CROSS CULTURE MANAGEMENT

Cross Culture Management

Cross Culture Management

Introduction

As our world transforms into a global business village, a boundary-less territory, the need for cultural intelligence amongst business managers reaches its peak. Cultural intelligence (CQ) is defined as the natural ability of a person to understand and interpret the gestures and actions of someone from a different culture, just like the people from his/her own culture would interpret (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). Consequently, Joo-Seng Tan defines cultural intelligence as the ability of a person to respond to unfamiliar situations and people, and the ability to adjust to an unfamiliar culture (Nov-Dec, 2004).

According to Liliana Diaconu, cultural awareness contributes significantly to the success of businesses, and numerous companies are investing heavily in global talent mobility programmes to enhance the cultural intelligence of their employees (Nov, 2012). Moreover, the author puts forward real life instances of companies such as Caesars Entertainment that failed to reach its full business potential in Macau owed to the failure of the American businessmen to comprehend the Chinese business culture and practices (Nov, 2012). Literature Review & Analysis

The needs of the 21st century business practices clearly highlight Cultural Intelligence as an approach to success. A number of researches and studies have been conducted to understand the phenomenon of CQ and to identify the factors that contribute to it. Tsedal Neelay (March 2012) argues that it is possible for global managers to manage a culturally diverse team if they are able to create “moments”. These moments are divided into four categories, including:

1. Structuring “unstructured” Time

It is often difficult for informal communication channels to set up in a global team setting. For this purpose, the manager has to ensure that he/she allows for some unstructured time where employees can get informal, talk about their lives, are able to develop social bonds, and move beyond their cultural barriers. (March 2012. p.1) 2. Forcing Disagreements

Effective communication forms the basis of a successful team project. It is highly important for global managers to be able to communicate their concerns at the right time. Speaking up and asking for different approaches, alternatives, and opinions will not only create a pool of success ideas, but will also diminish the existing cultural obstructions. (March 2012. p.1) 3. Stressing Differences

It is a common practice for managers to highlight the commonalities existing within a diverse team, in attempts of bringing the assorted team on an equal footing. However, it is equally important to highlight “good differences” amongst the individuals to ensure that their differences are not always a risk factor, but can contribute significantly to the success of the overall business. (March 2012. p.1). This means that by highlighting the good differences, the managers is trying to appreciate the individuality and uniqueness of each person on the team.4. Creating “awareness” moments

Finally, it is pertinent for an effective global manager to make his/her team members aware of the existing work practices, scope, and pace of work required. Without disseminating this information, a manager cannot ...