2008-11-03
Increasingly important to deal with cultural differences
Today, the entire world has turned into a company game plan, resulting in increased contacts with other codes of conduct for business and new cultures. To succeed in setting up a business abroad, it is very important to know how to deal with these differences.
GLOBALISATION AND corporate internationalisation started after the Second World War, but it really just got going in the last 20 years.
– When the Berlin wall came down in 1989, Europe opened up and borders were deleted. Trade between different blocks like North and South America, Asia and Europe increased, says Thomas Krän, consultant and founder of the company Managing Cultural Differences, which trains managers and employees in dealing with cultural differences.
ONE PROBLEM TODAY IS that many companies lack the awareness of cultural differences and the ability to take advantage of these differences when expanding abroad. According to Thomas Krän, a foresighted
manager or management should ask themselves a couple of questions: Are there conflicts in everyday working life that can be blamed on cultural differences? Do you feel uneasy when receiving visitors from other cultures or when visiting other cultures? Do you really respect other cultures for what they are? How do you prepare your personnel to take advantage of cultural differences?
– If you are aware of cultural differences, it is easier to face them and escape unnecessary problems, misunderstandings and irritation. To succeed in a new market, it is important to be aware of cultural differences and learn how to deal with and respect them and to see the opportunities.
THOMAS KRÄN STRESSES the importance of being humble, i.e. by respecting other cultures; they will open up to you. To become really successful abroad, dealing with cultural differences is essential to your company.
MANAGING CULTURAL DIFFERENCES increases management’s and employees’ awareness through consulting and workshops.
– In the workshops, we talk a lot about codes of conduct and being aware of these – and, subsequently, being respectful to other cultures. Management and personnel also do some interactive exercises to increase awareness and to learn how to behave in different situations. It is important to get a change management process started as well as increased awareness.
COMMUNICATING WITH each other can be extremely important to all parties involved, particularly when coming from different cultures.
– An incident when communication was inadequate was when a Japanese and a couple of Americans were going out to dinner. The Japanese was unsure about the dress code for the evening but being afraid of loosing face, he didn’t want to ask. To find out what the Americans were wearing he sneaked down to the lobby before they were supposed to meet. They were wearing suits and ties and he quickly ran back to his room to change. What he didn’t know was that the Americans just had finished a meeting and were going back to their rooms to change into something more casual for the evening. The result was that the Japanese dressed up in suit and tie while the Americans came in jeans and sweaters.
– If they all had talked to each other and agreed on a dress code, this would not have happened and the Japanese would have avoided feeling awkward, concludes Thomas Krän.
Emelie Ring
About Managing Cultural Differences:
- Trains managers and employees in dealing with cultural differencesthrough consulting and workshops.
- Read more