Priorities

It s been a long time since I read the story of The Sleeping Beauty, but I remember it started with the good fairies each giving the baby princess a gift. I wonder if you told this story to people of different cultures which they would choose as the most precious qualities for a baby girl. Should she be beautiful, dutiful, rich, fertile, intelligent , happy, charming, strong, honest, or chaste? Our answers would naturally be influenced by our gender, age, and education, but also very much by the cultures we came from.

In the West, chastity, for example, is not particularly high on most people s lists of priorities, but for parents in Saudi Arabia or Somalia it might well be top of the pops, as sex outside marriage is not only a disgrace to the family but may also be punishable by death. The word dutiful has a similarly exotic ring to it if you happen to come from the West. It implies that there are links of duty and responsibility between individuals ”parent and child, for example, or siblings, or manager and employee. To be undutiful means ignoring your obligations to others and putting yourself first, and it would be regarded most unfavorably in cultures such as the Chinese or Indian. Indeed, many people from these cultures would regard being rich (the number one choice, I suspect, of many U.S. and British families) as pretty pointless if they couldn t use their wealth to help family members or, even more fundamentally, produce children themselves .

But it s not only in life s big issues that we reveal our priorities. John Cleese, the comedy writer and actor, is supposed to have said that an Englishman would rather have a reputation as being a poor lover than as having no sense of humor. I have to agree. For the English, living well has not entailed what it has in other cultures, where people have set a great store by the cultivation and enjoyment of the senses. We have never really understood why other nationalities have laid great value on such relatively unimportant aspects of life as food, sex, the pursuit of happiness, or warm bathrooms. For us the real priorities in life, depending on age, social class, and gender, are

• watching soccer and cricket matches,

• going to the pub with mates,

• having a nice back garden,

• and getting a hot beverage (tea or instant coffee) on demand.

Not only individuals are influenced by national cultures, of course. Companies also reflect the culture of the country where they have their roots. Indeed, in different countries there are different ideas about why companies exist at all. In the U.S., the belief is that they exist to provide profit for the shareholders, so the bottom line is of the utmost importance. In Japan, the aim is to achieve increased market share, so they give top priority to finding out what customers want and giving it to them. In the old Soviet bloc their purpose was to provide jobs, and in certain European countries with a strong social democratic tradition, local and national government still sees this as a company s prime function. In these countries , like Germany and Sweden, it is a priority to safeguard employees rights (to information, consultation, etc.) because only then can the company expect to have a committed and responsible workforce.

As there are differences in such fundamental questions as what a company is for, it is not surprising that employees from different cultures prioritize different ways of behaving. Managers from the U.S., for example, prioritize action above all else, even if the action is not guaranteed to solve the problem. Any action is better than none. The Chinese and Japanese, with a very different view of time and the power of fate, may prefer to allow things to take their course rather than expend a lot of useless energy trying to achieve the impossible . The French prioritize a logical, well-thought-out solution to a problem, while the Swedes will always prefer to wait for a consensus before acting. With such different priorities, doing business with people from other national or corporate cultures requires flexibility.

LETTERS 153 “155

What s more important ”your company, your colleagues, your family, or yourself?

Who to sack? Letter 153

FROM GERMANY ABOUT THE U.K.

In the last recession , the British headquarters of my company got rid of a high percentage of its older middle managers in order to cut costs. This means that now there is no one there with any experience of how the business works, and no knowledge of whom we in the German subsidiary are. We cannot understand how they could be so disloyal to people who have invested large parts of their lives in the company as to make such a shortsighted and essentially unproductive decision. Here in Germany we can see our younger managers are looking for jobs in other companies because they understand what the future might hold for them as they get older.

To be fair, who to get rid of in the bad times is never an easy decision to make. But there are differences in how different countries act in times of economic downturns. One study shows that faced with a call for financial cuts, the British will prioritize spectacular short- term gains and tend to get rid of older, more expensive staff to keep the shareholders happy, while Germans take into account the difficulty older employees have finding work and are more prepared to get rid of younger employees, even if they are cheaper.

Unions also play an important role in France and Sweden when it comes to the question of who is to go during periods of downsizing. In these countries, people usually lose their jobs on a last in, first out basis, which protects older workers but leaves companies with an aging work-force. This can have undesirable consequences in certain high-tech industries that rely on new skills coming into the company. Britain, on the other hand, can get away with its strategy of getting rid of older and more expensive workers first because the position of the labor unions is quite weak (Mrs. Thatcher handbagged them and they have not recovered yet), but with anti-ageism legislation in the pipeline in the EU this might be about to change in Britain too.

Family first Letter 154

FROM AUSTRIA ABOUT TURKEY

Our company currently employs a female manager in her thirties who works in her home country of Turkey. She has all the qualifications and qualities our company is looking for and she has been a major success in Turkey. We are hoping to transfer her to our Pakistan office because we believe she can repeat her success there. She is single, and in Turkey she lives with her parents. The problem is that she is refusing to move because she says it is not seemly for her to live on her own. This is a lady who has lived for three years in the U.S. when studying (albeit with her uncle s family) and who can hold her own in negotiations with anyone we know. She is certainly no shrinking violet . We are not sure if this is a ploy to win an increase in salary or if this is a serious objection.

I m sure this is a genuine problem for your employee. In India, and in predominantly Muslim cultures such as Turkey, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia, even comparatively liberal families may draw the line at a single daughter living on her own, whatever her age, character, and position at work. The reasons are not hard to find. Families take the reputations of their unmarried daughters very seriously, and a single woman living on her own would inevitably be the subject of gossip. Not only that, her parents are probably concerned about her physical as well as her moral safely in a culture where male relatives, rather than the police, are the first people a woman may turn to for protection against crime. Also, coming from a culture where the extended family is the norm, and free time is spent with other family members and seldom on one s own, a choice to live alone is going to be regarded as unnatural . What can spell privacy in one culture can mean loneliness in another.

Your employee has shown great commonsense in refusing your proposal. She understands, probably better than you, the problems she would face living alone in another Muslim country. Her decision also tells you something that executives need to hear regularly and often ”that there are more important things in life than work. Paradoxically, the fact that your employee listens first to her family, and only secondly to you, makes her more useful to the company. She is more in tune with her culture, and the culture of your customers, than you are ”which is probably why she has been so successful at her job so far. Try to hang on to her.

Better job Letter 155

FROM MEXICO ABOUT THE U.S.

I joined the large American company I currently work for after school, and since then they have provided me with training and opportunities to develop myself . Naturally I am very grateful to them. Now a Mexican company has offered me a very good job and they want me to start immediately, but my employers have said that if I leave right now this is going to cause them a lot of trouble. I know this is correct and do not want to repay their faith in me with disloyalty.

Your concerns do you credit, but you are going to have to be hard-nosed about this. American firms do frequently give their employees chances to learn and develop, but their motives are not altruistic. They do it to attract high-quality recruits and to provide themselves with a skilled workforce. Should the market change and the need for certain skilled groups diminish, they will lay off groups of workers without hesitation. In U.S. business culture, the work roles that people occupy are much more important than the individual. The rules of the marketplace take precedence over feelings. You may have had firsthand experience of smaller Mexican companies where ties of personal loyalty between owners and employees are very strong. The same traditions of loyalty between employer and employee exist in Japan and Germany too, but most larger international companies will probably play by U.S. rules.

Your employers will understand your motives for leaving, even if they don t admit it, and after a few years of experience in another company you will be even more attractive to them. You may even find yourself back working for them in the future!

LETTERS 156 “157

Bad feelings can result if you feel others disregard your own priorities.

Written or spoken? Letter 156

FROM AUSTRALIA ABOUT TURKEY

We are trying to get an agreement with a Turkish supplier but are having problems getting a contract drawn up, let alone signed. Although they seem anxious to do business with us, they do not seem to think that it is important to set down their requirements, or agree to ours, in print.

The Turkish culture prioritizes what is said rather than what s written, which means that Turks prefer doing business with people they already know and trust, and working with loose verbal agreements avoids the whole question of contracts, deadlines, and penalty clauses. Written agreements are all about rules, and Turks, like their Greek neighbors, are not especially keen to conform to rules that might soon become irrelevant in a fast-moving business environment. Flexibility and creativity are regarded as more important qualities in a businessperson than the ability to draw up detailed plans for future action. Even if you do get your agreement written and signed, it would be difficult to enforce in a court of law because such cases tend to be very time-consuming . You will find the same attitudes about written contracts in Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, where they are regarded as a reference point or guidelines rather than a set of points carved in stone. So your best bet is to prioritize a good relationship with the top man of the Turkish firm and to try to get his personal promise to honor your agreement.

Good product comes first Letter 157

FROM THE U.K. ABOUT GERMANY

We are trying desperately to get our German engineers to work to our specifications, but they have lots of objections. They want to use more durable materials to extend the life of the product, but if we followed all their suggestions we would almost double the price. They do not seem to have the faintest interest in the financial consequences of their actions, and take no notice of the British managers who are telling them that the bottom line is important.

German manufacturing companies, like the Swiss, Austrian, Swedish, and Finnish, take great pride in the quality of their products, and traditionally they prioritize safety, reliability, and the highest possible quality. In the past they have believed that if you produce a good product customers will buy it regardless of price. Graduate engineers in Germany are widely respected and have a prominent role in the management of many firms, whereas finance and accounting personnel, a group that usually commands a lot of influence in U.K. companies, are less influential. See if you can find a British manager with a strong engineering background as well as a good grasp of finance to win over his or her German counterparts.

IN A NUTSHELL: Priorities

GLOBAL WARNING

The following are simple but, I hope, useful generalizations . There are naturally enormous differences in the priorities of companies and individuals within the same culture.

 

• Argentina: Who you are is more important than what you achieve. It is important to enjoy life. Good interpersonal relationships are very important. (See Letter 156.)

• Australia: What you achieve is more important that who you are. (See Letter 156.)

• Austria: It is important to behave formally and with dignity . Status, job title, and prestige are extremely important. (See Letters 153, 154, and 157.)

• Belgium: Financial rewards are not so important (as the tax system takes a lot) but status, job title, and prestige are important. (See Letter 153.)

• Brazil: Work is not an end in itself ”it s a necessity. See Argentina.

• Canada: See Australia. Work comes before pleasure .

• China: The extended family has great influence on the lives of its members. The individual s main responsibility is to the family.

• Denmark: Being open and honest (other cultures may regard this as bluntness) is a priority.

• Finland: It is important to judge people by what they do, not by what they say. Work comes before pleasure. (See Letters 153 and 157.)

• France: It is important for individuals to be well educated , articulate , and confident (rather than simply rich). Who you are is more important than what you achieve. Protecting someone else s feelings is not a priority. (See Letter 153.)

• Germany: Long-term thinking takes priority over short-term, hence research and development is a priority. The welfare of employees and quality of products are also very important. (See Letters 153, 155, and 157.)

• Hong Kong: See China.

• India: Extended family has a great influence on the lives of its members. Compared with Japanese or U.S. Americans, Indians identify less with their company. (See Letter 154.)

• Indonesia: It s important for the majority to be good Muslims and family members. Success at work is less important. Saving peoples face is crucial, as is avoiding open conflict. Who you are is more important than what you achieve. (See Letters 154 and 156.)

• Italy: Who you are is more important than what you achieve. (See Letter 153.)

• Japan: Saving face is crucial, as is avoiding open conflict. Extremely high degrees of loyalty to the company are the norm. Most individuals hope to stay with the same company their entire working lives. Loyalty to group or team is often more important than individual achievement. Socializing outside workplace is vital in building relationships. (See Letters 155 and 156.)

• Mexico: Saving face is crucial, as is avoiding open conflict. Individual ties of loyalty have high priority. Who you are is more important than what you achieve. (See Letter 155.)

• Netherlands: See Denmark. (See Letter 153.)

• Norway: Very high taxes mean employees value free time above increased salaries. Being open and honest is a priority.

• Poland: Having a network of personal contacts is important. Displaying formal (old-fashioned) good manners is important in facilitating business relationships. (See Letter 153.)

• Russia: A Russian priority is to prepare for the worst. Good working relationships and a comfortable environment can be as, or more, important than a high salary.

• Saudi Arabia: It is important to be a good Muslim and extended family member. Who you are is more important than what you achieve. (See Letter 154.)

• South Africa: Businesspeople try to build consensus and like to see all sides of a question. Fair play is a priority.

• South Korea: See Mexico. It is important to know an individual s position in order to know how to relate to him or her. Socializing outside workplace is vital in building relationships. (See Letter 156.)

• Spain: Personal relationships may be just as important as the facts when making a decision. Who you are is more important than what you achieve. Individual ties of loyalty have high priority. (See Letter 153.)

• Sweden: Long-term thinking takes priority. There is much reliance on teamwork and developing consensus. Very high taxes mean employees value free time above increased salaries. (See Letters 153 and 157.)

• Switzerland: It is important to be perceived as responsible, respectable, and honest. Maintaining control over your emotions is also important. (See Letter 157.)

• Taiwan: See China.

• Thailand: Saving face is crucial, as is avoiding open conflict. Good relationships with colleagues are more important than personal achievement.

• Turkey: Individual ties of loyalty have high priority, especially to family members. Avoiding open conflict is very important. (See Letters 154 and 156.)

• UK: Short-term profits and satisfying the shareholders are most important for companies. Good interpersonal and communication skills are vital for individuals to succeed in their careers. (See Letters 153 and 157.)

• US: Time is money, and the bottom line is all-important. Corporations can be generous givers to charitable organizations, but the interest of the corporation comes before loyalty to or the interests of individuals. What you achieve is more important than who you are. (See Letter 155.)

• Venezuela: See Brazil.