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Australia
Brazil
Canada
China
France
Germany
India
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Korea
Mexico
Philippines
Singapore
Spain
Taiwan
U.S.A.
Vietnam
MENA
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“Despite popular beliefs to the
contrary, the single greatest barrier
to
business success is the
one erected by culture."
~Edward T. Hall and Mildred Reed
Hall,
Hidden Differences: Doing Business
with the Japanese |
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| Culture |
Comes from the Latin
word "colere", meaning to build on, to cultivate, to foster. |
| Culture |
Is a
set of accepted behavior patterns, values, assumptions, and shared common
experiences. |
| Culture |
Defines social structure, decision-making practices, and communication
styles. |
| Culture |
Dictates behavior, etiquette, and protocol. |
| Culture |
Is something we
learn. It impacts everyone, and influences how we act and respond. |
| Culture |
Is communication. It is a way
people create, send, process and interpret information. |
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"Culture hides much more than it reveals, and strangely enough, what it hides, it hides most effectively from its own participants."
~ Edward T. Hall |
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| Cultural differences need to be understood and acknowledged before they can be managed.
Understanding and effectively interacting within the cultural groups to which we belong is like walking through a minefield. Being culturally intelligent means much more than just understanding the culture of other groups or countries. It means understanding who you are and your own cultural values and beliefs.
Consider the following "cultures", and how they influence your life:
- Where you were born
- Your gender
- Your nationality & heritage; religious preferences
- How you were raised & your family life
- Your education and the schools you attended
- Your profession
- Your company and its corporate culture
- Your international experiences
How do people respond to cultural challenges?
- Ignore them and hope they will go away, believing that to focus on differences will just make the problems worse
- Recognize the importance of dealing with cultural differences and the possible consequences of taking no action
- Manage cultural differences - learn to appreciate various cultures, and understand the positive impact of being culturally intelligent
- Fail to manage cultural challenges and risk experiencing culture shock
What is culture shock?
Failure to
identify cultural issues and take action can lead to culture
shock.
Often, the symptoms are ignored or simply not
recognized.
| Symptoms of Culture Shock... |
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Productivity is negatively impacted |
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Employees are disgruntled and frustrated |
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Stereotyping affects judgment |
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People are unable to establish trust and good working relationships |
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Effectiveness of marketing efforts reduced |
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Ineffective exchange of information |
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Frequent miscommunication and misunderstandings |
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Difficult to attract qualified and talented workforce |
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Lawsuits filed by unhappy employees or dissatisfied customers |
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| Stages of Culture Shock |
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| First |
Incubation/honeymoon -
Everything is new and exciting |
| Second |
Frustration in trying to adapt - Feels impatient, frustrated, incompetent, angry |
| Third |
The turning point - Gains understanding, feels positive OR returns home |
| Forth |
Integration - Recognizes new culture has much to offer |
| Fifth |
Re-entry shock - Sometimes experiences difficulty returning to own culture |
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CONTACT US to discuss how our training, consulting, and coaching services can help your company become culturally savvy.
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