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The use of cultural awareness
training has increased rapidly in the majority of global
companies over the last decade.
My experience working in
global companies in which effective cross-cultural
functioning was critical, involved the devotion of
considerable time and energies to ensuring that cultural
training needs were identified and accommodated as
necessary.
This commitment to bridging
cultural gaps represents a perceptible shift in attitudes
amongst British company global thinking. This is a shift
from the prevalent subconscious (and sometimes not so
subconscious) driver, which existed in previous years.
Thinking typically held that the way in which the West did
business was the norm to which to strive and that
non-western citizens should assimilate into our own
particular mode of cultural thinking as opposed to vice
versa.
Little effort was truly
made to understand the cultural differences between
countries. This thinking was gradually moulded and changed
by the realities of the failure of such thinking –
including ineffective team functioning, lack of
productivity and general dissatisfaction amongst cross
culturally functioning staff. It also become apparent that
the financial costs of failed cross-cultural initiatives
could be readily assessed and had a tangible impact on the
financial bottom line.
It is also interesting to
note that the view that cultural awareness is unnecessary
within other western groups has also changed.
Commonality of language can
sometimes be an impediment as opposed to an advantage as
it disguises the differences of thinking and approach,
which may underlie whole strands of business practice.
When dealing with countries with obvious ‘differences’
in respect to language, religion, values and behaviours
etc., then individuals more readily accept the need to
understand the motivations of the other party. When
multicultural differences arise between western groups
however, conflict within approach is often attributed to
the ‘ineptness’ / ‘stubbornness’ of the other
party. When such attitudes become ingrained within teams,
then self fulfilling prophecy may kick in and poor
relationships become the norm – affecting productivity
and hence financial gain.
Recent experiences of
running cultural awareness sessions for a UK team dealing
on a regular basis with the US proved invaluable to
overcoming a number of issues which had become entrenched
into the operating behaviours of the teams. The sessions
heightened awareness within the team of operating
differences and helped to generate an understanding of why
these differences existed within the groups. It also
presented the teams with an opportunity to understand the
potential frustrations that their US colleagues may have
had with their UK peers in respect to their own personal
approach to managing meetings, negotiations, making
decisions, resolving issues etc.
Involvement in awareness
programmes across a range of diverse issues is proving
invaluable in resolving numerous poor performances in
international business and in enhancing day to day HR
practices; for example:
- Expatriate assignments,
management, training and benefits
- Production of
international relocation guides and related support
materials
- International company
and office relocations
- International
recruitment
- Corporate mergers and
acquisitions
- Training and development
- Policy development
Clearly from an HR, and
hence a business perspective, cultural awareness has been
critical to the success of global companies with the
progression of strong acceptance within businesses for the
need to enhance cultural awareness through diverse
cultural interventions.
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About
The Author
N.A.
Johnson was an HR consultant for many
years with the world's leading global
companies. She now works freelance as a
consultant on HR issues. This article was
written for www.kwintessential.co.uk |
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