Model of Cross-Cultural Entry

Lynne Forbes-Zeller, Vangie Bogaty

Pepperdine University

MSOD 616 - OD Practitioner as Global Citizen and Strategist

Dr. Miriam Lacey

 Model of Cross-Cultural Entry

We have been conditioned to see the world from our personal and national cultural contexts.

To improve our cross-cultural entry and build cross-cultural relationships, we can start by looking at

the overall history of a country including landscape, current events, time zone, language/s, currency,

business customs and financial markets, religion/s, and artistic expression. Additionally, identifying

what is typical in our cultures and for our international partners, what is similar and what is different

between our cultures. We can use tools such as Hofstede’s Country Insights framework and refer to a

list of websites with cross-cultural information that Lynne and her team created earlier in the program.

Additionally, author Erin Meyer (2014) offers a tool to assist with this process and recommends

individuals study eight categories of cultural context including communication, evaluating persuading,

leading, deciding, trusting, disagreeing, and scheduling. If we combine both tools (Hofstede and

Meyer) to analyze the cultures at play when interacting, we will have a broader frame of reference to

understand each other and intervene as OD practitioners. Please see appendix 1 for the “Cultural

Awareness Tool for OD Interventions.”

Communicating

To broaden my cross-cultural understanding, we can look at one’s cultural communication style

and compare their style to the American style of communication. Americans are the most explicit or

low-context culture, meaning our statements require little intuitive understanding.

Evaluating

Americans are in the middle of the spectrum when it comes to giving negative feedback. It will

be helpful to understand where the culture falls in the spectrum of direct versus indirect negative

feedback.
 Persuading

Some cultures, tend toward deductive arguments, focusing on theories and complex concepts

before presenting a fact, statement, or opinion. Anglo-Saxon cultures, tend toward inductive

arguments, starting with focusing first on the practical application before moving to theory. This trait

shows up in everything from how people give presentations or lead meetings to how they write emails.

Leading

Depending on the culture, there is varying views about how one views leaders. Some countries

are egalitarian, and others are hierarchical. Americans fall in the middle of the spectrum.

Deciding

Understanding how each culture views leadership and organizational structure is helpful. For

example, Japan has a very hierarchical leadership system; it has a very consensual decision-making

system. They use the ringi system, which involves building consensus at a lower level before bringing a

proposal to a higher level, thus enabling broad corporate consensus.

Trusting

According to Erin Meyer (2014), Americans do not worry about trusting each other because

they trust their legal system to enforce contracts, and so business negotiations focus on what is

practical. In many emerging market economies, to a lesser extent Western Europe, personal

relationships are much more critical, in part because people do not trust their legal system to enforce

contracts.

Disagreeing

It will be helpful to understand how the culture embraces confrontation and disagreeing,

additionally their view on cultural norms such as “losing or saving-face.”

 Scheduling

I have found understanding views about time and deadlines to be very helpful. Different

cultures treat time with more structure or view time as flexible. A structured view would be on time,

less structured would be more flexible with timelines.

References

Hofstede, G. (n.d.) The six dimensions of national culture. Retrieved from https://www.hofstede-

insights.com/country-comparison/

Lubin, G. (2015). These 8 scales reveal everything you should know about different cultures. Retrieved

from: https://www.businessinsider.com/the-culture-map-8-scales-for-work-2015-1

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map: breaking through the invisible boundaries of global business. First

Edition. New York. Public Affairs.

 Appendix 1

The following tool connects Hofstede's 6 Dimensions of National Culture with the eight categories of

Meyer's Country Mapping Tool. When working on interventions or interacting with a different culture,

it will be helpful to look at each of Hofstede's dimensions and how they relate to Meyer's categories —

thus providing a profound perspective and a comprehensive cultural appreciation during the

interaction.

Cultural Awareness Tool

For OD Interventions
• Communicating
• Evaluating
• Leading
• Deciding

+
Power Distance
• Communicating • Evaluating
• Evaluating • Leading
•
•
Trusting
Scheduling
+ + • Deciding
• Trusting
• Persuading • Disagreeing
• Persuading
Country Country
A B

• Evaluating
• Evaluating • Deciding
•
•
Deciding
Disagreeing + + •
•
Disagreeing
Scheduling
• Scheduling • Persuading

Uncertainty Avoidance
+
• Communicating
• Disagreeing
• Trusting
• Scheduling