Cross-cultural world
Meeting and decision-making in an international context can be stimulating but confusing.
So we have put together a workshop in which you can explore the implications of cross-cultural factors for managing, negotiating and collaborating internationally.
With the rise of China, India and Brazil and seismic changes in North Africa and the Middle East, this is becoming a hot topic for anyone working in the international community.
The workshop is designed to open eyes, ears and minds. You will be encouraged to understand difference and commonality - how these affect your business relationships and behaviour.
We explore several themes
• formal and informal societies
• taboo and bias
• cross-cultural factors and organisational politics
• causes of anxiety, conflict and culture clash
• relationships between corporate and organisational cultures and cross-cultural factors.
We look at the powerful research contribution in this field. This helps you get a fix on some major attitudinal differences around
• power
• deference
• individualism
• community
• famiily
• uncertainty
• change
• time
• space
• environment
• competition and co-operation
• gender
• humour
• giving
• objects and symbols
• long and short-term relationships
And we ask some down-to-earth questions about them in action
• how do these pan out at meetings?
• how can you prepare?
• how can you make culturally appropriate choices - from selection to set-up?
• what can you do if you cock it up or notice colleagues behaving inappropriately?
• how can you develop competitive advantage around cross-cultural awareness?
• what can you do to make your organisation culturally wise?
Our approach is to harness
• your own cultural background and experiences
• stories, scenarios and cases
• research findings presented and discussed in a user-friendly way
• role-play and simulation.
We suggest ways of capturing your learning from the workshop and in your job.
"One of the great challenges to a global organisation is recognising that often there are several culturally different ways of achieving the same end. Greg Spiro was instrumental in pushing for and achieving a transition from 'colonial' management styles to 'culturally empathetic management'."
Barry Fitzgibbon, Diageo
