Culture Map

Consensual Decision making:

( Japan, Sweden, Netherlands) decisions are made in groups through unanimous agreement. Most cultures that fall as egalitarian on the scale also believe in consensual decision making. *GERMANY is an exception - hierarchical structure but consensual decision making*. In consensual cultures, decision making might take more time but once the decision is made the implementation is quite rapid.

Hierarchical cultures:

( extreme hierarchical cultures japan, Korea, & Nigeria, China) The ideal distance between boss and subordinate is high. the best boss is a strong director who leads from the front. status is important. Organizational structures are multilayered and fixed. communication follows set hierarchical lines.

Egalitarian cultures:

(Extreme egalitarian cultures Denmark, Netherlands & Sweden) the ideal distance between a boss and a subordinate is low. the best boss is a facilitator amongst equals. Organizational structures are flat. Communication often skips hierarchical lines.

High context & Indirect negative feedback:

(Israel, russia, spain, france & italy) They are able to read between the lines yet when it comes to negative feedback, they're very direct. Abroad, Russians are perceived as being inconsiderate. This is due to them being a very hierarchical culture, if they're speaking to their boss you will be more polite but if it's the other way around then you may be harsh. Communism plays a role in the Russian culture since they consider strangers as being the enemy, they don't trust others easily.

High context & indirect negative feedback:

(Japan, China, Kenya, India, Brazil, Mexico) They're generally soft, subtle, and implicit. You might miss their negative feedback altogether. Any negative feedback should be given in private (no matter how lightly you want to voice it) With Asian cultures: make the negative feedback skillfully blurry. Sometimes doing so gradually can allow the message to sink in overtime and not be too harsh. They also like to give feedback over lunch so that they don't take it as an attack, moreover this is never repeated again at the office. Finally: say the good leave out the bad.

Relationship based cultures:

(Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia, India) trust is built through sharing meals, drinks, and visits at the coffee machine. work relationships built slowly over time. ive seen who you are at a deep level, ive shared personal time with you, i know others well who trust you, i trust you.

Top-down decision making:

(Russia, India, China & Nigeria) Decisions are made by individuals (usually the boss). Cultures that fall as Hierarchical usually believe in top-down decision making. *US is an Exception - Egalitarian but with Top-down decision making*. the responsibility of decision making is invested in one person. decisions tend to be made quickly and early in the process. BUT each decision is flexible, it can be altered. Thus, implementation can take longer.

Low context & direct negative feedback:

(UK & US) Americans are seen as lacking subtlety which is why it's surprising that they're softening negative criticism with positive messages. This can be very confusing and misleading to other cultures in the world. In the Netherlands, they perceive this as being fake and not at all motivating, they don't need "cheerleaders". Overusing words like "excellent" is odd and in other cultures they save that for a very rare occasion. For other cultures it can be hard to adapt to this type because they don't like to wait to get to the negative feedback. Tip: give positive feedback before going on to the negative.

task based cultures:

(US, Denmark, Netherlands, Germany) trust is built through business related activities. work relationships are built and dropped easily, based on the practicality of the situation. you do good work consistently, you are reliable, i enjoy working with you, i trust you.

Low context & direct negative feedback:

(netherlands, denmark, & germany) There cultures are considered direct by all other world populations. This facilitates the communication as it's also easy to decode. Take their messages as literally as possible and as a sign of honesty, transparency, and respect for your professionalism. Tip: don't try to be like them, it's possible to be too direct and they will misinterpret your actions as having gone too far.

Tips if you have to work with a more top-down decision-making process:

1. Expect decisions to be made by the boss and not much discussion. The decision will be made before, during or after a meeting. Depending on the culture 2. When you're in charge, solicit input and listen carefully to differing viewpoints, strive to make quick decisions 3. If you have a divided group, suggest a vote if no leader is present 4. Remain flexible throughout the process. Decisions are often not set in stone

if you are working with people from egalitarian cultures:

1. go directly to the source, no need to bother the boss. 2. think twice before copying the boss. doing so can mean you dont trust them or are trying to get them in trouble. 3. skipping hierarchical levels shouldnt be a problem. 4. can use first names depending

Tips for working with a multicultural team:

1. you can save time by having a few people in the group work across cultures as possible. For example; choose 2 or 3 people that have the most experience in working with international teams and make them leaders. Meanwhile you can leave the others to work in the local way that fits best to them. 2. think about your larger objectives before you mix the cultures up. if your goal is innovation or creative - culture mix fits well. if your goal is speed and efficiency - monocultural is better than multicultural.

Tips if you have to work with more consensual decision-making process:

1.Expect the decision-making to take long 2. Be patient and show commitment throughout the process 3. Check in with your colleagues 4. Resist the temptation to go too fast to make a decision

if you are working with people from hierarchical cultures:

1.communicate only with the people from your level. if you are the boss, talk to the boss with equivalent status or get explicit permissions to talk to someone with a higher status. 2. if you e-mail someone at a lower level than you, copy the boss. 3. if you need to approach your boss's boss or your subordinate, get permission from the person at the level in between first. 4. when emailing - adress the recipient by the last name unless they have indicated otherwise.

Applications first reasoning (or inductive reasoning):

Anglo Saxon cultures such as the USA, UK, AUS, Canada, NZ fall to the far right on the persuading scale because they are application first. general conclusions are reaches based on a pattern of factual observations from the real world. -> individuals have been trained to first develop the theory or complex concept before presenting a fact, statement or opinion. the preference is to begin a message or report by building up a theoretical argument before moving onto a conclusion. the conceptual principles underlying each situation are valued.

Strategies for working with High context cultured peoples:

Ask open ended questions and practice to listen more carefully, try to read in between the lines. " what is meant instead of what is said ", search for implicit cues. for verification ask open ended questions.

Strategies for working with Low context cultures peoples:

Be as transparent and specific as possible. State clearly what you understood and didn't understand. if you do not know 100% clearly what you have to do, do not read inbetween the lines, ask directly and clearly. Ask specific and narrowed questions. Sometimes it is better not to be too politie since it can been misinterpreted as an impression of vagueness.

Coconut cultures:

Coconut cultures (French, polish, german): the core outside is hard, rare smiles, no casual questions or small talk, once you get past the first hard shell, you find that they can be friendlier, these relationships can last longer.

Low context (explicit):

Good communication is precise, simple and clear. Messages are expressed and understood at face value. Repetition is appreciated if it helps clarify the communication. The USA is the lowest context culture because they also have the shortest amount of history as a country. The USA is very multicultural which is a reason why they had to make sure their message got across.

High context (implicit):

Good communication is sophisticated, nuanced, and layered. Messages are both spoken and read between the lines. Messages are often implied but not plainly expressed. Japan being the highest context culture in the world is an island culture, they have a long history and have been "sealed" from the world with each other that they learned from generation to generation to read each other.

Direct cultures and Negative Feedback:

More direct cultures tend to use what linguists call upgraders, words preceding or following negative feedback that make it feel stronger, such as absolutely, totally, or strongly: "This is absolutely inappropriate," or "This is totally unprofessional."

Strategies for working with multicultural collaborations:

Most misunderstandings come from two high context cultures such as China and Brazil. They can only understand their own cultures high context nonverbal communication. high context communication works beautifully when working with people from the same culture. *Multicultural teams need low context processes* List of ground rules that can help make the team work more effective: 1. one person recaps the main points of the meeting orally, with the tasks rotating from one team member to another. 2. each member orally summarizes what he will do next. 3. one person sends out a written recap, again on a rotating basis.

Principles first reasoning (or deductive reasoning):

NL, Latin America, Germanic & Scandinavian cultures are more principles first. Derives conclusions or facts from general principles or concepts. Concepts first -> "all men are mortal" -> This man will die (understanding the WHYs) Principles first thinkers also like practical examples but prefer to understand the basis of the framework before they more to the application. You start with the general principle and then move to reach a practical conclusion. Other example: maths because you need to know the formula first. -> individuals are trained to begin with a fact, statement or opinion, and later add concepts to back up or explain the conclusions as necessary. the preference is to begin a message with an executive summary or bullet points. Discussions are approached in a practical and concrete manner. theoretical or philosophical discussions are avoided in a business environment.

Holistic Thinking:

They confront their colleagues but never the boss. Asians give more attention the entire scene as a whole, the relationship between the subject and its environment. Taoism influenced Buddhism which proposes the universe works harmoniously, how everything is interconnected and interdependent. They see the world from Macro to Micro as opposed to western cultures which see as micro to macro. Specific division tasks don't work well for them because they need to know what the whole team is doing as a whole to work harmoniously. Succeed by explaining the big picture. If your aim is innovation and creativity: the more cultural diversity the better. If your aim is speed and efficiency: monocultural is better

Affective trust (from the heart):

arises from feelings of emotional closeness, empathy, or friendship. comes from the heart. we laugh together, relax together.

Cognitive trust (from the head):

based on the confidence you feel in another person's accomplishments, skills, and reliability. trust that comes from the head. it is often built through business interactions.

communication medium with relationship-based cultures:

choose a medium that is as most relationship-based as possible. instead of email -> call. if you have the budget -> take the trip. try to communicate with them in informal settings as often as you can. if you need to contact someone you dont know, find a link, someone that can introduce you. make a personal connection.

General traits of Hierarchical cultures:

effort is made to defer to the boss's opinions especially in public, people are more likely to get boss's approval before doing something, if you send your boss they will send their boss (matching hierarchical levels), communication follows the hierarchical chain, you are seated and you speak to clients and partners in a specific order of position.

Tips when working with a global team with both decision processes:

explain the different ways you can approach a decision and decide how you'll all agree on making a final decision before you start the projects.

Peach Cultures:

friedly doesnt equal relationship based. Peach cultures (usa and brazil), they're very friendly to strangers and smile a lot, they quickly call you by your first name and share information about themselves. However, this doesn't mean they want to be your friends. The core of a peach is hard, the outside soft.

Communication medium with task-based cultures:

go ahead and choose the medium that is the most efficient. any medium is acceptable as along as the message is delivered clearly.

Strategies for building trust across cultural divides:

investing time to build relationships always pays off. start building through common interests. sharing meals is important to building bonds in almost every culture.

Direct Negative feedback:

it is provided frankly, bluntly, honestly. negative messages stand alone, not softened by positive ones. absolute descriptors are often used when criticizing and criticism may be given to an individual in front of a group

Indirect Negative feedback:

it is provided softly, subtly, diplomatically. positive messages are used to wrap negative ones. qualifying descriptors are often used when criticizing. Criticism is given only in private.

general traits of egalitarian cultures:

its okay to diagree with boss infront of others, people are most likely to do things wihtout boss's approval, when meeting with client/supplier theres less focus to match hierarchical levels, its okay to email or talk to people several levels below/above you, you will speak to people in no specific order.

Strategies for persuading across cultures:

principle-first thinkers also like application-first but they prefer to understand the basis of the framework before the apply it. the best strategy is to cycle back and forth between theoretical principles and practical examples. to avoid any boredom between them, take the answer to answer all questions well for the principles first audience, and then quickly provide a couple of application-first examples to recapture interest. You can also use the following to help: build team awareness by explaining them these concepts to them. a cultural bridge can help too - asking cross cultural to work together and help each other.

Japanese Ringi System:

the bottom-up consensual decision making, each department agrees on a proposal and passes it on to a higher rank department and so on until it reaches the top management, this way everybody is agreeing together.

Learning to manage in a hierarchical culture:

the lower person's responsibility to obey is just as important as the responsibility for the higher person's to protect, care and lead. This is important for people from an egalitarian culture managing a team of hierarchical cultures. you must consistently show paternalistic kindness. mentor and coach them. moreover, know who's hand to shake first, with whom to exchange pleasantries before sitting down to serious business (everyone in descending hierarchical order). when hosting a dinner, arrange the seating according to rankings of your guests.

Increasing effectiveness with Specific cultures:

when managing a supplier or colleague, people usually respond well to receving very detailed and segmented information about what you expect from each one of them. if you need to give instructions to a member from a specific culture, focus on what that person needs to accomplish and when they need to accomplish it by.

Applications first Vs. Principles first:

where a given country falls on the scale matters less than where 2 cultures fall relatively to one another.

Direct cultures & upgraders:

words preceding or following negative feedback that make it feel stronger such as; completely, totally, absolutely, or strongly. ' absolutely inappropriate' or 'totally unprofessional'

Indirect cultures & downgraders:

words that soften the criticism, such as; kind of, sort of, a little, maybe, slightly... another type of downgraders is deliberate understatements - a sentence that describes the feeling the speaker experiences and moderates the emotion. the british are masters of downgraders.

Increasing effectiveness with holistic cultures:

you will be more influential if you take the time to explain the big picture and show how all the pieces fi together. outlining every individuals short term and long term goals.