We continually add new articles to this section.

Challenging and being challenged: Westerners’ encounter with ‘Indian’ culture. Part II. Social issues. By E. Groznaya and P. Bandhu

This second article on the Indian culture analyses some of the social issues a Westerner will encounter in India. Aspects of the Indian culture such as family life and gender differences are being examined.

Challenging and being challenged: Westerners’ encounter with the ‘Indian’ culture. Part I. Culture Shock. By E. Groznaya and P. Bandhu

In this article, the authors analyse elements of the Indian culture, which can lead to a Westerner experiencing culture shock when living and working in India.

When I say ‘American’, do you think ‘fat and stupid’? By Tamara Laszlo

In this article a French national describes her experiences and her enthusiasm for the American culture and what stereotypes she was confronted with upon ther return to France.

Re-entry Training: Often Overlooked, Always Beneficial By Tyler Haupert

While most companies offer relocation training to their expatriates, re-entry training is often overlooked. In this article Tyler looks back on his time in London and assess the benefits of being prepared for re-entry.

Culture Shock in London: An American Perspective By Tyler Haupert

This article is an American’s account of his experiences of London and how he experiences this city and its people.

A new generation of trailing spouses – the Trailing Man By Rosie Mimler

As more and more females are sent on international assignements, the number of trailing men is increasing. In this article we will take a look at this new generation of trailing spouses and the issues men have to deal with when accompanying their partners abroad.

A Basic 4 - Step Model for Inter-cultural Management By Richard Cook

In this article we take a look at the process, which needs to be followed to achiche highly effective AND long-term change when working inter-culturally.

Global Training – Cultural Differences and Their Implications for Trainers By Richard Cook

This article deals with the Power Distance and how differences along this dimension can effect the relationship between trainer and trainees.

Shilpa Shetty, Big Brother & Interculturalism By Zarine Jacobs

In this article Zarine Jacobs takes a look at the similarities between the Big Brother House and Global Project Teams

Culture Shock in London By Rosie Mimler

In the intercultural field we often refer to the cycle of adjustment stages of what happens when people enter a new culture. These stages include the 'honeymoon' stage, the 'culture shock' stage and so on. This month's article describes one person's experience of the early part of this' journey into a new culture. I believe it is useful to be reminded of how complex, stressful and yet exciting this journey can be and that we take this understanding into the trainings we deliver. This is Rosie's experience of her move to London.

Time Management training for Brazil Global Training Delivery - Breaking the Rules by Richard Cook

This article focuses on the way in which intercultural training can help 'break the rules'. The intercultural training material which is provided for a learning event may support and strengthen the existing culture, or it may be designed to introduce new ways of working - ways that are different from those supported by the current culture. The material you provide may well be 'best practice' but how does it fit in with the prevailing culture?

Dealing with diff comm styles becoming tolerant By Zarine Jacob

The way we shake someone's hand and the way in which an Internet website is designed are two examples, which demonstrate how culture influences our communication. Learn how dealing with different communication styles means becoming more tolerant of difference.

How can you acquire the specifically "cross-cultural" competencies? By Rosie Mimler

The competencies which are required for an inter-cultural trainer were examined in the last article. In this article we will take a look at how these competencies can be acquired.

Identifying the key competencies required for an inter-cultural trainer By Rosie Mimler

What are the competencies required for an inter-cultural trainer? This article attempts to answer this question by comparing basic skill trainers, such as language trainers to intercultural trainers and thereby discovering the competencies which are specific to the intercultural field.

Tricky Transatlantic Business: Germans and US-Americans By Sabine Amend, MA, ACC

The mixed results of US-German business ventures, and the less-than-stellar track record of German mergers and acquisitions in the USA raise questions about the pitfalls and success factors in US-German relationships. What are the difficulties? And what are good practices in building transatlantic productivity? In this short article, some aspects of these questions will be explored.

Why You Should Both With Intercultural Training? By Nigel Ewington

A changing world calls for changing skills. Today, a far greater number of people are involved in intercultural business relationships and this number looks set to spiral upwards as globalisation becomes a reality in all sectors. However, it would be a mistake to think that only those in daily face-to-face contact need intercultural training. This article looks at how the very nature of daily business is increasingly being done within an intercultural context and provides a framework of thinking to make sense of the skills we all now need to manage these business contexts effectively.

Can women expatriates handle work and family abroad? Deconstructing Myth 3 By Julianna Reed and Richard Cook

Highly successful and capable businesswomen are often passed up for foreign assignments due to the assumption that they do not want them. This is often based on nothing more than the fact that she is a woman. It is even more often assumed to be the case when she is a woman with a family. This articles explores this controversial area of people management and comes up with a some clear and straightforward guidelines for organisations who want to get the best from their entire workforce, both male & female.

Women and Safety in a Global Business World Deconstructing Myth 2 By Julianna Reed and Richard Cook

The issue of safety can be one of the more important issues a women expatriate needs to consider. Although it is often used as a deterrent to discourage women to work globally it is not a valid reason for women to not venture abroad. This article explores the issue of "safety" for women working in a foreign country.

Women in the Global Business World Identifying the myths By Julianna Reed and Richard Cook

In this article discover the key issues that revolve around women on international assignments. The role of women in the international business world is still developing. However, being a successful female international assignee can still prove to be problematical. It is easy to be overly influenced by the myths, stereotypes, and perceptions of the way women are treated and characterised in other countries, both in the field of business and outside of it. It is important therefore for the women expatriate to decipher fact from fiction and truth from myth, in regards to the working environment in which she hopes to thrive.

The Bicultural Audit: Towards "Culture-Bridging" Post-merger culture shock and some remedies By Alan Hastings

Merger, acquisitions and alliances are all excellent breeding grounds for all sorts of problems, especially in cases where different national and corporate cultures are involved. Attempting to combine distinct and disparate cultures is a frustrating and difficult task, often made more complicated if the merging companies have been fierce competitors in pre-acquisition times. This article explores an approach designed to effectively manage the process of bringing two organisations with different cultures together so they can realise the potential envisaged by the original architects of the merger.

Becoming an effective global networker by Richard Cook

When organisations ‘go global’ we often think of the formal networks that need to be stretched and expanded to accommodate the increase in communication that results. What we often fail to realise is that as individuals, we now need to network on a global scale as well, in order to maintain the effectiveness of our role. Having teams spread out across the globe, having key opinion leaders in remote offices means that our influencing skills can be severely tested as we try to continue applying them but now mostly virtually instead of face to face. This article explores the key characteristics of a ‘global networker’. Find out if you have what it takes.

Learn how to realise the benefits of working globally by Richard Cook

How can organisations today take advantage of their global spread and the wealth of expertise that it naturally brings? This article looks into ways that can maximise the use of an organisation's cultural capital - and the consequences if it doesn't.

EXPERIENCING JAPAN – An Extract from ‘Behind the Japanese Mask’ by Jonathan Rice

This article looks at some of the ways to be effective in doing business in Japan. To achieve this you have to feel a little at home in the country. This article takes a wry look at being a foreigner in today’s Tokyo. Learn how even a first time visitor can get to know the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of Japan, to learn a little of what interests and excites the Japanese, and what just does not happen there.

Intercultural Empathy by Alan Cornes

Empathy is the term used to describe the ability to be able to view a situation or problem from another’s point of view. In cross-cultural interactions, this means being able to imagine or experience something from another’s frame of reference or worldview. Can one develop 'empathy' skills to be more effective in business across cultural boundaries? Read on to find out more.

Third cultures ~ the Tikka Masala way… by Johanna Renz

Tikka Masala is an excellent example of cookery fusion and a third culture product. Such fusion, or third culture is a kind of cultural hospitality that combines the strengths of people to create a product, or way of being, potentially not dreamt of before. But is duplication of the Tikka Masala-effect possible in organisations?

Read the dos and don'ts on the plane! by Richard Cook

This article looks at some of the current trends and demands made in the cultural training room. As the expectations get more defined the danger is that we leave no time for the real people development work.

‘Body language’ - the silent language that impacts on your business communication by Richard Cook

In this article learn about how ‘body language’ can impact on international business. We consider the impact of different attitudes and behaviours such as how close we stand to each other when talking, how much we look at or look away from each other and whether touching is acceptable during conversation. We then look at strategies to maximise effectiveness when meeting and dealing with people from different cultures.

Manager From Another Planet by Richard Cook

When the new manager arrives at the company’s subsidiary in a different country there are high levels of expectations on both sides. There is also trepidation on both sides. Will the new manager understand us? Will he or she work with what they find or try to change everything so it looks like the way things are back home? For the new manager, this assignment may be part of a major career move and a lot may rest on it’s success. This article explores the often fraught and stressful encounters between the Expat manager and local staff and provides some key competencies for international mangers to aid in their successful relocation.

The expat life - do we have what it takes to live aboard? by Richard Cook

Ideally, it seems… (a global manager) should have the stamina of an Olympic runner, the mental agility of an Einstein, the conversational skill of a professor of languages, the detachment of a judge, the tact of a diplomat, and the perseverance of an Egyptian pyramid builder. (And) that’s all. If they are going to measure up to the demands of living and working in a foreign country, they should also have a feeling for the culture; their moral judgement should be not too rigid; they should be able to merge with the local environment with chameleon-like ease; and they should show no signs of prejudice. - Thomas Aitken.
This article explore the skills and attitudes one needs to live successfully outside one's own cultural environment.

Dealing with Resistance to Intercultural Training by Richard Cook

In this article you will learn how to deal with resistance to Intercultural Training. Every consultant in the field has stories to tell of how the different levels of knowledge, awareness and information about culture within client organisations can impact on either the acceptance or resistance to intercultural training and by extension, to the success or failure of the organisation’s international business activities.

Culture or competence? by Richard Cook

How do you know if a colleague or team member from another culture is failing because of a cultural issue or simply because they do not have the necessary competence to mange a role? In this article you will learn how to tell the difference between problems caused by cultural difference and simple lack of competence.

Internationalising your English by Richard Cook, with thanks to Nigel Ewington

In this article learn which bits of ‘native English’ send the wrong message to foreign counterparts. The advantage of the fact that most of the world’s international business is done in English can lead native speakers of English into a false sense of security. The myth that they do not need to do much to adjust their spoken communication when working across cultures is far from the truth.

How to adjust your business presentation style to achieve maximum impact across Europe by Richard Cook

In this article you will learn about different culturally derived styles of giving presentations. Giving a business presentation is a basic business skill often learnt early on in a person’s business life. This is usually when one is still operating nationally rather than internationally. We usually then carry that style of presentation over into our international business dealings without considering what might need to be adjusted or changed for a very different audience.

Working Abroad by Richard Cook

In this article you will learn about what you need to know when working abroad. We examine the changes that have taken place in travel and the movement of people around the globe, those going for work as well as pleasure. We take a close look at h those aspects of verbal and non-verbal communication that can cause an immediate sense of culture shock and give advice on how to manage yourself in new culture effectively.

To outsource or not: The pros and cons of outsourcing by Richard Cook

Should we or shouldn't we? This is what many organisations are asking themselves today. It is a hard decision for most whilst for others it is an obvious solution to reducing spiraling costs. This article looks at the four cultural factors that could mean success or failure for those companies looking to negotiate an outsourcing deal in a different cultural environment.

Choosing media strategically for cross-border team communications by Richard Cook

More and more organisations are establishing cross-border teams to take advantage of global talent and global markets. Location and time are no longer impediments to building the ‘dream team’ but in our rush to take advantage of these new media of email, video conferences and the like we may not realise that there also some learning for us to do on the cultural front.

Training in Asia by Eleanor Allen

In this article Eleanor Allen of Caledonian clinical training, Sydney, Australia looks at what to keep in mind when developing and delivering training in Asia. The considerations for design and delivery of training programs in the Asian region are, of course, similar to those in any other world region. However, there are specific issues that can assist in ensuring the success of your training course or workshop.

The future of cross-cultural training Making a Good Idea Better for the New Global Manager by Dean Foster

Dean Foster explains that when organizations strategically understand the benefits of viewing cultural differences as options for success - and not as barriers to be overcome - cross-cultural training ultimately helps them discover the solutions to the global challenges they face. Dean argues that cross-cultural training, as a concept and a practical training method, was developed in the “pre-global world.” The problem today, however, is that we have made the transition into the “post-global” or transnational world.

Working with the Arab World By Farid Elashmawi

As a result of the events of 2001 to 2003 and what is yet to come in the Middle East, it almost certain to be the case that there will be a strong need for Westerners to try to understand and work with the Arab world. To do this they will need to understand some of the basic values, behaviours and business practices of the Arab world. This article explores some of the basic distinctions between western cultures and the Arab culture and provided insights into ways of managing business trips and sales negotiations in a more effective and respectful way.

Coaching Across Cultures by Richard Cook & Philippe Rosinski - Part Two

This article continues to explore the synthesis of culture and coaching and is based on the new book by Philippe Rosinski, ‘Coaching Across Cultures’ - New Tools for Leveraging National, Corporate and Professional Differences published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing.

Coaching Across Cultures by Richard Cook & Philippe Rosinski - Part One

This book will help you become aware of your own national and corporate cultural orientations and how they affect the way you coach. You will acquire vocabulary to pinpoint specific cultural differences between you and your coachees, and learn strategies for benefiting from these differences.

Communicating with the Japanese By Richard Cook & Keisuke Matsumura

This article looks at the area of communication and the Japanese and offers practical steps you can take to build long-term relations with Japanese counterparts.

The Role of International Human Resource Management - Part Two By Dr Hilary Harris, Director of the Centre for Research into the Management of Expatriation (CReME), Cranfield School of Management

This is part two of an article examining the factors influencing choices in terms of IHR policy and practice and it gives further explanation of the key issues in the field and proposes a number of solutions and best practice for international HR managers.

The Role of International Human Resource Management - Part One By Dr Hilary Harris, Director of the Centre for Research into the Management of Expatriation (CReME), Cranfield School of Management

For many people international HR management (IHRM) is synonymous with expatriate management. IHRM, however, covers a far broader spectrum than just the management of expatriates. It involves the worldwide management of people. Although International HR (IHR) managers undertake the same activities as their domestically-based colleagues, the scope and complexity of these tasks will depend on the extent of internationalisation of the organisation. This article examines the factors influencing choices in terms of IHR policy and practice.

Culture and Status - the Perils and Pitfalls

This edition we look at how status and culture can impact on working internationally.

All societies develop a way of according status to individuals. An egalitarian system can be relatively flat whilst a hierarchical system can consist of many layers and levels. Also, the characteristics that are used to measure status can vary considerably from one culture to another. his article explores how such cultural organisational features impact on these people working across cultural boundaries.

Personal skills are the key to international business

This edition we feature an article on a newly developed training and development tool called The International Profiler (TIP).

If you want to get on in business across the globe, new research shows that ‘who you are’ is more important than ‘where you come from.’ This research has revealed that the successful transfer of professional skills across diverse cultures has much more to do with personal attributes such as openness, flexibility and resilience than experience of a culture. This article describes the new tool to assess international capability and explains how it works and who it could benefit.

Life in America: A French Perspective By Giles Asselin

Who has never dreamed of taking a long trip or coming to live in the United States at least once in his or her life? From the other side of the Atlantic, this country fifteen times bigger than France attracts, fascinates, and mystifies people. Like it or not, it's difficult to remain indifferent toward the US. This article explores the American cultural experience through French eyes and reveals some interesting comparisons between the Anglo-Saxon 'New World' and the French European 'Old World'.

Managing international assignments - Part two By Richard Cook

Managing cultural differences can render otherwise successful mangers and organisations ineffective and frustrated when working across cultures. This article looks at managing your(self) in a different cultural environment and review the mindset and competencies that make for an effective global management role.

Managing international assignments - Part one By Richard Cook

The traditional concept of an 'international assignment' is rapidly becoming a misnomer. Certainly the situation whereby an individual (with or without accompanying family) is sent to an overseas location for two or three years still occurs - despite the recent downturn in business. However, today there all sort of permutations of business activities that can result in businesspeople working with international colleagues and clients. This article looks at the issues that working internationally can present and looks at the possible role of cross-cultural training as part of the solution to those issues.

Anglo-French Communication - Gap or Chasm? By Richard Cook & Patrick Baron

Perhaps one of the greatest areas of 'inter-cultural' misunderstanding occurs between the French and anyone who may consider themselves to be Anglo-Saxon i.e. British, American or other 'English speaking New Worlders' (Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders and Anglo South Africans). This article explores the divide from both the UK and the French perspective.

Americans are Different Perceptions of American business people from a British perspective

What are the different perceptions of Americans by the British and of the British by the Americans? Many stereotypes about both cultures are firmly rooted in the past - so much so that we can fail to see the changes that are steadily blurring the differences.

Managing Multicultural Teamwork by David Trickey TCO – International Diversity Management

The technical ability to communicate with anybody, anywhere in the world both simplifies and complicates our lives. Technology, market pressures and improved transportation links are thrusting professionals together across distance and culture. There is growing pressure to achieve business results in an interdependent work environment where individual technical brilliance is no longer enough. We are compelled to find success through working with others. These ‘others’ will increasingly not share our language, not share our ‘local’ way of thinking, not even share the same building, city, country or continent.

Managing meetings that are held in a culturally diverse environment by Lee Gardenswartz & Anita Rowe

A staff meeting held in a culturally diverse environment is NOT business as usual. In fact, meetings can be the arena where differences in cultural programming show themselves most clearly... or confusingly, as the case may be.

Getting your Message Across Cultures by Richard Cook

In your own culture you can usually successfully spot so called 'difficult' behaviour right away. There are a number of clear signs that reveal the ‘problem’ including key verbal and non-verbal signs. When working with different cultures it is very easy to miss-label behaviour as 'difficult' simply due to our lack of awareness and experience of that culture. This article looks at the issues of so-called ‘difficult people’ within a cross-cultural context.

Giving Feedback in a Diverse Environment by Lee Gardenswartz & Anita Rowe

One area of potential risk of misunderstanding in cross-cultural situations is when providing feedback, especially negative feedback. The usual objectives for giving feedback is both to help the employee improve performance and to get the results you need for optimum productivity. Yet how do you give it so that it produces the desired results? While the poten­tial risk of hurt feelings, bruised egos and defensive reactions is always present in feedback situations, the risks are even greater in a diverse environment. The risk of miscommunication is greater when differences in background, values, communication styles and perceptions cause misunderstandings on both the giving and receiving ends.

 

Re-entry shock
Too many expats leave their jobs soon after repatriation, often taking with them valuable information and skills acquired abroad. by Eleonore Breukel, Intercultural Communication bv, The Netherlands

Dissatisfied repatriates can leave their organisations as early as two months after their return from an assignment abroad. This is mainly due to disappointment with their new jobs, frustration because the organisation does not make use of their skills acquired abroad and difficulty affiliating back into the home office.

Training Across Cultures
Facing the Global Challenge... by Richard Cook

Globalisation has resulted in organisations delivering more and more ‘universal’ training packages across the global spread of the company. For such training to be successful however, the training needs to be suitably adjusted to the learning and communication styles of the local participants.This article explores how organisations can achieve that.

What's in a Name? by Richard Cook

When the following headline “Finance firm denies Indian names policy is racist” appeared in newspapers in the U.K. on 16th February 2001 it seemed that on first appearance the Western company had simply caused offence unwittingly out of a concern to be practical and simply make things as easy as possible for their customers. Upon closer examination however there was much more going on that. In this article Richard Cook argues that unless Western companies adopt clear ethical people management policies such ‘misunderstandings’ will occur more and more frequently.
 

They All Speak English Don't They? by Richard Cook

Discover how language and culture can conspire to bring down even the strongest brand or product.
 

How Swede it Is to Be Dutch... by Michele Stuurman

What is the difference between a Swedish manager and a Dutch manager? These were a few of the questions that came up during the multicultural seminars held at Volvo Car Operations (VCO) in the spring of 2000.
 

A Personal Experience of Training in Africa by Julie Tate

When Julie Tate went to Zambia to train nurses many years ago she had a series of experiences that left her with a deep understanding of Africa. In this article she passes on to those heading out to train in Africa - some key pointers and recommendations.
 

Why Global Organisations Need Global Skills by Richard Cook

In this article Richard Cook argues that 'cultural convergence' -- the idea that Globalisation will create a common culture world-wide, is vastly overrated and that managers and business leaders need to assume that difference will always be part and parcel of any global operations that they embark upon.

 

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