the Germans can be seen more clearly in the following graph that shows the constantly decreasing number of working hours from 1990 to 2010.
In Germany, it would be futile to motivate workers with higher pay as in the U.S., or demand longer hours for the sake of stronger ties to the company as in Japan. To learn and understand what work means to people of different cultures means knowing how and what motivates them.
2.4 Individualism vs. collectivism
Although individuals have preferences about whether they like to work alone or in groups, a stronger tendency for this preference can be seen according to cultures as well. The USA is a country in which individualism is very important, meaning independence from the organization and having the capability to develop one’s personal time with a certain amount of freedom. Self-actualization is an objective that strongly motivates employees, because they usually prefer to be challenged. Americans just want “to do their own thing”. It can also be described as “social Darwinism”, which signifies the “survival of the fittest”.
Japan, on the other hand, is a country in which collectivism is a common and widely spread philosophy. The Japanese are dependent on the organizations and group work. Japanese workers are seen as very loyal to their work groups and their company in general. A strong identification with the employer is encouraged with a special company anthem or a get-together after work. They want to achieve success as a group or, in other words, as an entity. Harmony and hard work are dominating factors at the workplace – “The nail that sticks out gets hammered back in place”.
The USA and Japan are two extreme opposite examples of individualism vs. collectivism. We see strong preferences one way or the other when we take a look at some other countries. The following chart illustrates the manifestation of individualism in certain countries in relationship to uncertainty avoidance. It is ranked from 0, which means that people prefer to work in groups and reaches up to 100, representing a strong tendency to individual working methods. The countries with the highest and lowest GDP in 2006 are shown in fig. 2.
2.5. Power Distance
Power Distance is a term describing the relationship between superiors and subordinates. The behavior of employees in how they interact with their bosses, subordinates and colleagues varies from country to country. Without basic information about the power distance in another country, expectations will not be met and will lead to tension in the office. In cultures in which values like individualism and self-fulfillment are important, the relationship between superiors and subordinates is more open, i.e. the power distance is small. The executive might give his subordinate the opportunity to take responsibility himself. Discussions or constructive criticism among them often is normal and even desired.
In countries with greater power distance, consultation among superiors and subordinates does not take place. Subordinates are used to execute the work in the way they are told to by their boss. This is the case in South America and most parts of Asia. In Japan, for example, consultations take place on a horizontal level, but rarely between different layers. Participation in decision-making is a direct result of knowledge and not of the degree of responsibility. There is also a large difference in the degree of power distance among the countries of southern and northern Europe. Scandinavians as well as Germans and Austrians are often encouraged to take part in the process of decision-making and usually prefer a consultation style.
The following dialog shows a typical scenario where neither party is aware of the power distance of the other. The American boss (small power distance) wants to force his Greek subordinate (large power distance) to make his own decision while the Greek is waiting for exact directions from his boss. The result is tension between the two; both are irritated with the other.
What do they say and what do they think?
US says: “How long will it take you?”
Greek thinks: “He’s the boss, why doesn’t he tell me?” but says: “I don’t know. How long should it take?”
US thinks: “He refuses to take responsibility.” but says: “You should be able to analyze the time.”
Greek thinks: “I asked him for an order, now I have to give him an answer.”
3 Solutions
3.1 What should you do before going international?
A businessperson going abroad should be properly trained and have the required skills and sensitivities to cope with the particulars of a given culture. The costs of repairing a damage of one’s image or the negative impression one leaves behind, are much higher than the right preparation before leaving. Many things might seem to be similar, but when you take a closer look, you will find different nuances. Judging a culture by simple generalizations is not enough, try to look behind the first impression and analyze what influence lies behind it.
3.2 What rules have to be followed during international contact?
“When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. To some extent this expression is true, but you should not try to imitate a different culture or abandon your own values. Show respect to local customs, be sensitive and observe the way things are done in your host country. Try to integrate yourself and adapt to the way situations are dealt with. Keeping your eyes open and interpreting carefully what you see and also what you don’t see, is the right approach.
Most importantly, patronizing colleagues and employees will only lead to trouble. If you talk about and discuss problems, show respect for their point of view and ways of doing things, the foundation for a good working relationship will be laid.
THINK GLOBAL AND ACT GLOBAL.
Getting Started
How to make things happen abroad?
Katrin Summ, Sonja Burgmeier
Abstract This part is written on the premise that a company going abroad may be a consumer goods company or a business to business (B2B) company. The terms partners, consumers, counterparts are all used to refer to potential cooperating foreign companies.
1 Going into foreign business – reasons and obstacles
It is not rare today for a company to want to go international and expand to different countries. Companies go international for a variety of reasons, but the goal is typically company growth or expansion. Whether a company hires international employees or searches for new markets abroad, an international strategy can help diversify and expand a business.
1.1 Reasons for going international
One very important reason for going global is for a firm to explore and develop new markets. In the ideal case this would be followed by an increase of sales revenues. Going abroad is sometimes the only way to develop new profit centers with increased sale of products or services. A company can compete effectively in the global marketplace and be in a much better position, both at home and abroad, in maintaining the competitive edge. It has the possibility to build and strengthen relationships
