Globalization: The Dimensions of Culture in Your Workday

Last week I said I would delve into some elements that contribute to workplace conflict. The root cause is more often than not an absence of communication.  Under that, though, there are cultural elements at play. This makes communication all the more challenging. Social norms and cues are not only interpreted differently, they have wholly different meanings.

To help your empathy levels increase (essential to creating a culture of respect) here are some cultural structures that will serve you well to understand. Keep in mind there will always be scales of these concepts. The more you learn about your team and work environment, the more you can adjust your ability to see there isn’t a “right” and a “wrong.” Sometimes, it’s as “simple” as the fact there are different perspectives of and around the world. Social psychologist Geert Hofstede studied these five cultural dimensions at length.

Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualism focuses on one’s own interest. The priority lies with the singular person alone. Macro cultures of individualism include the U.S. and Canada. Collectivism, on the other hand, reflect feelings that the group or society should receive top priority. Some societies that follow this notion include Greece and Hong Kong.

Power Distance

Power distance reflect the extent to which members of social system accept the notion that members have varying levels of power. High-power (HP) distance suggests that leaders make decisions simply because they are leaders. HP examples include France, Japan, and Spain. Low-power (LP) distance suggests that social system members do not automatically acknowledge the power of a hierarchy. Examples of LP include Germany, Ireland, and the U.S.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Low uncertainty avoidance is reflected by people who accept the unknown and tolerate risk as well as unconventional behavior(s). Countries with low uncertainty avoidance include Canada, Australia, and U.S. Whereas high uncertainty avoidance is characterized by people who want predictable and certain futures e.g., Israel, Italy, and Japan.  

Masculinity – Femininity

A masculine culture emphasizes assertiveness and the acquisition of money or material objects. It’s also coupled by a de-emphasis on caring for others. Unsurprisingly, when compared to above cultural trends, Italy and Japan fall under the masculine identity. Femininity, however, places high importance upon personal relationships: from concern for others to high quality of life. (You guessed it! Some examples include Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.)

Time Orientation

There are two forms of time orientation: long-term and short-term. Long-term is characterized by a long perspective – you’re focused on the future. You value persistence, perseverance, saving, and being able to adapt. Conversely, short-term is when you are focused on the present or past and consider them more important than the future. Short-term is also characterized by seeing value in immediate gratification - yet importance in tradition and fulfilling social obligations.  

The examples included hereto are to demonstrate the stark differences from nation to nation. While a macro perspective, these nuances and variance among us can be just as distinct, even if two people grow up down the street from one another. Think of someone you work with whom you find yourself at odds with often. Now take these dimensions into account. What did you discover? Understanding how our counterparts view view the world is a just a piece of the communicative puzzle, but it’s a great place to start.

Concepts and terms gathered by Peter G. Northouse: Leadership Theory and Practice.

The Reality of Your Company Culture

Organizational climates vary significantly from company to company and from industry to industry. What used to be appealing to the workforce – such as consistency and stability (from the company) – offered equal value to said company, such as unwavering loyalty (from the workforce). Now, several generations later and beyond the traditionalists and Gen-X-ers, corporations are being asked to adjust to a new wave of normalcy. Millennials are the largest generation yet and are searching for companies with distinct characteristics. These are the characteristics that comprise a corporate culture.

[Note: This is not a bad thing! I get it -- change intimidates: There is a fierce desire to cling to a present reality. However, that does not make us smarter, more innovative, and more competitive. I highly encourage you to embrace new methodologies and to learn from the generation that will be integral to our future composition.]

Culture is broad term – one that we use to define macro-cultures e.g., America; as well as micro-cultures such as a workplace (which is a micro-micro-micro culture). In defining culture, we attempt to attract talent and maintain said talent. Leveraging culture as a recruitment tool is a no brainer. The key, however, is to exude and embody the culture you aspire to possess.

Go into self-reflection mode for a moment. Have you ever interviewed with a company to learn their culture – the values that make the world go ‘round within the company – are in complete alignment with your own? Then, did you also join the team to later learn the idealism of their company culture was far from the reality? Odds are you’ve experienced this mismatch.

Nine out of 10 times, senior leadership thinks their culture is something it is not. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In extracting key issues and clear opportunity, companies are able to recreate who they want to be, or discover they simply have a piece of the puzzle that has been stifled or poorly communicated. From there, company leaders are empowered to make changes. If we go back to the initial point: awareness of company culture is a must to stay competitive. Millennials have optionality and won’t necessarily hang around while you figure it out!

I’d argue that the key here is humility. A foundational and absolutely necessary leadership trait. When company leaders are humble about not knowing everything, there is ample opportunity for improvement, sustained happiness, and decreased turnover.

Next week we will explore some outcomes of cultural assessments (from the thermometer principle). By identifying structural differences in organizations, often stemming from our own world beliefs and macro or micro-cultural influences, we come to understand the probability of conflict. It is then, when we understand the root of (some) conflict, empathy levels increase and we become more aware of what may be transpiring in our own place of work. This yields healthy discourse about the way we see the world and opens the door to resolution.

Virtual Conflict: Prepare and Succeed

Teams are integral to accomplishing tasks. From concept to execution, a well-functioning team can make the difference between a poor deliverable and an exceptional one.

Teams fascinate me. They are comprised of humans… And humans are complex. Each person’s belief system is varied; our construction of family beliefs, acceptance to social norms, and religious influence all effect how we communicate.

There’s a never-ending number of variables when dealing with people, which makes it understandable interpersonal conflict is a frequent visitor. In the context of work, employee conflicts can be poisonous. Morale crashes, productivity plummets, and key projects very well may suffer.

I am continuously asked how to manage conflict. One person’s resolve is another’s nightmare. I’ve talked about conflict before. First, you need to know the primary types of conflict.

Then, it’s helpful to know what your options are for handling conflict. But what about the benefits of handling conflict? Do you ever wonder what you’re working toward?

The beauty in conflict is that well-managed conflicts can increase trust, respect, and intimacy among employees within and across teams.  The challenge arises when conflict is occurring amidst virtual teams. Do not underestimate the helpfulness of face-to-face time. Personal interaction increases empathy. Without that human touch, task-based conflict can become personal conflict. Remember: use video chat features whenever possible!

If you find yourself managing a virtual team, it will help you to be cognizant the probability of task-based conflict turning into personal conflict is high. How do you prepare to support virtual teamwork?  

Prior to online learning, I would not have found this solution so powerful, but in looking at the research from Ann Majchrzak who has studied virtual projects at many organizations, she found successful teams use one important tool: a discussion board. 

A discussion board demands a shared virtual workspace. In our global and connected workforce, a virtual workspace is easy to come by. Here are the advantages in implementing a discussion board for your virtual team:

• Just like Slack, IM, or any chat feature, communication is often instant. That regularity in communicating creates a norm that accepts on-demand Q&A, regardless of a scheduled time to speak with the team. What this does is empower the team to ask questions while simultaneously offering visibility to the rest of the team. Others may share the same concern. Rather than let an issue fester – waiting for the opportune time to broach the topic (and then you find out it isn’t an issue to begin with!) – the discussion board forum allows transparency as well as communication frequency.

• It’s not helpful to have five different resources to communicate through. Thus, if you are working with a virtual team, set expectations for how inquiries should be conveyed. Don’t leave the team to guess if they should be communicating via email, phone, chat, discussion board (or anything in between!).

• Having an open forum for team collaboration and discussion will elicit honestly and varied perspectives. Set time to review each composition – you want your team to be heard (and let them know that they are!).

• The primary perk in having a centralized location that supports discussion, questions, and collaboration, is to build trust. When used appropriately (make sure to set ground rules for communication!) the discussion board will become a safe space. Each person will have the opportunity to share their insights or opinions. By requiring everyone to share their input in an educated, professional manner, professionalism will evoke healthy disagreements, not uncivil ones.

Test it out. Need help setting it up? Happy to help.

Leadership PSA: Challenge Ignorance, Love in Spite of Hate, and Vote.

We have again reached a week with ample political noise. The topics are emotionally charged; from perceived timely allegations, to the simple notion that sexual abuse isn’t partisan. Amidst the sound, might there be any leadership lessons worth retrieving?  

Though I am slow to type this afternoon, the topics at hand have my mind running with fervor. We, the collective American people, stand in a volatile landscape. The current president actively rejects concern for conflict – whether on the personal, national, or international scale. To our dismay, the verbal onslaught of divisive aggression may very well alienate our allies, fuel war, or will simply go down in history for blinding maladroitness.

Mr. Trump was elected into office regardless of crude, vicious statements against women. Let’s not rehash the language, for it is not welcome in my home. And now, another somber day for women, as we face the Supreme Court nominee, accused of conduct for which I have no tolerance.  

The rebuttal: “What boy hasn’t done this in high school?” Oh my God. The unexamined, pompous, and elitist life of Kavanaugh, lends him the verbiage and core belief only this kind of gem can muster. It’s not about his behaviors. Every boy does it… There’s a security blanket, drenched in enablement and piteousness. This “boys will be boys” rhetoric possesses no ownership for disgraceful behavior. It’s a statement worthy to eschew. As Patti Doyle, Selena Strandberg, and other brilliant minds declare: Burn. It. Down.  

Women leaders are coming together. So much so I intend to write my pending dissertation on the insurmountable influence women have – with challenge adjacencies and all. We are yet again in the trenches of stifled silence but aren’t going to be quiet this time.

Let’s look to the future… What we can do. We can fuel a culture of dignity and respect.  We can speak with, and for, those who do not have a voice. We can vote. For the love of God, please vote.  

It is with these words I leave you. To think about how you can harness a reality of betterment. To think how your decisions and your actions matter. And yes, all of this does have to do with leadership.