1132 Posts Found

At a deep level, no matter where we come from, we are driven by common physiological and psychological needs and motivations. Yet the culture in which we grow up in has a significant bearing on the ways we see communication patterns as effective or undesirable, to find certain arguments persuasive or lacking merit, to consider certain ways of making decisions or measuring time “natural” or … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Erin Meyer | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: Culture, Decision Making, International, Personality / Behavior, Thought

The strength of cross-cultural teams is their diversity of experience, perspective, and insight. But to capture those riches, colleagues must commit to open communication; they must dare to share. Unfortunately, this is rarely easy. In the 25 years we’ve spent researching global work groups, we’ve found that challenges typically arise in three areas.

Content: Article | Author: Ginka Toegel | Source: Harvard Business Review | Subjects: Culture, International, Organizational Behavior, Teamwork

What makes a great leader? Although the core ingredients of leadership are universal (good judgment, integrity, and people skills), the full recipe for successful leadership requires culture-specific condiments. The main reason for this is that cultures differ in their implicit theories of leadership, the lay beliefs about the qualities that individuals need to display to be considered leaders. Research has shown that leaders’ decision making, … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | Source: Harvard Business Review | Subjects: International, Leadership

We all come from somewhere. Where we come from affects the way we view things, and the way we understand one another. In every international situation, some things are cultural, and some things are personal. If it’s cultural, then you need to help people in the room understand that, for example, when someone speaks in a way that is startlingly direct, that’s because where he … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Erin Meyer | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Culture, International, Organizational Behavior

The advantage to having people from all over the world on a team is that you may find that you have more innovation and creativity, and that you’re closer to your local markets. The disadvantage is that multinational teamwork is usually a lot less efficient than monocultural teamwork. When we’re all from the same culture, we don’t have to talk about how we work together. … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Erin Meyer | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: Culture, International, Organizational Behavior, Teamwork

Today’s technology enables integrated operations that can change the globalization penalty into a premium.

Content: Article | Author: Pascal Visée | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subject: International

There are two basic types of trust: cognitive trust and affective trust. Cognitive trust is based on the confidence you feel in another person’s accomplishments, skills and reliability. This is trust from the head. Affective trust on the other hand, arises from feelings of emotional closeness, empathy or friendship. This type of trust comes from the heart. In all … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Author: Erin Meyer | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: International, Organizational Behavior

If you’ve ever received any cross-cultural training … chances are… it has focused on differences: differences in communication styles (like how Japanese workers are less direct than Germans) or differences in values (like how Americans have more individualistic values than those in China). It may have even focused on differences in etiquette — like how in the United States you can write on the back … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Source: Harvard Business Review | Subjects: Culture, International, Organizational Behavior

After more than 50 years of trying, the search for an ideal model of the global organization remains elusive. But intriguing new experiments are under way.

Content: Article | Authors: Aaron De Smet, Suzanne Heywood, Wouter Aghina | Source: McKinsey Quarterly | Subjects: International, Management, Organizational Behavior

In multinationals with subsidiaries scattered around the world, communication is key – and complex. So what’s the best way to get firm knowledge flowing in the right directions? A large scale survey of over 800 subsidiaries in 13 countries finds that the relatively novel trend of “inpatriation” may be more useful to businesses than the traditional expat assignments for two-way knowledge flow.

Content: Article | Authors: Anne-Wil Harzing, B. Sebastian Reiche, Markus Pudelko | Source: IESE Insight | Subjects: Human Resources, International, Management, Organizational Behavior

[Globally] HR professionals will need to understand regional or country differences regarding the number, quality, and types of skills available, typical turnover rates, employment regulations, costs of labor, healthcare policies and costs, talent mobility policies, cultural norms and values, the strength of the employer brand, and the specific employment value proposition that will attract and retain people.

Based on these data and insight, HR will … [ Read more ]

Content: Quotation | Authors: Colin Sloman, David Gartside | Source: Accenture | Subjects: Human Resources, International

Managers in different parts of the world are conditioned to give feedback in drastically different ways. Understanding why can help you critique more effectively.

Content: Article | Author: Erin Meyer | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: International, Management, Organizational Behavior

The DHL Global Connectedness Index, now in its third edition, shows that not all flows of trade, capital, information, and people are alike.

Content: Article | Authors: Pankaj Ghemawat, Steven A. Altman | Source: strategy+business | Subject: International

The INSEAD professor shows how people can communicate across cultures.

Content: Thought Leader | Authors: Christie Rizk, Erin Meyer | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: International, Organizational Behavior

How skilled return migrants can be your company’s agents of change.

Content: Article | Author: Dan Wang | Source: strategy+business | Subjects: International, Organizational Behavior

If you’re looking to succeed in China, you’ll need to align your strategy with the agenda of China’s leaders. Businesses need to take a “politico-strategic” approach when entering the country because of the strong relationship between commerce and government.

Content: Article | Author: Robert Lawrence Kuhn | Source: Chief Executive | Subject: International – China

Staff who like their work and want to stay are a prized asset. So how can a company generate a high level of engagement? This article focuses on research into the connection between employee engagement and company loyalty, specifically for multinationals operating in India and China.

Editor’s Note: not a comprehensive study but some of the issues discussed are quite interesting and add something useful … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Caroline Scotter Mainprize | Source: Cass Business School | Subjects: Human Resources, International, Organizational Behavior

You have a product idea and you want a manufacturer to produce it for you. But you’re on a limited budget so sourcing in China seems like a good idea. You know that China has many low-cost manufacturers. But how do you find the right one?

Content: Article | Author: Rieva Lesonsky | Source: OPEN Forum (American Express) | Subjects: International – China, Operations, Outsourcing / BPO

In cross-cultural negotiations, be aware of cultural differences but don’t feel you have to adapt your behavior.

Content: Article | Author: Horacio Falcao | Source: INSEAD Knowledge | Subjects: International, Negotiation

The globalization of trade is so established that it has lost the power to astound us. Yet the global economy is not as integrated or efficient as is widely believed, according to A. Kerem Cosar, assistant professor of economics at Chicago Booth, because getting goods from their point of origin to international shipping centers within the same country can be expensive—sometimes more expensive than shipping … [ Read more ]

Content: Article | Author: Samantha Stainburn | Source: Capital Ideas | Subjects: Economics, International