This week I stumbled upon an article posted by Iskender Mokenov on a Russian news site that goes in great depth on the cultural differences in business between Russia and The United States (Mokenov, 2018). In chapter 14 of the Moran text, Russia is talked about in terms of their historical perspective and not so much about what their business culture is like so it sparked my interest to do some looking at how their businesses are ran compared to the United States. Being that different countries have different values about what is and is not acceptable, and also have different standards and practices, I think it will be interesting to see how Russia’s business culture compares to The United States. In Chapter five of this Moran text we touched on expatriate assignments very faintly and this really sparked my interest. I think it is amazing that in this day and age workers are able to be given the opportunity to live in other countries in order to work. Many companies today are offering expatriate assignments to their workers, but this can be a very eye-opening experience to expats who have not done their research on the country they are traveling to and are not prepared for what is it to come. I will be touching on an article I found posted on a expat briefing website by Jim Newham, who sort of keys in on the major differences expats moving from the U.S. to Russia might experience when they start work (Newham, 2021).

Looking to the Mokenov article, we see that corporate hierarchy is something that Russian business leader’s value tremendously (Mokenov, 2018). This corporate hierarchy is far different than in the United States, as Russians are far stricter and more precise in terms of decision making and making sure decisions are made at the highest level by a single leader who delegates tasks to staff (Mokenov, 2018). This differs greatly from American business culture because often, U.S. workers are used to consulting with other staff in terms of decision making, and there is much discussion from team members as well. Personally, at my job I am use to being able to offer my manager different solutions to an issue and take imitative in how to solve it, but in Russia it is quite the opposite. The Newham article actually specifically makes expats aware of Russia’s corporate hierarchy and note that that the chain of command is considered very important and should be observed at all times (Newham, 2021). Russian management should have complete focus and attention from their staff as they are the sole decision makers during meetings and I think this is important for expats to keep in mind as they are making their way into the Russian ways of business (Newham, 2021).

Another aspect of the business culture in Russia that seems to differ quite a bit from that of the U.S. is business communication. Russian business seems to have less focus on written communication, and prefer hearing things directly and from partners in which they’ve established trust (Mokenov, 2021). I feel like this differs greatly from the United States, as Americans tend to use email and zoom more and more every day. I know personally, that up until recently when the pandemic hit I have had to try to adapt to more digital communication whether that being doing Zoom calls are using email more. For an expat leaving the U.S. and working in Russia, this might be another eye opener as their new coworkers may not prefer communicating over email as much as them. Another interesting thing that the expat article points out is how Russians tend to address coworkers by their titles plus their surname (Newham, 2021). I feel as though this is just something small, but personally, as an American worker I feel like you do not really use coworkers use titles as much anymore. I think this is definitely something to be cautious of as an expat or as business leader looking to work with Russian companies.

I think that looking at just some of the differences between Russian and United States business culture, we can get a sense of why it could be hard as an expatriate to pick up all their things and move and work from a country that has such differences in the way they run day-to-day business. Expatriates are in for a huge culture shock if not prepared and it takes some who is accepting of culture diversity and change to be successful in that line of work. Not only this, but they need to be patient and willing to learn the ways of another culture. I think that not only is it good for us to understand why business leaders need to be accepting of cultural diversity, but it is also interesting to see how employees are also in for a challenge when it comes to working with other countries.

References

Mokenov, I. (2018, March 8). Cultural differences in business: Russia vs. the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.rbth.com/business/327759-cultural-differences-us-russia-business

Newham, J. (2021). Work culture and labor market for expats in Russia. Retrieved from https://www.expatbriefing.com/country/russia/employment-and-business/work-culture-and-labour-market-for-expats-in-russia.php#:~:text=The%20prevailing%20work%20culture%20in,or%20doing%20business%20in%20Russia.&text=Formality%20is%20the%20norm%20in%20the%20Russian%20workplace.

The country that I sparked the most interest in over the last couple of chapters was Brazil. This country was touched on within chapter 11 in the Moran text, and I feel as though it is a very unique country to look at in terms of some of the cultural diversity terms that have been touched on up until now. Latin American people are in transition of modernizing their economies, social institutions, and infrastructures, and Brazil is the largest country in terms of population, land mass, and economy (Moran, 2014, pg. 339). Although this country is on the rise, we can see many differences between their way of leadership and our own that might pose some roadblocks when trying to work together. In Analyzing these differences in term of some of the leadership concepts we have touched on, we can see how these differences could provide opportunity in a diverse workplace.

Today Transition’s provides some great information of how business works within Brazil in their article “Doing Business in Brazil” (TodayTransitions, 2021). Something I think is important to touch on that differs from normal ways of doing business in the Unites States, is their form of conversation and ways of running business meetings. Right away I can see differences on how workers in brazil communicate with each other. It is not out of the ordinary for people in Brazil to interrupt one another during conversation as this is normal and acceptable for them (TodayTransitions, 2021). In the United States, this form of communication would be frowned upon and if conducting aa meeting together, this could cause some issues. Another normal thing for workers in Brazil is arriving 15-30 minutes late to social meetings, as punctuality is more relaxed. I could definitely see this as becoming an issue  is an American business was hosting a meeting with a Brazilian business. Americans are all about punctuality, so arriving late to a meeting may look unprofessional to them and would be frowned upon.

Social norms define rules or standards for evaluating what behavior is considered socially acceptable (Moran, 2014, pg. 42). It is clear that Brazil and the United States have some far different social norms when it comes to communication and punctuality to meetings so it is important that both parties have an understanding of this prior to meeting in order to avoid butting heads. Communicating across cultures, communication misunderstandings are bound to happen so being in tune with these differences is important when working across different cultures. Time preferences is another aspect that varies quite a bit over cultures and Latin America and the United States is no exception. The United States is seen as a monochronic culture in terms of time preferences (Moran, 2014, pg. 48). What this means is that they see time as linear. Time to them naturally divides into segments and is efficiently scheduled (Moran, 2014, pg. 48). This is very fitting to the U.S., as we often try to use time efficiently and save it wherever possible. Time management is a huge factor in the U.S. business and this seems to differ greatly from Latin American culture. Latin America is seen as being polychronic as they place much more emphasis on involvement with people, and one’s schedule is often scarified to complete individual transactions or interactions (Moran, 2014, pg. 48). Polychronic people tend to do many things at once, are more easily distracted, and plans may change quickly. I think we can definitely see these characteristics in the way Brazilians do work as they seem pretty relaxed in punctuality and interrupting one another in conversation.

Intercultural communication could be hard between countries like the United States and Brazil, as they have some big differences in how they communicate. Achieving successful communication can be challenging, so it is important to study the culture you will be working with and to understand the key ways it is different from your own (Moran, 2014, pg. 51) Being sensitive to these differing norms and attitudinal differences is key and it is important to exhibit behaviors such as; demonstrating respect, empathy, having a tolerance for ambiguity, and responding in others in a nonjudgmental manner (Moran, 2014, pg. 52).

 

References

Moran et al. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

TodayTranslations. (2021). Doing Business in Brazil. Retrieved from https://www.todaytranslations.com/consultancy-services/business-culture-and-etiquette/doing-business-in-brazil/

Chapter 9 describes synergy as a cooperative or combined action that occurs “when diverse or disparate individuals or groups collaborate for a common cause” (Moran, 2014, pg. 266). Synergy within a small one-office organization can be far easier to achieve compared to a global organization, as it easier for teammates to share perceptions and experiences, along with insights and knowledge. When each team member is able to understand their own role, the roles of other members, and the mission, the team as a whole is better able to fit each person’s tasks into the overall goal, and achieve better efficiency (PSU WC,2021, L. 6, p. 1. Synergy is far more difficult to achieve when team members are coming from different parts of the world. Some cultures are more synergistic than others, meaning that they are inclined toward cooperation, promote individual and group development, and are overall more generous and helpful (Moran, 2014, pg. 267). Low-synergy societies on the other hand might be more competitive, individualistic, and allow for more creativity and freedom of expression (Moran, 2014, pg. 267). Looking at how high-synergy and low-synergy societies differ, it is easier to see how cross-cultural conflict can occur within a global organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed tremendous cross-cultural conflict to global organizations as the distance between businesses and their global teammates widened greatly. Human communication is totally different from what we saw 16 months ago, and all and all it has acquired a new form and meaning that forces leaders to try to resolve this conflict and create synergy despite this new road block. Alex Lutskiy touches on how the COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on global communication, and how corporations are creating synergy despite their team members and clients being scattered across the globe (Lutskiy, 2021). In chapter 6 we touched on how sometimes conflict can spark new ideas and how despite cross-cultural situations generating more barriers, leaders should be able to create synergy as a means of resolving conflict and create a team that sees one goal, even though there are diverse perspectives (PSU WC, 2021, L.6, p. 3). Lutskiy does a great job at explaining how leaders can use these barriers such as the pandemic to their advantage, all while building an effective intercultural communication strategy.

Chapter 9 touches on the difficulties associated with meeting when teams are virtual. For global organizations, even just setting up a meeting can be difficult, as time zones differ. Lutskiy suggests taking advantage of the many digital tools that have become popular since the pandemic has started, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet (Lutskiy, 2021). These tools are especially important in building a cohesive, distributed team, along with establishing a streamlined, collaborative workflow with teammates (Lutskiy, 2021). Chapter 9 seems to go a little more in depth in how leaders can ease this cross-cultural conflict. In order to create better synergy, it suggest doing things such as distributing and pre-meeting plan that allows participants to see specific times for involvement. Another interesting idea is to agree upon a structured decision making process up front (Moran, 2014, pg. 276). This means deciding who will be responsible for decisions, and deciding how differences will be resolved. When different cultures have different synergy levels, I think it is especially important to really sit down and think about how synergy will be reached when teams re geographically distributed. Lutski suggests staying honest and being authentic is the best way to gain trust amongst clients, and using these strange times and cross-cultural conflict as an opportunity for proving things such as credibility, and being helpful, supportive, and humane (Lutskiy, 2021).

A high-performing team is described as one that goes beyond real teams in the level of commitment members have to the organization, to each other, and to the tasks of the team (Moran, 2014, pg. 268). For a culturally diverse team, reaching this level can take a great deal of time and effort. For leaders, this means building your team despite the geographical distance between members, and strategizing how cross-cultural conflicts can be resolved. The COVID-19 pandemic has really posed many leaders with the challenge of retaining synergy within their organizations, and coming up with new strategy’s in order to do so. In the end, it is important for leaders, along with team members to really understand the different cultures in which they are working with, and the different preferences and mindsets, as synergy occurs at a team level. Cultural synergy is only achieved once individuals within the team are able to collaborate efficiently for a common cause.

 

References

Lutskiy, A. (2021). Far Away But So Close: Boosting Global Communication With CLients And Staff in 2021. Retrieved at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/02/09/far-away-but-so-close-boosting-global-communication-with-clients-and-staff-in-2021/?sh=753fb3d473ab

Molinksy, A., & Jang, S. (2016). To Connect Across Cultures, Find Out What You Have in Common. Retrieved at https://hbr.org/2016/01/to-connect-across-cultures-find-out-what-you-have-in-common

Moran et al. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

Pennsylvania State University Work Campus. (2021). Lesson 6: Cultural Synergy. OLEAD410. Retrieved at https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2103357/modules/items/30942199

It is crucial that global leaders are culturally aware and inclusive, but one thing that can pose a huge roadblock within a culturally diverse organization is communication. Intercultural communication is the process in which individuals from different cultural backgrounds come together to attempt to share meanings (Moran, 2014, pg. 40). Having clear communication between associates can be a challenge when you have members coming from all different types of cultural backgrounds, so being in tune with using effective communication, and avoiding errors in communication should be top priority. One of the errors/bias we touch on in lesson four is egocentrism. This is the inability to take on another person’s perspectives which makes it difficult to see what they need or want (PSU WC, 2021, L. 4, p. 3). Egocentrism is most likely to arise through email as you lose that face-to-face interaction, and are not able to pick up nonverbal cues. This leads to a lot of disconnect in understanding, so it is important to understand that on top of the overall complication of communicating in groups or across languages and cultures, we need to be self-aware to avoid egocentrism.

Along with being aware of other’s perspectives, one must also be in tune with the variables in the communication process that vary across cultures. Samor and Porter note several variables within the text of chapter two, and the ones I think that are important to touch on that really go hand in hand with the idea of possible roadblocks in intercultural communication include: social norms, and language skill. Social norms range over cultures as every culture is different in how they define rules or standards for evaluation of what behavior is considered appropriate and applicable in certain situations (Moran, 2014, pg. 42). For example, some cultures may use expressions of charity in order to become closer with their shareholders, where in other countries; this may be looked at as bribing and unacceptable. Being in tune with different social norms is one of many variables to take into account when avoiding communication error as it could pose a great deal of disagreement.

Language skill is clearly an obvious factor in the communication process, as when working with individuals from other cultures, are likely to have some language barriers. Moran suggests the idea of obtaining a competent interpreter in order to avoid this barrier and provide smoother communication. An interpreter allows for a better understanding of deliberations, accurate translation, and overall a smoother way to communicate with team members if you do not speak their language (Moran, 2014, pg. 42).

Along with being sensitive to values, norms, and attitudinal differences, Moran also suggests how vital it is to not be so focused on the differences; rather, look to and become familiar with cultural similarities in order to improve communications (Moran, 2014, pg. 55). Simply comparing and contrasting yourself with another culture poses the issue of neglecting similarities. Similarities such as personality dimensions and human dynamics are just a few examples in which we can look to similarities between cultures in order to allow for a smoother communication experience. Finding similarities between cultures allows us to form a potential connection with our counterpart who unfortunately may feel as though they are just a cultural stereotype, if we avoid building that cultural bridge.

Molinsky and Jang, do a great job of stressing the importance of finding similarities between cultures in their article “To Connect across Cultures, Find out what you have in Common”. (Molinsky and Jang, 2016). Here, they stress how mentally taxing it can be to strictly just focus on what is different between you and your counterpart, and if you focus less on this, and more so on what you have in common, it takes the stress out of the communication process (Molinsky and Jang, 2016). Whether simply sharing a hobby, musical taste, pictures on that person’s desk, etc. It is the little things that allow you to really create connections and build relationships despite your differences, and also avoid cultural mistakes.

Upon my research this week, I actually decided to look up some fun ways organizations can bridge this difficult gap between cultural differences and allow them to be more focused on getting to know each other and their similarities. Cross-team projects, or even a “no eating at your desk” rule, allow teammates to start communicating more and help them better understand that intercultural communication doesn’t have to be a roadblock, rather, an opportunity to get to know each other, and build a stronger means of communication. Although there are many challenges of communicating in a global context, I think it is important to understand errors that could arise in the communication process, but at the same time look to the opportunities of building this communication pathway between cultures.

References

Molinksy, A., & Jang, S. (2016). To Connect Across Cultures, Find Out What You Have in Common. Retrieved at https://hbr.org/2016/01/to-connect-across-cultures-find-out-what-you-have-in-common

Moran et al. (2014). Managing cultural differences. Abingdon, OX: Routledge.

Pennsylvania State University Work Campus. (2021). Lesson 4: Global communication. OLEAD410. Retrieved at  https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2103357/modules/items/30942186