Archives for September 2016

In the August 8 & 15, 2016 issue of The New Yorker, an article by Jon Lee Anderson entitled “The Distant Shore” explores the Mashco, an isolated tribe in Peru, and the tribe’s interactions with various government, non-government, and religious organizations. As I read the article, I was struck by the impact of culture on our communication and the importance of various definitions of culture we learned in our text.

The Mashco, although they live in Peru, do not follow Peruvian customs. For example, the Mashco tribe has “a ritual greeting: they hugged visitors, put their heads on their shoulders, and then felt inside their clothing, as if to ascertain their sex.” (Anderson, 2016) The tribe also does not wear clothing except for a loincloth.

While the Mashco approach to greeting is different than the greetings one might encounter in other cultures and in other parts of the world, the author’s description of it also demonstrates a fundamental Western assumption. With the words “as if to ascertain their sex,” there is to me a clear implication that the author explains the manual exploration that takes place in Western terms.

Two categories of culture (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2011) seem to apply here. In terms of Sense of self and space, this microculture seems to require very little personal space, at least in their greeting ritual. And their Dress and appearance is limited. Is it possible that feeling inside another’s clothing identifies elements of the person that are for the tribe, with their custom of wearing no clothing, clearly visible to each another? Possibly, as Anderson states with his Western viewpoint, this identification is about the gender of the person they are meeting, but perhaps there is another reason.

Another example of cultural perspective is a discussion of Mario Álvarez, an evangelical preacher, who works with the Mashco, trying to covert them to Christianity. When asked by author Anderson what the Mashco tribe will be doing in five years, he answers, “They will be evangelizing on behalf of the Church, because the Lord’s word is powerful.” (Anderson, 2016) Álvarez’s perspective about this indigenous tribe is informed by his own motivation and beliefs instead of any motivation apparent in the Mashco tribe.

This perspective reminded me of the Alan Greenspan’s own “conversion” to a belief in human nature and culture after his stint as Federal Reserve chairman. (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2011, p.6) At a certain point, if people’s behavior does not change in the direction we anticipate, we must ultimately acknowledge culture. Leaders, and global leaders especially, must be utterly attuned to the culture of those they work with if we are to change people’s behavior in the direction we hope.

 

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Routledge.

Anderson, J. L., (August 8 & 15, 2016) A Reporter at Large. The Distant Shore. In Peru, a killing brings an isolated tribe into contact with the outside world. The New Yorker, 40-51

The world today continues to move forward quickly and energetically, towards a more efficient and interconnected state. In this global stride, leaders from organizations of every corner of the world continue to seek new opportunities in business, relationships and other interactions. In these efforts, we recognize that success is contingent on our efficiency in understanding one another; whether these understandings are of people in our own culture, or on foreigners we may have potential relations with. No matter the location, gender, race, ethnicity or other boundary may lie between two individuals, we recognize that we are social creatures and rely on each other to reach new plateaus in science, achievement and success. However, in communicating with one another, there may exist conflict in understanding or cultural gaffe with those unfamiliar to us. The Pennsylvania State University (n.d) on Leadership in a Global Context compares ethnocentrism to that of a self-inflicted debilitation, that significantly hinders our ability in advancing potential leadership opportunities; all around the globe. According to the Pennsylvania State University (n.d), the solution is simple– to gain a global perspective. However, in this solution we realize that it is not so simple and recognize that every culture practices different overarching beliefs and practices, some that may be seemingly similar, but in reality are entirely different. On the dimension of individualism versus collectivism, we see that these two entirely different perspectives reveal oppositely derived social norms. We will take a closer look at one example; South Korea, a collectivist society that scores an 18 on Individualism and 100 on Long Term Orientation (Hofstede, n.d). Afterwards, we will examine the history of South Korea and its deeply rooted practice of Confucianism.

South Korea according to Hoftsede (n.d) possesses an extraordinarily low Individualism score of just 18; by comparison, the United States reveals a score of a whopping 91. These numbers indicate “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members”; a low number indicates a more collectivist society in comparison to a higher number that indicates a more individualistic society (Hofstede, n.d). But what exactly does it mean to be a more individualistic or a more collective society? We’ll take a brief look at the properties that define these characteristics. To be individualistic means to have limited interest in others outside of yourself and direct family, whereas collectivist societies are people who are committed to units that are in groups and inherently take care of one another (Hofstede, n.d). South Korea, as a collectivist country reveals a society that places enormous value on interdependence; Koreans develop a sense of identity through relationships of their social connections (Ahn, 2011).

The core of South Korean culture revolves around the close involvement and inclusion of others. By interacting in a group and participating in group activities as opposed to individual activities, their interdependence is constantly reinforced and strengthened. The interesting thing however, is the modernization of collectivist thought and behavior that persists in the work environment, including large organizations and groups (Ahn, 2011). According to Lee (2012) it is found that Korean people feel they “owe” loyalty to parents, authority figures, organizational leaders, elders as well as the organization they work for. In part, demonstrating this loyalty is equivalent to demonstrating “Inhwa” or “harmony” which is a key principle that revolves around South Korean business culture (Lee, 2012). As such, anything that disrupts this harmony is equivalent to losing face and bringing dishonor to the organization or group. However, this concept of “Inhwa” does not translate to any specific concept in any other countries in its whole meaning. “Inhwa” is a conflicting concept for out-groups to understand, for instance in the United States, people do not consider conflicts with others’ opinions as disturbing harmony; instead, brainstorming (Lee, 2012). The mere suggestion of unwarranted body language, eye contact or gesture is considered highly offensive and disrupt the flow of the group. Although, the concept of “Inhwa” has evolved through modernism, its root and basic principles date all the way back to the time of Confucianism.

Confucianism and its principles highly influence the personal lives and business relations of the people of Korea. Confucianism is an ancient Chinese way of thought that dates back to 500 BC, where Confucius taught 5 moral disciplines to his students:

1. Justice and righteousness should mark the relations between sovereign and subject;
2. There should be proper rapport between father and son;
3. Separation of function between husband and wife;
4. The younger should give precedence to the elder;
5. Faith and trust should reign over relationships between friends (Lee, 2012).

These five principles have taken sovereign over many East Asian countries, namely China and Korea and has persisted since its first realization. Under close inspection, these 5 moral disciplines are still practiced to date in South Korean society and serves as the basis of basic responsibility and accountability. The collective discipline shapes the Korean societal outlook on status, contacts, relationships and is contingent on factors such as age, gender, education, family background, wealth, occupation and political ideology (Lee, 2012). The most important factor however is the aspect of respect and social contacts; a blend of Confucius disciplines. In the social context, Korean people are required to place an incredible emphasis on the group they belong to; the individuals of interest are expected to always consider the benefits and interests for the whole group they belong to and demonstrate group loyalty. As a matter of fact, individuals of a group are expected to always be prepared to make self-sacrifice and be responsible in representing their group at all times.

It is apparent that the South Korean culture is a complicated, yet relatively straightforward one that leaves minimal guesswork in expected behavior. It is also apparent that despite how straightforward a culture may be, it is still paramount to demonstrate cultural competency as to avoid any unnecessary social gaffes. In order to succeed in interpersonal relationships and potential business endeavors in South Korea, one must keep in mind their social practices in collectivism and their root in the principles of Confucianism. It is apparent that cultural diversity, subtleties and nuances are not revealed simply by classifying a country as one that practices a particular dimension of Cultural Diversity; one must study more than a tourist guidebook to avoid potential cultural gaffes.

Jonathan Yuh

Ahn, D. D. (2011). Individualism and Collectivism in a Korean Population. Claremont Colleges: Scholarship @ Claremont.
Retrieved from http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1110&context=scripps_theses

Hofstede, G. (n.d). What about South Korea? Geert Hofstede. 
Retrieved from https://geert-hofstede.com/south-korea.html

Lee, C. Y. (2012, October 2). Korean Culture and Its Influence on Business Practice in South Korea. The Journal of International Management Studies, Volume 7, Number 2.
Retrieved from http://www.jimsjournal.org/21%20Choong%20Y.%20Lee.pdf

Pennsylvania State University. (n.d). Lesson 02: Ethnocentrism: Values. Introduction to Leadership in a Global Context.
Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179054

 

Growing up in a household of immigrants, myself included, it was difficult trying to absorb the contents of the caribbean culture that my parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins were accustom to while simultaneously figuring out American culture and trying to reflect it. My parents came to the U.S. in 1994. By this time I was almost 4 years old and had started to catch onto all the norms of the islands, but moving here complicated things. This post will focus on intercultural communication and the requirement of mind stretching.

In chapter 2, Moran says “Listening is at the heart of all successful communications. We listen to both the words, and nonverbal communication.” (P.39) I struggled with this greatly, growing up. In school, when I did well on an assignment or conversed with a teacher, I received a head nod or constant changing of facial expressions to know that the listener was still with me. I got a pat on the back or high inflection of voice when being told “good job”. When I got home, “good job” did not really exist, and it was hard to understand if I was being heard or listened to. If I presented an assignment grade that was good, my parents would look at me and act as if that was expected of me, and I did not get words of affirmation or a pat on the back. Good grade were an expectation, not a gift from me to them. The thumbs up that is so often used in American culture does not exist as much with island folks.

In the reading on values, we read “Values determine behavior (Rokeach, 1973). If a person thinks that something is good, important, beautiful, etc., that person is likely to move toward that standard. If a person thinks that something is evil, unimportant, or ugly, that person is likely to move away from that standard.” As I was saying above, the value of good grades was a norm. It was expected, therefore not warranting a pat on the back or a thumbs up, according to my parents. I learned the opposite from my schools and teachers. I saw the true value of doing well and getting good grades because I was rewarded for it. I was commended and was met with smiles and positive reinforcement. For many years this confused me and made it hard to know when I was doing the right things or wrong things, which affected my relationship with my parents and in other people in my life.

The damage truly happened when I would lash out at my parents for not seeming proud of me, but it ended up being my job to stretch my mind, and understand the difference. It was not their fault, it was all due to a culture difference, and its hard to teach old dogs new tricks. Lucky for us, my parents and I both were able to adopt mid-stretching, understanding that “intercultural communication is always changing, and the relationship between communication and culture is, and always will be complex and dynamic.” (p.66) I was able to expect less from my parents, and eventually they adapted to the American way parents speak and treat their children, reminding them of their importance, and helping them identify what value actually is.

This week, for the first time, I began to reflect on how my culture affects how I function at work; specifically how I lead my teams. I had been looking at culture as something that is of other people and I want to understand. Sometimes because I am curious and other times because I want to have productive, and professional relationships with people I encounter of different cultures. Reading this week’s text in “Managing Cultural Differences”, Moran, Abramson, and Moran, (2014) dive into cultural preferences made me ponder mine. These preferences are in relation to speed, body space and time. Hofstede’s dimensions of culture also shined some light how I see myself and my culture in some of these dimensions (PSU, 2016).

I was born in the United States of American to two Mexican-born parents. I consider myself Mexican and American. As I reflected on how my Mexican culture impacted how I lead others I noticed some similarities in Mexican culture and American culture. One is example was the speed in which we reply and expect a reply to communication. Moran et al., (2014) discuss how Euro- North American cultures tend to prefer quick if not instant responses, but in other cultures such as Asia slower more thoughtful responses leads to stronger relationship building. In my case being that both of the cultures I identify with are in North American, I can see why I always want the quick answer from my teams. I usually request summaries of events and not full details. In my (Mexican) culture, strong relationships are not primarily built by the content of what we say, but our actions. Another cultural preference discussed by Moran et al., (2014) was appropriated personal space given. As a Mexican, I tend to lean into a person when I speak or when they speak to me. This is our way of showing that we are attentively listening to what a person is saying. Some people of Northern European decent prefer a lot more space in between them and the person they are speaking with (Moran et al., 2014). I am going to be more mindful of how much personal space I leave for a direct report of mine during our one on one coaching sessions from now on as a precautionary measure. There are even cultural preferences for time. Moran et al., (2014) describe two types of preference; monochronic which the U.S. falls into and we see time as required to be efficiently used and scheduled. There is an also polychromic person, which tend to be people in Latin American the focus is not on schedules, but more on the people (Moran et al., 2016). I came to the realization that I exemplify a bit of both the types of people and it makes sense due to my dual cultural identification. For the most part, I tend to be more monochronic because my goal is always to complete everything timely. I share with my direct reports that promptness and deadline adherence is an expectation of them. Occasionally, I will see the need to be late to a meeting or be flexible with a timeline. These are more exceptions and not the norm and I allow them if I see a direct report needs more support so I take the time to provide it.

Hofstede’s dimensions of culture provided me with more to consider (PSU, 2016). Through years of research, Hofstede has identified six cultural dimensions (PSU, 2016). My focus will be on two of the dimensions, masculinity/feminity, and long term/short term orientation (PSU, 2016). The Masculinity/feminity dimension is about gender roles in cultures (PSU, 2016). It’s been my experience that in American and Mexican cultures the female is expected to play the role of the caring, patient and nurturing one. I do not fit that value in either culture. I do not want to have children and I am very direct and sometimes insensitive to others feelings. This gave me a different perspective to people’s reaction in the workplace to me. They don’t expect women to behave like I do most likely because of their cultural dimensions on the role of females (PSU, 2016). When it comes to long term/short term orientation, I believe I am driven by my American culture (PSU, 2016). In America, most people plan for retirement and death. Everyone I know has a 401K and a life-insurance policy and none of my relatives in Mexico have ever put thought into either. I am very focused on long-term success when I coach my direct reports. I focus on helping them find the answer more than just giving it to them. I take steps to ensure that success is not short lived for any of my direct reports or myself.

To close, I am leaving this lesson with more self-awareness of how my cultures impact how I interact with people in the workplace and even how others perceive me. I will continue to be mindful of others cultures since now I know most of their values and personal preferences will come from their culture.
References
Moran, Robert T., Neil R. Abramson, and Sarah V. Moran. Managing Cultural Differences. 9th ed. New York: Routledge, 2014.
Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050

My last name is Higuchi, which is Japanese by origin. My Grandfather was a first generation Japanese 16yr old boy living in Honolulu Hawaii that fateful day in December. He met his wife of English/Dutch decent in NY and they had 3 boys and 1 daughter. My other Grandfather was living in Santa Fe, NM, He was a 4th generation descendant of Spain and met his Irish/Indian/Spanish wife having 4 daughters years later. All of this makes me as some would say a classic American Mutt.

With so many different cultural backgrounds most people are not able to identify what race or ethnicity I would belong to. Some think I am Hawaiian, Mexican, some form of Asian and sometimes American Indian. As a kid I was often encouraged to fill in Asian Pacific Islander on my school assessments as I grew up in a mostly Christian/Catholic Hispanic and African American neighborhood. Because of my upbringing I was fortunate to be introduced to many different cultures. As I started to become a young adult we had moved neighborhoods and most of my new friends were White and Mormon. Again I was introduced to a new culture of people and religion. The values were a little different both personally and culturally from where I grew up.

I remember being  a new high school graduate and attending a party in a different part of town. There, at the party many people of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds were represented. The night was going well until a group of Hispanic males joined the festivities and wanted to make their presence known. They happened to decide on a small white friend of mine to pick on and start a fight. This, is something  to this day I have not forgotten and have pondered since. As I intervened and stepped in, the leader of this group of Hispanic males was confused. He could not for the life of him understand why I would stand up for this White kid. He kept telling me to join him and be “down with la rasa”. Given my curious nature I asked what he meant, he told me that browns need to stick together no matter what not knowing he was picking on my friend. I refused to join him in picking on my friend and thankfully they were escorted out of the party with no violence involved. I had never heard that before, “down with la rasa”. Every once in a while I tell this story, most people find it a bit ridiculous that this particular gentleman thought I would join him to fight one of my best friends just because he was white and I have a good tan. If this doesn’t fit into the category of ethnocentrism I don’t know what does. These young men were stereotyping  my friend as an easy target and wanted to impose their will on him. I have asked other Hispanic males since if this is prevalent within their culture,most have replied no. Not sure why they held that view that night but I glad I was able to experience it making myself a little more globally aware.

I honestly have to say that after only two lessons my eyes have been opened more to what culture really means. Hofstede says that “culture is collective programming of the mid that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another” (PSU, n.d.). So many things come into play when creating our culture. As Kluckhohn’s sates, it is “patterned ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting… (PSU, n.d.). It is all about the social systems that we are exposed to. The people we learn our values and traditions from. It is who we are.

As I read through our lesson I started to think about the things in my life that are a tradition or a who make me who I am and who my family is. I am a huge football fan. I always have been growing up. I guess mainly because my father was, as well as the rest of my family. I am not ashamed to say that we are all die hard Eagles fans. We bleed green. Again, as we learned in this week’s lesson our values are formed at the beginning of our life and progress as we get older. The socialization period, between ages 13 to 21 is where we mimic and look to our peers for guidance (PSU, n.d). The tradition of the game as well as the passion for the Eagles came from my family and their beliefs and values.

I am not sure if most of you are aware, but Philly sports fans are rated as some of the worst fans in general, but at the same time some of the most dedicated and passionate. So hate us or not, we don’t turn our backs on our team, no matter how many times they seem to disappoint us. In an article in Rolling Stone magazine earlier talked about how Philly fans may boo their own players, throw a few things on the field, have a tendency to be drunk and loud, but in comparison they are not violent or racist as experienced with Dodger and Mets fans, who have brutally beaten people (Serota 2016). I am sure, given the right temperature of a situation, coupled with alcohol, that it can be a recipe for disaster in any sporting situation.

I personally feel that the fans have passion and dedication. Is that sometimes taken to a level a little extreme…yes, I believe that it is. I think to label fans who’s culture for supporting a sports team or teams is different than some others is not cause to deem them as the “worst fans”. I think that we should all appreciate who we support and who we are passionate for. Kind of like politics.

 

Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050.

Serota, M. (2016) Why it’s time to give Philadelphia Sports Fans a Break. Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/philadelphia-sports-fans-arent-that-bad-w430940

 

 

 

 

Growing up in Houston, Texas, I saw the mechanisms of Ethnocentrism hard at work.  Ethnocentrism is loosely defined as my people are better than your people.[1]  Which can best be seen on bumper stickers in Texas stating “Texas Secede” or in Alaska, “Alaska and the Lower 48” and I even saw it between Houston and Dallas with the pride of the football teams and oil or no oil.  It may have looked like JR had oil in the TV show Dallas, but oil is synonymous with Houston. Which is why our football team was named the Houston Oilers! While this is Ethnocentrism at its finest, these were also our values and our culture. [2](PSU)

From Houston I moved to Naval Air Station Adak, AK.  Adak was the second to last populated island in the Aleutian Chain; approximately 3 hours by plane from Anchorage to Adak and halfway between Seattle and Tokyo. When I deplaned, I walked down a flight of stairs onto the tarmac and not onto a jet way that lead to marble floors.  Then I did a big circle and did not see a single building over two stories tall. Gone were my beautiful skyscrapers with nothing to replace them with but huge mountains as far as the eye could see.  I was scared and it was then I really knew I wasn’t in Houston anymore. It was shortly thereafter that my ego ran right straight into the US Navy, an entity with a culture all of its own.  They told me who I could make friends with, they spoke a funny language made up of acronyms and to make things worse, it was freezing cold outside.  The wind never ever stopped blowing! In fact, Adak was knick named “The Birthplace of the Winds.”

It was while in Adak and Anchorage that I found that Alaskans had a similar pride and Ethnocentrism as Texans.  For real Texans nothing else exists.  For Alaskans it’s Alaska and the Lower 48. Roughly translated, we’re up here and they are down there. Then I realized that Alaska is probably 50% Texan because what is in Alaska?  Oil! They also took a special pride in being able to work in any kind of weather.  Weather that stops major city’s from working in the Lower 48, was a mere trifle in Alaska. Not only did they work, their children went to school. That’s how tough Alaskan’s are. This is Ethnocentric pride as well.

From Alaska, we were relocated to Omaha, NE, then to Jacksonville Beach FL, where I spent two years on the beach.  We then moved up to Washington D.C. where at a networking event I called someone “dude” and then said something was “cool”, Goodness did they stare at me.  I needed to shake off the sand and do what people in D.C. do, get involved with politics.  After D.C. was our first move down to Atlanta, GA.  Over the course of 15 years, I grew to love each place we were transferred to and began looking forward to the new things that this culture and set of values would bring to me.  I finally realized that it wasn’t Texas and no place else but Texas and every place else.[3] (PSU)  It had taken all of the living, raising of children and reaching out to new friends that each place became home. Then, when it was time to leave, it was with sadness in my heart for I had come to love the people, their customs and what their traditions brought.

Now I call Atlanta, Georgia home and am so proud to be a “Georgia Peach.”  It took a long time for me to be able to call Atlanta home.  Ethnocentricity had been removed from me[4] (PSU) but now as I look over my life, I feel it creeping back into my heart, in Georgia.

[1] Drever, H. E. (1952). Hammonsworth, Middlesex: Penguin.

[2] OLEAD 410: Leadership in a Global Context. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/discussion_topics/11373476?module_item_id=21179057

[3] OLEAD 410: Leadership in a Global Context. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2016, from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/discussion_topics/11373476?module_item_id=21179057

 

 

When connecting this week’s lesson to current events I came across and interesting article talking about a letter Japan wrote to Britain and the EU about Brexit. The author described the letter as a “brutal, lengthy, detailed dissection of all the potential economic damage leaving the EU will do to the UK”, (Edwards, 2016). Interestingly enough I feel the Brexit situation and Japan’s letter to Britain in some ways reflect their cultural values.

Britain’s culture can be described as having a small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance, and is individualistic, (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). The goals of Brexit include exiting the EU, restricting immigration, and Britain’s economic independence. Brexit’s goals are a reflection of some of its cultural attributes. For example, from an international view, exiting the EU in pursuit of economic independence can seen as individualistic, as leaving the EU can have negative effects  on EU members as well as Britain’s trading partners. Furthermore leaving the EU will place Britain in a position of economic uncertainty and the people of Britain’s support for Brexit represent their weak uncertainty avoidance.

In contrast, Japan’s culture has a large power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance, and is collectivistic, (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). Brexit has had negative impacts on Japan. For example, Brexit has led to the increase of the value of the yen when Japan’s economy depends on the devaluation of the yen. In turn Japan’s letter to Britain reflects its cultural values, primarily its strong uncertainty avoidance and its collectivism. Japan’s collectivism, which refers to the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it, is reflected in the letter when they say “We expect to continue cooperating and collaborating closely for international peace, stability and prosperity. It is in the interests of the world including Asia that an open Europe be upheld”. Japan’s strong uncertainty avoidance is demonstrated when they say “Uncertainty is a major concern for an economy; it evokes a sense of anxiety, causing volatility in markets, and results in the contraction of trade, investment and credit”.

Although Britain and Japan are nearly opposites according to Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture, they were both able to business with each other. This is evident when Japan states that it “enjoys strong partnerships with the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) in various fields including politics, the economy and security”. Furthermore, Japan stated that “There are numerous Japanese businesses operating in Europe, which have created 440,000 jobs. A considerable number of these firms are concentrated in the UK”, (as cited in Edwards, 2016).  With that being said, hopefully moving forward Britain, Japan, and the EU can continue working through their cultural differences.

 

 

References:

Edwards, J. (2016, September 05). You should read Japan’s Brexit note to Britain – it’s brutal. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from http://www.businessinsider.com/japan-brexit-note-to-britain-2016-9

Japan’s Message to the United Kingdom and the European Union. Retrieved from http://www.mofa.go.jp/files/000185466.pdf

Langley Esquire. (2016, July 04). The Elections & Brexit | Tokyo on Fire. Retrieved September 05, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpaYUvsCqDw

Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York, New York: Routledge.

Over the last three months I have been working closely with a group from Switzerland and Germany. The group’s company, Stadler, based out of Switzerland, build the trains that my company purchased in June. I have enjoyed the interactions I have had with the Swiss and German employees. They have a wonderful sense of humor, are extremely intelligent and work well with others. Overall, it’s been an enjoyable experience, but there have been a handful of communication issues, due to what Hofstede described as National Cultural differences and more accurately Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture, (Penn State University, 2016). The Stadler group has a Director, who is the designated person in charge of all of their activities. When the group first arrived in June, it was difficult to gauge who was the boss and who was the workers. In fact, after the first week of the Stadler group, living and working in the states during the testing phase of the new trains, they had an executive group from Switzerland come to California to see how progress was going. As I watched the group from afar, workers, the director and executives, I was amazed how they all interacted with one another compared to how Americans, particularly my organization interact with one another. Looking at all three countries, U.S., Germany, and Switzerland, Power Distance levels shows a discrepancy in regards to our viewpoints of inequality and equality.

Another large difference between our culture and the Swiss and German culture is Uncertainty Avoidance. The Swiss and Germans are extremely precise when giving an explanation or with correspondence via email or oral. After leaving a meeting with the Stadler group there are no mixed messages or misunderstandings. I find this cultural dimension very commendable and its highlighted when I look at internal communication between my group, Americans.

Lastly, another difference between our cultures is Long-term/Short-term orientation. This was evident while trouble shooting an anomaly of a vibration, while one of the new trains was being tested. I am in operations, my purpose during testing is to ensure that all operating rules are followed while the locomotive engineer is operating the train and work rules are followed by the electrical and mechanical engineers working on the train. To me, the vibration was barely noticeable and certainly didn’t cause reason to be concerned. The American electrical and mechanical engineers had the same sentiments as myself. However, the German and Swiss electrical and mechanical engineers took exception to the slight vibration. They explained that although it wasn’t an issue now, over the course of 3-5 years it would increase progression on wear and tear, with the vehicles and train tracks. The American engineers insisted it was most likely the train tracks causing the vibration and once the track settled, the ballast and rail packed down, there would be no vibration. The group from Stadler insisted that they investigate the cause of the vibration it would add two additional days to the testing phase of the train. The German and Swiss prevalence to be Long-term oriented was fortunate. What no one knew, between the two groups, was the trains had a new style gear box installed at the factory in Switzerland. The fabrication of the new gear box was a cost savings initiative that hadn’t been used on models which were tested and demonstrated to us before we bought the equipment. Discovery of the cause of the mystery vibration ensured my organization would save millions of dollars in equipment and track maintenance. What was even more impressive to me was how apologetic and forthright the Stadler group was about the addition of the new styled gear box.

Over the next two years the German and Swiss group will stay on with my organization to ensure the new vehicles will operate properly and train mechanics we hire to maintain the vehicles. I’ve spent a lot of time with the group and have listened to their stories of doing similar work projects in other countries such as Russia, Poland, Spain and South Africa. Taking this class, while presently working with a culturally diverse group, will hopefully highlight some cultural differences as an American I might display and avoid some cultural gaffs in both National and Organizational cultural differences.

 

 

References:

Penn State University (2016)

https://geert-hofstede.com/united-states.html

Managing Cultural Differences, Moran R.T., Remington Abramson N., Moran SV, (2014)

 

 

On a recent trip to Malaysia, I had a task to have a look at a local project and try to make sure they were in line with the guidelines and standards that we follow in our other terminals.  What makes this terminal different is we are a minority stakeholder as a company and they started the project on their own without corporate support.  Now that there have been some issues, I was sent to investigate and assist.  The vendor team that is based in Hong Kong were the primary consultants on the project.

On day 2, I met with the project team and we had very informal introductions without business cards.  On the third day the senior member from the vendor’s company came to join in discussions and they all presented their business cards with two hands and as per the cultural norm, I received the card with both hands and inspected the person’s name and title and placed the card on the table in front of me.  One of the members of the senior team was American so when he presented me his card in the same fashion I took it with one hand and mentioned that he did not need to be so formal as we already knew each other for many years.  He looked worried at my comment and turned to his colleagues in a fashion to apologize for my actions without words.  I then realized that even though we are both American, that this was the cultural norm and it should be respected regardless of nationality.

As mentioned in the text (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014, p. 25) “Cultural sensitivity should teach us that culture and behavior are relative and that we should be more tentative, and less absolute, in human interaction”. I am very outgoing and jovial in my work and interaction and the one thing I am learning in my global travels is that it is important to practice restraint with new audiences and to learn about the places I travel.  In this business card example, I understood the American executive’s personal values, but did not take the cultural values as part of his leadership role.  From the values section of our lesson (Penn State World Campus, n.d.) cultural values can affect the personal values to make sure an individual belongs to the cultural group.  This helps the individual to contribute better within an organization

 

Moran, Robert T.; Abramson, Neil Remington; Moran, Sarah V. (2014-02-24). Managing Cultural Differences (p. 25). Taylor and Francis. Kindle Edition.

Penn State University World Campus. (2016). Lesson 2: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050.