Working in a Multi-Cultural Environment How culture affects the way we interact with each other

Working in a Multi-Cultural EnvironmentHow culture affects the way we interact with each other

Pellegrino Riccardi

Cultural Bridge Builder

A DEFINITION OF CULTURE

a complex pattern of ideas, emotions and behaviours

… that tend to be expected, reinforced and rewarded

by and within a group

PERCEPTION

is at least

half the TRUTH

Identity …

the YOU as you see yourself

the YOU as you would like to be seen

the YOU as others see you

the YOU as others see you

the YOU as you see yourself the YOU as you would like to be seen

A DILEMMA

IMAGINE …

You are the passenger in a car driven by a close friend

Your friend hits a pedestrian

Your know your friend was driving at 50km per hour in a 30 zone

There are no witnesses

Your friend’s lawyer says that if you testify under oath in court that your

friend was only driving at 30, it might save him/her from serious

consequences

Would you lie in court to help your friend?

SWI GER SWE NOR NETH

Percentage of respondents who said they would probably NOT lie in court

FRA ITA IND

CHI INDO RUS KOR VEN

20

40

60

80

100

Rules vs. Relationships

Rules CULTURES believe it

is best to be …

Consistent

Objective

Truthful

Honest

Predictable

Fair

Flexible

Personal

Diplomatic

Selectively honest

Take it as it comes

Pragmatic

Relationships CULTURES

believe it is best to be …

GOOD INTENTIONS

TRANSACTIONAL / TASK-FOCUSED

RELATIONAL / PEOPLE-FOCUSED

Rules vs. Relationships

Rules Relationships

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

GOLD CARD MEMBERSHIP

SCHEME

OSLO CITY PARKING

AUTHORITIES

DOCTOR

FERRARI

NORWAY

NORWEGIAN DEBT COLLECTION

AGENCY

SWEDISH DEBT COLLECTION

AGENCY

Personal Relationships

"Nordmannen er en nøktern person. Hans forhold til Gud er omtrent som hans forhold til Kongen: Han synes Gud (og Kongen) er grei nok - forutsett at han oppfører seg som en skikkelig nordmann og ikke tror at han er noe spesielt.”

Nordmannen sier det ikke rett ut, men han mener at Gud (og Kongen) tross alt ikke er mer enn et menneske han heller. Nordmannen ville ikke bli forbauset om han en dag så Gud (eller Kongen) f. eks. foran seg i busskø eller på Karl Johansgate i Oslo.”

SERVICE

Latin “SERVUS”

SLAVE

FAMILY & FRIENDS SLEEP

WORK

The “perfect” Norwegian Working Day

FLEXIBILITY

The “perfect” Norwegian Working Day

Customers don’t buy products or services,

they only buy the

SATISFACTION

they imagine they will get

by using them

Important dates in Norwegian history

1814 – We don’t need you





1994 – We told you the first time, we don’t need you!

EUROPE’S HIGH SPEED RAILWAY NETWORK FROM 2020

calm, hide feelings, very shy

people & relation-focused

structured yet flexible

loopholes are OK

indirect, non-conflict

hierarchy

cool and controlled feelings, shy

task-focused

structure, planning, deadlines

likes rules

direct communicator

equality

warm, expressive, loud, extrovert

people & relationship-focused

flexible, pragmatic, “deadlines”

doesn’t like rules

indirect communicator

hierarchy

JapanSingapore

Austria, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovenia

USA

Australia, Denmark, Ireland

France, Poland, Lithuania

South Africa, Russia, Hungary

Italy, Spain, Greece, Ukraine

HISPANIC AMERICA,

ARGENTINA, MEXICO

Saudi Arabia, Arab Countries

Iran, Turkey, Pakistan

INDIA

Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia,

Korea, ThailandBangladesh

China

VIETNAM

FINLAND

UKGERMANYSWITZERLAND, LUXEMBOURG

Sweden Hong Kong,

Taiwan

Nigeria, Angola, Serbia, Montenegro

BRAZIL, CHILE

BELGIUM

Norway

Working in a Multi-Cultural Environment How culture affects the way we interact with each other

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