“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.

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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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An economic and political powerhouse, the United States is unmistakably a prominent business player. A nation founded on the fundamental principle of equality, the US is a multicultural salad bowl of diverse cultures, ethnicities, religions and races. Its vast and disparate geography breeds regional subcultures and identities which mean there is no stereotypical ‘American’.

Considering the volume of exposure many of us have to certain aspects of American culture, when doing business in the United States of America it is important not to fall in the trap of feeling it is already familiar. Just like any other country, it is imperative to understand the cultural concepts behind the surface in order to harness the many benefits of doing business in the US like those highlighted below.

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Speed and Accuracy
The well known concept ‘time is money’ is taken extremely seriously in the US. Punctuality is an essential part of American business etiquette and deadlines are strictly adhered to. North Americans emphasise getting the best results in the shortest time so when doing business in the US you can expect things to get done quickly and efficiently.

Hard Working and Dedicated Employees
An individualistic culture, the US prizes qualities such as initiative, independence, self-reliance and personal achievement. Personal competence, professionalism and accountability for individual performance are also highly valued. These qualities have stemmed from the concept of ‘The American Dream’ which is founded on the belief in the US that hard work deserves success and financial prosperity.

Equal Footing
Despite the vast array of differences present in American society, equality forms the pillar that many social relationships are based on. One’s position in US society is determined by achievement rather than ascription due to status or age. When doing business in the US, you might initially be surprised by the seemingly informal working environment where conversational tones are employed and people are addressed by their first names. This originates from a lack of formality that is often associated with authority in other countries, but does not translate to unprofessionalism or a lack of hierarchy.

Openness to New Ideas and Opportunities
In the US, open communication seems conducive to innovation and improvement. Challenging the status quo, new ideas and progress are all actively encouraged. Additionally, employee progression in the US is encouraged and tracked by systems of continual feedback, measurement and evaluation.

Clear Rules and Instructions
As a low context culture, the United States tends to utilise communication for the exchange of information, facts and opinions. The majority of information is communicated verbally and the responsibility of making sure that the meaning is understood lies firmly with the speaker. Therefore, instructions are often delivered in a very clear, unambiguous and explicit way. Equally, a lack of formal status-driven conversational structures means questions can easily be asked and conflict is dealt with openly. When doing business in the US you should feel confident that you know where you are, what you are doing and what is expected of you.

Diverse Population
In today’s globalising world, difference is strength. Nowhere can this strength be harnessed more than in the US, which is home to approximately 307 million people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Immigration from virtually every corner of the world has assured the unique cultural diversity of the US, moulding the country into what it is today.

It is clear that international organisations can greatly profit from the above benefits of doing business in the US. However, doing business in the United States effectively requires efficient strategies that maximise the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of American society. International organisations regularly doing business with the US or employing American counterparts should have a series of Intercultural Training United States of America courses to ensure they understand the subtleties of American business and social culture on all levels. Recognising differences is only the first step. Businesses will profit immensely from developing the intercultural skills of their employees through cross cultural training courses that will help to successfully harness cultural differences in the US.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Everyone has heard the expression “Time is money”. This saying has an equivalent in most languages, demonstrating that the concept of time plays an important role in business cultures across the globe.

Modern Western business, in particular, considers the efficient use of time as a measurement of success. For example, if a project is not completed by the agreed date, the company will lose profit and its reputation will suffer. However, other cultures take a different approach to time management. Some Eastern cultures, such as India and Japan, tend to favour the coordination of tasks rather than tackling them sequentially.

Cross cultural awareness training provides an introduction to the concepts of time and how they differ across cultures, providing you with a better understanding of what to expect when working with international counterparts.

One cross cultural theory about time that intercultural training covers was developed by Edward T. Hall, an American anthropologist and cultural expert. Hall distinguished between monochronic and polychronic views of time. For example, when doing business in Germany or the US, both monochronic cultures, you will find that your counterparts tend to consider that time is wasted unless decisions are being made and actions are carried out. The task is the priority and communication between colleagues is often direct and to the point.

However, in polychronic cultures like India, time is not perceived as a number of slots where each is presented by a definite task that needs to be tackled sequentially. Instead, when doing business in India, you will find their polychronic approach to time is much less driven by a need to get things done on time and more by the fact that things are done and harmonious relationships are maintained throughout the process.

The difference in these cross cultural approaches can create significant challenges for anyone working in a multicultural team. When your multicultural team members have attitudes to time that are similar to yours, coordinating projects can be relatively problem-free. However, when your team members from different cultures view time differently, issues relating to planning, decision-making or project deadlines can often lead to frustrations caused by miscommunication and mismatched expectations.

For example, a German working on a multicultural team with Indian nationals may become frustrated by what he perceives to be indirectness or lack of urgency in his colleagues. Conversely, the Indian team members may feel that their German counterparts come across as being pushy and fail to consider the harmony of the team.

Another clear illustration of contrast between these two attitudes to time can be found in comparing the American and Japanese modes of production. The American model, credited to Ford, is a linear production line, with one task following another until the product is finished. The Japanese, however, initiated the ‘just-in-time’ model, credited to Toyota, in which production is synchronised to allow the company to minimise waste and be responsive to demand.

These are just a few examples that show how attitudes to time can present challenges and benefits for multicultural teams. The challenges and advantages that different attitudes to time can create are numerous and can have a clear negative or positive impact on multicultural teams and the success of the projects that they work on. By participating in a Cross Cultural Training course such as Working across Cultures or Intercultural Training Germany, multicultural teams can develop strategies to not only cope with their differences but harness them for more effective team working and productivity.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Post tags: Courses - Cultural Training, Cross Cultural Awareness training programs, Cross Cultural Training, cross-cultural awareness, cross-cultural theory, Cultural differences in time management, Doing business in Germany, Doing business in the U.S., intercultural training, Intercultural Training Germany, Intercultural Training Programs, Managing Multicultural Teams, Time Management

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Have you ever considered why in some cultures it’s best to praise a team for their efforts rather than an individual?  Or why connections and networks are more important when doing business than individual achievement?  Or in education, have you noticed that in some cultures children are encouraged to participate and show individual creativity while in others the expectation is for children to recite lessons as a group?  There are many differences like these that can often be explained by a predominant tendency in a culture to place more importance on individuals or groups.

This distinction is often referred to as individualism and collectivism, the degree to which a society reinforces individual or group achievement and interpersonal relationships.  This concept, one of Geert Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions, helps explain many cross-cultural attitudes, behaviours and communication styles.

Societies which emphasise collectivism are those where people’s main concern is their in-group or community rather than their individuality.  Extended families and networks where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group are typical of collective cultures such as China, Mexico and Greece.

Individualism refers to describe societies that are characterised by the importance of individuality and individual rights. In individualistic cultures such as the US or Germany, the self and immediate family come first while social bonds tend to be loosely tied.

Below is a table which summarises the key differences between the cross-cultural preference for individual or group.

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The terms polychronic and monochronic are used to describe how we understand and use time as well as how time affects our attitudes, behaviours and communication. In The Silent Language (1959), Edward T. Hall used the term polychronic to describe the preference for doing several things at once. Conversely, monochronic refers to an individual’s preference to do their activities one by one.

People in monochronic cultures such as the U.S. or Germany prefer promptness, careful planning and rigid commitment to plans. They also tend to be task-oriented whereas people from polychronic cultures are people-oriented. Cultures such as Italy or Brazil are considered to be polychronic since they prefer to have multiple things happening at once. Polychronic cultures tend to prioritise relationships over tasks and do not consider time commitments to be binding.

The table below highlights some of the key differences between monochronic and polychronic preferences.

While doing business in other countries, you should consider the different perceptions of time people might have. Everyday global business activities such as scheduling meetings, participating in conference calls or planning a project can be affected by attitudes to time.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Post tags: chronemics, Cross Cultural Training, doing business in, Doing business in Brazil, Doing business in Germany, doing business in India, Doing business in Italy, Doing business in the U.S., Edward T. Hall, monochronic, polychronic

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