The US is not the center of the World

Charles Lindholm - Boston University

Rensia Melles - FGI

Philip Berry - Colgate Palmolive

The American Culture

Charles LindholmUniversity Professor of Anthropology

Boston University

American Culture

• Does American culture exist? • Americans say no because everyone is an individual.

– Individualism is characteristic of America.

• Taken-for-granted Assumptions• Individualism.

– Americans unaware of historical, cultural and institutional frameworks for their society.

• Egalitarianism.

• Self-reliance and free choice.

American Culture

• Sources of assumptions.• Absence of aristocracy.

– Egalitarianism.

• Revolutionary history.– Constitution and Bill of Rights as sacred.

– Citizen comes first.

– Opposition to government and emphasis on voluntarism.

• Protestantism.– Spiritual equality.

– Personal responsibility.

» Progress toward salvation.

– Church as voluntary community.

» Multiplicity of sects.

» Flexibility of interpersonal ties.

American Culture

• Sources of assumptions.• Fluidity (social and spatial)

– Frontier and immigrant experience.

» Ideal of the self-made man.

• Capitalism – Autonomous individual pursuing own best interests.

» Collective is secondary.

» Progress toward wealth

American Culture

• Manners and Mores arising from assumptions.

• Absence of deference.

• Informality and "niceness."– Value of "getting along well with others."

• Hatred of snobs and "phoneys".

• Generalized social trust.

• Moral minimalism - culture of avoidance.– Toleration, but within limits.

American Culture

• Historical conditions for assumptions.• Revolution.

– Legal equality of citizens insured.

» Elite power undercut by armed militia.

– Laws seen as reflecting will of majority.

» Sacredness of constitution.

» Dislike of politics.

• Immigration and Assimilation.– Ethnicity as option, not essence.

» "Multiculturalism" is only of food and dress.

– Basic American values universalized.

» No ethnic separatism.

• Religious freedom.– Belief as personal choice.

» No religious separatism.

• Predominance of middle class.– Caution, fear of change.

– Desire to succeed.

» Absence of class warfare.

• Homogeneity.– Regional, ethnic, religious, racial differences are minimal.

– Hispanic exception.

» Integration occurring.

– African-American exception.

» Values remain those of mainstream.

» Increasingly entering middle class.

American Culture

• Implications.• Homogeneity.

– No recognition of real difference.

– Disagreements can be reasoned out.

• Sacred values.– Assume everyone wants to be American.

– American way is the natural and correct way.

American Culture

Americans at Home and AbroadHow cultural stereotypes

alter how others view us, act toward us and do business with us

Rensia MellesDirector of Clinical Products,

Global Services DivisionFGI

Assumptions Set the Framework

“They watch

Baywatch…

don’t they?”

Global Stereotypes

– Popularity and pervasiveness of stereotypes:• Deeply rooted

• Not related to education level of exposure education

• Everybody has them

Stereotypes aren’t personal

Who are Americans?

How are you defined by other cultures?:-economic power-political power-cultural power

Personal Judgments

The trait is in the eye of the beholder

(There is no one picture of Americans.)

Creating Framework for Judgments

Country Value Stereotype

Japan Politeness, respect, rituals Rude, disrespectful I.e inrelation to seniority orbusiness introductions

Netherlands,France,Germany

Being well informed,having well informedopinions, ability forinformed debate

Isolationist, uninterested anduninformed regarding non USworld matters

Norway Commitment to family,Importance of work lifebalance

Workaholic not committed tothe family

Germany Importance of formalityand procedure, respect forhierarchy and policyi.e. formal dress code

Too familiar, sloppy, breakingthe rules

Creating Framework for Judgments

Country Value Stereotype

Western Europe(I.e. Netherlands,France)

Seeking equality, buildingrelationship, co-operativemanagement style

Autocratic, dictatorial

Latin America,Asia Pac

Relationships come beforetasks

Americans are disrespectful,and always in a rush –potentially seen as bully’s

Asia Pac, Turkey,Egypt

Importance of harmonyand team work

Unable to work in a team,uncaring of establishingrelationships, confrontational

“If the shoe fits……”

Living up to the stereotype:

Your own attitude/ behavior can

perpetuate stereotypes

Need to educate self about values/beliefs of

culture you are entering

Implications for Business

Pay attention to:• Work Relations• Work Effectiveness• Social/societal integration• Safety issues

Need to assist your expats and business travelers via training/develop heightened awareness.

Business Impact

Challenge Impact

Need to motivate People will wait out; L/T focusNeed to get commitments Incomplete negotiations,

Unclear agreementsMotivating, praising staff Embarrassing individual in collective

environment, offending seniority (informal authority)

Dispensing tasks,meeting Too autocratic, not co-operative withobjectives staff

Dispensing tasks,meeting Not fulfilling role of authority andobjectives manager, not providing appropriate

guidance/direction

Belie the stereotype

- Educate yourself

- Get familiar with local cultural history, experiences, triumphs, tragedies

- Understand how ‘they’ relate to your country on the global political/economic stage

- Acquaint self with core values

They watch Baywatch…

but who do they see?

The American Transferee Experience

Philip BerryVice President, Global HR

Colgate-Palmolive Companies

The menu

• My Experience

• Common Myths & Issues

• We Shall Overcome -Strategies for Success

• What do Bridge Makers Do?

• My Learnings

My Experience:Where have I been?

• US

• Central Europe, Africa/Middle East

• Latin America

• Europe

• Now I am Global

My Job

• Hiring, firing, paying, promoting,training, counseling and succession Colgate people

What I have Discovered

Key to business success is people

Key to people is how they relate and how they interact

Interactions break down in the connect points

The dimension of culture adds to complexity to the connect points

Mastering this dimension is critical to success and therefore to business effectiveness….the bottom linethe bottom line

An expatriate assignment will not be successful unless the expat

understands what is the same and what is different

There are some common myths and issues that have faced all

expatriates…..including myself

The issues that one faces are of a business and personal

nature

On the Business side!

Common Myths & Issues

• All negotiations are not the same: closing the deal

• Time is not the same.. Inshallah • Adjustment and Awareness of one’s

Mgmt style is critical• All American policies do not fit

Common Myths & Issues

• Developing a team orientation provides a key to success

• Interpersonal skills are more important overseas..doing the basics

• High touch must be maintained along with High tech

On the Personal side!

Common Myths & Issues

• Pinch me I am in Paris: you will go through culture shock

• Critical not to ignore stages of adjustment, especially for the family

• Support services are critical to expat success

Common Myths & Issues

• The suburbs of Paris are not the same as the suburbs of New York

• I should have rented all my furniture and equipment

• Keep your networks intact

We Shall Overcome: Strategies for Success

• Learn the Language…Learn the Culture

• Don’t hang out with Les Americains

• Cross-cultural training is a must

• Women & children first…or it all fails!

What do the Bridge Makers do?

• Listening to Verbal & Non-Verbal Cues

• Seek Feedback

• Learn Continuously

• Become a part of the Culture

• Best place to live…Compared to what?

My Biggest Learnings:

To develop policies thinking of the global impact, not just

the US impact

My Biggest Learnings:

To consider the cultural impact of a strategies

execution

My Biggest Learnings:

To consider that what is in it for one country may be different from another

My Biggest Learnings:

To continue my learning about being a Global Citizen

The US is not the Center of the World,neither is France, China or

Mexico,but we all play a part in making this world a better place to live and work