Cross Culture:The interaction of people from different backgrounds in the business world.

Cross
culture is a vital issue in international business, as the success of international trade
depends upon the smooth interaction of employees from different cultures and
regions. A growing number of companies are consequently devoting substantial
resources toward training their employees to interact effectively with those of
companies in other cultures in an effort to foment a positive cross-cultural.
Cross cultural management involves managing work teams in ways that considers
the differences in cultures, practices and preferences of consumers in a global or
international business context. Many businesses have to learn to modify or adapt
their approaches in order to compete on a level in fields no longer bound by
physical geography with online interactions more common in business and other
situations.
Cross culture can be experienced by an employee who is transferred to a location in
another country. The employee must learn the language and culture of those around
him, and vice-versa. This can be more difficult if this person is acting in a
managerial capacity; someone in this position who cannot effectively communicate
with or understand their employees' actions can lose their credibility. In an everexpanding global economy, cross culture and adaptability will continue to be
important factors in the business world.
Culture Refers To The Complex Whole Which Includes Knowledge, Belief, Art, Morals,
Laws, Customs And Other Capabilities And Habits Acquired By An Individual As A
Member

Of

Society.

Firstly, Culture Creates The Type Of People Who Become Members Of An

Organization. Culture Trains People Along Particular Lines, Tending To Put A
Personality Stamp On Them. It Is Also Not Necessary That All People Are Alike In A
Particular Culture. There Are Sub-Cultures Within A Culture. For, People Have Their
Own Idiosyncracies And Are Influenced By Heredity, Cultural Experiences, SubCultural Experiences, Family Experiences And Unique Personal Experiences.

When People With Different Cultural Backgrounds Promote, Own And Manage
Organizations, They Themselves Tend To Acquire Distinct Cultures. Thus, The Culture
Of The Tata Group Of Companies Is Different From That Of The Enterprises Owned
And Managed By The Birlas.
Secondly, The Attitude Of Workers Towards Work Is The Result Of Their Cultural
Background. Our Workers Are Known To Have A Deep-Seated Apathy Towards Work.
Work Is Dissociated From Results In The Belief That Results Are Pre-Ordained. Tasks
Are Performed Without Any Interest, Dedication Or Pride. Worse, There Is
Indiscipline, Nagging Suspicion Of Fellow Workers, Basic Mistrust Of Authority, And
Poor Man-Management Relationships.
Thirdly, Time Dimension, Which Influences HRM, Has Its Roots In Culture. Time
Orientation Refers To Peoples Orientation Past, Present Or Future. In Some
Societies, People Are Oriented Towards The Past. In Others, They Tend To Be More
Focussed On The Present. HRM People In Societies That Focus On The Present, Care
More For Employees On Their Rolls. Employees Are Hired And Maintained As Long As
They Are Useful To The Organization And Dispensed With Once They Cease To Be So.
Japan Is An Example Of A Futuristic Society. When Japanese Firms Hire Employees,
They Are Retained For A Long Time, Even For Life. The Firm Will Spend A Great Deal
Of Money To Train Them, And There Is A Strong, Mutual Commitment On Both Sides.
Societies Oriented Towards The Past Tend To Preserve The Acquired Heritage.
Concepts And Actions Of The Past Continue To Guide Current Plans & Strategies.
Finally, Work Ethics, Achievement Needs And Effort-Reward Expectations, Which
Are Significant Inputs Determining Individual Behaviour, Are The Results Of Culture.
The Word Ethics Is Associated With Moral Principles. In The Context Of An
Organization, Ethics Implies Hard Work And Commitment To Work. A Strong Work
Ethics Ensures Motivated Employees Whereas The Opposite Is True When Work
Ethics Is Weak. Achievement Needs, Too, Have A Behavioural Implication.
In HRD, Conflict Arises Because Of The Following Dualities:

Personal Goals Vs Organizational Goals

Personal Ethics Vs Organizational Ethics
Rights Vs Duties
Obedience Vs Self-Respect
Discipline Vs Autonomy

 Self-Confidence Vs Arrogance
Authority Vs Accountability
These Conflicts Occur Daily In Organizations, HR Departments Are Expected To
Develop And Enforce Policies In These Areas.
Communication
Miscommunication Across Cultural Lines Is Usually The Most Important Cause Of
Cross-Cultural Problems In Multinational Companies. Miscommunication Can Have
Several

Sources,

Including:

Differences In Body Language Or Gestures. The Same Gesture Can Have Different
Meanings In Different Parts Of The World. For Example, Bulgarians Shake Their
Heads Up And Down To Mean No. In Addition, The Way People Count On Their
Fingers Is Not Universal: The Chinese Count From One To Ten On One Hand, And
Eight Is Displayed By Extending The Thumb And The Finger Next To It. The Same
Gesture Is Interpreted As Meaning Two In France And As Pointing A Gun In North
America.
Different Meanings For The Same Word. Like Gestures, Words Can Have Different
Meanings Or Connotations In Different Parts Of The World. The French Word "Char"
Means Army Tank In France And Car In Quebec. The Word "Exciting" Has Different
Connotations In British English And In North American English. While North
American Executives Talk About "Exciting Challenges" Repeatedly, British Executives
Use This Word To Describe Only Childrens Activities (Children Do Exciting Things In
England, Not Executives).
Different Assumptions Made In The Same Situation. The Same Event Can Be
Interpreted Many Different Ways Depending On Where One Comes From. For
Example, Although The Sight Of A Black Cat Is Considered A Lucky Event In Britain,
It Is Considered Unlucky In Many Other Countries. Dragons Are Viewed Positively In
China,

But

Negatively

In

Europe

And

North

America.

These Examples Illustrate Dissimilarities Between Cultures That Are Both Large And
Simple In The Sense That They Focus On A Single Cultural Aspect That Keeps The
Same

Meaning

Regardless

Of

Context.

As

Result,

Such

Variations

In

Communication Will Often Be Identified On The Spot. By Contrast, Subtle Or

Complex Differences Are Often Identified Much Later In The Communication Process,
When Corrective Action Requires Considerable Effort And Money. Sometimes, This
Realization Takes Place So Late That There Is Not Enough Time To Address It,
Resulting In A Missed Deadline.

MANAGING CROSS CULTURAL ISSUES

1 Clarify: When In Doubt, Ask; If Not, Ask Anyway. Its Important To Ensure That
Your Foreign Colleagues Have Understood Everything You Meant To Say And Nothing
Else. Ask
Them To Feed You Back What You Have Told Them In Their Own Words. This Will Help
You Discover And Address Any Major Misunderstandings.
2 Get Into The Details: Although Its Often Tempting To Agree On General
Principles And Leave Details To Further Discussions For Brevitys Sake, This Can
Create Major Problems At Later Stages. Indeed, An Agreement On General Principles
May Turn Out To Be Empty, If It Is Not Tested Through Negotiation On The Finer
Details.
3 Summarize: The Time Taken To Summarize The Decisions Made During A Meeting
And To Issue Minutes To All Participants Is Often A Good Investment. It Helps To
Prevent Future Challenges Of Decisions Reached At Meetings And To Ensure That
Action Items Agreed To At Meetings Are Actually Implemented.
4 Simplify: Use Simple Words That Are Easily Understood And Be Consistent. Using
Synonyms Can Confuse Your Non-Canadian Counterparts Unnecessarily, Particularly
If They Are Not Native English Speakers. For Similar Reasons, Technical Jargon
Should Be Avoided Where Possible And Explained Clearly When It Must Be Used.
5 Cross-Cultural Training Organizations Can Also Shorten The Learning Curve By
Delivering Training To Companies In A Timely And Targeted Fashion. The Necessary
Cross-Cultural Information Should Be Shared With All Employees Involved In
International Ventures, Rather Than Being Limited To Those Who Have Already Had
Experience With Them. Cross-Cultural Training Organizations Are Experts In The

Area Of Cross-Cultural Relationships And Can Provide Training On Many Topics.

6 Other Techniques
Building A Shared Culture
Consensus Agreement On Important Matters
Building An Understanding Climate
Identify / Use The Rich Points Of Each Culture
Concentrate On The Things You Know
Showing A Sense Of Humor Always
Showing Tolerance Always
Showing Respect Always