Dealing With Cross-cultural Issues
On this page 6 headings
Start here A doctor gives clear instructions. The nurse nods. Then mistakes keep happening, and patients keep landing in emergencies. Nobody is lazy. Nobody is careless. The problem is culture.
Case study: the doctor and the nurse
Lecture example — cultural understanding and creativity Situation: A large hospital in the USA. A doctor from Uruguay. A nurse from the Philippines. A machine is attached to every patient in intensive care, and there is a set way to run it.
What went wrong: The doctor explains the machine and leaves. Mistakes happen, and there are many last-minute emergencies. The doctor is upset: “I told you how to do it. Why didn’t you?” The nurse says nothing. Someone tells him she is making mistakes. He asks, “Then why doesn’t she just tell me she doesn’t understand?”
Interpretation: The doctor comes from an equal culture. The nurse comes from an unequal culture. In her culture, you don’t question an older or more educated person. Even if you don’t understand, you keep quiet.
Synergistic solution: The doctor tells her, “It’s okay to ask me doubts.” The nurse says, “Doctor, may I ask some doubts? I don’t mean any disrespect.” Both change a little and work it out together.
Five strategies for cultural creativity
This model is from Nancy J. Adler’s book International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. It has two axes:
- Up: how much you follow my culture’s way.
- Across: how much you follow their culture’s way.
| Strategy | My way | Their way | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural dominance | High | Low | “This is my culture. I won’t give it up.” |
| Cultural accommodation | Low | High | I adjust to the other culture. |
| Cultural compromise | Medium | Medium | Each side gives up something. Meet midway. |
| Cultural avoidance | Low | Low | Nobody talks about either culture. Ignore the difference. |
| Cultural synergy | High | High | Both cultures are respected, and something new is created together. |
One example for each
| Strategy | Lecture example |
|---|---|
| Avoidance | A US company’s branch abroad. US rules gave health insurance only to the employee’s wife. Local employees, from a collective culture, also claimed for their children. The company avoided the issue. It never raised a question and simply paid the bills. |
| Dominance | A local partner gives a US partner a small welcome gift. The American refuses: “Accepting gifts is like a bribe in our company.” The partner explains it is only a welcome gift. He still refuses. He won’t budge. |
| Accommodation | A Western businessman goes to Japan to sign a contract. Like India, Japan is relationship-oriented. For about two weeks they only play golf and go out for meals. His boss keeps asking, “Why haven’t you signed yet?” He adjusts to their way: build the relationship first. |
| Compromise | Teams from two countries (say, Italy and Mexico) take turns: meetings in Mexico for two months, then in Italy for two months. They meet midway. |
| Synergy | The Uruguayan doctor and the Filipino nurse: he invites questions, and she asks respectfully. |
Everyday example Your team has one member who likes detailed written plans (certainty) and one who likes to “figure it out as we go” (ambiguity). Synergy: write a short plan with a few key dates, and leave room for change. Both feel comfortable.
Connect it: This looks like the Thomas–Kilmann conflict styles from Week 5. There too, collaborating (high on both) was the best. Here, synergy is the best.
In one line: Of the five strategies — avoidance, dominance, accommodation, compromise and synergy — synergy, where both cultures win, is the best. Exam words: cultural dominance, cultural accommodation, cultural compromise, cultural avoidance, cultural synergy, synergistic solution, Nancy Adler.
Books to read
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind | Geert Hofstede (with Gert Jan Hofstede and Michael Minkov) |
| Riding the Waves of Culture | Fons Trompenaars (with Charles Hampden-Turner); he also wrote the “Did the Pedestrian Die?” example |
| The Culture Map | Erin Meyer |
The professor especially recommends The Culture Map. Its online tool lets you choose your country (say, India) and the country you are going to (say, Argentina). It then shows you the differences.
Note: In the video, the professor mixes up which book goes with which author. The table above follows the book covers on the slide.
Closing advice
- This week covers only the tip of the iceberg.
- India itself is a “cross-cultural masterpiece”. Start learning here.
- Keep your notebook for life. Write your observations, read the books, and keep learning.