Features
When In Tokyo ...
Ivonne Chirino-Klevans, 07-11-2010
Market share, revenue growth and product quality are not business strategies focused in a single region of the world. Particularly in times of economic instability, organizations need to look for opportunities wherever they exist worldwide. And since managers need people to be successful in those global markets, it becomes imperative that they develop the leadership skills that allow them to succeed in culturally diverse environments. The question is, is there a universally effective leadership style, or should leadership style be culture-specific?
There are many executive education programs designed to develop cross-cultural leadership skills. Often their content is based on a specific culture or on country-specific theories, conceptualized in countries where the actual leadership research emerges. This makes sense, as effective leadership has many faces.
Leadership is quite different between associative and abstractive cultures, for instance. In associative cultures, communications within the organization are strongly dependent on associated meanings in the language. A manager in an associative culture could ask for a report to be finished “as soon as possible” and the employee would already understand what “as soon as possible” means. This implicit meaning comes from the cultural expectation and how that term is typically used in that culture. Is “as soon as possible” two days or two hours? That depends, and leaders who operate in associative cultures must be aware that there are strong assumptions of shared meaning that are contingent on the context in which they are used.
According to social psychologist Geert Hofstede, in some Eastern European and Asian cultures characterized as being collectivist in nature, communication is highly associative. This means knowledge communicated takes into account high context, which may not be shared by new entrants to the culture. Abstractive cultures do not rely on associated meanings but face-value meanings, and assertive comments such as “I need a report by 3 p.m.” will be expected.
According to Ervin Rodriguez, director of human resources for U.S. operations for GlaxoSmithKline, the most important skills a global manager needs to develop are tolerance, flexibility and learning the idiosyncrasies of the local culture. He said anyone working in a culture different from his or her own has to learn that there are different work ethics across countries. For example, Italy, France and the United Kingdom, even though they are close in proximity geographically, have different work ethics and values.
Managers immersed in a new culture must understand the local value placed on dimensions such as family, work and leisure. Cultures that place family at the top of their list may bring family-related conversations into the work environment and appreciate if those conversations are valued. In a 2003 Journal of Change Management article, “A New Framework for Managing Change Across Cultures,” authors Fons Trompenaars and Peter Woolliams call these “diffuse cultures,” where it is difficult to draw a boundary between work and family.
For example, in a diffuse culture, it will be highly regarded if a manager learns the names of employees’ children and spouses and their special dates for celebration. Knowing this information is an effective way to start building trust. On the other hand, “specific cultures” would find it unprofessional to start or share conversations related to their personal lives within the work environment. Failure to understand this difference in values may lead to misunderstandings and mean it takes longer to build trust. “There has to be a delicate balance between accomplishing the mission and really taking the time to build relationships,” Rodriguez said.
Even though there is strong evidence that an effective global manager will have to become proficient in the culture he or she is operating in, there is still some resistance to change. Rodriguez said he often cautions expatriates to abandon the know-it-all, diva-like attitude when entering a new cultural environment. “At times, executives may feel entitled to impose their own values and management styles on to the people they work with without realizing that they may get results in the short term, but are building strong resistance and resentment in the long term,” he said.
Further, he said for global executives who have not been successful in expatriate assignments, the main barriers are often that the executive’s family has not been able to adapt to the new culture, the executive has not made an effort to speak the local language, or there is a strong desire by the executive to implement or hold on to his or her values and bring them into the culture he or she is immersed in, with negative results.
Nonverbal Communication
While some cultures consider kissing — a mode of greeting in some countries — in the work environment risky and unacceptable, kissing in other cultures may reflect a sign of acceptance and inclusion. Body language and nonverbal communication are rooted in cultural values and beliefs. Examples of nonverbal behaviors are eye contact, related to confidence and assertiveness; arm or hand gestures, reflecting enthusiasm or status; and voice intonation, related to confidence or integrity. These behaviors can be the source of misunderstandings or act as opportunities for managers to gain employees’ trust.
Understanding communication depends on a leader’s ability to effectively tune into or decode verbal as well as nonverbal cues, and learning the culture-specific meaning of nonverbal communication is essential for global leaders. According to M. Gaal’s GLOBE theory of nonverbal communication, from the 2009 Academy of Management article “Culture, Leadership, and Nonverbal Behaviors,” a leader’s perception of effectiveness will strongly depend on the perceived meaning of his or her actions and nonverbal behaviors. When a leader’s nonverbal behaviors are not in alignment with workplace expectations and accepted within the organization’s culture where he or she is operating, the leader will be perceived as ineffective.
Understanding Country-Specific Cultural Dimensions
Although classical theories of motivation such as those espoused by Abraham Maslow and David McClelland have tried to define general principles that all human beings seem to strive for, an effective global manager using these theories should first consider that many were developed by American researchers, using American participants. Essentially, certain principles that apply to the American culture may not apply to others. Thus, it is critical that leaders identify how their leadership and management styles should be adapted to meet the needs of the culture in which they are immersed.
For example, a 2009 study conducted by Rita Palrecha found that a unique local leadership model could predict 17.1 percent of variance in subordinate performance in Indian organizations. In other words, using a unique local leadership model will result in greater performance impact. This model is grounded in the context of the local organization, which considers cultural idiosyncrasies when defining a leadership style that will work in that specific context.
