The company I work for provides products to many Latin American companies across South America. Many of these companies, located within the various countries, represent important steps in the supply chain that are essential to the final product. One company we work with provides deep sea umbilical cords as a final product. These cords help support oil drilling lines from the platform to the bottom of the ocean floor. Recently we have had many interactions with this company in regard to quality and have sent representatives to their manufacturing facility in Brazil as well as hosting them at our facility in the United States.

During the early stages of our meetings our Brazilian colleagues took the meetings slow and tried at great length to build a relationship rather than an adversarial confrontation. Brazilian culture is low in individualism which supports relationship building and teamwork (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Our American contingent was defensive and wanted to get to the point and resolve the quality concern quickly. The United States culture is strong on individualism and was concerned about blame rather than finding a solution to the problem (Geert Hofstede, 2016). Business relationships in Brazil are based in relationships over tasks and this was what formed a strong bond between the companies (Moran, et al, 2014, p. 353).

As the meetings continued it was clear that we were working with partners rather than opposing forces. Synergies were found and leveraged across our technical organizations which supported a more collectivist approach to the problem. Trust was earned and soon the groups were working collaboratively. The collective group was diverse in regard to culture, ethnicity and gender. Decisions and ideas flourished in this dynamic understanding that diversity affected the bottom line in each business positively.

In the end, the solution was found and corrective actions were generated which both organizations shared resulting in the potential for “saving face” for both parties in this issue. Now that the relationship has grown our businesses enjoy a more transparent dynamic in regard to us as partners.

 

Hofstede, G. (2016). Hofstede’s six dimensional model. Retrieved October 13, 2016, from https://geert-hofstede.com/brazil.html

Moran, R.T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9^th ed.). Oxford: Rutledge.

 

I work for a global multi-national company that operates plant sites around the world. Through many years the US plant sites productivity has dropped. For this reason I, alongside operators and technicians, from the US plant sites visited our sister site in Northern Ireland. Our goal was to see and understand their work place culture, work systems and then leverage what works best for the US facilities to improve productivity.

Our team soon found that our sister sites teamwork approach in regard to staffing was what advantaged them to produce at a higher rate. This staffing model is quite different than the US model where individual work assignments are the norm and teamwork is not utilized. The Hofstede 6D model compares Ireland and the United States almost as equals in all elements except Individualism where they are lower on the scale (Hofstede, 2016, 6D-Model). Ireland is still considered an individualists society however they have found a way to better work as a team and provide value to the business.

“Synergy is a cooperative or combined action, and occurs when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause” (Moran et al, 2014, p. 266). Synergy was visible at the Northern Ireland facility and what was more important was the Synergy being developed between our collective cross-cultural teams. Now all members of our product line are working together towards the one common goal of winning in the global business environment.

The need to change our US staffing model is now evident and our sister sites willingness to open their doors to improve the overall business was envisioned by our business leader. In her vision of change, transparency and courage is the foundation for change and the cornerstone of a synergy focused business model.

 

 

 

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

 

Hofstede, G. (2016). Hofstedes six dimensional model. Retrieved October 1, 2016, from https://geert-hofstede.com/ireland.html

 

 

 

Communication is the exchange of information between individuals (OLEAD, 2016, p.1). This exchange can be taken for granted when the members of this dialogue are from two different cultures. However, without true communication basic relationships cannot be built, decisions cannot be made effectively and respect may be lost between colleagues. The dynamic can occur not just in the work setting but also in every day life. For example, in our information technology society texting has taken a major role in communication. How many times have you received a text and wondered what the message really meant? Was the sender being sarcastic? Why did the sender use all capitals? With this in mind it is ever important to understand both the sender and receivers culture and influences in non-verbal communication.

Moran et al states “80 to 90 percent of communication is non-verbal in that it involved no exchange of words (Moran et al, 2014, p. 43). Nonverbal behavior can be described as behavior that transcends written or spoken words (Wolfgang, 1977, p. 146). There are three contexts of non-verbal communication proxemics, kinesics and paralinguistic. Proxemics is the relationship to distance between the communications of individuals, kinesics is the body movement or body language of a communicator and paralinguistic refers to tone, speed or rate of speech (Wolfgang, 1977, pgs. 146-147).

In “The Silent Language in the Multicultural Classroom” teachers are encouraged to understand their own culture, values and non-verbal behavior (Wolfgang, 1977, p. 148). It is important to understand your own non-verbal dialogue when communicating. Earlier this year my family traveled to Costa Rico for vacation. In an effort to understand the local culture we learned that putting your feet up on furniture that was not designed for this act was rude. Moving your hands and feet while talking is impolite (International Business Center, 2016). In this regard, I have trouble being still when I talk. Knowing this about myself and understanding this kinesics non-verbal behavior, it allowed me to be more prepared and confident in social interaction.

When communicating between two cultures it is important to understand that your non-verbal behavior can impact the communication process. Understanding your own non-verbal culture and your partner’s culture is key to properly setting the stage for the exchange of information.

 

The Pennsylvania State University World Campus, (2016). Lesson 4: Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1802572/modules/items/21179050

Wolfgang, A. (1977). The Silent Language in the Multicultural Classroom. Theory Into Practice, 16(3), 145-152. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/stable/1475596

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

International Business Center, retrieved from http://cyborlink.com/besite/costa_rica.htm

Clip Art retrieved from https://images.search.yahoo.com

 

 

 

 

I used to believe that culture was centered on national and local influences that did not venture into the business world. In fact, culture plays a major role in how companies invest and operate their businesses. As stated in our text, “Culture is a distinctly human means of adapting to circumstances and transmitting this coping skill and knowledge to subsequent generations” (Moran et al, 2014, pg. 11).

Earlier in my career, I worked in a cross-cultural business climate where two cultures existed. These two companies, one Japanese and the other American, formed a partnership and operated this manufacturing facility as a joint venture. In the beginning we had two leadership teams from each company, acting in concert, to make the business decisions. We received cross-cultural training on the traditions and values of our new colleagues that helped us understand their decision making process.

Japanese culture is high in power distance, collectivism and low in uncertainty avoidance while the United States culture is in the opposite spectrums of these dimensions (Moran et al, 2014, pgs. 20-21). Within these dimensions is where the struggles occurred. Both teams strived for the best business results but decisions were made from different backgrounds. Our Japanese colleagues preferred to make group decisions as indicated by their low individualism and high collectivism. Our U.S. team had little boundaries in regard to relationships with our senior managers with our low power distances. By the end of this venture we continued to center around our unique cultures but used these differences as a positive tool and not a barrier. We became more sensitive to each other and valued our differences.

As stated in Moran 2014, “ Through cross-cultural experiences, we become more broad-minded and tolerant of “uniqueness”” (Moran et al, 2014, pg. 25). Through these experiences I have became a more tolerant and capable leader as well as having great value for others cultures and what they can bring to the business. Culture exists on every level of society and is the basis for each individual’s decision-making process and most especially in the business world.

 

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

 

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

Hi all, my name is Darrin Meenach and I am currently an Operations Superintendent at a manufacturing site. I am located just outside Richmond, Virginia and you could say I am in the latter stages of my career but nowhere near retirement.

I have worked for the same company for nearly twenty-five years and have held many diverse assignments starting from wage role operator to multiple leadership roles. My leadership roles have been in the United States Marine Corps with several assignments spanning over twenty-five years leading and managing operations and maintenance teams for my current company.

My long-term goals are to complete my degree in labor relations and then use the knowledge to augment my leadership experiences while adding value to my team and business. Ultimately I want to remain competitive in today’s tough job market and continuously improving my performance.

My favorite leadership quote is from retired Admiral Grace Murray Hopper and her quote is “You manage things, you lead people”. This has a special meaning to me because it is important to simply understand the difference between leading and managing and how both of these attributes are essential in today’s leadership positions.

As I mentioned earlier I am a proud veteran of the United States Marne Corps. I have been married for over twenty-five years and have two grown boys. In my spare time I decompress in my garden attempting to grow enough vegetables to support my family and the local wild life. I would say the local wild life eats pretty well around my back yard.

I am looking forward to this class and wish all the best of luck this semester and through life!