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Adjusting to a Distant Space

Question 1. What do individuals around foreign managers add to the adjustment process they experience working in Japan? Not clear, but becoming clearerInformation, interpretation of culture, guidance on the hybrid track. March 2010 SIEM Symposium. 2. Question 2 . Who are these individuals who impact the adjustment of foreign managers? Cultural informantsInterculturally fluent informantsMentors.

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Adjusting to a Distant Space

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    1. Adjusting to a Distant Space Cultural adjustment and interculturally fluent support W. Baber, Kyoto University SIEM 2010

    2. March 2010 SIEM Symposium 2

    3. Question 2 Who are these individuals who impact the adjustment of foreign managers? Cultural informants Interculturally fluent informants Mentors March 2010 SIEM Symposium 3

    4. Definitions What Cultural Adjustment means (Berry, 1997) Integrated-Assimilated-Separated-Marginalized Integrated: able to access home/host cultures Culture – the widely understood and accepted ways of doing things (Hunt, 2007) Mentors Cultural informants Interculturally fluent informants March 2010 SIEM Symposium 4

    5. Cultural Informants Who – potentially any individual around the manager Boss, Co-worker, Spouse, Expat, Local, In-laws, Children Generally drawn from the networks around the foreign manager March 2010 SIEM Symposium 5

    6. Cultural Informants March 2010 SIEM Symposium 6

    7. Cultural Informants - Descriptors Partially or very proficient in target language and culture; Not necessarily related to work world; Need not be established in work or society; Need not be technically proficient; Advises in situational incidents in business and other areas; Expatriates may have more than one cultural informant; Need not be a deep personal relationship; Provide ad hoc advice; Accessible, even giving instant feedback; Socially embedded in the target culture, or even in both cultures; Advise on social cues; 7

    8. Cultural Informants – Examples A: significant other, co-worker C: acquaintance with relevant business and life experience D: superior with extensive business and cultural experience in both home and target cultures E: spouse and business partner F: familiar with Japan and the home country, but low accessibility G: acquaintance with extensive business and cultural experience in both home and target cultures 8

    9. Cultural Informants Not defined by quality! Not defined by ability to transmit or interpret knowledge! March 2010 SIEM Symposium 9

    10. Cultural Informants – Examples A: significant other, co-worker C: acquaintance with relevant business and life experience D: superior with extensive business and cultural experience in both home and target cultures E: spouse and business partner F: familiar with Japan and the home country, but low accessibility G: acquaintance with extensive business and cultural experience in both home and target cultures 10

    11. Highly fluent in home and host languages, work and life culture; Aware of subtle variations among groups and regions in home and host cultures; Embedded in social networks of home and host cultures, for example: Professional associations; Alumni networks; Social organizations; Readily available and in frequent contact; Interculturally Fluent Informants March 2010 SIEM Symposium 11

    12. Very likely to accurately transmit deep understanding of host culture to the foreign manager Interculturally Fluent Informants March 2010 SIEM Symposium 12

    13. Hybrid Manager Notion from Schlunze and Plattner A manager with one foot in each of two (or more) worlds Not a manager with abstract knowledge Real cultural, professional, personal knowledge Local network, local language, cultural skills Hybrid managers develop over time if the conditions are right March 2010 SIEM Symposium 13

    14. Elements of Cultural Adjustment 12 elements identified in interviews for managers who are or are becoming hybrids Other aspects of cultural adjustment: cultural distance, language proficiency, expatriate type, and personality traits such as emotional stability and cultural empathy (Peltokorpi, 2008) psychic distance March 2010 SIEM Symposium 14

    15. Next Questions Is there a Hybrid Track? Where is a person in the process? How can we compare managers? How can we know what should be developed in order to generate well rounded hybrids? March 2010 SIEM Symposium 15

    16. Hybrid Track Language skills Networks foreigner/Japanese, professional/personal Involvement Decision making Day-to-day work participation Ambition/Strategic Intent Informants (Business/Life) Personal relationship(s) Cultural skills Capacity for synergy: globalizer, localizer, local/global networker (Schlunze) March 2010 SIEM Symposium 16

    17. March 2010 SIEM Symposium 17

    18. Mentor Functions and Attributes Guide into management; Established person in their field, but not necessarily socially embedded; Technically proficient in their field; Offers work related network access; Offers some behavioral guidance; Advises in situational incidents related to business and management; May support specific career goals with mentee; Because of high status, may offer only low or moderate accessibility, but is committed; Mentee usually has only one mentor; Trusting relationship; On-site or home country; March 2010 SIEM Symposium 18

    19. Bibliography March 2010 SIEM Symposium 19

    20. Bibliography March 2010 SIEM Symposium 20

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