Intercultural
training
In layman's parlance, intercultural training involves a
person being educated about the rules that govern communication, interaction and
behaviour in another culture. The awareness and insights are then compared
against the rules that govern the person's own communication, interaction and
behaviour. The similarities and differences are noted and appreciated.
Through intercultural training, managers can learn the basic
communication rules of a foreign culture, such as when to speak and to whom, and
how others may be addressed. At the same time, they can learn when not to speak
and what sort of mannerisms would be inappropriate. In many Asian countries,
Korea being a typical example, people are careful not to disagree openly with a
person much older in age. So a global manager in Korea would have to be
extremely diplomatic in dealing with older Koreans.
Research shows that many employees of multinational companies
would like to see changes in the management styles of expatriates, especially in
the areas of leadership, decision making, communication and group work. It is
possible that lack of awareness about effective management styles in other
cultures causes expatriates to commit errors of omission and commission. Even
within Europe, a continent that exhibits more internal homogeneity than Asia for
instance, considerable disparity exists in management styles. Reihlen (2001) has
opined that the following European countries are distinguished by the extra
emphasis that they place on certain management practices. France is
characterized by a propensity for engaging in a bureaucratic form of management.
In Great Britain, considerable importance is attached to managers exhibiting
social skills, such as politeness and good manners. German management is
purported to be differentiated by a high degree of professionalism, requiring
considerable self-discipline and self-programming. Italian managers often use
the metaphor of the family to describe their company. Thus in Italy, personal contacts are important for building a
familial network of work relations. In Sweden, the management style is tilted
towards being democratic and consensus-oriented.
We recommend as particularly useful by way of intercultural
training the attempt to get managers to see themselves as individuals from
various other cultures see them. In this type of workshop, participants are
assigned various tasks and then people from different cultures observe their
behaviour. These participants comprise managers from different cultures, who
have to interact with each other to complete their tasks. The observation can be
done through one-way glass to reduce selfconsciousness among participants.
Feedback is then given to the participants by the observers in turn. Thus, an
aspiring global manager can get feedback from an Arab as to the quirks in his
behaviour which would not find favour with Arabs, feedback from a Swiss as to
what aspects of his behaviour might annoy a Swiss, and so on. To be palatable
the feedback must include positive aspects as well. The intention of the
feedback, both positive and negative, is to heighten the cultural sensitivity of
participants and provide them with opportunities to both learn and unlearn.
Various levels of feedback can be given. For instance, managers who have little
exposure to other cultures would be given the preliminary level of feedback.
Even primitive attempts at imparting cultural sensitivity to
transnational managers have proved fruitful. A Japanese company that had bought
out an Australian firm recently undertook a rudimentary cultural sensitization
effort directed at both its Japanese and Australian managers, as follows. A
consultant took a group of Japanese and Australian managers to the Queensland
rainforest for four days. The managers had to jointly master an obstacle course.
They performed tasks that might have been straight out of the Tarzan School of
Management or the Spiderman School of Management. Inter alia, the managers had
to walk across swaying rope bridges 40 feet above the ground. They also had to
help one another climb down those bridges using ropes. The nights were spent
with the Australians talking about the Australian way of doing business. The
Japanese felt that this programme, even though it was essentially Outward Bound
in nature, prepared them a little for their work life ahead. And the channels of
communication between the two groups of managers opened.
Intercultural training for managers should also include education
about what constitutes effective management in other cultures. A manager may
learn about another country's customs and heritage, and therefore might be able
to function as an individual there without too much difficulty. It must be emphasized that intercultural training
does not end with an initial orientation. On the contrary, it is an ongoing,
continuous effort that can never end.
Often, there may be a need to demonstrate performance in a
foreign culture. The global managers interviewed for this book revealed that
they were usually under pressure to show that they were being productive. Since
they were foreigners, their work behaviour was constantly under close scrutiny.
There is no research yet about how managers should present themselves when
trying to obtain acceptance for their professionalism in a new culture. However,
insights may be obtained by delving into work done in the area of newcomers and
women trying to make an impact in their work environment. Based on the work of
Haslett, Geis and
Carter (1992), and extending their conclusions to managers operating in a
new culture, it is recommended that instead of letting work speak for itself,
managers should draw co-workers' attention to their achievements in
non-threatening ways
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