Cultural sensitivity — Part of your success in international business
Of the many effects globalization has had on the way we negotiate, work and do business, one trend that has become more and more popular over time is for companies to have their workforce spread all over the globe.
Large and small firms alike – at least in the stares – have jumped on the outsourcing train and have stayed on for a quite a while now. Even companies from the more potent Latin American countries like Brazil and Argentina have followed suit and have exported some of their work to other less developed nations in the region.
The cross-cultural context in which many of us work today is something that we should treat with the sensitivy that it deserves considering that no two people from different countries will ever communicate in the same way when it comes to doing business or working together.
A lack of cultural sensitivity and understanding can become a barrier for the success of your business
These days, it’s extremely common to see businesses in the tech industry export some or all of their development work to other countries where the labor costs are much lower than what they would be in the states or in Europe.
These kind of circumstances call for constant collaboration between US/European onshore teams and their offshore counterparts. Generally, when companies scout out countries to outsource their work to, they might consider, among many others, the following factors:
- Time-zone
- Human capital
- Ease of travel
But what about the cultural compatibility between one country and another? What about the difference between how Americans conduct meetings in the states versus how a meeting might be conducted in Latin America, India or China?
Does their small talk last longer before putting pen to paper? Or do they have a similar “let’s get to the point” approach like the one we use in the US?
“If we are going to live with our deepest differences then we must learn about one another.” — Deborah J. Levine
When working in a cross-cultural context, it’s crucial that all parties involved make an effort to understand one other in order to get the most out of every interaction we have with our teammates.
Having a cultural understanding between yourself and your foreign counterparts allows for a more accurate expectation to be set regarding productivity and overall commitment to the tasks at hand.
If you callaborate with a team from Latin America, you may have to learn to accept that it’s common for people to take at least an hour lunch or even step out of the office for 2 and a half hours to run an errand.
If you’ve got people on your team from China, you’ll have to learn to negotiate and do business with them based on the importance of group representation.
Whatever the case may be, pay attention to the cultural nuances and take them into consideration. It could be the difference between more business and better results for you and your team or slow and stagnant progress because you can’t seem to see eye to eye with the group of individuals from accross the pond.
No matter where a person is from, they will always prefer to do work with someone they feel they can relate to.
Business is business, but emotions are always involved even if that means we are dealing with the minimum permissible amount
As professionals, we should remember that every single individual that we come in contact with is a fellow human being.
Remember that people will naturally gravitate to those they feel comfortable with, whether it be in an office setting or even a casual get-together.
So, in an international business context, be mindful about how your words, gestures or expressions can be interpreted by someone who doesn’t share the same cultural values as you, and you’ll find yourself counting less “Uhh well that was awkward” moments and maybe more dollars instead!
Before you go…
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