1. Background & impetus for CI
• Focusing on only one cultural dimension can lead to
stereotyping and to “us – them”
• The cultural dynamics are the same in relation to
professional, organizational and national differences
• Many emotions & strong irrational reactions when
different cultures meet
- the art of leading cultural • Cultural issues can’t be ”fixed” in the outset
complexity • Not much help in the conventional culture models
Elisabeth Plum • Differences are not only problems but also synergy
www.culturalintelligence.org
Cultural complexity is the Understanding of culture
challenge of today
• Each individual has a multiple cultural identity -
Three contexts and matching cultural paradigms
a unique mix of education, nationality, age ...
• Individuals travel to transact business in a
• The meaning of nationality is often exaggerated
foreign country – ‘cross-national comparison’
• Groups have cultures - but individuals can’t fully
• International partners and learning –
be described through one cultural membership
‘intercultural interaction’
• The important thing is not cultural differences as
• Complexity of virtual teams, cross national
such - but the meaning we attach to them
M&A, cross-disciplinary work, outsourcing –
‘the multiple cultures perspectives’
(Sonja Sackmann & Margaret Phillips, 2004)
What is Cultural Intelligence? The CI model
• The combination of the emotional drivers, the
cultural knowledge and the practical methods to Intercultural
engagement
bridge differences in the cultural encounter
• The ability to create a fruitful collaboration in
situations where cultural differences play a role
• CI aspires to both handle and prevent conflict
Intercultural
Cultural
and to harvest the synergy in differences communication
understanding
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2. CI is a general
Important principles in CI
cross-cultural competence
• Relate culture to the purpose of bringing the • Embraces cultural complexity. There are often
differences together (= the core tasks) several cultural differences playing a role
• Always focus on more than one cultural • Not possible to know everybody else’s cultural
dimension – deconstruct the stereotypes background – and not enough!
• Keep the ball rolling – and be aware of all three • CI provide a systematic approach, new
CI dimensions and the dynamics between them language and suggest simple actions to build
common ground where people think and act
differently
Important challenges when
different cultures meet
Legitimacy – reliability and authority
• Culture Bridging Fundamentals © •
Who do we choose as leaders?
–
What makes people credible in this organisation?
–
Effectiveness – getting things done
•
– How will we go about solving problems?
– How will we work together to get results?
Future – development and survival
•
– How can we communicate our corporate goals?
– How can we get buy-in for these?
“How will we choose the right “How can we go about solving
Legitimacy Effectiveness
leaders? What will make me problems? How will we work
credible in this organization?” together to get results?”
Intellectual Ability
Systems & Procedures
“people with conceptual skills,
“by formalizing our practices”
degrees and titles”
Performance Action
In-Group Networks
»the entrepreneurs » “by getting into acting quickly”
“people with age, experience, “by calling on people we
or many years with the company” can trust”
Culture Bridging Fundamentals© Culture Bridging Fundamentals©
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3. How can we communicate our
Future corporate goals? How can we
get buy-in for these?
Organizational Structure
-”by getting the organizational structure right”
Strategic Objectives
Heritage
“by clearly communicating
“by keeping our core values and
where we want to go”
corporate identity alive”
Culture Bridging Fundamentals©
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