The Culture Gap.docx

The Culture Gap.docx

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TheCultureGap

TheCultureGap

TheChallengeofInterculturalEffectiveness

Shippinghasalwaysbeenaninternationalbranchoftradeandindustry.Attherealchallengeofworkingeffectivelyinaninterculturalsession,itisaverynewdevelopment.Technologicalimprovementshaveledtodecreasingnumbersofcrewsonboardbutitsextremelyhighdemandsonthoseondetail.Atthesametime,moreandmoreshippingcompaniesturntoemployingmulticulturalworkforce.Thesechangeschallengetheeffectivenessandproductivityofthosefromdifferentculturesworkingtogether.Somemaintainthatcultureisnotanissue.Therearebothgoodandbadworkforcesanditmakesnodifferencewheretheycomefrom.Thereismuchtruthtoit.Buttheexperiencesofthepastcoupleofdecadesshowthatworkingtogetheracrossculturesismorecomplex.WhatworksperfectlywellinJapanamongJapaneseorinNorwayamongNorwegiansmaynotworkwheninteractingwithAmericans,Spaniards,ChineseorPhilippinosforthatmatter.Itislittletodowithgoodorbadseamanshipbutit’salottodowithculturaldifferences.Afewmulticulturalcrewsworkextremelywelltogether,butinmostcasestheoutcomeisfarbelowaverageandsometimesitisclosetoadisaster.Thosewhosucceedseemtopossessso-calledculturemanagementskills.Thisvideowillidentifyafewoftheseculturalmanagementskillsandwillevensuggesthowyoucanlearntomakeuseofthem.

DoctorAndersHovemyrisaninterculturalexpertintheshippingindustry,helpingseafellowsinthemulticulturalenvironmenttoworkmoreeffectivelyandproductively.Workingasaconsultanttoshippingcompanies,heconductsseminarsandworkshopsamongtheworldfocusingonthesequestions.WejoinhimnowatoneofhisseminarswithaninternationalaudienceandaquestionhasjustbeenaskedwhetheranyonehasvisitedJapan.

ThosewhohavebeentoJapan,I’msureyourecallthatNashitasaverynicemodernairportbutit’sveryfarfromdowntownTokyo.Ittakesyoumaybetwohourstogetthere.Andthenyouhavetobethereatleasttwohoursbeforedeparturetoallthesecurityconsiderations.Notjustthat,butwhenyougetthere,theyaresoextremelyefficientthattheycheckyouintwominutesandthenyouare,boardingcardonhand,twohourstowait,andnothingtodo.Sowhatmostwesternerstodo,theydigdeepintheirpocketandtheygettheirlastfewyenandgoovertothebarandgetacupofcoffeeorCocacola.Soyoudothesamething.Yougoovertothebar,getyourCocacola,sitdownandthenyoudiscoverthatrightnexttoyousitsaverydifferentsortofJapanese,averyniceJapanese.Butheisaverytalkativeguy,youknow.YouhavehardlytimetositdownbeforetheJapaneseturnstoyouandsays,youareinJapanmanyday?

YoulikeJapan?

WhatdoyouthinkofJapan?

Thenconversationisalreadygoing.AndthenasagenuinekindofJapanese,hebringforwardpicturesofhisgrandparents,grandmotherandgrandfatherbothonthemother’sandfather’ssides,andalsotheBuddhisttempleheusedtovisitontheoccasionofmajorBuddhistholidaysandsoon,whichisalittleembarrassingbecauseyouhaven’tgotanypicturesofyourunclesorauntieswithyou.Nordoyouhaveanypicturesofcatsorreally,whatever,youknow.Nevermind.Instead,youbringforwardyourwallet.Youshowhimpicturesofyourhome,ofthecarathomeandthedogyouhavejustgotlastyear.Soit’saveryniceconversation,yousee.Justthesecondyoufindyourselfinaveryniceconversation,youheartheloudspeakers.ItisthefinalcallforSK982boundforCopenhagen.Allonboardplease.Soyouveryquicklysaygoodbyetoyour见本Mimoto-san,allthewaytothegate,andgetyourbelongings.Bythetimeyougettothegate,mostofthepeoplehaveactuallygotonboard.Soit’snowyourtimetoboard.Andyoujust,Jeez,myboardingcard.Yousee,theboardingcardandyourwalletisnolongerwhereitshouldbe.Yourcreditcardandyourcashisstillinyourpocket.It’sthere.Butyoucan’tfindtheboardingcard.Thenitstrikesyouthatjustperhaps,youleftitatthebarwhenyouhadsuchagoodtimewithMimoto-san.Soinallhaste,yougobacktothebarandthinkofyourMimoto-sanisstillthere.Soyourushuptohimandyousay,Mimoto-san,youknow,wallet,boardingcard?

Youseeit?

ThenuponMimito-sanresponse,Iwillreplaythisresponse.Itissomethinglikethis.Sorry,sorry,nosee,nowallet.

Somethinglikethat.Nowlet’sstopthereforamoment.Myquestionis,whatisyourfirstfeeling,yourfirstthoughtwhenMimotodisplayedallthathehadn’tseenyourwallet?

--Itseemssomethingfishy.Heistryingtohidesomething.Heisnotbeinghonestaboutit.

--OK,howaboutyou,madam?

--Verysimilar.Ithoughthewouldbeguiltyaswell.Wasn’tbeingdirectaboutit.

--OK,someoneelse?

Howaboutyousir?

CaptainSemiyana.

--Heislying.Heislying,

ya.Youknow,ofcourse,it’snotthatwesuspectthat,yes.Totally.YouknowthatJapaneseareextremely,weunderstand,honorablepeople.ButjustsomethinginnerliesthatJapanesebehaviortellsusthatit’snotOK.Maybeifyousecures,maybeitlookstoyoulikesomethingisfishy.Yes,thatwasanadvisabledefinition.WhatdidIdothatgiveyouthatimpression?

Ilookdown.Yes,lackofeyecontact.Yousee,thisthingaboutlackofeyecontactisveryinterestinginmanyofourculturesbecauseIgrewupindefiningthateyecontactmeanshonesty,openness,integrity,notbeingdisguising.Indeed,wetendtopassitontoallourchildren.

Thefantasticthingisthatwemakethisassumption.Allofus,ormostofussittinghereabidethisautomatically.However,Mimoto-sangrewupinanothercultureandhelearnfromallhischildhoodthatonlyadisrespectfulorbad-manneredpersonwould,inthistypeofsituation,pleasenote,inthissituation,likethis,starestraightintotheface,straightintotheeyeofanotherpersonwhoisindistressorintrouble.Sowhathedoeswhenheseesyoucomein,youknowyouareveryworriedinface,verydistressed,whathedoesisthathebringsforwardthebestofJapanesebehavior.Andwithalotofempathy,withalotofwillingnesstoputthingsupinyoursituation.Andwithalotofkindnessandpolitenessandconsideration,hetellsyou:

SorryIdidn’tseeyourboardingcard.Andofcoursehedoesn’tdreamoflookingorstaringatface.Onthecontrarywithallhisbodylanguagetotellyouhowsorryhewas.Mimoto-san,inthismanner,wasputtingforwardthebestofhisbehavior,alsohismostnaturalreaction.OhyouknowtheJapaneseissomethingefficiythat.

Canyousee,thebestofhisintentionsinterpretedbyusassomethinglessthanhonorableintentionsandactions.What’sbehinditis,ofcourse,nothingthathasgottodowithintelligenceorexperience.Ithasgottodowithculturemanagementskills.Becauseyouseeeverytimepeoplemeet,what’shappeningis,thiscommunicationprocesstakesplacewhereyouhavegotsenderorreceiver.Ofcoursethesendersendsthemessagetothereceiverbymeansofmediumordifferentmedia,andatthesametime,looksforwardtogettingsomefeedback.However,ifyouputtogetherpeopleacrosscultures,aSwedeandaJapanese,anEnglishmanandNorwegian,aGermanandaChinese,orwhateverotherconstellations,whatreallyhappensisthatboththesenderandthereceiverwillmakeuseoftheso-calledculturefilters.Thatis,aswetalk,aswecommunicate,Iwillmakeuseofkindofculturalglasses.

Arewelookingatyou,areweperceivingwhatyoudo,whatyousaybymeansoftheseculturefilters.Andtheseculturefiltersaredifferentbetweenculturesbecausetheysimplyrepresentourassumptionsaboutotherpeople’sbehavior.Let’sillustrate.CulturefilterSweden,eyecontactmeanshonesty,opennessandintegrity.Aswehaveseen,culturefilterJapan,eyecontactmeans,inthissituation,beingdisrespectful,beingbad-mannered.Let’stakeanotherillustration.CulturefilterSweden,aladyhastwoidenticalringsonherfingerandthen,sheis?

OfcoursethoseofyouwhoarefamiliarwithSwedishculturewillrecognizethatsheis---married?

Sheismarried,ofcourse.Anotherroundofengagementoranothermarriage.However,culturefilterSpainorPortugalorsomeotherEuropeancountries,whenyouseealadywithtwoidenticalringsonherfinger,youwouldnot,forsure,thatsheis,anyguess?

Awaiter?

Yes,that’sgreat.Thiscould,ofcourse,giverisetosomefineinterestingmisunderstandings.Marriedorawaiter.However,ifculturefilterswouldhavebeenonlyabouteyecontactornumberofringsonthefinger,Iwouldn’thavespentfiveseconds.Butyouseetheculturefilteraffectalsoeverydayinteractionwhenweworktogetherinthecompany,whenweworkonboardofship,inthemulticulturalworkforce.AndIwouldgiveallofyouwhosithere,andalsoyouwhowatchthisvideoachancetotestyourselfandseewhetheryoualsomakeuseofculturefiltersandifso,tostopit,youmustimaginethatthesituationthatI’mgoingtotelltoyou,takesplaceinyourcountryandinyourculture.Sonow,ourcompanyhasbeenplanningtobuyasubsidiaryinNebananceforquitesometime,butforavarietyofreasons,wehaven’tyetsucceed.Lotoffactors.Howeverthismorning,asIgotintooffice,allthesetellerfaxesareonmydesk,comingfromourDutchoffice,fromHanfunShilder.ItsaysthatcompanyoutsideontheFokadonisnowforsale,andwecangetitifwewant,butwehavetoactveryfastonthis.AndwhileIamjustthinkingwhomIshouldgivethisassignmentto,Irecalledthatmaybejustafewweeksago,atamanagementmeeting,Iwastoldthatwehavejusthiredayoungmanwhoisanexpertatcashflo