A very senior lady
officer had been invited as the Chief Guest for a function to a mining site in
a remote location in east Africa. She was accompanied by four other team
members who were all gentlemen. The function went off very well and all moved
to the dining hall for refreshments. After a cake-cutting-by-the-Chief Guest photo-op,
the chief host, an Indian, picked a piece of cake and offered to put it in the
chief guest’s mouth; the way we do it to our colleagues, friends and family
members in India. The lady first refused politely. But when the host insisted,
she bristled and spoke to her team member in Portuguese. Thankfully, the author
who had learnt a smattering of the language understood and told his colleague
to back off and asked the waiter to offer the cake in a plate.
Apparently, in the
local culture, a lady accepts a piece of cake in this manner only from her fiancé
or husband!!
Definition of culture. The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers the
following definitions of the word ‘culture’.
a. The customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a
racial, religious, or social group; it also includes the
characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of
life) shared by people in a place or time e.g. popular culture, Southern culture
b. The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that
characterizes an institution or organization, what we call organizational
culture e.g. a corporate culture focused on the bottom line or an
organization focused on its employees.
c. The set of values, conventions,
or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal
characteristic e.g. studying the effect of computers on print culture
d. The integrated pattern
of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for
learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations.
Global interdependence of Markets.
Business
operations having become global and business executives required to work in
different countries, it has become extremely important for them to understand the
nuances of the culture they are working in. The human resources department in
organizations also has to understand this. When a common culture prevails,
personnel management is not difficult since everybody has a common conception
of right, wrong and accepted behavior. However, when team members come from
different cultural backgrounds or the backgrounds of the manager and the team
differ, it might lead to grave misunderstandings.
How to Avoid Misunderstandings. A few things that executives must keep in
mind when working in multi-cultural scenarios to avoid misunderstandings are: -
People from different cultures communicate differently.
When the author switched his career from the Armed Forces to the corporate with
a media company, the first advice he received from his Group Chief HR was, “Pranav
in the Army you were used to giving orders in a crisp and concise manner and knew
that they would be carried out. The corporate is a different ball-game. The normal
style of issuing instructions has to be friendly and not curt.”
The communication style in
India is subtle. Meanings are implied and not explicitly stated. When a person
is asking for ‘chai- paani’ to do your work, do not offer him a cup of tea or a
glass of water! He is asking for a bribe to get your work done. Even in the
case in Japan and China you have to look for the message in the information
provided.
Communication styles in the United States, Australia, and the UK, are more direct.
It is precise, open and more emotional.
Some cultures communicate calmly, basing discussion
wholly on facts and acting decisively. Others are courteous, good listeners,
and amiable. A third type of culture is warm and emotional.
By understanding these differences, you will be able
to temper your communication style accordingly and be more effective in
cross-cultural teams.
Terri Morrison and
Wayne A. Conaway in their book ‘Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands’ have written in great
details on how to handle common business interactions with grace, respect, and
an appreciation for different cultures.
Understand that there will be differences in cultural
value
Prof Geert
Hofstede, a Dutch social psychologist and an IBM employee did pioneering research
on cross cultural dimensions over a period of 7 years in the late 1960s-early
70s.
These dimensions founded by
Hofstede illustrate the deeply embedded values of diverse cultures. These
values impact not only how people with different cultural backgrounds behave,
but also the manner in which they will potentially behave when placed in a
work-associated context.
This is a brief overview of
the six cultural dimensions:
a. Power Distance: This dimension explains the extent to which members
who are less powerful in a society accept and also expect that the distribution
of power takes place unequally. The ‘Mai-baap’ system in India is an example of
this. Or the cynical acceptance that the powerful people are above the law.
b. Uncertainty Avoidance: It is a dimension that describes the
extent to which people in society are not at ease with ambiguity and
uncertainty. Entrepreneurial organizations are risk takers and can deal with ambiguity
while the established organizations are driven more by stringent processes.
c. Individualism vs. Collectivism: The focus of this dimension is on the
question regarding whether people have a preference for being left alone to
look after themselves or want to remain in a closely knitted network. The US is
more about individualism while the Asian countries are more into collectivism.
d. Masculinity vs. Femininity: Masculinity implies a society’s
preference for assertiveness, heroism, achievement and material reward for
attaining success. On the contrary, femininity represents a preference for
modesty, cooperation, quality of life and caring for the weak.
e. Long-Term
vs. Short-Term Orientation:
Long-term orientation describes the inclination of a society toward searching
for virtue. Short-term orientation pertains to those societies that are
strongly inclined toward the establishment of the absolute truth.
f. Indulgence vs. Restraint: This revolves around the degree to which
societies can exercise control over their impulses and desires.
A comparative study of these dimensions between India and the United States
is given below. (Source: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/)
|
Dimension
|
India
|
United
States
|
Singapore
|
|
Power distance
|
77
|
40
|
74
|
|
Uncertainty avoidance
|
40
|
46
|
8
|
|
Individualism Vs Collectivism
|
48
|
91
|
20
|
|
Masculinity Vs Feminity
|
56
|
62
|
48
|
|
Long-term Vs Short-term Orientation
|
51
|
26
|
72
|
|
Indulgence Vs Restraint
|
26
|
68
|
46
|
By understanding how different cultures ‘operate’ within these six
dimensions, you will be able to bridge the gap that exists between your
cultural dimension and that of your employees or customers.
An analysis of the chart would indicate that in India and Singapore hierarchy is very important while in the US people interact on more equal terms.
A Few Tips for Those Aiming
to Work in Internationally
a.
Familiarize yourself with cultural basics. If you're going to be doing business with
someone from a different country or culture, acquaint yourself with the basics
in advance. This author has found that knowing the history and geography of a
country or society helps immensely in striking a rapport and gaining
acceptance.
b Greeting. While hugging or kissing is a common greeting in
some cultures, touching, even the simple act of shaking hands, may raise
eyebrows, especially between men and women. Observe what others are doing and
how is it being responded to. It also helps to learn the words of greeting and
a few key phrases of the local language.
c. Pay attention to your gestures. In-person or on video conference calls,
simple gestures and stances can mean wildly different things in different
cultures. For example, sitting casually with a foot resting on the opposite
knee is the equivalent of showing one's foot, which is a highly offensive
gesture to some people from the Middle East. Choose a more formal demeanour
with good posture, feet on the floor or crossed at the ankle, and hands folded
or at your sides if you are unsure of what is acceptable and what's not.
d. Take cues from clues. Whether in person or online, take
your cues from the other person's communication. Research shows that some
cultures indulge in small talk and exchange of inanities, before they start
talking about business is a clue that the individual is social and that you
shouldn't jump right into business conversation. If you cut them off and jump
into talk about work, they are going to feel like they haven't had the time to
interact with you in the way that they need to before business talk starts. The
business talk could prove to be non-starter.
e. Begin with being Formal and Reserved. It is always safe to begin with being
formal and reserved till you get a measure of the other person. Avoid informalities,
and carry yourself the way you would if you were meeting a dignitary. You can
always adjust to a more animated, informal or affectionate manner, but more
conservative people may be put off by anything less than a reserved and respectful
manner.
f. Be open to trying new things. When joining an organization overseas or
traveling to visit clients in other countries, be open to trying new things,
like the food, at least once. Even if you don’t like something, you will be
appreciated for making the effort. If you are allergic or prefer not to partake
in something (like drinking alcohol) do not compromise your own values,
however, to accommodate theirs. You are permitted to respectfully decline. The
idea is not to create boundaries, but to build bridges and open the door to
cultural differences. In fact this cultural diversity has to be remembered when
working in different parts of our country too.
Success
in the global marketplace begins with a deep understanding of international business
etiquettes, practices, and cultural nuances. Without it, businesses and
organizations cannot develop a competitive network of customers, suppliers,
and, most important, talent. The colossal failure of the merger of Daimler and Chrysler is a case in point.
