Leadership

PSYCH 485 blog

Balancing Global Outsourcing and Team Cohesion

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In today’s global corporate landscape, outsourcing has become an increasingly popular cost saving measure. It has become a fundamental method of assessing a more varied and diverse talent pool, all while spending less than it would take to hire someone locally. This method does have its drawbacks, however. Leaders must be knowledgeable about the potential downsides of outsourcing before they choose to enact this cost-saving measure. These include the possibility of employees being located in widely different time zones, having poorer communication skills due to a language barrier. Or having a different culture which could affect necessary days off or even performance. By analyzing the positive and negative effects of these various dimensions of cultural diversity due to outsourcing, this post will offer some feedback and suggestions on how to work smoothly with global employees.

Outsourcing can be incredibly cost effective, particularly if employees are hired from countries paid much less than in the leader’s own country. This allows the same work to be completed at a fraction of the cost, assuming the skill level of employees in both locations are comparable. This does, however, introduce a number of possible negatives to overall team cohesion. This is especially evident if the international employees are located in a different timezone. This could necessitate team members working different hours, making scheduling meetings and check-ins difficult. It could further slow critical communication, delaying time-sensitive tasks if not managed properly. Finally, it can often be easier to communicate with different time zones using primarily written communication methods such as email or messaging platforms. This can in turn lead to miscommunication due to recipients not being incredibly proficient in the language and misunderstanding the task. Written communication further lacks facial ques and such nonverbal communications which would have otherwise helped the employee understand the situation.

Diversity in the workplace goes beyond simply filling a quota or adhering to the latest social rules. The core value is truly about appreciating what everyone, as individuals, has to offer (Northouse, 2022). It is the leader’s responsibility to support this kind of diversity and set the right example. This could include understanding and respecting the different holidays and customs that are important to people of varying communities. When showing care and consideration for individuals and their cultural identity, leaders are showing their employees that they are respected. On a more negative note, having a diverse workplace can prove to be more difficult, especially when being considerate about negative stereotypes or unfair ways of thinking. As an example, if the leader is a woman leader, she may be subjected to less respect just because of her gender (Northouse, 2022). It is important to emphasize that this way of thinking would not be acceptable from any party. To discover if this may be an issue, it may be prudent to have employees take a Gender-Leader Bias Questionnaire which allows people to become aware of their own implicit biases so they may overcome them (Northouse, 2022). Leadership must take a strong stand on treating everyone fairly and ensuring the workplace enforces rules that respect each individual. They must strive to make a space where everyone feels heard and important, no matter their gender, race, religion, or where they come from.

Managing a team that works around the globe necessarily means dealing with different time zones. To do this well, managers should use online calendars that can be set to show everyone’s schedule in their own time zone. This allows for the ability to plan meetings so that they occur when everyone is available, no matter their time zone. Leaders should also communicate with their team often, maybe even every day for a quick meeting. In these short chats, often called “stand-ups,” everyone can share what they plan to work on and if there’s anything that might impede their productivity. In this way, managers can ensure that all team members understand their responsibilities. On a similar note, it may be beneficial for leaders to consider training their teams to communicate better. When everyone feels like they can share their ideas clearly, the entire team can improve due to the increase in ideas. This could certainly prove to be impractical, however. Saving money by hiring people from different locations should not leave the team in a place where they are unable to communicate or understand each other easily. If a certain individual does not speak the language the company uses well, they might need to take some language classes before they join the team. This could cost a bit of money, but if it would lead to everyone understanding each other, it would be worth it. On a final note, not hiring someone just because they do not speak the language can seem unfair, but if it means the team is unable to work together, it is a tough choice that has to be made.

To summarize, outsourcing can greatly assist in cutting down costs, but only if leaders are ready to handle the possibly difficult communication aspects that come with it. For businesses today, using outsourcing and valuing diversity are key. Good communication helps teams work across time zones, and tools that help everyone stay on the same page are really available. Training to improve how we speak and write to each other can mitigate confusion. Workshops on how to communicate with people from different cultures can help too, and video calls can make talking online feel more like talking in person. Leaders should not only accept diversity, but also embrace it. They should teach their teams to understand and respect each other’s backgrounds, which includes respecting different traditions and holidays. Leaders should show respect and deal quickly with any unfair treatment. When leaders act this way, they make a workplace that is both smart about outsourcing and inclusive of everyone. This is how to make the most of a global workspace.

 

Citations

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE Publishing.

Inclusive Leadership – The First Steps to Diversity

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All in! (Nagy, 2018)

Although we are making progress in the diversity demographics for CEO opportunities, it is very slow at the pace of molasses moving down a maple tree in the dead of winter. In 2021 the fortune 500 CEO demographics by race were 1.2% Black Americans (13.4% of the US population), 4% Hispanic Americans (18.5% of the US population), 8% Asian Americans (5.9% of the US population), and for gender 8.2% women are now CEOs (51.1% of the US population) (United States Census Bureau, 2021; Kurt, 2022; Statista, 2021). The disparity in this demographic is not a simple reflection of the population percentages of the US, for if it were, then we would likely see the numbers closer to a standard deviation or two away from the US percentages. Other factors contribute to the issue across people, processes, cultures, and more.

The benefits of diverse leadership at the top of the business ladder impact the organization’s bottom line. A series of McKinsey studies on diversity have found that the more diverse your company is at the executive level, the increase your profit margins 25% above average (Prince et al., 2020). Still, we are slow to realize these compounded benefits when we value fully integrated diversity. Perhaps, the disordering of the word’s diversity, equity, and inclusion led to a horse before the cart implementation. To have a diverse organization, one must first drive inclusivity, making diversity the output. McKinsey outlined five indicators of inclusivity as diverse representation, leadership accountability, equality, openness, and belonging (Prince et al., 2020). With inclusion being a leading element for growing equity and diversity, inclusive leadership is a transparent approach (Northouse, 2021).

What is inclusive leadership?

Inclusion is the extent to which members feel they belong to an organization or group and feel their uniqueness of beliefs, attitudes, ideals, and background are appreciated (Northouse, 2021, p.350). Inclusive leadership is a holistic engagement across the organization that fosters positive interactions at every level and with everyone. Inclusivity thus becomes a shared responsibility, everyone imbuing it as a cultural imperative for the organization (Northouse, 2021, p. 350).

Three goals of Inclusive leadership are (Northouse, 2021):

The Power of Inclusion (Epic, 2020)

  1. Create a shared identity among members to ensure everyone feels belonging.
  2. Reduce status differences and ensure everyone is treated with equal respect.
  3. Facilitate everyone’s participation to ensure equal input in making decisions.

Ok, so how do I become an inclusive leader/teammate?

Inclusion is a set of learned and developed behaviors requiring self-reflection and conscious attention. We often see the world from our perspective, shaped by our sense of self and interactions with the world. Since inclusion includes feelings of belonging and value, one must seek to see from the viewpoint of others over their own. Your intentions to treat someone with inclusivity may not be inclusive at all. Making the regular effort to understand opens the aperture of your awareness to begin to see things from other people’s points of view.

To further learn to be more inclusive, one must change their mindset, shift their values, and adopt a new style of interaction with others (Northouse, 2021, p. 350). Perhaps the most challenging but crucial area to develop is unconscious bias recognition in yourself. We all have biases, yet we don’t train ourselves to recognize them, mitigate them, and limit their imposition on our thinking. Looking for the root of inclusive behavior starts with us reflecting on our unconscious and conscious biases and obtaining a teammate to help hold ourselves accountable (Northouse, 2021, p. 350).

A while back, I recall hearing the word “tolerance” concerning inclusion and diversity (at the time DEI), and I couldn’t help but feel off-put by the statement. Semantics matter because they drive sentiments and behaviors. To tolerate is to allow and accept without interference (Merriam-Webster, 2022). The word “understanding” is preferred because understanding requires the effort to engage in comprehension fostering harmony not through similarities but rather through appreciation of differences (Miriam-Webster, 2022). While the leader sets the tone for these behaviors, success for inclusive behaviors must become team-focused and own initiative.

Although inclusive leadership lacks the rigors of extensive scientifically validated research, the emergence and significance of current societal challenges require a more focused study. Another aspect of inclusion is public allyship for diverse personnel. In many cases, cultural and personality differences limit buy-in from all group members during meetings or collaborations; this can also lead to an increase in social dominance. SDO, or social dominance orientation, prefers one’s group over others in a hierarchical sense (PSU WC, 2022, L13).

Our natural primitive cognitions have many afflictions to be effective in today’s complex world. With focused attention and practice, an inclusive leader can create a shared identity among all members, reduce status differences through increased respect, and ensure everyone participates and provides input (Northouse, 2021, p. 350). Inclusive team diversity increases organizations’ creativity, performance, and profits (Prince et al., 2020). Inclusivity is a cornerstone of American values, and it is also our competitive advantage.

References

Kurt, D. (2022 Feb 28). Corporate Leadership by Race. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/corporate-leadership-by-race-5114494.

Epic. (2020). Inclusive leadership makes powerful teams. Epic. https://epicassist.org/inclusive-leadership-makes-powerful-teams/.

Merriam-Webster. (2022). Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Nagy, I. (2018). Inclusive Work Practices – The Next Step. Investigo. https://www.investigo.co.uk/blog/2016/08/inclusive-work-practices-the-next-step?source=google.com

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Leadership (9th Edition). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781071834473.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (PSU WC). (2022). L13 Leadership and Diversity. PSYCH 485 Leadership and Work. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2177519/modules/items/33991792.

Prince, S., Dolan, K., Hunt, V., and Dixon-Fyle, S. (2020 May). Diversity Wins: How inclusion matters. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters.

Statista. (2021 Sep 10). Total population of the United States by gender 2010-2025. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com/statistics/737923/us-population-by-gender/.

United States Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts – United States. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/PST045221

Long Distance Leadership

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Remote working

The coronavirus outbreak that began almost two years ago forced millions of Americans to work from home due to workplace shutdowns and consequently created a significant shift in the way most organizations operate (Parker et al., 2020). Everyone has been affected by the transition to teleworking whether you personally had to pack up a banker’s box with your essential items needed to accomplish your job from home or are a leader of a team that has some employees who telework out of necessity and others who are required to be physically present. I can say from personal experience that I experienced both sides of the coin; I lead a team of essential workers who have been working in-person since day one of the outbreak and now I am a member of a 100% remote team that is based all throughout the U.S.

More than half of employed adults (54%) who can execute their job responsibilities from home report that they would like to continue teleworking most or all the time once the coronavirus outbreak is over (Parker et al., 2020). That should not be a surprise to most people, in fact, remote work and geographically dispersed teams will only increase in comparison to pre-pandemic levels. Virtual teams provide many benefits to include flexibility, convenience, increased diversity, and better task accomplishment (Pennsylvania State University World Campus [PSU WC], 2021), but leaders need to change their management style, take advantage of technology, establish rules of engagement, encourage remote social interactions, and show flexibility to ensure success.

Zoom call

Having only worked within a 100% remote team environment for the past five months has definitely been an adjustment for myself as an individual and I know is also a challenge for leaders who must juggle the daily priorities of accomplishing tasks, staying in constant communication with team members across different time zones, and ensuring the team is social interactive with one another. Many of my team’s meetings are now via Zoom (thankfully because Skype for Business is outdated and has way less features) and the one expectation that my senior manager has set for all of us is we are to have our webcams turned on while actively in the meeting. It is quite easy to disengage and hideout within virtual meetings and by establishing this rule of engagement, it forces us to connect with one another, and it also supports engagement strategies (Gleeson, 2020).

Another new tradition for us has been our weekly team meeting on Wednesdays via Zoom. From an individual contributor’s perspective, this new rhythm allows my teammates from California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Alabama to interact with one another for 30 minutes and focus on team building and morale. From a leadership perspective, that weekly scheduled meeting is accomplishing all eight principles of mastering virtual leadership of teams (Deloitte Denmark, 2020):

  1. Re-igniting team purpose
  2. Establishing a new rhythm
  3. Tracking progress
  4. Leveraging technology to collaborate
  5. Be visible and check-in frequently
  6. Strategically over-communicate
  7. Empower and promote self-leadership
  8. Ensuring the well-being of all the team members

Leading virtual and geographically dispersed teams is challenging because it goes against the grain of what many organizations are accustomed to – traditional face-to-face interactions. If there is any kind of silver lining to the covid-19 outbreak, it is the unexpected success and resilience from remote-working teams and the leaders who are developing better strategies to lead them (Sills, 2021).

 

References

Gleeson, B. (2020, August 26). 13 tips for leading and managing remote teams. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brentgleeson/2020/08/26/13-tips-for-leading-and-managing-remote-teams/?sh=226b84fc577b

Parker, K., Horowitz, J. M., & Minkin, R. (2020, December 9). How the coronavirus outbreak has – and hasn’t – changed the way Americans work. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/12/09/how-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-and-hasnt-changed-the-way-americans-work/

Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2021). PSYCH 485 Lesson 9: Team leadership – geographically dispersed teams. https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2132629/modules/items/32790622

Sills, D. (2021, July 2). 17 tips for leading virtual teams. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/202107/17-tips-leading-virtual-teams

Spilling the Beans on Howard Schultz’s Leadership Style Approach: Relational Behavior

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As a college student working into the wee hours of the night has become a common theme for me and for many other students who decide to put themselves through the torture of hardcore studying. We, college students, have found many ways to keep ourselves awake, from toothpicks in our eyes (okay, that is a bit exaggerated!) to energy drinks or even brewing and drinking tubs of ground coffee. There is never a short supply of ideas or methods that have been used to keep us hammering away through the night. One beverage that has helped keep me wired during the night has been a sugar-packed and greatly caffeinated drink from Starbucks called the white chocolate mocha. This particular drink already comes with 2 shots of espresso, but its full effect (in my case) cannot be felt unless that third extra shot of espresso is added to the drink. That is right; my $5 coffee needs to come with that extra kick! Unfortunately, that extra kick is full of regret when it wears off and when I can no longer greet Abraham Lincoln as I open my wallet.

White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks. Image Credit: Ericka – flickr

So, I find myself wondering why I and many others remain entrapped in this relationship with Starbucks? That is, why do I always keep coming back for more? I believe that it could because of the welcoming environment and positive interactions I experience each time I step into a Starbucks shop. Much credit for this environment existing in these coffee shops can be given to the type of transformational leadership that Howard Schultz modeled during his tenure as Starbucks’ CEO from 1986 to 2000 and 2008 to 2017.

Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz Talks to the Media. Image Credit: Richard Eriksson – flickr

Early on, Schultz understood the importance of recognizing his followers as “partners” (Loudenback, 2015). This understanding helped Schultz skillfully develop relationships with his followers and strengthen the engagement processes between his role as a leader and his “partners'” role as followers (Northouse, 2019). Furthermore, he believed that empowering his followers (i.e., partners) helped foster an environment where they were free to share ideas and concerns without chastisement from leadership. This display of leadership behavior is indicative of the relationship behavior Schultz chose to exhibit through his leadership style approach as Starbucks’ CEO (Northouse, 2019).

The leadership approach called “Style Approach” (or “Behavioral Approach”) comprises two types of behaviors known as “task approach” and “relationship behaviors” (Northouse, 2019). Although both behaviors are important when examining the Style Approach, Schultz has placed much of his leadership focus on this particular approach’s relationship behavior.    

The relationship behavior that drives Schultz’s leadership style approach is attributed to a personal life experience that impacted him at a young age. Schultz’s father was injured when Schultz was a kid. As a result, Schultz’s father lost his job, financially impacting Schutz’s family (Biel, 2018). The hardships that followed from this event compelled Schultz to remain cognizant of Blake and Mouton’s Leadership Grid® factor of “concern for people” and motivated him to put his followers’ needs first (Northouse, 2019). As Soni (2020) noted, “Schultz maintained the pecking order: partners, customers, and shareholders” (para. 3). Schultz’s hierarchy of importance, although quite unorthodox (in that customer always comes first), emphasized the significant value that Schultz placed on his followers (Northouse, 2019).

Supporting his followers’ ambitions and desires was a primary priority of Schultz’s, which is another component that fulfills the “concern for people” factor (Northouse, 2019). He advocated for and established several financial assistance programs (e.g., college pay, health insurance, stock purchase programs) for all his partners or employees (Biel, 2018). He supported the hiring of veterans and refugees, and he participated in open forums held for Starbucks employees that allowed them to share their views on race relations and further discuss this particular topic with Schultz (Weisul, 2015). Again, this active engagement with his employees that Shultz adopted was an example of his effort to promote effective social interactions through the relationship behavior he demonstrated in his leadership (Northouse, 2019).

Another relationship behavior that Shultz did not shy away from was his complete honesty and candor with problems faced by Starbucks (Northouse, 2019). During the Great Recession of 2008, Starbucks took a major hit on its sales, and Schultz responded with changes that impacted many stores and employees. He was advised against being transparent about the company’s health and sharing details about store closures, as this would most likely harm employee morale for those still employed (Valet, 2019). Despite the pushback he received from his management teams, he remained faithful to his obligations as a 9,9 leader (focused on team relationships) and recognized that he had an obligation to disclose the obstacles faced by the company, provide direction for the company’s future, and preserve his employees’ trust that the decisions made by leadership in response to the circumstances would benefit the entire organization (Northouse, 2019).

“How could I ask something of them if they didn’t have the total picture, the total understanding of what the situation was and how dire it was? I knew instinctively that I needed to share with them 100% of the truth.” – Howard Schultz, Howard Schultz Teaches You How To Be A Leader In A Crisis

Howard Schultz’s leadership behavior has continued to make news even after stepping down as Starbucks’ CEO. In 2020, Schultz and other chefs and foundations took action by providing some funds to families in the restaurant business facing financial distress from COVID-19 (Guarente, 2020). Even though much of the relationship behavior components examined by researchers cover the interactions that occur within an organization (Northouse, 2019), Schultz has proven that these same behaviors surpass the workplace’s boundaries. Part of meeting Blake and Mouton’s “concern for people” requires special attention to individuals’ needs (Northouse, 2019). Schultz’s initiative to provide monetary support for other restaurant workers in his community showed his effort to alleviate the stresses that came with the situation everyone was experiencing (Northouse, 2019).

Since 1986, Schultz has exemplified great leadership with his leadership style approach, specifically with his relationship behavior. He has treated his employees with respect, listened to their concerns, and tried to respond to their needs. This is not to say that he has always achieved meeting his partners’ or employees’ expectations. However, he has always tried to empathize with their situations and foster an environment where employees can feel acknowledged (Valet, 2019). There may be other elements or leadership approaches that have contributed to his success as a leader. However, his relationship behavior has shown to be monumental when further examining his leadership style.

References:

Biel, J. (2018). 2 Leadership Traits Howard Schultz Used To Grow His Brand. In Grow Wire. Retrieved from https://www.growwire.com/howard-schultz-leadership-style

Ericka. (2013). White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlovesfuni2/8849437477/in/photolist-etZFse-PuXPC4-fPLEEy-7JWLsK-dpm7NW-9Afcjt-57krwG-zSQUc-4me7mo-Am3oih-nYosFr-6yTCxK-6PLtGp-63uGMg-97D5n4-aENZvk-9wkcEo-aTa5SF-21xqpDk-5KXo9G-9gMcsN-zPjRPt-farBgx-daxan4-7eDdoJ-aEjFZG-63TodK-farBrv-5BtSNa-ejPSt-iG99pZ-ejPHj-bUeSoG-dc7rmx-iaa1Z3-884mUK-4EcQo1-ak9BMX-8cteUM-7wCwk4-5N4T1u-pESKg4-azMZxn-btqzUK-riDxsp-wcS3X-aTa6hv-5FG2c3-8UXXXp-8c44Zv

Eriksson, R. (2007). Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz Talks to the Media [Photograph]. In flickr. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/sillygwailo/407257955/in/photolist-BZiAT-23U3mNR-2evsR9i-2d7Ge7R-23U3CZD-QKb3dn-rMApQo-2eqRsPy-SnmeKN-SnmGVQ-2d7G7qe-SnkAVL-2dpr1P1-C1hYz-2evsTrV-2eqRpXw-9GmHb6-2d7GoMn-2evt6Kx-2evtadz-2dprhh5-23U3G8x-2evtcNK-23U3H2r-2dprrgs-2eqREku-2dprnYf-QKbhp8-23U3QGr-Snm9gm-2eqRYsG-23U3Zd4-23U3XFg-2eqRZuS-SnmfBC-2d7GWqT-SnmFSh-2d7GX4g-2eqS9iy-2d7GXDz-QKbNDg-2eqS5Mf-2dpsaFC-2dprZLh-QKbFF8-23U4nak-2dpsbxY-2d7H7UP-2d7H5Pr-2dprXAW

Guarente, G. (2020). Howard Schultz and Seattle Nonprofits Launch Fund to Give Immediate Cash to Laid Off Restaurant Workers. In Eater Seattle. Retrieved from https://seattle.eater.com/2020/4/6/21209333/the-plate-fund-500-dollars-cash-to-restaurant-workers-seattle-king-county

Loudenback, T. (2015). The incredible rags-to-riches story of Starbucks billionaire Howard Schultz. In Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/howard-schultz-profile-2015-10

Northouse, P.G. (2019). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Soni, P. (2020). Entrepreneurial Lessons From Howard Schultz and Starbucks: How To Tide Over Recession With Reinvigoration. In Entrepreneur India. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/351856

Valet, V. (2019). Howard Schultz Teaches You How To Be A Leader In A Crisis. In Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/vickyvalet/2019/01/24/howard-schultz-teaches-you-how-to-be-a-leader-in-a-crisis/?sh=7826ae033da7

Weisul, K. (2015). Starbucks’s Howard Schultz Goes Where CEOs Fear to Tread: Race Relations. In Inc. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/starbucks-ceo-howard-schultz-race-relations.html

Globalization, Culture and Leadership Challenges

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Globalization is defined as “the increased interdependence between nations” on economic, social, technical and political fronts (Northouse, 2016, p. 427).”  Increased globalization in recent years has created new leadership challenges as well as the need for leaders to increase their understanding of different cultures and diverse work forces.  Overseas assignments and working abroad has been happening for decades, however.  De la Garza (2009) indicated that the 1980s saw many studies focused on identifying the characteristics of leaders and business executives best suited to lead in multicultural contexts.  This lead to a term in international business known as cultural intelligence.  Cultural intelligence is defined as being skilled and flexible in understanding cultures, learning from multicultural interactions and then adjusting personal thinking and behavior to interact appropriately with other people from different cultures (Thomas & Inkson, 2004 as cited in De la Garza et al, 2009).

Cultural intelligence is critical now more than ever with increased globalization.  According to Northouse (2016), leaders also have to become more competent in diverse, cross-cultural awareness and practice.  Adler and Bartholomew (1992, as cited in Northouse, 2016) suggested that leaders had to develop five cross-cultural competencies.  Amongst them was the need to be highly skilled in working with people from many cultures, as well as being able to adapt to living, communicating and relating with people from other cultures from “a position of equality rather than cultural superiority (Adler & Bartholomew, 1992 as cited in Northouse, 2016, p. 428)”.

Research on cultural intelligence indicated that it has three components: cognitive, motivational, and behavioral components. Trevino (2017) summarizes this and provides a version with two parts: the cognitive part, which relates to the person’s knowledge about the new culture, and the action part, which is the ability to translate that knowledge and motivation into an action.  This supports what Northouse suggests in saying that leaders need to be more competent in both behaviors and practice.  These cross-cultural competencies, however, are not only critical for leaders, they are also important for spouses and families who accompany them to assignments abroad.

We see this all too often in the military; in fact, it is essentially a way of life for many of our military families.  Studies indicate that diversity and cross-cultural training for spouses and partners of employees working abroad is equally important for them as it is for the employee.  Trevino (2017) suggests that the higher the position of the employee, the more likely it is that their partner also has functions or roles of “ambassador” for the company. This suggests that adapting to a new culture is critical for everyone, including families in global positions or jobs.  Fortunately, our families do receive the necessary training to assist in overcoming potential cultural barriers when we move to locations overseas.

Research indicates that there are some barriers, however, that are not explicitly presented and that there are factors that affect intercultural communication. This is particularly relevant in negotiation processes or between implicit and explicit communication.  For example, in countries like the United States, it is very common for people to say what they think explicitly, clearly and unambiguously.  On the other hand, in other countries such as Japan, people use more implicit languages and communications that are less clear.  For example, a person can answer the following to an unacceptable offer, “Thank you … I will consider your request very carefully.” For an American, this can easily mean that the discussion will continue and that the matter will be reconsidered in the future.  However, in Japanese culture (and in other cultures in which it is a common practice to avoid direct conflict), the message is clearly a “NO”.  My spouse and I received cross-cultural training when we first arrived in Japan, and I vividly remember when our host said, “In Japan, we don’t say NO, we just don’t tell you YES”.  We all laughed as she smiled modestly.

I would suggest that as leaders, we have to be familiar with the cultures, countries and places we operate in, but we must also be highly skilled in interacting with diverse groups.  According to Northouse (2016, p. 430), “a skilled leader needs to find ways to negotiate with followers from various cultural backgrounds.”  With increased globalization, this is critical now more than ever, and we must ensure that our organizations are implementing the right training strategies to assist us, other employees and families in overcoming diversity and cultural challenges.

References

De la Garza, M., Guzmán-Soria, E., Hernández-Soto, D. (2009). Cultural and personal considerations in international negotiations.  Journal of Globalization, Competitiveness & Governability, vol. 3, pp. 64-89

Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

Trevino, L. (2017). Managing Business Ethics: Straight Talk about How to Do it Right (7th edition). John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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