Is International Performance Management Truly International? Not Really …

January 21st, 2012 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

The following article, excerpted and attached, was written by me and my colleague, Ed Nathan, and recently published in “Performance Improvement,” the magazine of the International Society for Performance Management. I thought readers of this blog might be interested to see how culture plays a significant role in defining and advancing performance improvement in the workplace, and that it needs to be a fundamental consideration when evaluating and advancing PI in a global environment.

This may turn out to be a bit controversial, but if we call ourselves the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI), then we need to take a hard look at what it means to be truly international, if not global. If we go by membership alone, then yes, ISPI is international in scope, with members from 55 countries and 27 country chapters. In fact, the Society’s name suggests that because we are global in our reach, our efforts to support human performance technology (HPT) recognize the cultural diversity within the organization. However, neither the vision nor mission of the Society mentions the cultural diversity of the organization or the need for cross-cultural competence in our practice of performance improvement (PI).

What is stated is that “Human Performance Technology, [HPT] (is) a systematic approach to improving productivity and competence, uses a set of methods and procedures—and a strategy for solving problems—for realizing opportunities related to the performance of people.” In a global marketplace, and in an accelerated globalizing world, the silence regarding cross-cultural competence is deafening.

[Click the link below to download the full article, with illustrations]

A Challenge to ISPI: Is ISPI Truly International? Not Really …

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The Real Clash of Civilizations in the Middle East? Between Persians and Arabs

January 10th, 2012 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

As the stakes get higher around Iran’s diplo-games regarding their nuclear development policies, their sabre-rattling against Western sanctions in the Straits of Hormuz, their rhetoric against Israel, other Middle Eastern nations and the West in general (particularly the U.S., the strongest defender of Israel), the headlines loom large with worry about next, potentially dangerous, steps to contain what appears to be a seriously escalating international crisis. Whatever the next steps might be (and there are certainly all sorts of probable scenarios) by all players in this drama, we need to focus not only on the decisions that will be made, and the economic, social and political reasons for these decisions, but also on the more deeply rooted— and hidden—cultural reasons for these decisions. As has always been the position of this blog, we believe that the political, economic and social decisions that nations make are more a reflection of their deep culture—their cultural DNA, which guides their decision-making—than the immediate economic, political or social issues that may appear to be driving these decisions.

When it comes to the issue of Iran, a political and economic analysis might justify certain next-steps decisions based on many factors including assessing the risks associated with a nuclear Iran, maintaining a free flow of major oil reserves, supporting sanctions to economically force Iran to meet Western terms, responsibilities to other nations in the region, particularly Israel, etc. A social analysis might justify certain next steps based on factors such as how such decisions affect the continuing Arab Spring, the role of women in the region, the demographics of youth education, poverty and employment, etc.

But a cultural understanding or analysis of the region, particularly Iran’s role in relation to its neighbors, can provide us with a new tool for analyzing the decisions that Iran and other nations might make in the coming months, and for assessing the probability of success of these decisions. What might Iran be likely do, based on its culture: What might the West, including Israel, be likely to do, based on their respective cultures? When we look at the question from a cultural/historic perspective, the likelihood of success for certain decisions over others becomes clearer.

The iconic “clash of civilizations” that has been used to describe the relationship between the West and the Middle East for over a decade has, upon closer examination, really morphed into a clash of civilizations, not between the West and the Middle East but rather between civilizations within the Middle East itself, with the West taking proxy positions of support for one Middle Eastern civilization or the other.

This is not without historical precedent. Even going back to ancient times, there have existed three major cultural civilizations in the region, each in conflict and competition for dominance or control over whatever major source of capital might be ascendant at the moment. Today the capital is oil. Tomorrow it will be water. In the recent past, it was Islam. In ancient times, it was gold, silver, slaves and incense. The three great civilizations battling for control over the capital of the time were the Arab civilizations, the Persian civilizations and the Turkish civilizations. Throughout history, these three great civilizations battled for control over gold, slaves, land, Islam, oil and water, with history providing each with its moment of glory and collapse. What we see today in the economic, political and social turmoil of the region is merely the replaying of this cultural drama.

Iran, today’s manifestation of the great Persian civilization, is attempting to claim its moment once again, at the expense of the Arab, Turkic and Western world. The West, with its support in the region clearly based primarily in Israel, naturally turns Israel into a major enemy of Iran. Iran, with the largest Shiite majority population of any nation, naturally can posit any Sunni nation, most of the rest of the region, as its enemy. And Iran, with its huge supply of the world’s oil and natural gas, has a potent modern lever with which to threaten the rest of the world to do its bidding. Seeing itself more as the modern incarnation of the great Persian Empire, in sometimes holy opposition to both the West and its Sunni neighbors, Iran is less likely to be influenced by economic and political decisions made by either the West or its neighbors, even when these decisions are logical by economic (i.e., sanctions) and political (i.e., military action against its nuclear development) definition.

While the cultural perspective may not provide us with a clear path as to next steps with Iran, neither does the strictly economic or political interpretation; but a cultural interpretation does present us with a broader understanding of the context in which Iran operates, to a greater degree than any of the other interpretations. It also provides us with a broader view of the entire region, and a new tool for assessing the possible success—or not —of the next decisions that all players in the region will have to make.

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Global Holiday Gifting and Getting

December 15th, 2011 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

How to Give Gifts that Are Culturally Appropriate Anywhere in the World

Gift giving, always a challenge for the holidays, can be a little tricky when giving gifts to international associates. Cultural differences can make a terrific gift at home into a terrible no-no abroad. With the holiday season soon upon us, here are some important cross-cultural gift-giving considerations when sending gifts to your international friends and business associates:

Style can be as important as substance. Sometimes the wrapping is as important as the gift. Color, style and design can carry different meanings in different countries.  For example, both white and black in Asia is a color associated with funerals, while red means health and happiness, and gold signifies wealth and success.  A gift presented in a white box is not appreciated in East Asia.  Red or gold wrapping is much preferred, and in East Asia, no gift, no matter how small, should ever be presented unwrapped.

Such symbolism is very important in certain cultures.  For example, clocks are not good gifts to give to your Chinese associates, no matter where they are, whether China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, or San Francisco.  The word in Mandarin for clock is very similar to the word for death. Clocks are not appreciated. Avoid fine linen handkerchiefs in Korea: handkerchiefs, even of the finest quality, are symbols of sadness.  In all Asian cultures, avoid cutlery, as well (such as penknives with corporate logos), for they represent the cutting of a relationship.  In Korea, avoid pens with red ink: very bad luck!  Additionally, the number four in Chinese culture is also associated with death, so avoid giving gift items in a set of four.

Consider the country’s traditions. Leather goods are not appropriate in India, where Hindu traditions hold the cow sacred;  put those leather picture frames and attache cases away.

Fine brandy or wine, while appreciated in many cultures around the world, is generally a no-no in Muslim countries where Islam shuns alcohol.  On the other hand, the Japanese are the world’s largest consumer of brandy and Scotch, so a very fine bottle of either (or of the very American Jack Daniels whiskey) makes a very fine holiday gift in Japan.

In Japan, citrus fruits are highly prized and very expensive. A box of those well-packaged fancy fruits from Florida or California is a terrific idea: not only is it a special treat, but it can usually be parceled out to many, and in Japan, there are always many on the team. It is a good way to recognize the efforts of the whole office.

A wonderful gift to your Muslim associate (any follower of Islam, from the Arab Muslim world all the way to Malaysia and Indonesia) would be a fine, silver  compass: no matter where in the world they may be, they can always locate Mecca and perform their daily prayers.

And finally, avoid sending coals to Newcastle: no wines to France or Italy, no beers to Germany, no chocolates to Belgium, etc.

How you present the gift is important. In Asia, for example, one does not typically open the gift in front of the giver.  And in some countries, gifts should reflect the status of the recipient.

When you send greetings and gifts also carries special meaning.  For example, always send a New Year’s greeting card to Japan around December 12.  It will arrive just in time to be held for delivery by the Post Office in Japan precisely on New Year’s Day.  To have your New Year’s greeting delivered exactly on New Year’s Day is a custom that is much appreciated in Japan.

If you are presenting flowers as a gift (perfect for a dinner invitation to someone’s home), be sure to always unwrap the flowers before presenting them to the hostess.  Additionally, if you send flowers in Europe, be sure they are odd numbered, and remember, red roses are far too personal and never send chrysanthemums: they are used for  funerals (no half-dozen roses or chrysanthemums, please).

Please avoid presenting gifts with the lefthand in many parts of the world (it is considered, for example, in Muslim cultures, to be the unclean hand); in Korea, you want to present a gift with the right hand, while the left hand supports the right hand at the elbow.  It demonstrates great respect.

Give a gift that reflects your home country and that is difficult to find in the recipient’s country. Picture books of America, for example, make fine gifts just about everywhere outside the U.S. Europeans would much rather receive a small quantity of quality, than a large quantity of just-plain-good. Well-packaged, uniquely American fare, such as maple syrup, or Southern barbecue sauce, is much appreciated.

What to buy? While brainstorming gift ideas for friends and business associates from around the world keep the following tip in mind. Most people love to receive gifts representative of the USA or your local region or city. A baseball cap from the local sports team, a jacket from the local well-known university, or a golf souvenir from the local golf course, are all appreciated.  Native American handicrafts are always appreciated. Just make sure such gifts are authentic (no “Made in Taiwan, Japan, or PRC”-type labels on the bottom, please), and are of high-quality. Also, if your recipient has kids, anything for them that is difficult to get in their own country is an outstanding idea.

Sending a gift is always appreciated: sending the culturally appropriate gift will insure a positive memory that will endure long after the gift is gone.

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Cross-Cultural Training Is More Than Just a Dot-Com Event

November 15th, 2011 by Dean Foster | 1 Comment | Discuss This »

There is nothing more real, more visceral, more in-your-face than a moment of cultural misunderstanding.  Fewer things are more uncomfortable than the disorientation of culture shock.  And nothing is more painful than a family unable to handle the stress of adjustment and adaptation to a new world: for the family itself, and for the organization responsible for their international relocation.  This is the real world, not a virtual, conceptual one, and training for it requires real-world, in-your-face training, not a seductively convenient and, let us add, cheap, dot-com experience.

The development of virtual learning is a major step forward in bringing information to many, quickly and inexpensively.  There is no denying the advantages that virtual learning provides, but even the best providers of virtual learning admit that with this advantage of front-end low cost comes the hidden danger of back-end expense.  Every legitimate provider of quality virtual learning will always admit that virtual learning works best only when it is integrated into a larger system of real-life training that includes real-time, trainer/educator-driven sessions that allow for the exploration of personal reactions, reflections, and most important, the building of internalized behavioral skills in response to information learned.

Passively accessed information may look appealing, especially to the organization that wants to offer something intercultural more than it wants to be accountable for the development of real skills.  It’s politically convenient to make the user responsible for the learning, but the reality is that every dollar spent on such training is a dollar spent more on PR and not on the development of global skills.  Leaving the choice to the individual as to whether or not they access the information puts the corporate strategy—assuming there is one —of developing a culturally competent organization able to compete in the global millenium, at risk.  After all, if the tool isn’t used, and if it doesn’t really develop the skills required for global success when it is used, then the organization isn’t really developing its cultural competencies, is it?

Research shows that unless mandated— a difficult and questionable strategy to enforce—most people never access the virtual tools and training that they are offered.  You read that right: never.  Why would an organization throw money away on a tool that most people will never use, and which, if and when it is used, does not provide the skills required?

Cross-cultural competency does not result from an injection of information about a particular culture of interest.  Cross-cultural competency is not what happens after listening to, reading, or interacting with, information about how to behave in a particular culture in a particular circumstance.  Sleep is usually what happens when one listens to, reads, or interacts with passively accessed information like this.

The truth is simply this: training is not an information dump.  If it were that simple, one could master a language by merely listening to a CD, or a culture by merely reading a book.  It doesn’t work that way.  One could read about how to exchange business cards in Japan, how to negotiate in Brazil, how to resolve conflict in Russia, but until one is required to actually stand up and exchange a business card with a real Japanese colleague, sit down and practice a negotiation Brazilian-style, or work through a tense disagreement role-play with a Russian associate, the behavioral skills needed to manage each of these situations will never be developed.  Any money being spent on online experiences claiming to build these skills is being wasted on a feel-good charade. But the greater cost comes down the road with employees working globally who don’t have the skills required, because their training was insufficient, irrelevant, but admittedly, appealingly low-cost, and deceptively easy to implement.

Let’s get real: there’s nothing more real-world than the need for an organization to compete successfully in the global millennium.  That means there is simply no wiggle room for cultural ignorance.  So if an organization is serious about developing culturally and globally competent people, and about insuring the return on every dollar spent in this effort, then real-world training is what’s required.  Real-time, trainer/educator-driven training focused on the development of skills and behavioral change in response to the real-life, hands-on challenge of wrestling with cultural differences.  This requires  in-your-face interaction with live, real-time professionals from these cultures, who are accountable for developing the behaviors—not just dumping information—that will give the organization a competitive advantage in the global world.  Sure, this involves all the ammunition available, including online tools and information.  But that is never enough. Global skills do not come just from a convenient dot-com event.

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Halloween: The Puritan’s Carnival?

October 31st, 2011 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

Every culture, along with the religions that are fundamental to it, needs its hedonistic outlets; its peek behind the socially constructed curtain; its “turn the tables on the cosmic order of things” day. In the Western world, there’s the Jewish holiday of Purim, several Muslim Eids that come to mind, and of course, the Roman Catholic granddaddy, Carnival. (That’s Mardi Gras, for U.S.-Americans living in perhaps the least Protestant state of Protestant America, Louisiana.) There’s the Feast of the Hungry Ghosts in Buddhist Chinese traditions (not to mention noisy and festive Spring Festival), and Holi in Hindu India (don’t wear your best duds during this water-balloon-inspired street free-for-all!), and countless other similar traditions the world over. So where do the straight-laced, Puritan-based cultures of the Protestant world go for their sanctioned badness? Duh …

Think about it. Does such a thing even exist? Can Protestants play with death the way Mexicans do on Dias de las Muertas in Catholic “D.F.”? Is there a church-sanctioned, let-it-all-hang-out fête that is the equivalent in the Protestant world to anything remotely resembling— in spirit and degree—any of the above non-Protestant extravaganzas?

There may never have been, but it strikes me that over the recent years, as the need for such an outlet has grown, and as the reasons for why it shouldn’t be there have become less and less justifiable (even from the Protestant pulpit), Halloween—that indigenously pagan tradition that was marginalized in buttoned-down Protestant America for so long as a cute, after-school event for apple-bobbing schoolchildren—has morphed into a fully accepted social outlet for peering into the underworld of the culture, life, and even religious dogma, especially of the restrictive, Puritan kind.

Has Halloween, in America, become the “Puritan’s Carnival?” Does it allow for the parading of counterculture without the associated dangerous revolution? After all, it’s so much safer to allow the folks one day in drag than to suffer the real threat to the proper order of things. So, as the cops dismantle the Occupy troops, they will increasingly sanction the Halloween parades.

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Overcoming Culture’s Prophecy

October 25th, 2011 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

Two years ago, I was navigating the surreal and frightening dream world that was daily life in Tripoli, unable to ask Libyans the questions that they were unable to answer, given the oppressive climate of 40 years of fear and terror under the Colonel. Today I see pictures of tear-stained, joyous Libyans gasping the oxygen of freedom like drowning victims finally being saved on the third try.

Two years ago, before the death of Gaddafi, the birth of the Arab Spring, and the Mediterranean Revolutions, life in Libya could have been understood by dissecting the “cultural genome” of North Africa. Libyan cultural DNA, like all cultural DNA, can be understood as a string of cultural genes, the Libyan genes being the tribal “strongman” tradition, the Bedou nomad tradition, and the passive-aggressive response to Western colonialism. All three acting in tandem could explain the Gaddafi phenomenon.

Spin the globe, identify a global headline, and apply the same process. Understand the Chinese cultural genome, and we get a deeper understanding of how and why China has become the world’s factory. Read the India-specific genome, and we see suddenly why India is the world’s back office. Read the Latin America and Latin European genomes and we see why Latin America surges ahead while Latin Europe lumbers. Read the U.S. genome, and we understand why Silicon Valley is in U.S.-America. And read the Finnish and Israeli genomes to see why the two greatest innovators are Finland and Israel.

This blog, in fact, is premised on the belief in cultural DNA and the prophetic nature of culture to determine the behavior of nations, global organizations, and even individual cultural citizens; in fact, we have written about all of the above, and many more cultural examples, right here.

Whenever the issue of cultural DNA comes up, however, the question of inevitability usually comes next. And, whether we are talking about Libya or Lesotho, I think it’s really important to recognize that, just like with biologic DNA, genes do not control us. While their nature is prophetic, this prophecy need not be inevitable. DNA, whether cultural or biological, can and does indicate inevitable outcomes if we do not intercede, but the element of human intercession is precisely the determinant of the outcome, not the DNA.

So, continuing the biological metaphor, knowledge of one’s biological DNA is damning if we do nothing about it, but empowering and liberating if we act on the knowledge it provides. If we recognize a genetically inherited disease, we can take action to mitigate its results, and the same is true with cultural DNA: if we understand the cultural genes for a particular society, we need not be helpless victims of this cultural genome, but rather, we are, in fact, empowered to control and manage and change the prophecy, if we so choose. The choice is ours to make, and political.

So what are the factors that we can elect to put into place, that can “overcome” those cultural genes that we might choose to alter? First of all, like biological DNA, we have to make decisions about all the genes. After all, many, if not most, may be of great value. They may be the results of thousands of years of human historical development; they may in fact be treasures not to be easily disposed of, but rather, to be managed positively for positive results. They may need to be maintained, leveraged and valued. But some may need to be overcome, and for those, the preferred therapy for these genes is always, and only, the application of political justice, economic opportunity and social freedom.

Historically, no matter the abhorrent nature of any particular cultural gene, it can always be overcome by the application of the above three cultural genetic therapies: provide people with political justice, economic opportunity and social freedom, and the animosities of the past, that so often become justifications for the continuation of violence and oppression, usually are relegated to the dustbin of history. Without political justice, economic opportunity and social freedom, however, the legacies of the past are manipulated by the Gaddafis of the world, continuing and reinforcing the grievances of one group against the other.

Can we overcome the inevitability of cultural DNA? Of course we can. It requires a clear understanding of one’s cultural DNA, a vision of political justice, economic opportunity and social freedom for one’s society, and the human will to make it happen. An easy formula, but a mighty battle. Watch it unfold in Libya today.

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Culturally Speaking, Steve Jobs Connected Us All

October 6th, 2011 by Dean Foster | Discuss This »

On the back (or bottom, depending on the device you use) of every insanely great device that Steve Jobs created is a statement that goes something like this: “Designed in California, assembled in China.” From a cultural perspective this says more than what first appears, for it is not merely a statement of fact about the relationship of certain tasks and their location, but a window into the cultural differences between the cultures of creativity in California, of perfection in Europe, and of replication in China.

Steve Jobs lived and worked at a time when the world had globalized to the point where the tasks of product creation, development, manufacturing and distribution could all be allocated globally. His products were created in California, designed in Europe, manufactured in China, and distributed from just about everywhere to everywhere. And while economists would explain that the reasons for these tasks occurring in these locations were based on economies of scale, labor and materials costs, efficiencies, etc., the more fundamental reasons are cultural. The DNA of California culture is creativity, European culture is perfection of process, and Chinese culture is replication. Understand this, and we understand why these tasks, in a global world, are allocated to these locations. Understand this, and we also glimpse the challenges for each of these locations, their strengths, their weaknesses, and why each needs the other.

Creativity requires the ability to see beyond existing barriers; to view limits as things to be overcome; to willingly walk away from the status quo and remake oneself and one’s reality all over again. These are the hallmarks, the raison d’etre of the soul of Silicon Valley, and for most of California, for that matter.

California was settled by people who, after winning, failing, trying and losing, went farther away from what they had come from—literally going as far away as geographically possible—in order to be free enough to start all over again. Its soul is based on the rejection of the norm and the embracing of possibility. No wonder Steve Jobs’s amazing products were created—along with the movie industry, the embodiment of fantasy and alternative reality—in California.

Europe’s culture has been one of fine-tuning the processes, procedures and ways of life that lead to perfection. However one conceives of “the way things should be,” there needs to be a methodology and a logical process, either deductive or inductive, for getting there. Whether viewed philosophically or pragmatically, European history of thought can be seen as an exploration for the rational and a justification for a process of perfection. No wonder Steve Jobs’s California creations were mainly designed with a fine and aesthetically appealing European hand.

Embedded deep inside Chinese cultural DNA is replication. From the First Dynasty onward, we see the story of the repetition of one dynastic system after another, and while the details changed each time, the fact of dynastic repetition remained. Building a great wall requires the repetition of the same task over and over again, the laying down of brick upon brick upon brick. Chinese negotiation style has been described as the repetition of the same demands until the other side breaks. In order to master literacy, the Chinese child rote-memorizes thousands of Chinese characters, learning, in the process, not only how to read and write, but also the skill of repetition and reproducing facts. If California is one of the world’s creative hubs, and Europe one of the world’s design centers, China is, unsurprisingly, the world’s factory; for what is a factory but the place where the same thing is produced over and over and over again?

That amazing iPod, iPad, or iPhone you have in your hand is not just a symbol of one man’s genius, but a powerful statement about the best that globalization can give us: the leveraging of cultural differences to maximum result. It is also a statement about the deficiencies of each, and how dependent we are on the global whole to live our lives each day.

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First Earthquakes, Then Hurricanes: Next Week, Frogs and Locusts?

August 29th, 2011 by Dean Foster | 1 Comment | Discuss This »

What’s your culture’s explanation for the uncontrollable?

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse can come in many forms, and in traditional Western theology—charged, as is the case with all theologies and associated mythologies, with trying to explain the unexplainable—the third horseman usually takes the form of locusts, frogs, boils, death of the first born, etc. (Look them up in the Old Testament!)

In trying to fill in the missing third form in anticipation of the recent weekly onslaught of uncontrollable natural disasters in the U.S, any number of possibilities come to mind, such as floods, mass food poisoning, and, not coincidental to the tenth anniversary of September 11, terrorist attack.

In thinking a little more deeply, however, about terrorist attack and its associated cousins of war, destitution, anarchy and mass destruction, I had to eliminate these possibilities of the next third event, because these events are not uncontrollable, and are, in fact, explainable.

The ubiquity of earthquakes, hurricanes and wars, while seeming to be eternal, do not make them, in today’s world, unexplainable, although for now, two out of the three may still be uncontrollable (but even that may not be inevitable).

Mythologies and theologies are designed to explain the unexplainable, and in an ancient, irrational world, they filled in nicely the information gaps as best they could. However, what is unexplainable in one age may yet become explained in a future age. War is man-made, not a natural phenomenon. It is controllable, and even explainable. And while hurricanes and earthquakes may not be man-made, even they, at some future time, may become controllable. At this moment, when many North Americans may struggle to try to find meaning in earthquakes, hurricanes, and September 11 terrorist attacks, it is important to remember that that third horseman—war—is man-made, and therefore, is controllable and not unexplainable.

Deeper still, it is important to recognize that explaining the uncontrollable need not require mythology, theology or other assorted superstitions. We may not be capable, at this moment in human development, of understanding and controlling any of these three horsemen, but we can be, at some future time. At any point in human history, we were often incapable of understanding and controlling many things—polio; not being able to cross an ocean or the distance between the Earth and the Moon; being enslaved or doing the enslaving—which, in time, we were able to explain, control and overcome.

What I do know is that we are capable of changing our fate, even when in the moment, such fate may look unexplainable and uncontrollable. What I also know is that it will never happen with mythological, theological and superstitious explanations.

This moment of earthquakes, hurricanes and reflections on the anniversary of September 11 should be taken as an opportunity to renew our spirit of human capability; to try to understand and control what may appear to be unexplainable; and to not succumb to superstitious explanations of inevitability and human weakness. It is the only way forward.

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Africa Rising: New Opportunities or New Colonialism?

August 18th, 2011 by Dean Foster | 2 Comments | Discuss This »

Several recent news reports have focused on the massive investment now being made in Africa by Western countries and corporations, as well as government agencies and private companies from China, India and Gulf Arabia. Both private and sovereign funds are pouring into Africa for a variety of reasons, resulting in both immense new opportunities, for both investors and for Africa, as well as immense dislocation and the threat of a neo-imperialist era for a continent still reeling from the horrific effects of four hundred years of European colonialism.

Although this interest may seem sudden, the rise of Africa as a business opportunity location can be explained by the confluence of a number of factors. For starters, international business is always looking to source cheaper labor, lower manufacturing costs. As some of the locations where current manufacturing exists become more expensive, such as China, Southeast Asia, or parts of Latin America, Africa has become more attractive. Millions of Africans are English speakers; the natural resources of Africa are critically important to certain high-tech manufacturing; there is land and in some countries, established Western-style infrastructure, both legal and social. And, despite the horrific political instability of many countries on the African continent, there has been growing democracy over the last ten years, to the degree that a critical mass of African countries have become politically stable enough, with a fundamentally educated and English-speaking population and a functioning infrastructure, to become tipping points for interest and growth by non-African nations seeking new markets, resources and centers of manufacturing.

This is especially viable in the new globally connected world, and Rwanda, interestingly enough, may be the first African country to become the new Silicon Valley of Africa.

All of this heightened interest in Africa has also raised awareness to the challenges faced by non-Africans (not only Westerners, but also Indians and Chinese, who are extremely active in Africa sourcing rare earth metals and natural resources, and Indians sourcing farmland for food production) working and, in some cases, living, there. There are unique problems that individuals and organizations from economically developed nations need to become aware of in order to manage in the economically developing environment of Africa. There are the unique local differences which must be understood and mastered; and there are the intra-African hostilities—a legacy of Western colonialism—that must be considered when working and living in Africa.

Despite these formidable challenges, there is enough of a tipping point now in Africa to make this new frontier a viable one for business and growth. The question remains as to whether this new investment will represent just a new, 21st-century form of the kind of corrupt imperialism that has plagued the continent for the last five hundred years, enriching only a handful of corrupt governments, corporations and individuals, or a new opportunity for these same governments, corporations and individuals to lift the desperate millions of Africa to a new life of freedom and hope.

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Emailing Across Cultures: Even Between Europeans, There Are Differences

August 12th, 2011 by Dean Foster | 1 Comment | Discuss This »

It’s often a frustration of mine that when speaking of cultural differences, it’s necessary to generalize about regions; requiring, of course, a quick deep dive into the specific differences within the region being discussed.  It’s natural for Westerners, for example, to see Asians, first, as different from the West, and then to explore the intra-Asian differences in more detail.  Same is true in Europe.

This is a response from a reader to our invitation to share your thoughts on how you would email differently when emailing to a different culture, and the comments below are especially enlightening around differences between Portuguese and German writing styles.

In Portuguese-speaking cultures we have very distinct situations. If you are Portuguese, a business e-mail to someone you are not very close to should have no private questions, like Germans, except for the fact that we (Portuguese) always address the other person by the first and last names (Sr. Dean Foster, for instance) and Germans tend to use only the last name. Similarly, as in the German language, we also have a clear distinction between ‘you’ (o senhor) that is formal and ‘you’ (tu) that is informal. The last one shouldn’t be used in a business context. However, if you are writing to someone frequently and establish a close relationship, an e-mail can be much more informal, using ‘tu’, just the first name, some humour and, between women, sending kisses to each other. In other Portuguese-speaking cultures, such as Brasil, Angola, Cabo Verde … the notion of formal is completely different. E-mails tend to be very informal and with a very warm language (hugs, tender kisses, my dear friend, … ) even if you don’t know the other person at all.

Please share your own experiences, thoughts, etc., on how you would email differently when writing to [fill in your favorite culture].

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Posted in Europe, cross-cultural | 1 Comment »

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