Feb 03

Impact of Stereotypes on International Business: Cross Cultural Awareness is Key

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 »

Globalisation and the emergence of cross cultural business have tremendously reshaped our working environment over the last fifteen years.  People around the world are increasingly finding themselves working with colleagues and counterparts from another culture.  Dealing with such diversity is complex and requires a high level of cross cultural competence that you can develop through cross cultural awareness training.

To make sense of all these differences we tend to classify people into specific categories such as the company they work for or their own culture. This classification provides us with references about certain groups of people and helps us begin to understand their attitudes. You could say for example that Spanish people tend to speak more loudly than British do and Brazilians tend to be more affective than Finnish. While there are some relative truths to these statements, such stereotypical representations are often over-simplified and could lead to false assumptions.

Clock DNY59 i Impact of Stereotypes on International Business: Cross Cultural Awareness is Key

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Stereotypes, taken-for-granted beliefs about our counterparts’ habits and behaviour, can affect our own attitudes and expectations when communicating with other cultures. The main purpose of stereotypes is to help us when we are dealing with a culture we do not know and to give us the illusion of a predictable pattern we could learn and thus know how to react to any given cross cultural situation.

For instance, when doing business in Italy we might expect our Italian counterparts to be late for a meeting whereas a Swiss would always be punctual and well organised. However it would be inappropriate to assume that no Italian would ever be on time and no Swiss would ever be late. Hence, cross cultural stereotypes need to be treated carefully as they might have a negative impact on our thinking and our capacity to perceive things with discernment.

Whether stereotypes are commonly shared among society or progressively developed through our direct experience in cross cultural relations, it is crucial to keep questioning their relevance. By doing so, we would certainly prevent ourselves from judging our international counterparts on the basis of wrong assumptions leading to inappropriate cross cultural behaviour and critical incidents.

Stereotypes can however be perceived as the first stage of acknowledging the existence of cross cultural differences which is an initial step towards the development of a higher level of cross cultural awareness and competence. However stereotypes need to be questioned, mitigated and never taken for granted if they are to help us to work more effectively in a cross cultural context.

Cross cultural awareness training courses such as Developing Global Competence or Building International Teams can help you to identify and deal with cross cultural differences which will improve your capacity to develop and maintain successful cross cultural relations. By providing you with a foundation of cross cultural understanding, Communicaid’s Cross cultural awareness training courses can ensure you understand your counterparts’ behaviour without having to rely on stereotypes that could lead to cross cultural misunderstandings and negative impressions.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Jan 26

‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

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

“Are Europeans lazy? Or Americans crazy?” This is the rather provocative title of a conference about the perception of work on both continents organised in 2006 by Stephen Nickell, a British economist working for the Bank of England. Behind this question lies the ever lasting conflict between two opposite visions of life: do we work to live or do we live to work? The answer to that question is likely to depend on your cultural background, the country you live in and how this impacts working effectively across cultures.

Business People walking urbancow i ‘Crazy Americans or Lazy Europeans?’ – Interpreting Different Perspectives When Working Effectively across Cultures

© istockphoto.com/ Urban Cow

The way Europeans and Americans work can, of course, be explained by economical, historical or sociological traits like unemployment rates, the number of hours worked each week, worker productivity levels and the social system. But these differences also come from fundamental cultural differences that exist between the two continents. The importance of family, free time, personal development or even religion within a specific culture can influence the working practices of a country. These differences can get in the way of working effectively across cultures and they can harm the performance of multicultural teams.

Let’s look a few examples of differences in working practices and attitudes you may find when working across cultures. Many employees in Norway and Sweden have adjusted their working hours in order to spend more time with their families as this is what is important to them in life. In France, people work 35 hours per week and they take more annual leave which gives them more spare time to spend with family and friends. In Spain there are many religious celebrations that are taken as official public holidays which allow people to share the occasion with family and close relations.

Some people in the US who tend to believe that ‘time is money’ may look at these countries and feel that ‘Europeans are lazy’ due to their shorter working hours and longer holidays. This perception can be linked to the highly competitive and business oriented approach to work common in the US. On the other hand the incredibly strong work ethics and the common practice of working long hours and taking a few days off work each year can result in some Europeans thinking ‘Americans are crazy’ for not spending more time with family and friends.

Working effectively across cultures requires an understanding that every culture has its own unique approach to work ethics and time management which can have a significant impact on how working preferences are perceived and managed. An achievement and result oriented country like the US, for example, will strongly encourage workers to do their best individually every day to fulfil their goals in the most efficient and profitable way no matter how long it takes. A relationship oriented culture like Spain will encourage people to work together toward success but they be less likely to expect this to be achieved through overtime or shorter holidays.

Despite many references to Europe as a whole, there isn’t any cultural uniformity between European countries. France is completely different from the Netherlands and you cannot compare the UK to Italy as each country has its own set of core cultural values. Each European country differs greatly from the US in its own way, and the existence of false assumptions based on preconceived ideas like ‘all Europeans are lazy’ can create obstacles for an American manager or employee coming to Europe for an international assignment.

These obstacles can cause frustration and misunderstandings, preventing them from working effectively across cultures. Following a cross cultural awareness training programme such as Doing Business in the US or Working Effectively across Cultures can help multicultural teams or organisations to cope with the challenges and create their own strategies. By avoiding quick judgments and false assumptions about how lazy or crazy your counterparts are around the world, you will be able to create good relationships, harness everyone’s strengths and work more effectively across cultures.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

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Apr 22

Benefits of Doing Business in Spain

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 »
Alhambra Granada Adivin i Benefits of Doing Business in Spain

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The second largest country in Western Europe, Spain dominates the Iberian Peninsula. It borders Portugal on the west, France and Andorra to the northeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the east and south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Bay of Biscay to the north. This unique location makes Spain very attractive to foreign investors. Its highly developed economy and stable political situation help to ensure that investments in Spain are successful. As part of the EU, Spain has become a very important player in international affairs since emerging from international isolation during the Franco era. Spain’s history of invasion has had a massive impact on its civilisation and cultural variety.

Understanding the country and its value in Europe is crucial to successfully doing business in Spain. Any organisation planning to do business in Spain could benefit from Communicaid’s cross cultural awareness training program Doing Business in Spain. The following are some of the key benefits you can take advantage of when doing business in Spain.

Geographical Location and Climate
Spain is Europe’s second most mountainous country after Switzerland and is a perfect location for any organisation wishing to develop business in Western Europe. Spain has access to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea with numerous large ports and a merchant fleet. Spain’s borders with France and Portugal encourage the flow of capital and commerce within Western Europe. The predominantly Mediterranean climate is also very attractive, with mild winters and hot and dry summers which encourage visitors and potential customers for many businesses.

Stable Political Situation
Since emerging from international isolation during the Franco era, Spain has steadily become more active in international affairs. After the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, Spain gradually began its transition to democracy which has expanded Spanish diplomatic and security relations with the West. Spain has been an active member of NATO since 1982 and the European Union since 1986. Spain’s EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy and supports the efforts of European political mechanisms. A stable political situation and diplomatic relations guarantee development opportunities for organisations doing business in Spain, and reduces the risk of potential conflicts and disagreements.

Growing Economy
Over the last four decades Spain’s social and economic structure has changed enormously. Joining NATO and the EU established Spain on the international market and created good relations with many countries. Since joining the Eurozone in 2002 Spanish economic growth has been well above the EU average. Spain is the eighth largest industrialised economy in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). For the past five years, the Spanish economy has also experienced one of the strongest rates of GDP growth in the European Union which makes it the most dynamic within the EU. Also, in the space of 40 years the Spanish tourism industry has grown to be the second largest in the world. Spain’s economy is the ninth largest worldwide and the fifth largest in Europe according to the World Bank. Investors could hardly wish for a more advantageous business environment.

Development Opportunities
Spain offers many developing benefits for new businesses including low labour and transport costs. As a member of the European Union, Spain benefits from the transit of goods within the EU without unnecessary formalities, including exchange rate fluctuations and transaction costs. The European Union is very generous towards Spain with its structural and cohesion funds. Also the Spanish Government offers various incentives and flexible policies for developing businesses. More recently, the Spanish Government has pursued policies aimed at creating a welcoming environment for foreign investment.

The overall profile of Spain offers numerous benefits for foreign businesses including its geographic location and climate, stable government and economy and attractive development opportunities. Doing business in Spain effectively requires knowledge of the country’s business culture and its national mentality. International organisations interested in doing business in Spain would benefit from Communicaid’s Spanish language and cross cultural awareness training courses such as Doing Business in Spain to gain necessary insights into the Spanish culture and environment.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Apr 06

To Speak or Not to Speak: Avoiding Awkward Silences in Cross Cultural Interactions

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management 3 Comments »
 

Meeting Business Meeting 2 nyul i To Speak or Not to Speak: Avoiding Awkward Silences in Cross Cultural Interactions

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In an ever-increasing global working environment, the successful outcome of cross cultural business negotiations is often determined by our capacity to work effectively across cultures with international business partners. However, this capacity highly depends on the interaction process itself as much as on what is said during the negotiation. Turn taking strategies, or the way people structure their participation throughout the negotiation, are just one element of cross cultural negotiations that are crucial for success.

Have you ever thought to yourself, during a conversation, why isn’t he saying anything? Or have you found yourself getting frustrated that you can’t get a word in? Taking a turn is the precise moment in any interaction when the role of speaker is taken or given to another person. This can be shown through a pause, a change of intonation, decrease of volume or a gesture such as a head nod.

Methods of signalling that it is now someone else’s turn to communicate can vary significantly when working across cultures. For example, when doing business in Finland you may notice conversations are often filled with a series of pauses before the next person speaks. Conversely, doing business in Spain you will see that your Spanish counterparts often take their turn to speak before the other person finishes their sentence.

People unfamiliar with Finnish turn taking patterns may try to fill the silence while those communicating for the first time with Spanish counterparts may feel frustrated by their constant interruptions. Failing to understand when you can contribute to the conversation can have a negative impact on how you are perceived and the impact you make in cross-cultural business negotiations.

Such implicit rules of turn taking are deeply embedded in our communication style. A lack of awareness of how people pause or overlap in conversations can lead to misinterpretation, confusion and frustration. Participating in a cultural awareness training programme such as Managing International Teams or Doing Business in Finland will help you understand the cross cultural styles of turn taking and ensure you communicate more effectively when doing business with international counterparts.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Mar 18

Challenges of Doing Business in Spain

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 »
 

Businessmen Greeting Neustockimages i Challenges of Doing Business in Spain

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Spain is a large country with a diverse landscape and climate. The division of the country into 19 Autonomous Regions which are further divided into 50 provinces forms a range of cultural varieties. The regions differ from one another and at the same time create a united nation. Spanish culture is deeply rooted in tradition and may be challenging for foreign investors doing business there who are not familiar with it.

Any organisation considering doing business in Spain could benefit from Communicaid’s cross cultural training programmes such as Doing Business in Spain to better deal with the challenges of doing business in Spain. Below are some of the key challenges of doing business in Spain which Communicaid’s cross cultural training programmes could help you understand.

Cultural Diversity
The location of Spain on the Iberian Peninsula exposed the country to numerous invasions throughout history. Spanish civilisation was affected by the successive arrival of people of various nationalities bringing their culture and languages to Spain. This resulted in the division of Spanish society into minority groups who retain their native cultural influences. The additional division of the country into 50 provinces keeps the Spanish people culturally separated and independent. Such cultural diversity within one country can be challenging for foreigners who do not understand how culture impacts business throughout the country.

Individualism
Spain’s cultural diversity has created a strong sense of individualism which is seen through strong bonds and a sense of identity within the various cultural groups. Although individual on many levels, family values and a sense of identity and belonging to a group are all integral parts of society in Spain. Contemporary Spanish culture values personal qualities such as appearance, image and personal relationships. In a business context, personal attributes and character are frequently valued as much as technical ability, experience or professional competence. When doing business in Spain, individualism is particularly predominant in management, where Spanish managers are less inclined to favour group decision making and team orientation.

Face
Spanish culture values the concept of face as a very important matter in personal pride and respect. Face is crucial for Spaniards who strive to avoid the risk of losing face. Therefore, any forms of public criticism or causing embarrassment may result in misunderstanding and unnecessary conflicts in Spain. Saving face is important especially in a business context when your Spanish counterparts have to focus on relationship-building to protect their business investments.

Relationship-building
Spaniards value interpersonal relationships on a business level. They tend to take time to get to know their counterparts and will sometimes go out for a drink or dinner to build the relationship. The trust and relationship building process may be time consuming but will benefit in gaining a long-term and reliable business partner. When doing business in Spain, foreigners need to make an effort to gain the trust of their Spanish counterparts and show them that they value their relationship as much as the business opportunities.

Uncertainty Avoidance
Spaniards are cautious not only with business relationships but also with their approach to new ideas. They prefer to feel truly familiar with new situations before taking any steps or making decisions. Patience is necessary when doing business in Spain as Spaniards try to avoid ambiguity and need as much detail as possible.

Having an understanding of Spanish social and business culture is very important when doing business in Spain. Any organisation doing business in Spain should consider attending Communicaid’s cross cultural training programme Doing Business in Spain to increase their knowledge of the cultural diversity and cultural values and attitudes which can result in misunderstandings and conflicts if not correctly interpreted or understood.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Nov 30

Proxemics – Cross-Cultural Concept of Space

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 »

The concept of proxemics refers to different perceptions people have regarding physical space. The space between people or where things are positioned in a room have different meanings to people from different cultures and can affect international business and communication.

Edward T. Hall, one of the founding fathers of intercultural communication, categorised the space surrounding people into personal space, social space and public space. Personal space refers to the ‘bubble’ surrounding a person which can only be entered by friends or close family members. In contrast, a person’s public space is usually reserved for more impersonal and anonymous interactions. The layer of space between an individual’s personal and public space is often called social space. This is the physical space where everyday contact takes place such as on a crowded train or bus.

Every culture has a set of hidden cultural rules concerning the physical space – or proxemics - between people when communicating. Breaking any of these rules could be interpreted as impolite or even threatening.

Cross-cultural training programmes such as Doing Business in Spain will give you a better understanding of the concept of proxemics and of the reasons why someone from Spain might perceive their North American counterparts as being rude when they recoil from close physical proximity.

Understanding concepts such as proxemics through participating in cross-cultural training will help to avoid cultural faux-pas based on different perceptions of space.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2009

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