Dec 23

Celebrating Christmas across Cultures

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture No Comments »

Christmas is celebrated in many cultures around the world in December each year. Christmas is traditionally a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ however there are an increasing number of non-religious Christmas customs and traditions that people celebrate at this time of year. Every culture, denomination of Christianity and even family celebrates Christmas slightly differently – from what they eat and buy to what they do over the Christmas period. Working effectively across cultures requires an awareness of the importance and impact of this holiday celebrated by more than 2 billion people around the world.

Christmas cclickclick i Celebrating Christmas across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/cclickclick

Here are just a few examples of traditions and customs that are celebrated during the Christmas period in the UK, Norway, Italy and France.

Christmas in the UK

In the UK people start getting ready for Christmas right before the start of December, though you may find that decorations and shops start preparing for Christmas even earlier. People will traditionally have a Christmas tree in their home that they decorate with ornaments and lights at the beginning of the month. They may also hang lights outside their house and wreaths made of leaves, pinecones and holly berries on their door.

Family, friends and colleagues will exchange Christmas gifts as part of the celebrations. Some people will also buy an advent calendar filled with chocolates for each day in December until Christmas. Companies will organise Christmas parties in December where employees have the chance to spend time together eating, drinking and often dancing to celebrate the holiday and the end of the year.

Christmas Eve is usually celebrated by enjoying food and drinks with family and friends. On Christmas Day on the 25th of December people will spend time with their families opening gifts, enjoying mulled wine and minced pies and preparing a big meal. The most common Christmas meal in the UK consists of turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, vegetables and Christmas pudding or Christmas cake for desert. The day after Christmas in the UK is also a public holiday called Boxing Day when people don’t go to work and instead spend time with family and friends to continue the celebrations.

Christmas in Norway – Jul

Norwegians are very enthusiastic about Christmas celebrations which they refer to as Jul. After Norway’s national day, Christmas is the biggest celebration in the country. Norwegians typically start baking julekaker (Christmas cookies) almost a month before Christmas to make sure they have a large number and variety of them.

The big celebration happens on the evening of the 24th of December when families gather together for dinner. Many families have traditions of dancing around the Christmas tree, singing Christmas carols and exchanging gifts. On Christmas day families usually watch their favourite Christmas films like “Three Nuts for Cinderella” “From All of Us to All of You”or “The Journey to the Christmas star”.

Christmas in Italy – Natale

In Italy Christmas is usually spent with the family. Italians start preparing for Christmas almost a month before the event by decorating their houses with a tree and often a Presepio (nativity scene). On Christmas Eve, families gather together for dinner. Fish is usually the main ingredient accompanied by pasta and vegetables. For desert they enjoy typical Italian deserts such as Pandoro, Panettone and torrone, a sweet made of honey and nuts.

Families typically open presents on Christmas Day and then share lunch. The food varies from region to region, however the typical meal usually includes pasta, meat, vegetables and typical Italian desserts. The Christmas holiday ends on the 6th of January when la Befana (the good ugly witch) brings sweets to children who behaved well in the last year, and coal to the children who did not behave very well. Different to the UK custom where Santa Claus puts presents in stockings hung by the fireplace on Christmas Eve, the Italians have their stockings filled in January by la Befana.

Christmas in France – Noël

In France Christmas is a time for family gatherings and traditions. Christmas celebrations vary greatly from one region to another. In Northern and Eastern France people usually start the Christmas period by celebrating St Nicholas’ Day on the 6th of December. Most people in France decorate their homes with a tree and a nativity scene called a crèche. In Southern France this crèche is made of small clay figurines called santons that show the life of a provincial village.

The huge Christmas feast is called Le Réveillon and is held on the evening of December 24th. Traditional French Christmas dishes are usually oysters, fois gras and turkey stuffed with chestnuts. A Yule log-shaped cake, mainly made of chocolate, is the traditional dessert all around France. Children usually open their gifts before or after attending Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is a bank holiday.

The way Christmas is celebrated around the world can significantly influence international business and anyone working across cultures. Showing an awareness of the religious and cultural traditions that form part of Christmas celebrations around the world will help you to make a positive impression when working across cultures and build better relationships with your international counterparts.

Make sure you understand and respect the Christmas traditions of the country you are working in as this will reduce the risk of frustration and misunderstandings with your colleagues. Find out whether it’s appropriate to give your colleagues, clients or suppliers a small gift or Christmas card as a way to send them Christmas greetings.

Wherever and however you celebrate Christmas this year we hope you have a lovely holiday!

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Aug 10

Time at Work: Business Reality Contradicts Popular Cultural Stereotypes

Cross Cultural Training, Culture 1 Comment »

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently published a study about how much time people dedicate to work in different countries around the world. The initial survey was conducted across the 26 OECD member countries as well as China, India and South Africa. The survey required people from the ages of 15 to 64 to describe what they did on a typical day. The results of the survey are very interesting, particularly as they tend to contradict the many stereotypes that exist about how much time people spend doing business in other cultures.

Business People biffspandex 2 i Time at Work: Business Reality Contradicts Popular Cultural Stereotypes

© istockphoto.com/biffspandex

Indeed, the cliché of a lazy Mexican, tired from the sun and sleeping in a hammock appears to be absolutely wrong as the study shows that Mexicans actually work the hardest. They work the longest days, are less paid compared to western countries, and also spend a lot of time doing chores at home. The image that Mexicans often portray through their more laid back cultural values and focus on relationships and family is deeply engrained in people’s minds as a culture which does not work very hard.

This is just one popular cultural stereotype that was proven wrong by the OECD study. Considering how many stereotypes can be misconstrued or false, it’s important to always look deeper than what you find on the surface to make sure that the assumption or judgement you have about a particular culture is accurate. Doing business in another culture can be hindered through inaccurate stereotypes or generalisations.

For instance the idea that French never work, often supported by coverage of the’35-hour work week’, is countered by the statistics that show that the French appear to be some of the most productive employees in the world. Some incorrectly believe that countries in Eastern Europe take the most holidays when they actually take fewer days than most of the developed countries in the European Union. In fact Germany not only has a high number of holidays, but its workforce spends the least amount of time working in the OECD.

Many cultural stereotypes are even more questionable as opinions tend to vary widely depending on whether the people are working in their home country or living in another as immigrants. For example, Mexicans in the US are seen as very hard workers who often work long hours and do harsh jobs, an image far from that we illustrated earlier.

By creating and supporting stereotypes that contradict real facts, people can risk making bad decisions based on false assumptions that could harm their business significantly. It’s important therefore to always question cultural stereotypes and check how accurate they may be. It is possible to use cultural stereotypes to your advantage as they can help you to simplify situations and anticipate behaviour across cultures, however if you are wrong you may find yourself facing drastic circumstances.

If you are doing business in another culture or if you are working with international counterparts, don’t get caught up believing what you hear as a false cultural stereotype can forever alter your relationship and success with them. The best way to completely understand the cultures you are doing business in is to participate in a cross-cultural awareness training programme. By providing you with detailed information about beliefs, values and behaviours you will find in the target culture, training will better equip you to break down stereotypes and build stronger business relationships based on cross-cultural trust.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Mar 28

Are the French ‘Arrogant’ and the Belgians ‘Thick’? A Look at Stereotypes and Cultural Misconceptions in Film

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

French humorist Dany Boon, the well known film director of the French box office blockbuster “Bienvenue chez les C’htis” is attempting to repeat his success with his latest outing “Rien à Déclarer” (Nothing to Declare). This time, instead of highlighting the differences between the people of northern and southern France, he is poking fun at how the French and Belgium stereotype each other.

Business People 8 Sean Locke i Are the French ‘Arrogant’ and the Belgians ‘Thick’? A Look at Stereotypes and Cultural Misconceptions in Film

© istockphoto.com/ Sean Locke

The film takes place in a small customs office on the French/Belgium border in 1993 just before the Schengen Agreement came into force. As the border controls slowly disappear, the Belgian and French governments decide to create bi-national patrols forcing former “enemies” to work together and attempt to develop a working cross-cultural relationship.

Belgium and France make a really good setting for this type of comedy. For decades the French have made jokes about the supposed “thickness” of their Belgian neighbours. The Belgians, on the other hand, usually describe their French neighbours as arrogant and over confident. Boon’s latest film is almost entirely based on these French and Belgian stereotypes. Of course, and inevitably, everything is exaggerated to the maximum and is a succession of jokes and insults about both countries.

When the BBC interviewed Boon about his latest film he explained that he wanted to talk about racism and cultural stereotypes in a funny and enjoyable way. He views racism between the Belgians and the French as utterly ridiculous as both populations are “basically the same” and “share a large number of common points such as food, language and religion.”

Boon certainly has a point when he explains that negative stereotypes, racism and hostility between cultures are pointless and lead nowhere. Making fun of these elements can help to show that stereotypes are usually false or exaggerated and often come from a lack of cross-cultural awareness. However, films like Boon’s latest outing can sometimes encourage stereotypes and, although exaggerated, some viewers may believe what they see to be a real portrayal of attitudes between the French and Belgians.

Assuming that two cultures are identical because they share common points such as language or religious beliefs, as Boon indicated in his interview, is equally dangerous. Supporting negative stereotypes and making strong assumptions of similarity can lead to cross-cultural clashes and incidents. Believing that the French and Belgians have the same working habits or perceptions of time for instance can reflect a lack of cross-cultural awareness and risk harming relationships when doing business in France or Belgium.

Working effectively across cultures requires a high level of cross-cultural awareness and the ability to go beyond the many stereotypes that may exist about other cultures. Neighbouring countries often quickly reach for extreme stereotypical clichés due to the long and often tortuous relationship they have endured. As national borders melt away and organisations merge, acquire and integrate their operations, the need for employees and indeed organisations to become much more aware of the role that culture plays is vital. Companies are now more and more investing in cross-cultural awareness training courses such as Doing Business in Belgium or Living and Working in France to help break down these boundaries and develop a sense of common partnership.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jul 06

Challenges of Doing Business in France

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

France is home to a qualified workforce, excellent infrastructures and some of the most dynamic firms in the world making it an attractive place for doing business. Getting used to French working habits can however be difficult and undertaking a cross cultural awareness training programme like Doing Business in France can help you and your team to have a better understanding of French business culture and improve your success.

Eiffel Tower SOMATUSCANI i1 Challenges of Doing Business in France

© istockphoto.com/ SomaTuscani

 

Understanding core French values such as those described below is particularly important when doing business in France.

The ‘réseau’- Getting familiar with how the French socialise can be challenging. Being part of someone’s ‘réseau’ (or network) can be time consuming but it is the first step to get acquainted and eventually develop a good relationship your French counterparts. This ‘réseau’ can also provide privileges or special treatment either in your personal or professional life and help you progress more rapidly when doing business in France.

Courtesy – Newcomers may find it difficult to understand how to address or greet someone properly when doing business in France. The use different titles like ‘tu’ or ‘vous’ and the sometimes subtle rules of courtesy may be confusing without proper guidance. The way people greet each other in France can vary and depends on their relationship.

Hierarchy – France is a really centralised country and this influences the structure of French companies. Decisions tend to be made only by the top managers and the CEO of the company so the decision-making process can take time when doing business in France. This cultural orientation towards hierarchy and formality means that you will also be expected to know the rank of your counterparts and act accordingly. Be formal with senior people and more casual with people of lower or equal rank, but always check first how you should greet and address them.

Control – An important aspect of French culture is controlling events and avoiding any unexpected developments. The French tend to plan everything very carefully and this can sometimes be seen as a lack of flexibility or creativity. The role of the manager in France also reflects this orientation. Managers must be sure that everything is going according to plan by guiding, correcting people and reviewing employee’s work on a regular basis.

Understanding the rules and particularities of the French business world will dramatically improve your performance when doing business in France. Intercultural Training France courses will give you the tools and understanding you need to successfully deal with the many challenges of doing business in France.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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May 26

Seeing Eye-to-eye across Cultures

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector 1 Comment »

 

Face-to-face meetings have a tremendous importance in the global business world. It is during these occasions that important matters are discussed and contracts are signed. Face-to-face encounters can sometimes be difficult to handle, however, especially when meeting people from different cultures where the risks of intercultural misunderstanding can jeopardise business opportunities.

One benefit of meeting international counterparts face-to-face is the ability to communicate directly without relying on virtual communication that can result in misunderstandings and confusion. While direct communication is channelled mainly by words and sentences, the major part of our message is delivered through our body language.

 

Business Woman shaking hands i Seeing Eye to eye across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/ Neustockimages

Let’s take the example of how we look at people during a conversation. In most western cultures, looking at someone in the eyes when talking is regarded as a sign of respect and truthfulness while the lack or absence of eye contact is perceived negatively as shyness or lack of attention. This perception is not shared by everyone however.

In many Arabic and Asian cultures, for instance, looking directly into someone’s eyes can be seen as disrespectful or challenging and should therefore be avoided, especially during important meetings. A French team leader and Chinese executive may experience difficulties when communicating face-to-face because of their different expectations and interpretations of eye contact. The French team leader will likely make efforts to look at the Chinese executive to build trust and establish credibility. Meanwhile, the Chinese executive may expect more indirect eye contact as this shows respect to more senior individuals. The different interpretations of eye contact can end up damaging the relationship and create misunderstanding.

This kind of cultural misunderstanding can be common without intercultural training. By participating in one of Communicaid’s Intercultural Training courses, you can increase your understanding of when and how eye contact is appropriate or not, reducing the potential for miscommunication and negative perceptions. Communicaid’s Living and Working in France or Doing Business in China cross cultural awareness training courses can help you and your organisation to gain a better understanding of your international counterparts and help you to face the challenges rising from cross cultural situations.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Apr 23

International Alliances and Cross Cultural Differences: Finding a Way Forward

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

Car manufacturers Daimler, Renault and Nissan have recently announced a three-way global tie-up of their brands. The alliance will allow the three automotive giants to share technologies and development costs, leading in particular to the production of new electric cars. These are the kind of technical, financial and strategic advantages usually associated with international partnerships, and therefore used to advocate them. What is often overlooked, however, are the human factors that affect their performance.

Car factory ricardoazoury i International Alliances and Cross Cultural Differences: Finding a Way Forward

© istockphoto.com/ricardoazoury

 

In an international partnership of this scale, where employees with different national and corporate cultures work together virtually and face-to-face on a daily basis, failure to manage intercultural differences will lead to cross cultural misunderstandings, increasing tensions between colleagues and ultimately jeopardising cooperation.

Cross cultural clashes of this kind in international partnerships are usually caused by a lack of integration, due to the fact that members of one organisation are unable to adapt all or part of their corporate and national culture to meet their partners’ expectations. The result is failure to accept a common reality and common goals, essential for the success of any international partnership. Cross Cultural Awareness Training courses for international management are specifically designed to create the cross cultural awareness employees and management will have to draw upon in order to fully reap the benefits of global partnerships formed by the likes of Daimler, Renault and Nissan.

Renault and Nissan, French and Japanese car makers respectively, are familiar with the cross cultural challenges of international partnerships. In 1999 they formed the Renault-Nissan alliance, the first of its kind in the automotive industry, which saw Renault take a controlling stake in Japanese giant Nissan. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn was placed in control of the Japanese company, who fired a number of its top Japanese executives. Hardly an example of cross cultural co-operation, the deal nevertheless saw Nissan turn around its profits and eliminate its automotive debts, all in the midst of a flailing Japanese economy. As a result, Ghosn was awarded a medal by the Japanese government and Renault-Nissan is now the fourth largest carmaker in the world.

No one can dispute this success story, and it may be on its wave that Ghosn has claimed international tie-ups are the way forward for the automotive industry. Yet it is estimated that no more than 50% of international mergers and acquisitions achieve the level of success initially anticipated. Reasons for slow progress or outright failure are high labour turnover, low morale amongst employees, reduced job satisfaction and increased stress, amongst others. These may not be immediately measurable in monetary terms, yet their effect on companies’ performance cannot and should not be ignored or underestimated.

Another factor that has a huge impact on the success of international partnerships of this kind is cross cultural difference. Many organisations will venture into an international partnership unprepared for the many cross cultural challenges and only face up to them when projects have been abandoned or key employees have resigned.

Just like due diligence processes are carried out in preparation for international ventures, global organisations should consider pre-emptive measures and consider the cross cultural differences all parties will encounter and provide staff with relevant cross cultural awareness training initiatives. Intercultural Training courses designed with the specific needs of global organisations and their employees in mind – such as Managing Virtual Teams and Managing International Mergers and Acquisitions – will considerably reduce the cultural risks inherent in international operations such as that recently undergone by Daimler, Renault and Nissan.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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