts of UK. They are two drastically different experiences. Many expatriates find London much more fitting than, for example, Liverpool, given London’s high volume of international residents. You could live in the UK for years and still not grasp the full breadth of British culture, so always keep your mind open and aware of differences, subtle or not, that are culturally rooted.

- from RW3 CultureWizard™ Country Profiles

RW3 CultureWizard

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* A Relationship with Disaster
* Cultural Reaction to Catastrophe in Japan
* McWeddings
* Culture of the Eyes

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