Integrating Culture and Management in Global Organizations
INSIDE 2 From the Editor --
Opening a Dialogue
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Mis-understanding Arabs by Gary R. Weaver
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Working Lunches and État Civil by Michael Balz
H-1B Workers - Is It Fun Anymore? by Robinder Sachdev For decades skilled immigrant labor has been contributing to the economic powerhouse that is America. The technology industry in particular has been a constant consumer of skilled professionals, and over time, immigration policy has adapted to industry needs – reflected in the growing quota for H-1B visas over the recent years. One reason why the technology industry has been able to absorb and utilize foreign workers is the fact that most of the work handled by these workers is quantitative in nature – i.e., engineering, software development, database management, etc. The qualitative aspects have traditionally been the domain of the domestic professionals or at most of foreign professionals educated in the US. The economic boom of the late 90’s led to a hiring spree of foreign workers – particularly in the telecommunication and the dot-com sectors.
This trend was accompanied with its own cultural issues – both for the firms as well as the employees. However, it may be said that these issues were benign in nature compared to what the H-1B professional faces today in a scenario that is immigrant unfriendly post September 11 and worker unfriendly due to the ongoing recession. The pre-2001 issues were related to management and mobility – both professional and class. Management was concerned with recruitment and retention of quality workers in a competitive environment. Accompanying these concerns was the challenge of cross-cultural communication and intercultural management at the workplace. On the other hand, workers were enthused with participating in a free-market where they could realize further monetary gains and move into decision-making positions.
Continued on page 4
6 Book Reviews
The McSally Case, A Critical Issue for Interculturalists by Debbie D. Gulick
10 From the Popular Press Volume 3, Number 1
Spring 20 0 2 E diti o n A quarterly publication produced by the Intercultural Management Institute, School of International Service at American University
Lt. Col. Martha McSally has sparked debate on a fundamental and provocative question about overseas policies that all international managers dfgdfg should consider: To what extent should expatriates be required to follow their host country’s customs when those customs are contrary to their own beliefs? McSally is the U.S. Air Force’s highestranking female fighter pilot, one of the first seven women in the Air Force allowed to fly fighter jets, and the first woman in history to fly a fighter jet in combat. She is currently suing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the United States government to alter a controversial U.S. military policy in Saudi Arabia.
The lawsuit is critical and controversial because it touches on delicate areas of gender, religion, culture, and values. It is a particularly imperative case for international managers because it examines the difficulties that an organization -- in this case a government -- faces in applying differing standards of behavior for its employees depending on the culture in which it is operating. With the correct approach, the McSally case can serve as a springboard for international managers to take the lead in determining the best practices for this difficult management issue – one that is a persistent problem for many international organizations. Continued on page 9
From the Editor Opening a Dialogue If you’re reading these words, two things are clear: you’re interested in intercultural management issues, and you care enough about them to stay abreast of the latest developments in the field. This is likely even more true if you are one of the many who is reading this passage as you participate in the Intercultural Management Institute’s (IMI) conference “Developing Intercultural Leadership: A Forum for Business, Education and Training Professionals.” This edition of IMQ is being released in conjunction with IMI’s conference. If you weren’t able to join us this year, we hope you’ll mark your calendars for IMI’s next conference in March of 2003 here in Washington, D.C. Every day, more and more companies become “international” by virtue of having brought on their first nondomestic client or outsourcing product production to a factory outside their borders. It’s likely that you are either someone who has been called on to advise those companies on how to interact most productively with their colleagues from other cultures or one of those who receive such advice. You may even be a member of the academy seeking new
frameworks with which to consider important cross-cultural issues. IMQ will be most valuable to the intercultural management community if you the reader use it to start a dialogue about your experiences and expertise and to ask questions of your colleagues. Together, those who read this publication constitute an extraordinary database of cross-cultural information, regardless of whether they are managers, consultants, students, academics or otherwise. However, that database can never adequately be tapped without your active participation. That’s why I’m calling on you to take a lead in the development of this field. We at IMQ want your thoughts. We want your submissions. We want your feedback. Tell us how we’re doing, and tell us what you think of our articles. We’re here for you, but we can’t serve you well unless we know what you’re thinking. Sincerely, Ian D. Larsen
The Intercultural Management Quarterly is a student-run, founded, and managed publication. It was established by the International Communication Student Forum at the School of International Service at American University. It combines new and original research being conducted in the field of intercultural management with the applied perspectives of industry experts. The IMQ integrates the experience of students from various areas of concentration at AmericanUnivesity. Due to this interdisciplinary approach, the IMQ is a unique knowledge source for professionals. If you are interested in sponsoring an issue of IMQ, please contact the Managing Editor at editor@imquarterly.com.
IMQ STAFF
IMQ CONTACT
Executive Director • Dr. Gary R. Weaver Managing Editor • Ian D. Larsen Publication Manager • Shawn M. Bates Senior Editor • Debbie D. Gulick
Intercultural Management Quarterly School of International Service Phone: (202) 885-1846 Fax: (202) 885-1331 E-mail: info@imquarterly.com
Contributing Writers Robinder Sachdev Debbie D. Gulick Michael Balz Chrysoula Economopoulos Dr. Gary R. Weaver Shawn M. Bates Editorial Review Board Ian D. Larsen, Shawn M. Bates, Debbie D. Gulick Dr. Gary R. Weaver
© 2002 Intercultural Management Quarterly
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Mis-Understanding Arabs Some Americans’ anti-Arab reactions to September 11 were quick and terrifying. Taking the time to understand Islamic culture might have gone a long way toward speeding the healing process. There have been numerous incidents of attacks against Arabs and vandalized mosques since September 11, particularly in the first weeks after the tragedies. These attacks struck such fear in America’s Islamic community that some Muslim women avoid wearing their traditional dress on the street to prevent any possibility of harassment. At least one very public instance of racial profiling took place when a commercial airline flight was stopped on the tarmac before it could depart because passengers were “uncomfortable” with their “Arab-looking” fellow passengers. Arab Americans have been shot at and beaten since September 11. Darkskinned cab drivers in Manhattan have been bombarded with stones. Louisiana Congressman John Cooksey even announced on a radio show in September, “If I see someone coming that’s got a diaper on his head, that guy needs to be pulled over.” While he later apologized, he clearly felt secure making the comment at the time. Fortunately these incidents are decreasing and it is unlikely that Arabs will be rounded up and put in internment camps like the Japanese in California during World War II. However, it is important to remember that the U.S. did not arrest German or Italian citizens, take their property or transport their families to desert campsites during that war. What was the difference? Physical appearance and cultural difference. When Timothy McVeigh destroyed the federal building in Oklahoma City, no one blamed young white Christian men or stopped them at airports to question them. We knew that McVeigh was a deviant and a fanatic who did not represent all Christians or white males. We could even imagine him drinking with his buddies in some bar and devising a bizarre conspiracy theory about how the U.S. government was
by Gary R. Weaver
plane. We notice that the Arab passenger doesn’t even make eye contact with taken over by foreigners and actually us— and we might conclude from this was the enemy of good American that he can’t be trusted or is hostile. Christians. Leaders of various Christian But, he may just be fairly traditional and denominations spoke out and detherefore avoids making direct eye nounced his zealotry. We saw him as an contact, especially with young females individual, a criminal, not as a represenwho may be the flight attendants. He tative of an entire group of people. thinks he’s being polite, not threatening sdfds While all Americans have met white or dangerous. Instead of considering male Christians, very few Americans the possibility that the lack of eye have even talked with an Arab. Many contact may be a matter of cultural are not even sure what Arabs look like. differences, we’re ready to summon the Indians, Latinos and even some Italians pilot to stop from taking off. and Greeks have been harassed just Until very recently, most Americans because they “looked” like Arabs. had no understanding of Islam. Some Many Americans assume that all even referred to the religion as Arabs in the U.S. are Muslims when, in “Mohammedism,” as if Muslims worship fact, over 75 percent are Christian and the Prophet Mohammed. In fact Islam is they come in all shades with every hair built upon many of the religious color and texture in the human race. In principles we find in Judaism and fact, the largest Muslim populations in Christianity and all three religions go the world are not Arab. Indonesia has back to the Old Testament and the largest number of Muslims (170.3 Abraham. Muslims believe that Moses million) followed by Pakistan, and Jesus were prophets but that the Bangladesh and India. These three final prophet or messenger of God was nations alone account for over half of Mohammed who was given the word of the 1.3 billion Muslims in the world. God in the Koran. Most interpretations Most Americans do not personally of the Koran do not condone terrorist know Arabs and most have little violence and there is a profound respect understanding of for all Arab culture or “If I see someone coming that’s religions and Islam. This religious got a diaper on his head, that contributes to people in the prejudice Islam. guy needs to be pulled over.” that leads to Because we -Congressman John Cooksey (R-LA) racial harassment don’t know and profiling. Arab culture Prejudice is primarily a combination or individual Arabs, it is easy to be of “rule-of-thumb thinking” and “being down on them. We can easily dehumandown on that which you are not up on.” ize and deindividuate people when we These two aspects of prejudice are don’t see our brother or sister when we exacerbated and exaggerated in a crisis look in their faces. situation when we are afraid of those The mass media has helped us who are different. perpetuate this prejudice with the We don’t consider how irrational it continual portrayal of Arabs in the is to assume that the Arab-looking entertainment and news media as gentleman across the aisle who is inhuman caricatures of “sheiks” or quietly reading his book is more “terrorists.” There are few media images dangerous than the three skin heads of Arab parents playing with their shouting at each other in the front of the Continued on page 9
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The H-1B:What’s a Guest Worker to Do? Continued from page 1 ____________________________________ The year 2001changed much of the sponsorship, and many companies refuse It is important to note the plight of sdfsdfsdfsdfsdf to sponsor candidates (though the priorities and dynamics for the immithe H-1B community in the US at a time administrative and legal costs are no more when competitiveness in the internagrant skilled worker. The ongoing than a couple of thousand dollars). She recession has led companies to lay off tional marketplace is becoming even employees at an unprecedented scale – has to obtain the job and file her legal more acute. Several countries - Germany, dfdfsdf papers within a time frame that is unrealiswith the immigrant worker facing the England, Finland, Japan, Australia, New If theand current gloomy sentiment tically short to say theIfleast. The next twin challenge of economics Zealand, etc. - are designing immigration option is to pack her bags and go back to policies to attract and retain the profesmaintaining a legal status in the conconcontinues the home country – being ripped from an sional talent that they need in order for country (assuming that s/he wishes to environment where she was beginning to their economies to prosper. If the current continue to stay in the US – which is dfgdfggdfg sdfsd roots. find social and professional generally the case). In fact, a US job, gloomy sentiment continues to be If she went to school in the US, which used to be a matter of pride back reinforced in the mindset of the globally spending tens of thousands of dollars, home for most workers, is now losing oriented professional, the US may find would not even have its shine. Nowhere is this more evident most probably she that some of the brightest and best dfgdfgdfgfg recovered the investment she made in the minds are lost to it. than in the marriage discussions in the educational system – let alone a return on high-context cultures, where matchLet us not be mistaken – the US will that investment. This has negative making is almost a “community” affair. always be a very attractive destination to connotations in the long run for educaParents are increasingly reluctant to a great many people. However, it may tional institutions that rely on foreign marry their daughters to a US-based lose its shine for some of the most worker because they are made aware by students to help fill their rosters. After creative folks – those who value and the media of the difficulties and lay-offs all, why will a foreign national spend require freedom in order to innovate. thousands of dollars at a US university facing the prospective groom. Over time, such individuals will be In fact, a subtle sentiment seems to when she is not even certain of recouping attracted to other economic clusters, the investment or gaining useful work taking hold among the H-1B worker regardless of location. Whereas, among community – whereas earlier they were those who are sdfsdf working to participate in an egalitarian dfgdf If the current gloomy sentiment continues willing to trade off manner in the US, now its not uncomthe freedom for a mon to find the sad realization of a ‘stable’ experisecond class status in this country. If to be reinforced...the U.S. may find that some future, ence The nature of the H-1B status – which again dfgdf that binds you to work for a particular would be of employer and obtain a new sponsor in of the best and brightest minds are lost to it. case you wish to make a change in your value back home? job – already had an inherent fgdfg implicaAnother alternative frequently being the competing global destinations will be tion of ‘bonded’ labor. evaluated in the H-1B circles, and which The pre-2001 era seemed sympaattractive – since they offer the ability to thetic to this plight, and did allow some seems to be gaining traction, is immigraplan at least one’s short-term future tion to Canada. Canada, with its compara- without the fear of being uprooted leeway for workers to transition from one employer to another. However, the tively welcoming attitude towards overnight. professional workers, is emerging as an tragic incidents of September 11 have attractive destination. The one distinchanged this friendly tilt. The sentiRobinder Sachdev is an adjunct faculty ment seems to be moving away from an guishing element of Canadian policy is member in the International Communithe absence of a ‘sponsorship’ requireegalitarian urge, towards maintaining cation Program at American University ment. The professional, once admitted residency in the US, albeit secondand co-founder of Spectrum Analysis, into the Canadian system, is free to class. Inc., a broadband wireless ISP serving Once an H-1B worker is laid off, the choose his employer – the notion of the Northern Virginia market. ‘bonded’ employment is absent. This options for her are fraught with implies that when you lose your job, you uncertainty. The first, of course is to find another job. Here she is competing have only the economic worries, and need not fear the crumbling of your personal, with a pool of similarly situated social and professional dreams. professionals who may not require
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Working Lunches and État Civil Tales of French/American Contrast by Michael Balz At Washington’s chapter of the Alliance-Française, an international, non-profit organization committed to the teaching of the French language and the promotion of francophone cultures, I often have the opportunity to observe interaction of people with various backgrounds, especially those of French or American origin. Frequently at our “Round Table Discussions,” in which French learners and speakers gather to discuss current events in a friendly environment, issues will be discussed and the participants at these tables, each with a unique background, will arrive at different results, which is often a direct function of differences in cultural identity. These differences, which enhance human diversity and provide the development for cultural exchange, naturally extend into the business world. Though France and the United States are certainly both major players on the international commercial playing field, business in these two economies are conducted in subtly, but significantly, different ways. French culture long has had its roots in the family. Through uppermiddle class businessmen, this principle has extended and is now, in delicate ways, a cornerstone of conducting business in France. For example, there has been in recent years a movement to begin work days earlier in the United States. It is no longer uncommon for business hours to extend well beyond the traditional 9-5. In fact, even as the average weekly number of aggregate hours worked decreases worldwide, it is becoming more common that businesses in the U.S. open at 8:00 or even 7:30, and in turn remain working until after 6:00. Such hours would be unthinkable in France. Though there are exceptions to every rule, most parents are still home to see their children to school each morning as neither school nor work begins before 9:00. In the French tradition, after arriving at work, most
days begin with coffee and discussion between coworkers for a fair period of time, while it is more common for people in the United States to directly begin their busy days. In order to socialize with coworkers and have a morning cup of coffee, employees in the U.S. frequently come to work earlier to allow themselves an appropriate amount of time for such non-business related activity. As they begin their day later, the French often also work later, sometimes until 8:00, at which time it is common for French to go to a café to have a drink with their colleagues before going home for the evening; dinner is often after 9:00. This system allows the French to spend more time with their children. While both parents generally work, classes in public schools do not end until 5:00. More and more, children in the United States are overloaded with extra-circular activities which occupy them from the time school ends until mid-evening, thus sometimes prohibiting nightly family dinners. However, nightly dinner is one of the most important elements of daily French life, blending the staunch tradition of the family along with celebrated French gastronomy. That second great French tradition, gastronomy, also plays a large role in French commerce. While the concept of the “working lunch” certainly is practiced State-side of the Atlantic, the French practice of a “business lunch” is a very different thing. Lunch is generally at a restaurant (the quality of which depends on how favorably the colleague is looked upon by he who proposes the lunch), and business is discussed through the course of a long meal. At such lunches, contracts are signed, deals are made, and people are brought to work in new firms. This tradition remains strong even as the world so quickly changes and so many former traditions are lost even during the current movement toward a more
uniform global marketplace. Not surprisingly, the party that proposes the lunch is generally further advanced in the company than he who is invited, which leads to another key difference between businesses in France and in the United States: The concept of seniority and the related hierarchy. The French, at least since the Napoleonic era, have shown an obsession for a clearly defined and strictly followed hierarchy. While in the United States, it is common that a young college graduate quickly advances to a high-level position because of his or her performance in the workplace, the French concept of hierarchy is much more rigid. Regardless of aptitude, promotions in both the public and private sectors of French commerce are generally based on experience, even at the sake of someone younger but better qualified. The notion of seniority also extends to the antithesis of being promoted—being laid off. While layoffs are certainly less frequent in semisocialist France than they are in the more economically conservative United States, if layoffs are necessary, those laid off will likely be those with the least experience at their current post. It is interesting that companies in the United States have recently been employing the opposite strategy: laying off those workers who have worked longer at the company, as they are generally better paid and with better fringe benefits. As a result, it is obvious why the average worker in the United States changes jobs five times during his or her career, while French workers more often work with the same firm for their entire professional careers. The last great French tradition I will detail here is just that… tradition. The French still draw from their rich history to manage business in ways that would be unthinkable to the U.S. labor force. Some of these differences are rather subtle: For example, U.S. workers are Continued on page 8
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Book Reviews The Expert Expatriate:
Your Guide to Successful Reloation Abroad Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman
Review by: Shawn Bates Yarmouth:Intercultural Press 2002, 264 pp. In The Expert Expatriate, Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman have created one of the most complete guides to life as an expatriate currently available. Based on their personal experiences, this book finally brings together in one place the answers to many of the most basic, vexing questions about preparing for an international relocation. However, if you are looking for a manual on becoming an expatriate – on finding the assignment that will send you overseas – this is not the book for you.
The authors have done a wonderful job for anyone who is already in the position of having accepted, or is considering accepting, the offer of an international assignment. The resources offered to someone looking for the opportunity to go overseas are minimal – but that advice is the province of other books, and the authors do not presume to make it theirs. Intercultural trainers, writers, and researchers seek to give the reader or trainee the theory behind culture shock, to introduce others to values continuums, Ucurves of adjustment and review once more the iceberg analogy of culture. All of these concepts are necessary for the individual and family moving overseas in order to make the quickest and healthiest adjustment to the new culture. Too often,
though, in the short time frequently allowed for such training, the important details and behaviors involved in day-to-day living are missed. The Expert Expatriate fills in those gaps and at the same time acknowledges the importance of the cultural adjustment process. Hess and Linderman provide the reader with practical suggestions on what to take in sea freight, how to move a pet overseas, how to manage household help and involve the children in the move, and they ultimately relate it all to making the overseas assignment a success. Preparation for a move can make much of the stress of entering a new culture easier. But no single resource is able to give everyone all of the answers. In anticipation of Continued on page 7
Building Cross-Cultural Competence: How to Create Wealth from Conflicting Values Charles M. Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars Review by: Chrysoula Economopoulos New Haven:Yale University Press 2000, 343 pp. In an age of increased globalization and transparency of national borders, it seems almost a part of human nature to ascribe predominant cultural traits to groups of people. As warned by Gary Weaver, cultural categorizations such as these are privy to oversimplification and generalization. However, these same categories are immensely helpful insofar as they provide us with general traits and a basis of comparison by which we can better understand a previously unknown “other” culture. As the character of business has become more global, the average work team and environment has also changed
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dramatically to reflect these diverse and increasingly complex multicultural dimensions. This changed environment has created significant challenges for the international manager. Targeted to this group, Building Cross-Cultural Competence: How to Create Wealth from Conflicting Values, co-written by Charles Hampden-Turner and Fons Trompenaars, seeks to elucidate a number of contrasting cultural characteristics, or value dimensions by increasing intercultural competence. With such an understanding, the ultimate goal is to create greater wealth for the parties involved. The authors describe six value dimensions with each dimension containing two values at either end of a continuum. Framed primarily from the vantage point of American culture, the dominant American value is described
and emphasized, and then is compared with unconventional reversals of that order — or that value’s mirror image — as used by certain foreign cultures. This reversal helps us “discover that what we see so clearly, some foreigners miss. What they see so clearly most of us miss.” The ultimate goal of such an analysis? To “perceive and think in both directions” and to generate greater wealth by better comprehending innate value differences that exist between cultures. Greater wealth in this context is defined not only in terms of financial gain, but more fundamentally in terms of better-functioning work relationships, a more synergistic work environment, and greater knowledge of self and those around you. Continued on page 8
Learning Interdependence
: A Case Study of the International/Intercultural Education of First-Year College Students
Lea
David J. Bachner, Laurence J. Malone and Mary C. Snider Review by: Gary R. Weaver Columbia:University of South Carolina 2001, 203 pp. A major area of growth for most universities is providing their students group overseas experience. There are at least 50 U.S. universities that claim that they are providing a “global education” and a key component is study abroad. At almost all of these universities, the student’s overseas experience takes place after the freshman year and usually after basic or general education requirements have been met. Furthermore, most universities encourage a full semester abroad without much pre-departure briefing and certainly no real crosscultural orientation or language training. In my experience this strategy does little more than perpetuate stereotypes and offer misleading “survival information.” However, in their new book, Learning Interdependence : A Case Study of the International/Intercultural Education of First-Year College Students, David J. Bachner, Laurence J. Malone and Mary C. Snider outline an innovative new twist on the old standard of student study abroad programs. The program
they describe is entirely different. It provides seven weeks of predeparture orientation including basic language training. The in-country experience is only one month long, and there is an intensive seven-week reentry program. Most importantly, the program is for first-year students and actually begins during the personal transition turmoil of the first semester. This book is formatted as the account of an interdisciplinary team including an administrator and two faculty from very different disciplines who co-taught this overseas experiential course involving three different countries and two languages. It also gives some personal observations by students who actually participated in the program. The frankness with which both faculty and students describe their experiences – good and bad – in this program is striking. This book supports the position that the first-year student will benefit the most from a sojourn overseas that is contexted in cross-cultural studies. The balance between content, process knowledge and skills is nicely covered as well as the need for two faculty from different disciplines
teaching the course. The emphasis on personal transition helps to support the process approach. Learning Interdependence is very well written in a personal, first-person style without much academic jargon. This is exactly the treatment that is appropriate for this subject. There is a clear explanation for the structure, design, purpose and benefits of this type of program. The use of languageand-culture content, the emphasis on the process of learning, and the home stay approaches were especially effective. Anyone who is trying to develop a study abroad program ought to read this book, as should anyone concerned with the freshman year experience, general education requirements and global education. Indeed, Learning Interdependence should be on the bookshelf of any individual who needs to develop or improve the undergraduate study abroad component of a university. It is an excellent overview of significant issues but also a handbook for how a program could be designed, developed, staffed, implemented and improved.
assignees and their families must take, and the humor with which they will have to face the mistakes that they will ultimately make when attempting to interact with a new culture. This is not a definitive work on intercultural adjustment, or even on international assignments. The authors barely address the myriad difficulties of the expatriate work life and the stresses of working in a new culture. Not all of their experiences will be relevant or generalizable for everyone. But no work can be completely comprehensive with regard to an international relocation.
With The Expert Expatriate, Hess and Linderman have provided anyone facing an international relocation with a roadmap – a practical beginning to the adventure of an international assignment.
The Expert Expatriate... Continued from page 6 this, the authors have provided lists not only of household items to be sure not to forget, but also lists of questions to ask the sponsoring organization, movers, and each member of the family in order to ensure a smoother relocation. Overall, the authors have done a remarkable job of bringing together valuable information and resources for potential expatriates – whether it is their first move or their fifteenth. The inclusion of personal experiences at each step in the move – some insightful and some ridiculous – gives this work an appropriate tone for the serious steps that
Shawn Bates is the Associate Director of the Intercultural Management Institute at American University and Publication Manager for the Intercultural Management Quarterly (IMQ).
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BOOK REVIEW Building Cross-Cultural Competence... Continued from page 6 Case In Point: The first value dimension presented is the contrast between Universalism and Particularism. On the one hand, Universalism tries to impose on all members of a class or group the laws of their commonality. On the other hand, Particularism searches for differences among individuals, for unique and exceptional forms of distinction that render people, events, products incomparable and of matchless quality. The American culture places greater value on Universalism. This value is reflected in the system of uniform mass production, which is so dominant in the U.S. In contrast, more Particularist cultures such as the French, are famous for unique products including gourmet foods and fine wines. Cultures throughout the world fall somewhere along the continuum between extreme Universalism and extreme Particularism, depending on their value systems.
The authors point out the best traits of each value, yet caution that each value, when taken too far, possesses the seeds of its own destruction. To remedy this possibility they present specific stories and case studies in which the dilemma was initially problematic, but eventually reconciled. In certain examples, the Universalist value predominates while in others the Particularist value predominates in the conflict existing between the cast of characters. By better understanding the opposing value and incorporating characteristics of that “weaker” value, a more holistic approach was often discovered to create a WIN-WIN, or wealth-generating situation. In other words, a certain degree of intercultural competence was achieved. Critique: Much to their credit, HampdenTurner and Trompenaars, like Weaver, note the pitfalls of relying too much on
cultural categories and stereotypes from the outset of their book. The authors admit that, “In this book we expose cultural stereotypes because they cannot be ignored,” but warn that “everyone can and must go beyond them.” While the first chapter on each cultural dilemma focuses on definitions and is research-based, the second chapter on each relies heavily on examples based on just such cultural stereotypes. The examples are useful in illustrating methods to reconcile opposing cultural values and to create wealthgenerating situations in the workplace. However, the book at times gets bogged down in one example after another, with little attention focused on providing overarching rules to help international managers reconcile similar yet unique dilemmas. In other words, many examples exist throughout the text, but few “rules of thumb” are given to apply to Continued on page 9
Working Lunches... Continued from page 5 generally well adept to discuss a few topics in great detail, whereas businessmen in France are able to discuss a broad range of things, but with little attention to specific detail. Meetings in the United States generally start precisely on time, to be even five minutes late is considered careless and rude. In the typical French fashion, a meeting scheduled to begin at 10:00 probably won’t begin until at least 10:15, and will then continue much later than originally planned, and as all parties will likely go off on several tangents, a thirty-minute meeting easily lasts two hours. However, of these traditions, the most striking and surprising to the commercial sector in the United States would likely be the manner in which the French go about finding a job. Still
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today, French cover letters are never typed, but rather written by hand. In the bourgeois tradition of strict education, perfect spelling and penmanship are considered by some to be essential indicators of one’s intelligence. Lastly, but most shocking, the first thing on a French résumé — a curriculum vitae — is neither education nor experience but État Civil, that is, the applicant’s age, height, weight and marital status. Further, as technology becomes more accessible and less costly, photographs are more and more often digitally included with the cover letter and résumé as well. While this was once standard in the United States but would seem contrary to anti-discrimination laws, it is in France simply a tradition that has not yet faded. Relations between France and the
United States have almost always been politically friendly. The same is true with business. Regardless of these cultural differences, businesses in both France and the United States have been able to come together in order to work cooperatively for each country’s common interest. It is, however, necessary that each party understand the other’s position, that businesses in all cultures be aware of the differences they will face at the bargaining table. A global economy is not a homogenous economy, but rather a harmonious one where cultural differences are understood, accepted and celebrated. Michael Balz is a student at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Building Cross-Cultural Competence ... Continued from page 8 another real life situation. An appendix of the book provides just this type of framework, but might have been more instructive if its elements were present throughout the main text. To illustrate how broadly useful this appendix is, it provides steps towards solving a dilemma originating from cultural differences, notes why these steps have been taken, and lists tools for the manager to use in order to achieve the desired solution — just what is needed in today’s multicultural business environment. Given this anecdotal approach which relies heavily on examples from American culture on the one end, and East Asian culture on the opposite end of each of the value dimensions, it is difficult at times to apply the situations to cultures which fall somewhere in between the two. For these “in-between” cultures, possible paths toward reconciliation are less clear when armed with just the examples provided. Overall, Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars present a highly organized
and understandable analysis of key cultural dilemmas. The authors do not get entrenched in theoretical or overlyacademic lingo. This is significant when noting that the target audience is the international manager set, constrained by deadlines yet looking for a clear overview for a general understanding of cultural differences. This book provides a strong base of elementary knowledge for its target audience in a simple, clear and well-documented manner. Those with a higher level of intercultural experience will benefit from this read primarily if used as a refresher course, but they may leave the forum in search of a deeper assessment and comprehension of these and other complex cultural dimensions. Chrysoula Economopoulos is Communications Director at the American Hellenic Institute in Washington, D.C. and holds an M.A. in International Communication from American University.
Mis-Understanding Arabs... Continued from page 3 children, families living average lives— loving each other, sometimes arguing, with teenagers who want to be like other teenagers. If the image of African Americans in the mass media was as inhuman and negatively stereotyped as that of Arabs, we would all be protesting. It is difficult for Americans to empathize with Arabs as human beings when the roles they play on television and in the movies are demonic, less-than-human, terrorists. The point is not that Arabs should be portrayed as heroes rather than villains. Rather, it is that Arabs ought to be seen as human beings with whom we can empathize. The film Executive Decision was the second highest grossing movie in the U.S. for 10 days in March 1996. In that film Palestinians hijacked a 747 en route to Washington, DC and intended to drop enough nerve gas to kill everyone on the East Coast. One of
them held the Holy Koran in one hand, and before killing passengers, he prayed and then shouted out, “It’s the sword of Islam...sent to deliver a blow to the belly of the infidel!” This is but one example of how Arabs and Muslims are routinely linked to insane terrorism in the mass media. There have been dozens of other such movies in theaters and on television. Until we understand Arabs as human beings—good and bad—it will be easy to perpetuate the racial harassment and even killings. Until we understand that Islam is not inherently violent or hateful, we will never be able to overcome the fear that caused many Americans to lash out in rage at Muslims. Gary R. Weaver is Executive Director of the Intercultural Management Institute and professor of International Communication at American University’s School of International Service.
Air Force... Continued from page 1 The policy McSally is challenging mandates all female personnel not to leave bases in Saudi Arabia without a male escort, not to drive a car, and not to sit in the front seat of a vehicle. It also requires women to wear abayas, traditional black cloth that covers them head-to-toe, when they are off base. McSally’s lawsuit claims that the military’s policy violates her First Amendment right for freedom of religion by forcing her to follow customs mandated by a religion other than her own. Furthermore, she believes that the policy undermines her authority as a military officer and forces her to send messages concerning a woman’s role as subservient to which she does not subscribe. McSally’s claim is complicated because Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled under Islamic law, or Shari’a, in which rules of religion, culture, and society are blended without clear lines of division. The abaya is not simply religious, but social and cultural. It is part of the Saudi culture and custom. Should multinational corporations in Saudi Arabia force women to wear abayas? Is this a violation of a person’s freedom of religion? Multinational organizations certainly have to deal with these issues when making policies for their employees. McSally is also suing on the basis of gender discrimination. The policy does not mandate men to wear traditional Saudi apparel. The Pentagon refutes McSally’s argument of gender discrimination on the basis of the policy having been instated to promote the safety of military personnel and to exhibit American sensitivity to local customs. Moreover, the policy is intended to protect female personnel from being harassed by Saudi religious police. The U.S. government has recently changed its policy to “strongly advise” service women to wear abayas off base, to sit in the back seat of a car, and to Continued on page 12
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From the Popular Press... On occasion, IMQ reproduces articles found in newspapers and magazines around the world. These articles demonstrate both the diffusion and importance of intercultural management issues today. Selections in this edition come from the United Kingdom and Mexico.
Jazz up Your Workers! © Nigel Nicholson A while ago I found myself in a City penthouse addressing the managing directors of a leading international investment bank on the subject of diversity. This was part of a bold initiative to take a critical look at the monoculture of the bank’s trading floors. So there I was, extolling the virtues of multicoloured gender-mixed crosscultural communities and staring at a sea of white middle-class men in blue shirts and dark trousers. I thought my talk wasn’t bad; but the longer I spoke, the more uneasy I became. It wasn’t that they were yawning or walking out. They seemed attentive; they even laughed at my jokes. My creeping disquiet stemmed from a sense that I was a diverting floorshow from which they could remain comfortably disengaged. Despite the evidence I presented, the virtues of diversity were an intellectual ideal removed from the realities of their business. Comments in the Q&A afterwards confirmed my suspicions. To paraphrase: ‘Everything you say may be true, but we’re making pots of money just as we are. Why would we want to become more diverse?’ They have a point. Success is a poor change agent, especially in tough times when weaker rivals are having to trim furiously to compete. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In so many of life’s situations we face the same dilemma. Consider what happens when people choose a life partner. What do we want? A quiet life of perfect harmony with someone who shares our style, tastes and interests? Or someone who leads us toward novel
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experiences and counterbalances our work is to achieve and sustain what I weaknesses with their strengths? call the Duke Ellington Principle. In a The idealist in us inclines toward jazz band no one cares whether you’re the latter. But in reality we tend to opt black or white, old or young, educated for the former - perfect peace isn’t such or not. Only two things matter: can you a bad option. Besides, one needs to look play the music and do you love it? This at the downside of these alternatives. ‘Everything you say may be true, With the former, but we’re making pots of money just the worst thing that can happen is as we are. Why would we want to the relationship become more diverse?’ becomes boring. With the latter it is much worse - mayhem and conflict. spirit, under intelligent and In business, people talk idealistivisionary leadership, brings together cally about synergistic teamwork, disparate styles and talents to make one corporate diversity and learning glorious and unique sound. cultures, but their actions bespeak a The Duke Ellington principle preference for the company of clones flourishes in the best partnerships, and teamwork within monocultural project groups and corporate cultures. corporate communities. Homogeneous Every member knows their individual groups are much easier to maintain - in sound gives something special to the the language of economists they have ensemble, not as a soloist but as a voice lower transaction costs. in harmony with others. Why go through all the hassle of What is the secret? Business getting heterogeneous parties aligned psychology identifies a number of key when you can hit the ground running features: diverse talents bound together with like-minded colleagues? The by shared values, an egalitarian and counterargument is that you can hit informal ethos, people really listening to higher highs and go further when you each other and finding a shared langet the right burn of disparate elements guage, taking time to explore options. coming together. It takes longer, it can The best project groups are hurt, and failure is an ever-present risk. assembled - more by accident than But as you build strength through design - to meet these criteria. They diversity you become a winner. bind people with disparate skills, and a Many of the greatest and most willingness to challenge each other enduring businesses of our time were within a framework of shared values. built on the complementary assets of The vision of what they achieve is partners - soap and candle makers keenly shared, along with the sense that William Procter and James Gamble, without each of them, as an individual, it garage inventors Bill Hewlett and Dave could not happen as effectively. Such Packard or the two Steves, Wozniak and moments give us the most rewarding Jobs, at Apple. But of course we only work experience we have. Sadly, they are remember the success stories. Business all too fleeting, and completely absent in history is littered with failed partnersome jobs. ships. Imagine the Duke Ellington The only way to make diversity Principle writ large - within a corporate
Jazz up ... culture. It does happen. Firms can be found within every sector where diversity is celebrated. Wonderful places to work, they all engage in practices that could be broadly characterised as communal inclusiveness. Typically they offer a range of benefits and social arrangements that signal respect for personal circumstances, plus locally empowering management systems that help individuals to discover and celebrate their unique contribution. So why don’t all businesses follow this path? Seeking comfort we settle unwittingly into monocultures. The specialised nature of the job demands in certain businesses, plus the fact of freedom of assembly in labour markets, accentuates this. We see how much only when we step outside our accounting firm, university or indeed newspaper to see how different life can be elsewhere. So as I regard the tolerant scepticism on the clean-shaven white male faces of my investment bankers, and talk about the wonderful sound they could be making, sadly I understand their silent response great, but not now, thanks. When you are big and powerful it is easier and safer to hang out with your mates and hope no one else steals a march on you. Nigel Nicholson is Professor or Organisational Behaviour at London Business School, and author of Managing the Human Animal (Texere). This article originally appeared in the Observer newspaper of London, England, on July 29, 2001. Used with permission.
Culture Shock: Cross-cultural Teams can Boom or Bust - It All Depends on Managemet Strategy. by Ilya Adler In previous columns, I have argued that cultural diversity in organizations should be welcomed, rather than viewed as a problem to be avoided. Multinational companies in Mexico often have teams made up of Mexicans and Americans and / or Canadians who must work in close contact with one another. Many of my clients, in all honesty, often find the cultural issue an additional burden to the already difficult task of making a team function effectively. They point out, for example, that when cultural standards differ, regardless of the rules the team decides to use, some people will feel frustrated. In some cases, teams spend more time working out these cultural issues than doing actual work. So the question is, do culturally diverse teams perform better or worse than culturally homogenous teams? According to research by Dr. Carol Kovach, from the Graduate School of Management at the University of California at Los Angeles, cross-cultural teams are either highly effective or highly ineffective, whereas most single-culture teams fall somewhere in the middle. How well or poorly a crosscultural team performs depends on the nature of the task and the conditions that prevail. Dr. Nancy Adler, a consultant and McGill University professor of international organizational behavior, states that when teams are given tasks that require innovation, cross-cultural teams perform better, since diverse points of views tend to be more creative than single-culture teams. However, Dr. Adler also points out that the way in which diverse teams are managed largely determines their success or failure. Of the various aspects discussed in her work, she mentions two that I consider to be of special importance: the recognition of differences and avoidance of cultural dominance. I am often hired by companies to provide cross-cultural training, meaning that the company has already recognized that cultural differences exist and need to be dealt with. I am always surprised by how often I meet managers who stub-
bornly and repeatedly resist the training. This is truer of Americans and Canadians, who tend to view the world in terms of individuals (as opposed to groups), and thus reduce cultural differences to personal attributes or personal decisions. They will often argue that patterns described in cultural training do not fit everyone, thus, everything is a matter of personality. By doing so, they have rejected that a group (or a culture) as a whole can find something better, more acceptable or logical. Cross-cultural training is not about applying a pattern to every individual, but is a way to grasp how a social group, as a collective, behaves and interprets behavior. When cultural differences are ignored, cultural dominance is the result. Unfortunately, cultural dominance exists in most companies and teams. It may come from sheer numbers, such as having a vast majority of team members from one culture who impose their own style over the rest of the team. It also comes in the form of a hierarchy, as is the case when teams have some members from headquarters and other members representing subsidiaries. In this case, even if its team representatives are the minority, the headquarters’ standards and style tend to get imposed on the others. This is one reason why teams made of Mexicans and Americans, or Mexicans and Canadians, often consist of Mexican members learning about the style and standards of the others. Very rarely do those teams equally represent the different cultures. So is the effort to have successful cross-cultural teams worth it? I believe so, because in the end, the excellence and innovations currently sought by most companies are best found in culturally diverse teams. Ilya Adler is a professor of business at the United States International University’s Mexico City campus and a principal of Kochman Communication Consultants. Re-printed with permission from Business Mexico magazine.
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“Uniform” Policy
Continued from page 9 have a male escort when traveling off base. McSally refers to these as “cosmetic” changes, claiming that they do not address the substantive issues. For the record, the Saudi government does not require U.S. military women to wear abayas, but it does recommend foreigners wear conservative clothing in public. However, it is Saudi law that women cannot drive a vehicle. The “golden rule” for international managers is for a person to adapt to the native country’s customs, which this policy follows. So, does McSally have a valid argument? The issue of women working overseas has been discussed and researched intensely in the past decade. However, little agreement has been reached with regard to the rules that female expatriates should live by in host countries, in part because there are no easy answers to this question. We should open dialogue in order to determine where the boundaries should be drawn. Katie Couric of NBC’s Today show recently interviewed McSally and asked, “Shouldn’t there be a certain amount of respect when you’re in a foreign land?” In her answer, McSally both agreed and disagreed, responding, “Well – absolutely. And if – if it means, you know,
taking off your shoes when you go into a Japanese restaurant and those type of things, I think that’s … very important. But when the culture of your host nation treats 50 percent of the population [as] not as valuable as the other 50 percent … then I think it’s abhorrent that we would impose those customs on our own military women that are putting their lives on the line to fight for American values.” So, at the macro level, the question is, ‘How do we reconcile fundamental conflicts between our own values and those of a host country or culture?’ In an interview with Tim Russert on NBC’s Meet the Press, Rumsfeld commented that, “We are guests in certain countries. At our request, they allow us the use of bases or fields … and they have their own laws, they have their own rules. And we have to make a balance: Is it more in our country’s interest to be in that country and recognize that we have to live with some of their laws and rules and customs? Or would we rather not be in that country and allow every single person who would be in that country the right to do whatever they want or live according to our laws?” Some organizations have addressed this problem by developing a global uniform policy with regard to gender relations in the office. This policy applies
to everyone, everywhere in the world, regardless of local custom or culture. The only time it is altered is if a policy actually violates local laws – as is the case in Saudi Arabia. At the other end of the spectrum, there are also organizations that defer to the local custom and culture for their human resource decisions. Other organizations have developed regional policies as a way to show a modicum of respect to local cultures. Which is the right or best course of action? Multinational corporations have to address the questions raised in the McSally case as they expand into new markets. This is not to say that the business and military sector are exactly the same or can be compared in all aspects. However, as international managers we must take the lead in gathering and discussing ideas for dealing with gender in countries that give unequal status to women. Only then can we help guide multinational organizations that are faced with human resource dilemmas in creating consistent and fair policies. Debbie Gulick is Program Coordinator at the Intercultural Management Institute and an M.A. Candidate in the International Communication program at American University.
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