Question

The Exercise

This exercise is focused on adapting to different national cultures. To prepare for it the read the material found here the 6 D model of national culture and read the article “Seven secrets…” that accompanies this file. You may find this link useful: Hofstede country comparisons.

Assume that you have been working for a large multinational corporation in Chicago for two years job after graduating from college. To advance in your career, you must complete a two year assignment overseas. The first year is to be spent in Tokyo, Japan where almost all of your co-workers will be Japanese. The second year is to be spent in Marseille, France where, again, almost all of your co-workers will be French.

Using the course material as a guide, explain, in no more than three pages total, how you would prepare to be successful in both overseas jobs. Specifically:

1. What factors do you think are critical to fitting in early and making a becoming a valuable team member?
2. What would you do to make it easier to adapt to these two different cultures?
3. How can you use Hofstede’s work to better understand your Japanese colleagues? Your French colleagues?

Reading text:

Seven Secrets To Success As An Expat Executive

Six years after university graduation, I was moved to London, Paris, Tokyo and Beijing for work for a global corporation. In each city I took on new roles. Here how's I made the most of the expat executive expat opportunity.

By Noch Noch Li

In this day and age, business travel for a few days and weeks, or even a few months, is quite common. Being an expatriate for a few years in another country? Not So much. And the percentage of business women expats is even smaller. According to a recent survey by Brookfield Global Relocation Services, only 18% of international assignees are female. Given this minority, how can anyone, and especially women, succeed as international executives for a few years in a country we have never been to, and possibly not speak the local language?

Six years after university graduation, I was moved to London, Paris, Tokyo and Beijing for work for a global corporation. In each city I took on the role as a manager, though in different departments. Here, seven lessons I learned over the years on making the most of the opportunity.

1. Work hard(er) on your own

My job in Paris involved meeting clients and building a client base from scratch. My French was rudimentary. Around 3 pm daily my head would tense up because I was concentrating so hard on understanding what was going on around me. Forget trying to react.

I was unable to do my job simply because I could not express myself. I cried at home. But I sponged up the embarrassment and asked my colleagues to teach me to say certain things, wrote them down, memorized them and regurgitated the phrases in similar situations. The company subsidized French classes and I took five to six hours a week, either during lunch or after business hours. At home, I watched French news and tried to assimilate the language. I read three newspapers every night.

Within three months, I was speaking to clients with ease, and by six months I was debating with my colleagues in French. I even started dreaming in French.

2. Respect local culture

Many expatriate executives make the mistake of arrogance: they land in the new city, new office, with new colleagues, and brutally want to show them how “it’s supposed to be done.” They mock the local culture for inefficiencies and are determined to change it within the two years they are posted there. Most of them leave defeated, and brand the local host country as “hopeless.”

I acknowledge that sometimes, executives are sent from headquarters to a country to expand the business, instill the corporate culture, or to improve operations. There is nothing wrong with that. It’s how it’s done that makes all the difference.

In preparation for Tokyo, I must have read some 30 websites on business etiquette and culture there. I was nervous. On one hand I would like to assert myself as the leader, especially being a female and relatively young in this culture that prefers male and seniority. On the other, I wanted my new team to feel respected.

I took my time to get to know them. From Day 1, I took a genuine interest in them as a person and not merely as robots carrying out my orders. I asked them about themselves, their families, their goals, and their frustrations at work. Gradually, they felt at ease with me and instilling changes wasn’t so difficult. In fact, they came and asked me what changes I would like them to make.

If you respect them, they will respect you, and come to trust you. Any changes you need to implement afterwards become natural. Your authority is implicitly recognized.

3. Thrive as the minority

You will probably be the minority of female expatriates in your company. I will not debate whether the glass ceiling exists (I think it does). Despite the perceived obstacles, use your female intuition to serve you as an effective and trusted manager overseas. Carry out your duties over and beyond your targets. I actually found being the only female in the meeting room quite an asset. I stood out, and when I spoke, I stood out even more – and they listened. My different perspective soothed tensions during heated discussions. Limelight was on me. I did well, and it got noticed. I moved up the ranks.

When you shine in the minority, you shine brighter.

4. Rely on other expats

You will be frustrated. It could be the multiple three hour meetings because that’s just what the local staff did, or it could be taxi drivers skirting on the pavements nearly running you over. Things will not go the way you envisioned to be, and there will be times you lament, “It’s not like this back home in XX, why can’t they just be (whatever you’d like them to be)!”

This is where other expatriates come in handy. I agree with that you need to meet as many local friends as possible in the new country in order to get the most out of the experience. Nevertheless, I also advocate that you have a comfortable cushion in the expatriate bubble. You need people who can understand your frustrations, and that means you need people with similar experience to talk to.

Other expats can keep you sane.

5. Find a mentor

A mentor is crucial whether you are posted overseas or not. When you are going overseas, reach into your network to find those who can give you suggestions specifically about working overseas, or better still, in the country you are moving to. I was fortunate to find those who have worked in the same country as I was going to, and even for the same company to get a low-down on what to expect.

It doesn’t matter who they are, as long as you can learn from them.

6. Have a life

You have ambitious targets to meet. I did too. But the first few months I was there, I forced myself to leave the office at 6 pm everyday so I can join a gym, meet people, go to club activities, and create a social circle. Friends are important to keep the balance, and to avoid feeling lonely in this new city. Usually people are the most welcoming when you first arrive, so make use of that window to find these friends. Work can wait a little. In fact, when your personal life is going well, work life usually flourishes because you don't spend office hours pitying yourself for not having any friends.

Don’t bury yourself with late nights at work, you will have many of those, so make finding friends a priority.

7. Know your limits

All the glamour and experience associated with being an expatriate executive is not without sacrifice. With every upside there are hidden costs too.

Uprooting myself every two years or so took a toll on me. When I was 23 I thought I was invincible. I thought I could do it, and wanted to do it better and faster than everyone else. I did not manage the stress properly. In fact, I told myself I wasn’t even stressed out but thriving on the challenges. I ignored the frequent colds and stomach aches. I didn’t think packing my home into a container just when I settle down was too much. Consequently, I burnt out towards the end. I plunged into depression and had to take time out from work.

We all have different limits. Know where yours lies. At some point, you might have to take a break to reset. It’s okay.

The fact that you are reading this and wondering if you should go overseas or not means you have that fire in you. I encourage everyone to take up international assignments. It challenges you in ways you did not think yourself capable, and allows you to meet people from all walks of life. From my nomadic life, I built up a network around the world, speak a few languages fluently, and met my fiancé. I’m taking a break from corporate life to sort myself out but I’m sure I will be back on the plane in no time.

You won’t know what’s in it for you until you do it. Prepare embrace yourself for the adventure. I will be back, too, so see you then!

Answer 1

a. Factors that are critical to fitting in early and making a becoming a valuable team member

The factors are critical to fit-in early with the overseas team and become a valuable team member are,

1. Developing the language skills to ensure the messages communicated are understood and proper responses are made.
2. Respecting the local culture and act with empathy
3. Forming friendship with the locals to maintain work-life balance and overcome loneliness
4. Using intuition to work with effectiveness and instil trust among other members
5. Understand the limits of oneself to avoid overexerting and stressed out from challenges

b. Strategies to adapt to the two new countries

The strategies that individual's can use to adopt to France and Japan are

1. Develop Language Skills

The expatriate has to work on own to develop language skills by interacting with team members and asking them to teach catering to specific situations. By undergoing professional language classes and self-learning through reading newspapers and watching movies would enable language skills in a short span.

2. Understanding local culture

As expatriates are sent to enhance business operations, they have to understand the local culture and business etiquette. By respecting the other team members and acting with empathy would allow one to gain their support.

3. Communicating with other Expats

Through interactions with other expats, a person would be able to vent out frustration and discuss problems to arrive at solutions to handle the host country environment.

4. Guidance from a mentor

People with prior experience in the country would be able to provide moral support and guidance during the overseas assignments.

5. Making friends

Forming a social circle to ensure that a balance is obtained with work to overcome loneliness in new locations.

c. Using Hofstede’s work to better understand Japanese colleagues and French colleagues

Based on the 6D model the following observations are made.

Cultural Dimension	France	Japan	United States
Power Distance	68	54	40
Individualist	71	46	91
Masculinity	43	96	62
Uncertainty Avoidance	86	92	46
Long Term Orientation	63	88	26
Indulgence	48	42	68

Source: Hofstede Insights

1. Power Distance

This expresses the cultural attitude towards inequality in the society. In France, a fair degree of inequality is accepted where a hierarchical structure is obvious. Japan is borderline hierarchical.

2. Individualism

France is an individualist society as people are made emotionally independent from a young age. It is a unique country due to its high score for power distance and individualism. Japanese is a collectivistic society as the culture emphasises on living with harmony.

3. Masculinity

France is somewhat feminine society where the emphasis is laid on taking care of others and enhancing the quality of life which is reflected in the working hours and wages. Japan is a masculine society which is portrayed by their workaholism, perfection and drive for excellence.

4. Uncertainty Avoidance

French work according to proper planning and structure. They require to hold all information well in advance prior to business meeting to avoid last-minute hiccups. Due to their experiences related to natural disasters, Japanese are highly prepared to avoid uncertain events. Japanese follow a ritualised life. For business decision-making, lot of time and effort are involved in feasibility studies and collecting detailed facts. This is the reason for difficulty to implement changes in Japanese companies.

5. Long Term Orientation

French are pragmatic and allow changes to surrounding conditions. They believe in being thrift and act with persistence. Japanese view their life as a part of the history. This make them to follow virtues and lead life by good examples. Rather than being money minded, they wanted to serve the society (businesses focus on stakeholder benefits rather than on profits).

6. Indulgence

French are less relaxed and restrained which is evident from its moderate happiness index. Japanese have a restrained culture and people act according to social norms. The people act in a controlled manner and avoid acting on impulse.

It is observed that when compared to the United States, Japanese and French colleagues differ widely due to the different cultural beliefs. Thus, the expat has to have a clear understanding of these countries cultural norms for ease of socialisation and acceptance.