1. Summer Read Discussion
“The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Leader”
by Patrick Lenscioni

2. Cross Cultural Awareness
David Knipping

3. Improve Your Cultural Agility

4. What come to mind first?

5. What the Vietnamese think of first?

6. No one sees the world as it is… You see the world as you are

7. What is Country Culture?
When talking about culture, it is important to distinguish between working generalizations and damaging stereotypes.
Generalizations about culture are always tentative. All cultures are complex and contain variations.
While “culture” is a useful concept, we need to connect with individuals and their unique qualities.
At a basic level, we share a common humanity or a set of common questions faced by people everywhere.

8. Culture: Generalization vs. Stereotype
The
Philippines
India
Collectivism
Individualism

9. Culture: Generalization vs. Stereotype
Collectivism
Individualism
India
The
Philippines

10. All Cultures Answer Questions
Reasoning – how we think about the world around us is culturally conditioned.
Regulating – how we control the world around us is culturally conditioned.
Relating – how we associate with others in the world around us is culturally conditioned.
Transnational Management Associates Limited’s Worldprism

11. Cultural Challenges – Two Scenarios
China, China, China
Timeliness in Latin America

12. Geert Hofstede

13. Geert Hofstede Analysis
Dr. Geert Hofstede - studied influence of culture on values in the workplace
Collected and analyzed data from more than 100,000 people from 40 countries
Developed a model that identifies five primary dimensions to differentiate cultures
Results may or may not apply to specific people or events

14. Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Individualism
Long Term Orientation
Gender Role
Indulgence vs. Restraint

15. Power Distance Index Vietnam 70 U.S. 40 Malaysia Netherlands 104 38
Focuses on the degree of equality or inequality between people in the country’s society
Vietnam 70
U.S. 40
Malaysia
Netherlands
104 38

16. Our Results: Power Distance Index
Focuses on the degree of equality or inequality between people in the country’s society
Vietnam 70
U.S. 40
This class 29

17. What communication challenges do you see between cultures
with significantly different
“Power Distance” Scores?

18. Uncertainty Avoidance Index
Focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society
Vietnam 30
U.S. 46
Greece
Jamaica
112 13
Higher numbered cultures wish to avoid uncertainty; lower numbers are more comfortable with uncertainty.

19. Our Results: Uncertainty Avoidance Index
Focuses on the level of tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity within the society
Vietnam 30
U.S. 46
This Class 66

20. What decision making challenges do you see between cultures with significantly different “Uncertainty Avoidance” scores?

21. Individualism Vietnam 30 U.S. 91 U.S. Venezuela 91 12
Focuses on the degree to which the society reinforces individual or collective achievement and interpersonal relationships
Vietnam 30
U.S. 91
U.S.
Venezuela 91 12

22. Our Results: Individualism
Focuses on the degree to which the society reinforces individual or collective achievement and interpersonal relationships
Vietnam 20
U.S. 91
This Class 81

23. Chinese Macro to Micro American Micro to Macro
Addresses
Province, City, District, Block, Gate number
House number, Street, City, State
Names
Surname first, then given name
Given name, then first name
Date
Year, Month, Day
Day, Month, Year
Conversation
Surrounding points, main point
Main point, surrounding points
Philosophy, research, religion
Holistic interdependencies
Individual analysis

24. What communication challenges do you see between cultures
with significantly different
“Individualism” Scores?

25. Long Term Orientation Vietnam 57 U.S. 28 China Pakistan 118
Focuses on the degree to which the society embraces, or does not embrace, long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values
Vietnam 57
U.S. 28
China
Pakistan
118

26. Our Results: Long Term Orientation
Focuses on the degree to which the society embraces, or does not embrace, long-term devotion to traditional, forward thinking values
Vietnam 57
U.S. 29
This Class 42

27. What communication challenges do you see between cultures
with significantly different
“Long Term Orientation” Scores?

28. Gender Role Index* Vietnam 40 U.S. 62 Slovakia Sweden 110 5
Focuses on the degree to which emotional gender roles are clearly distinct (Masculine cultures). In Feminine cultures, gender roles overlap.
Vietnam 40
U.S. 62
Slovakia
Sweden
110 5

29. Our Results: Gender Roles
Focuses on the degree to which emotional gender roles are clearly distinct. In Feminine cultures, gender roles overlap.
Vietnam 40
U.S. 62
This Class -2

30. The Aquarium Test
Richard Nisbett and Takahiko Masuda

31. What Do You See?

32. By a statistically significant difference….
American participants first mentioned larger, brightly colored foreground objects.
Japanese participants first mentioned mentioned background, surrounding objects.
Japanese participants spoke twice as often about the interdependencies between the objects in the foreground and objects in the background.

33. The Photograph Study
Richard Nisbett and Takahiko Masuda

34. Which Photo Do You Prefer?

35. By a statistically significant difference….
American participants took close up pictures of mainly face and shoulders.
Japanese participants took pictures showing overall environment with the human figure quite small in relationship to the background.

36. Low Context Communicating High Context
US Netherlands UK Spain France Turkey Saudi Thai Korea
Australia Germany Denmark Mexico Russia India Kenya China
Canada New Zealand Poland Belgium Brazil Italy Indonesia Vietnam Japan
Low Context Communicating High Context
Explicit
Simple
Clear
Implicit
Layered
Nuanced

37. High Comfort with Silence Low Comfort with Silence
Japan Thai China Belgium Turkey Spain
Korea Finland Russia India Brazil US
Indonesia Vietnam Emirati New Zealand
High Comfort with Silence Low Comfort with Silence

38. Speech Patterns A B A B A B Latin Countries US, Germanic Countries
Asian Countries A B

39. Task-Based Trusting Relationship-Based
US Netherlands Sweden UK Belgium France Japan Indonesia India
Germany Australia Poland Spain Italy Mexico China Saudi
Canada Denmark Finland Russia Brazil Vietnam Kenya
New Zealand Turkey Korea Thai
Task-Based Trusting Relationship-Based

40. Cross Cultural Strategies 1
Cross Cultural Strategies 1. Build awareness of cultural differences and potential challenges 2. Multi-cultural teams need low context processes. Create communication processes as a team 3. When working with low context cultures, be as explicit as possible. Put it in writing. Repeat key points 4. When working with high context cultures, repeat yourself less and work on their ability to “read the air” 5. When working with relationship-based cultures: Invest significantly more time building relationships Practice sharing more about yourself than you are used to and blend personal with professional self Use more non-work talk to pad meetings and telephone calls 6. When working with task-based cultures: Get down to business. Try shorter lunches, less non-work related talk 7. In general, listen for understanding before reacting in your usual way

41. Some Insightful Quotes:
“Your assumptions are your windows on
the world. Scrub them off every once in
a while, or the light won't come in.”  Isaac Asimov
“Travel (Cultural Awareness) is fatal to
prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” 
- Mark Twain

42. Eastern thought, philosophy, and culture is based on having a holistic point of view. Never putting yourself ahead of the greater whole (family, society, spirituality, etc.)
One

43. Two Minute Presentations:
A. You are making a recommendation to senior management to fund and support cross cultural agility training for employees who are either traveling on assignment or working full-time as an ex-pat in another country outside the US.  The senior management team are all US citizens, not well traveled internationally, and are VERY focused on expense control and reduction. 
B. You are trying to persuade a fellow employee, who has an upcoming work assignment outside the US, to invest some personal time in learning about the culture she/he is entering and the potential challenges they will face coming from the US culture.  The investment would involve five after-hours training sessions attending a class, taking an assessment on their own time, and three late night phone conversations (early morning in Asia) with in-country culture experts.  The company will pay for the optional training, but your colleague is very tight on time finishing up important work while getting ready to leave the country.