“From Regional Star to Global Leader” is the title of a January 2009 Harvard Business Review article describing a case study about the rise and the quick fall of a Chinese expatriate in France.
A French perfume company relocated their Chinese star performer from China to France to head global products development. According to the case study, three weeks into this new position the relationships with the boss, peers, and direct reports were strained to the point where all concerned privately doubted the wisdom of the move.
This scenario corroborates my own coaching experiences, where the turbulence and undertow beneath does not bubble to the surface until there is a marked decrease in productivity. If caught unaware by differences in work styles and general cultural dynamics of the new organization, assignees could be easily sidetracked—blurring their focus and preventing them from accomplishing the objectives of their assignments. This is true whether assignees are moving within the country units of the same organization or they are joining new ones.
Navigating the New Cultural Landscape
Roland relocated from Brazil to the United States to implement a manufacturing process change that he had successfully completed in several plants of the same employer in Brazil. Roland was very proud of his move to the United States, which represented a milestone of his success in the company. He was very confident about achieving results in the United States and his only concern was his English-speaking ability which he undertook to improve.
However, as Roland’s English-speaking ability increased, so did his troubles in the company. The more his peers and direct reports understood him the less they liked his management style and the way he communicated. To his astonishment, the management style and people skills that had worked for him in Brazil backfired in the United States.
Roland failed to understand that he was dealing with a new cultural and political environment, and assumed that what had worked for him before would work again. He rationalized that his problems were because of his direct reports’ resistance to change and uncaring attitudes. He also felt that his boss and his peers were neither caring nor supportive of his efforts. The ensuing clashes and the prospect of losing his job gave him the insight to take steps to reverse this downward course. He turned things around by taking ownership of his career and by seeking help to succeed in his work.
Blind spot: The assumption that technical ability and previous success would translate into the new job. During the excitement of Roland’s move to the United States, it did not occur to him that the cultural and political landscape had changed and he would need to adapt to a new business environment, even though he had moved between country units of the same organization. Although Roland had cross-cultural orientation training before he and his family moved to the United States, a business coach helped him understand the differences in business cultures and chart a course to succeed in the new business environment.
Relationship With the Boss: Obedience Versus Loyalty
I had a Mexican colleague who used to joke, “If my boss says crocodiles fly, I say, yes boss, how high?” This pointed to the hierarchical nature of the Mexican corporate culture and being cautious about voicing one’s opinion.
Miguel’s company transferred him from Mexico City to the U.S. headquarters in a marketing position. He expected to be promoted to a managerial job within one year.
However, there were several other young employees with similar responsibilities who aspired to the same managerial position. Miguel was aware of the competition and he was highly motivated to work very hard to win the race. So he accepted every assignment with enthusiasm and worked quietly and without fanfare, thinking that his boss would notice his dedication and reward him accordingly.
To his dismay, Miguel noticed that his boss paid more attention to his competitors’ projects and frequently solicited their opinions during meetings. Miguel was becoming increasingly disillusioned, losing his initial enthusiasm and motivation for the new position.
Blind spot: In American culture, managers expect loyalty, not obedience; they value subordinates who work hard to make them look good and contribute to their success. Disagreements stated in a diplomatic way are accepted and expected. Overly subservient behavior and unquestioning obedience comes across as lack of confidence and initiative.
Although American corporate culture is somewhat hierarchical to facilitate decision-making and accountability, American culture values equality over hierarchy and social class. Hierarchy in organizations is masked by use of first names and informal interactions. An overly deferential behavior of an employee who comes from a hierarchical culture appears awkward and makes others uncomfortable.
Managing Expectations
Catherine Wong joined an U.S. company on graduating from a prestigious university with a Ph.D. in mathematics. She had some work experience in China, but this was her first work experience in the United States.
Catherine was briefed about the overall objectives of the department and its financial contribution to the company. But she was given very little direction other than her boss’s enthusiastic endorsement of her capabilities and confidence that she would do just fine.
Catherine’s manager was in charge of several departments and did not have expertise in the area of statistical analysis. Therefore, Catherine assumed that she knew best what needed to be done and started working very hard, arriving early and leaving late. One year later, she found herself disillusioned and unhappy; she did not get a raise and she found herself cut off from her boss who seemed very busy with other departments.
Most disturbing to her was interference of her peers from other departments that was eroding her authority. Catherine felt that her work was not appreciated and she approached her boss for a raise. Her boss was surprised and found her approach abrupt. A few weeks later, Catherine’s focus was shifted from working hard to finding another job.
Blind spot: In individualistic American culture, bosses’ expectations, such as a basic perception of what is most important in this job or what success looks like, are rarely discussed specifically, the emphasis usually is on overall achievements and quantitative objectives. Although the relationship with the boss is friendly and open, it could be at arms-length.
Foreign-born employees must be aware that it is incumbent on them to find and manage a boss’s expectations. In group- and relationship-oriented cultures, the boss usually sees the workforce as a family and since accountability rests on the boss, there tends to be more top down communication of expectations. Managing up is one of the biggest challenges of foreign-born employees in the United States.
Stepping Outside Boundaries: Private vs. Public
Kumar was a promising software engineer with a warm and friendly disposition. He liked Americans’ open and friendly demeanor and the fact that American superiors seemed approachable. Therefore, he frequently would approach his peers from other departments in the hallway or by the coffee machine and ask business-related questions.
If his boss or other superiors, in passing, would ask: “how is everything?,’’ Kumar would go into a long description of work or some problems. Gradually he felt that people avoided him in the elevators or in the hallways. After one year, he had come to the conclusion that Americans were friendly only superficially and tended to be cold and distant.
Blind spot: American business culture tends to be much more compartmentalized and it is considered bad manners to corner the boss or peers with serious business questions in public places. These questions should be addressed in a meeting and a venue that is specifically set for business discussions.
Similarly, it is considered bad manners to ask for business in trade association conferences or during public meetings. Although everyone knows that the basic purpose of these public meetings is business networking, it is considered bad manners to corner someone, ask for business, or ask for their business cards.
Developing Power and Influence—Networking Within the Organization
An American company in Sweden hired Ingrid as a young assistant and then she was transferred to the U.S. headquarters. Although Ingrid did not have a college degree or specialized training, through a series of promotions, she became director of a department. She was respected and liked by top management and she could get things accomplished through teamwork and help from influential people in the company.
Although Ingrid did not have the highest credentials, she was smart enough to quickly size up the political currents in the company. She astutely identified influential people whose help and support was essential for developing visibility in the company and would help her to get her tasks accomplished. She managed up by demonstrating her loyalty by working in line with her boss’s expectations and contributing to his success. She regularly sent out reports about her activities and showed willingness to take over any project that would be helpful to her manager.
Blind spot: Navigating the internal politics of the organization is the most challenging aspect of many new inpatriates’ positions. However, the above case shows that not all foreign-born employees have difficulty adjusting. Many learn how to adjust their behaviors to fit in the new organization. Usually, the higher the position within the company, the greater the need for assessing the political environment and building skills for attaining power and influence.
As one loses clout within the company, competitors and ambitious co-workers start to nibble at the inpatriate’s turf and soon thereafter he or she is left with diminished execution ability. This can lead to frustration that is perceived by others as a negative attitude leading to a downward career spiral.
The global economy and a multicultural workforce are the two sides of the same coin. The benefits of the worldwide expansion can be realized to the fullest only when the multicultural workforce works together effectively to achieve business results. Employers must provide their employees the tools to understand differences in mindsets and work styles to reconcile differences to create common solutions to achieve business goals.
In our globalized economy, employees who work across cultural lines are best served by customized coaching that gives them the specific tools to succeed in their new positions. Working by trial and error seriously affects employees’ engagement and diminishes companies’ global competitiveness. What works is not just general training on developing awareness but customized coaching around achieving measurable business results.
Sheida Hodge is director, cross cultural services for Hodge International Advisors, Mercer Island, Washingon. She can be reached at +1 206 420 7980 or sheida@hodge-ia.com.