Cultural Political Differences Today
In thinking about cultural differences and how subtle or unsubtle those differences can impact a business I can’t help but think about cultural divides between politics. It’s frankly exhausting to the point where for Thanksgiving, which we host, we have banned political talk. It’s akin to throwing a hand grenade into a room. With that said, in todays environment, it is so important to think about how much a policy comment, a snicker, an eye roll, an endorsement for or against person A or person B can potentially have an impact on a business relationship. The differences in even a policy which may mean little to you could have a significant impact on someone whom puts that policy high on their priorities. Even though stepping over the hypothetical book isn’t a big deal to you. It could be a sign or disrespect for another to the extent that it could jeopardize a business relationship.
I first hand saw an example where an employee misread a client and was under the impression that their views of Gun Control aligned with those of the clients. Well.. Needless to say this was a pretty significant misreading. This person didn’t have moderate beliefs. Their beliefs were very far on their end of the spectrum. And with the party polarization of recent this one comment managed to dismantle a deal.
This brought about acute awareness and a great coaching opportunity of not only understanding both sides of the spectrum, but being thoughtful in what you say and communicate so as to not insult someone else. Essentially becoming masters of political non speak so as to never directly answer questions of where you stand. This isn’t saying that the takeaway is to chameleon your beliefs based on who you are in front of. That would be odd, yet pretty amusing to watch. Essentially what this lesson reminder me of was the importance of the mission at hand. Not being dragged down the rabbit hole and taking the bait, yet respecting the others positions is always going to keep you out of more trouble.
“A global leader, sensitive to cultural differences, appreciates distinctiveness and effectively communicates with individuals from different cultures.” (Moran P. 25). You may believe in guns, you may not. I may or may not disagree with you. With that said its important to be understanding and sensitive to your beliefs and to not let those beliefs get in the way of the ultimate goal which is to effectively and profitably conduct business. The importance of this sensitivity has become so apparent that even within organizations where there are different cultural beliefs in many places, their HR has put firm policies in place for how to engage political conversations.
In summation I thought of the cultural differences and how it has impacted me through travels. However I also thought of a more localized impact and just used politics as one example of many cultural differences which is a reminder to being sensitive to others beliefs. It’s also a reminder to not let you needs to agree with or disagree with a position supersede the needs of the organization.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (Ninth edition.). New York: Routledge
(n.d.). Retrieved January 19, 2018, from https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2016/11/08/have-a-divided-post-election-workplace-heres-how.html
Hi Nicholas,
Interesting blog post! I have always had a problem with facial expressions, to the point where people thought the opposite of what I was thinking or feeling about a situation. I found it best to use my voice and words on how I thought about the situation. “Increasing one’s general cultural awareness.” (Moran, Abramson, Moran, 2014) This statement is an important piece to maturing in a workplace, and understanding how cultural differences increasingly important in any situations, like you mentioned a family gathering or a workplace discussion.
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R. & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Kim,
That’s an interesting question and I would assume based on the nature of your business, particularly an international business whereas politics can impact trade e.t.c. those conversations are not only unavoidable but necessary. With that said, and going along with the underlying theme I feel it’s important to always keep the business needs first. So in this example if policy A has an impact on trade with a company in country A you shouldn’t express dissatisfaction with the outcome as your primary objective and the reason you are being compensated is to maintain these relationships and effect some transaction to generate profit. If this doesn’t align with your personal morals then you should find somewhere to work which will. In the text there is a reference to others perception of you which discusses perceptions of the U.S. On a micro level I feel that it’s as important that other companies have a perception that your companies values align with theirs. (Moran e.t all P. 29)
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N.R. & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Hi Nicholas,
I agree that political discussions can be very divisive and detrimental to relationships. However, do you think it’s appropriate to discuss politics when dealing with business partners in countries where politics heavily dictate business? It seems that the conversation would still have the potential for ruining a deal, but the government (local or national) could negatively impact the extent upon business transactions. This also brings up another aspect of who the appropriate person would be to have the conversation due to the cultural power distance (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014). What are your thoughts?
-Kim
References:
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R. & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing cultural differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.