Cultural awareness plays role in business

Cultural awareness plays role in business

By G.B. Whitfield

JAKARTA (JP): It is generally agreed that it takes more for a
company to be successful overseas than a quality product and high
manufacturing standards. There is a human factor that must be
considered. Everyone is a product of his or her cultural
environment and such "cultural baggage" is one thing that cannot
be lost on an intercontinental flight. Culture influences our
actions and effects the way that we look at things.

It is said that the view across cultures is clouded, marked by
indistinct borders, general misconception and mutual frustration.
I certainly agree with that while watching newly arrived
executives adjusting to life in Indonesia. I see them attempt to
do their jobs as usual, and develop working relationships in
their new positions. As we are all a product of our own culture,
many executives simply use the same management and negotiation
techniques here that they would use back home -- often with
unfortunate results.

Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but also
frustrating and confusing. Whether buying a train ticket at
Gambir or using a pay phone in Union Station, unless you
understand how the system is supposed to work, it may not work
for you. After a time in a foreign culture, a person begins to
understand the unspoken assumptions and expectations. Eventually,
he or she becomes more comfortable with various situations.
Learning business customs, expectations in an office setting and
what things cannot be changed -- but merely understood -- is a
good sign that an executive has made the adjustment to the new
culture. The problem is time.

The "old China hand" has been replaced by a new generation of
executives looking for business opportunities outside their home
countries. The lengthy learning and cultural adaptation process
that may have been acceptable 20 or 30 years ago is not tolerated
today. Modern business is moving fast and cannot accept lengthy
acclimatization periods or failed overseas postings by
executives.

Culture is very strong. We are immersed in it and it controls
our actions and behavior. The modern executive who leads his
company into a new market in a country where he does not
understand the cultural ground rules is in for a lot of trouble
and for problems that could have possibly been avoided.

We live in an information age. An age where the flow of
information can make or break a company. In a recent market
survey of foreign professionals working in Indonesia, a majority
of the respondents indicated that they required more information
on general business and cultural conditions here and were
actively looking for that information. They felt that such
cross-cultural knowledge would increase their efficiency and
effectiveness during their posting. One of the conclusions drawn
from this survey was that an understanding of the expectations
and standards of foreign colleagues is necessary to effect smooth
cross-cultural working relationships, and a successful
assignment.

The process of cultural assimilation and the development of
effective cross-cultural working relationships requires effort
and knowledge on the behalf of all parties. However, for the
successful executive in an ever-growing global market, this is no
longer a luxury. It is now a necessity.

G.B. Whitfield is a technical advisor for Executive Orientation
Services of Jakarta, which provides orientation programs for
foreign professionals and Indonesian executives.