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Jul 12

Cross Cultural Perceptions: Is Kissing in Public Indecent or Accepted Behaviour?

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

A recent article published by the BBC recounts the misadventures of a London citizen sent to Dubai by his firm as an international assignee. The man, Ayman Najafi, was charged for indecency after kissing a woman on the cheek in a restaurant. He was found guilty and spent a month in jail before being deported by the Dubai administration.

Mr Najafi protested and claimed that a mere kiss on the cheek was not indecent and that this kind of behaviour was commonplace among expatriates in the country. He also insisted that Dubai was “deceptive” as “the laws have not developed as quickly as the country”.

Business meeting Middle East Catherine Yeulet i Cross Cultural Perceptions: Is Kissing in Public Indecent or Accepted Behaviour?

© istockphoto.com/ Catherine Yeulet

 

While this critical incident led to some extreme and uncommon consequences, it remains a perfect example of the need for cross cultural awareness training courses for international assignees. Cultural misunderstandings and incidents occur more than most international assignees can imagine, mainly because while their behaviour appears to be perfectly acceptable for them it may be perceived as rude by the inhabitants of their host country.

To adapt, international assignees need to bear in mind the main cultural and religious values and try to act in accordance with them when living and working in another country. If we come back to the case of Mr Najafi, countries like the United Arab Emirates which are strongly influenced by Islam, forbid physical contact between men and women. This cultural fact remains true even in a globalised and modern looking city like Dubai.

To help international assignees have a smooth adaptation to their professional and personal environment and ensure they do not make any cultural faux-pas, it is crucial to provide them with key cultural information and knowledge about the target country before they relocate. Providing them with an understanding of the main cultural values, helping them to decipher the cultural background of the country and making them aware of the key do’s and don’ts in the culture will minimise the risks of cultural misunderstandings and critical incidents which can have hugely negative consequences for both the individual and the organisation.

Cross cultural awareness training courses such as Communicaid’s Living and Working in the UAE or Living and Working in India can help international assignees to understand and avoid any inappropriate behaviour. With the knowledge and insights gained from intercultural training, they can ensure a successful international assignment, not only in the workplace but also in their daily life.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 08

Intercultural Communication in Action – UNESCO’S ‘International Year for the Rapprochement of 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 No Comments »

UNESCO is the United Nations’ organisation charged with the task of building ‘the defences of peace in the minds of men’ by developing international cooperation in its fields of competence such as education, sciences, culture and communication. It is fitting, therefore, that UNESCO has been asked to lead the initiative of the United Nations’ ‘International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures’ during 2010.

Globe Kasia i1 Intercultural Communication in Action UNESCO’S ‘International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures’

© istockphoto.com/ Kasia

 

The goal of this International Year is to increase the extent to which the rapprochement of cultures is involved in policy-making at local, national, regional and international levels and to involve as many stakeholders in this as possible. Their policy document explains that this will ‘involve integrating the principles of dialogue and mutual knowledge in all policies, particularly education, science, culture and communication policies, in the hope of correcting flawed cultural representations, values and stereotypes.’

When launching the International Year programme, Ban Ki-Moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, emphasised how essential intercultural dialogue and understanding are for a peaceful world and for international development. This point was reinforced by Irina Bokova, UNESCO’s Director-General who said ‘No culture can afford to live in isolation. It is through dialogue and creativity in all its forms, through exploring new opportunities for creating connections between people, that we can prove that diversity is our strength.’

In response to this, hundreds of international activities are planned throughout 2010. These include a Euro-Arab Dialogue Task Force, a Round Table to involve publishing and new technologies in the programme and regional meetings in Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific regions.

While UNESCO is planning many activities throughout 2010, they are also inviting individuals and organisations to contribute in their own ways. Many companies now have a global reach and an international, multicultural staff. ‘Correcting flawed cultural representations, values and stereotypes’, as Ban Ki-moon expressed it, can help companies with a multicultural workforce to improve intercultural communication and enable colleagues to work more successfully with each other and with clients.

Undertaking cultural awareness training courses such as Communicaid’s Working Effectively across Cultures or Managing International Teams programmes is one way organisations can bring together employees from different cultures and improve their cross-cultural communication skills. Intercultural training has proven to be an effective way of increasinge understanding between employees from different cultures by dispelling cultural stereotypes and enabling people involved to create valuable connections.

Offering these intercultural training opportunities to your employees can increase the ability of your organisation to benefit from the cultural differences within it and, as Irina Bokova, Secretary General of UNESCO said, make diversity your strength.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 07

Strictness, Discipline and Efficiency – Can Germany’s Cultural Values Lead Them to Success in the World Cup?

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 title of dark horse of this World Cup undoubtedly belongs to Germany. Everyone was talking about Spain, Italy or Argentina as possible contenders, and no one gave a second thought to a team that, although strong, does not have the stars or the charisma that tend to attract the attention of the football world. Adding insult to injury, literally, a Ballack–less German team did indeed look less than impressive on paper and without many chances of success.

A little bump in the group stages against Serbia served to confirm all the skeptics’ opinions that Germany were not good enough to go all the way. Fast forward two weeks and Germany have outplayed small teams Australia and Ghana, and downright humiliated world-powerhouses England and Argentina. And as Germany gets ready to try and beat European champions Spain in the second World Cup semifinal tonight, the world has been left admiring the Germans’ impressive path to success.

 

Germany Flag wrangel i1 Strictness, Discipline and Efficiency – Can Germany’s Cultural Values Lead Them to Success in the World Cup?

© istockphoto.com/wrangel

 

How could a team with no Rooney, Ronaldo or Messi possibly have any chance to make it to the semifinal, let alone score four goals per match a staggering three times in the tournament? Perhaps the names Müller, Schweinsteiger and Friedrich are not as easily recognised as they don’t belong to global football stars, but these players, and the whole of the German team, have succeeded where other teams with charismatic superstars have not.

One of the German strengths is that they are, indeed, a team. Speaking right after their thrashing of Argentina, captain Philipp Lahm summarised their victory in one accurate phrase: ‘Better teams beat better players’. While Argentina boasts amazing footballers such as Tévez and Messi, who is undoubtedly the best player in the world, Germany’s players are simply good. Yet they complement each other perfectly and play for German glory, not their own. Coach Löw has intelligently managed to find good players and put them in their preferred position in order to develop an efficient goal-making machine that looks the most convincing of the World Cup so far.

Indeed, the German team is very German in their approach. Core German cultural values are discipline, efficiency, hard work and planning. In Germany, things tend to be done properly and on time while expectations are always high. These are well-known traits of German culture, yet expats who are living and working in Germany may still find it hard to adapt to these values. Doing business in Germany is undoubtedly profitable as the country is well known for their very high standards, efficiency and discipline. To completely understand how these values impact business in Germany and take full advantage of them, anyone building relationships or communicating regularly with German counterparts should undergo a cross cultural awareness training course.

Communicaid offers intensive cross cultural awareness training and language training that will give you the competitive edge you need to harness the famous German values and qualities of efficiency, planning and common sense.

The German football team has definitely been the most entertaining and exciting to watch in this World Cup full of unfulfilled promises and flopping superstars. Now we must wait until the game tonight to see how Germany’s efficiency fares against the Spanish team who has also performed well this World Cup.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 07

The Future of International Assignees – What trends can we expect in 2020?

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 »

A recent report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers gives us a glimpse of the state of international assignments in the year 2020. This comprehensive report shows new trends, challenges and opportunities of international assignments in the years to come, from the use of new technology to remuneration policies and from the new type of assignees to connections between states and companies.

 

Business People walking urbancow i1 The Future of International Assignees – What trends can we expect in 2020?

© istockphoto.com/ Urban Cow

 

Here we have summarised some of the highlights of the report:

International Assignees

PricewaterhouseCoopers foresee a 50% rise in the number of international assignees, but as the baby boomers slowly begin to retire, new generations of international workers will appear to replace them. New generations of international assignees will be motivated by different factors and have diverse career goals.

According to the report, The Generation Xers will arrive at their full career potential in 2020. They will be selective about their assignments and try to maximise their income. They will be joined by the Millennials who tend to perceive international assignments as a rite of passage and are more likely to work abroad longer and come back to their homeland later in their career. In 2020 we will also still see some of the baby boomers working and seeking the best assignments in order to keep high incomes and maintain their living standards.

Competition between Companies

According to this report, the competition between firms will continue to increase in the near future so companies will have to fight even harder to hire and retain the most talented and high level employees. To find this new talent, international companies will have to recruit worldwide while they will also have to find ways of encouraging their employees to stay in the organisation.

According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers’ study, while remuneration policies will remain the main incentives, they will no longer be sufficient to retain talented employees. Companies will have to adapt to their employees’ core values and provide them with challenging and stimulating roles around the world.

New Destinations

Emergent countries will have reached their full potential in 2020 resulting in new global mobility patterns. Instead of having personnel going from Northern to Southern countries, firms will increasingly send their employees to any country in the world.

The constant search for new talent will drive international companies to scout the foreign market for employees who bring a high level of competence, knowledge and experience. For example, the report shows the case where a Chinese organisation may hire a European worker and send him or her to work in Africa.

Changes to demography around the world will also impact the mobility flow. Indian cities for instance will become more important as their educated population overtakes key urban centres in western countries making India an attractive place for doing business. Bangalore, for example, has been reported to have a huge population of experienced global mobility professionals which is attracting many western organisations looking to outsource some of the business processes.

In addition to the above, the report also highlights several challenges and obstacles for the international assignees of the future that can jeopardise their success. Among these challenges are the impact of culture, increased interaction with different ethnic groups, loss of social networks and difficulties finding an occupation or employment for partners and children.

Cross cultural awareness training courses like Living and Working in India or Partner and Family Training can help by providing key insights and knowledge about the target culture and strategies for dealing with cultural adaptation. The skills developed on an intercultural training course can ensure that international assignees today and in 2020 will have the support they need to be successful anywhere in the world.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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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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Jul 05

International Football Players – Impact of Relocation on Game Performance

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector 2 Comments »

According to a recent study conducted by accounting firm Deloitte, the European football championships have approximately three quarters of the football players who are playing in World Cup.

What attracts so many players to the European football leagues over other world teams? Many argue that the main reason behind this trend is money. European football generated €15.7 billion during the 2008 season alone. This revenue comes mainly from tickets and merchandise sales as well as TV slots and adverts. English, German, Spanish, Italian and French championships have particularly high revenues which account for half of the continent total revenue.

With these colossal amounts of money, it is not surprising to see many young players from South America or Africa so eager to come and play in Europe in the hope of being recruited by prestigious clubs like Manchester, Chelsea or Barcelona. However even extremely fit and skilled professional football players are no different from expatriates when it comes to being relocated and living and working abroad.

Rows of seats Celso Pupo i International Football Players Impact of Relocation on Game Performance

© istockphoto.com/ Celsopupo

 

Employees of corporate or public sector organisations and football players alike deal with the challenges of culture shock and adaptation when moving to a new environment which can be quite different from the one they have just left. The language, food and infrastructures can be dramatically different as well as cultural values and attitudes on a social and professional level. Adapting to these new elements can sometimes be difficult for young players who are far from home, especially with atmospheres of rivalry which can make things even tougher.

Like any other international assignees, foreign football players have to cope with the differences in the way they work. Depending on where you are, players may be faced with different management and training styles as well as differences in how the game is played. For example in Italy the Calcio tolerates rough defence and a harsher physical involvement while the English Premiere League emphasises the attack, leading to spectacular and open games. While some players adapt naturally to these differences, other can struggle and witness a decrease in their overall performance.

Players own cultural values can also become obstacles, particularly in how they adapt to different management or training styles. Their relationship to authority, for example, and how they perceive their manager or their attitude to time and arriving late for training sessions can also have an impact on how they are perceived by the rest of the team and perform as a player.

International players can also experience a kind of reverse culture shock when they come back from their club to play in their national squad. The French sports newspaper l’Equipe recently took the example of the Argentinean player Lionel Messi who they say has played for so long in Spain that he now struggles to adapt the way the Albiceleste play the game!

Hiring young players from foreign and distant countries can be really expensive so ensuring that young champions adapt quickly and efficiently to their new environment is key for football clubs both from a competition and financial perspective. Football clubs should follow in the footsteps of many international firms and provide cross cultural awareness training courses to their players to ensure a smooth adaptation process to their prodigies.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 04

Being Successful in International Markets – New CEO of Tesco is Model Example

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

Tesco recently announced the promotion of Philip Clarke to take over as the next CEO of the Tesco Group. Clarke is a pure Tesco by-product; in fact his first job was part time assistant in a Tesco near Liverpool when he was still a student.

Clarke made his way to the top of the company and gradually took on more responsibilities from his roles as Store Manager to Supply Chain and IT Manager. According to an article in the Evening Standard, he was eventually designated as the next CEO of Tesco thanks to his brilliant and successful campaign in the South Korean and Chinese markets.

Meeting Neustockimages i Being Successful in International Markets – New CEO of Tesco is Model Example

© istockphoto.com/ Neustockimages

 

Many argue the main reason behind Clarke’s success is his adaptation policy. Instead of trying to force local customers to act like British, he adapted his retail methods and stores to the local market. One of the best examples of this is how Tesco sells fish and seafood in China. Fish does not come in a sealed plastic bag like in most western countries but is instead presented alive in a pool, waiting for the customer to catch it! Thanks to this philosophy and innovative approach, Tesco did not encounter difficulties like some of its rivals like French Carrefour or American Wal-Mart who also attempted to harness the benefits of the market in South East Asia.

Clarke is also responsible for developing successful partnerships with local suppliers when entering new international markets. For example, Tesco signed a partnership agreement with Tata in order to facilitate the opening of new cash and carry stores in India. Thanks to this alliance, Tesco will be able to benefit from the experience and knowledge of Tata (which already own its own retail stores line) to enter this new and promising market and be successful in India.

This philosophy of adapting to the local habits of other cultures and building relationships with local suppliers has made a huge difference in the retail sector. Adaptability is also a valuable skill when it comes to working in other cultures or managing multicultural teams while learning from local partners is also a shortcut to success.

Communicaid’s cross cultural awareness training courses can help you to gain the skills and insights necessary to ensure good working relationships and communication with your international counterparts. The cross-cultural understanding and knowledge you develop on an intercultural training course such as Selling across Cultures will also help you to adapt your business strategies to the local market and better understand what customers in other cultures expect, need and want from you as a global supplier.

Tesco has taken the right steps in this direction and provides its employees with a number of cultural awareness training solutions. By doing the same you may see a significant increase in international sales and be able to develop the adaptability skills of key individuals like Philip Clarke who can make a real difference to your organisation.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Jul 04

100 Views on Culture and Communication Skills Training

Communication Skills Training, 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 »

Thanks to everyone who has been following the last 100 blog articles where we have explored different issues in the world of culture and communication skills training.

If you’ve just discovered this blog, have a look at some of the following articles we’ve published that have proven popular:

As we continue to post new articles on a regular basis, we hope that training professionals, international employees and organisations continue to find the Communicaid blog an invaluable tool to navigating this fascinating field.

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