Cross-cultural Business and Management Engagement

Culture and cultural issues can have significant and lasting effects on many aspects of doing business, managing employees, and integrating into a new community. Culture shapes our views, assumptions, and approaches toward communication and social interactions, gender roles, decision making, employee management, hierarchy and power distribution, emotional and physical expressions, time and order, and many other aspects of work and life.

About 22% of Canada’s population of 37 million and 26% of the Canadian workforce is made up of immigrants. Another 4.9% of the Canadian population is made of Indigenous people. Nearly three quarters (72.5%) of immigrants have a language other than English or French as their mother tongue. In recent years, a growing number of immigrants have come from Asia (largest group at 60%), the Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, and Alberta continues to see a considerable increase in the influx of new immigrants. In total, 22.3% of Canada’s population belonged to visible minorities.

Even without any business dealings with partners, clients, and employees from other countries, it is still critical for Canadian businesses and employers to be culturally competent and responsive to their increasingly multi-cultural workforce and local consumer base. Combine this with the fact that Canadian businesses have robust business dealings with secondary training partners whose first language may not be English, such as those in Asian, African, and Latin American countries (to the tune of $193 billion and 34.6% of all Canadian imports plus $81 billion and 16.1% of all Canadian exports per year), it would be highly detrimental for any Canadian business to ignore the significance of culture and cultural competence to the success of their business.

Not having adequate intelligence and competency to effectively manage, adapt, include, and navigate through the different cultural viewpoints, values, and approaches to business, management, and life can lead to:

  • misunderstandings, conflict, and hurt feelings,
  • difficulties integrating into a culturally different or diverse work environment,
  • inability to harvest the creativity and innovation that can come from diversity,
  • increased likelihood of failure in cross-cultural dealings and negotiations,
  • failure to secure productive joint ventures and business opportunities in/from a foreign market, or
  • difficulties integrating into one’s new venture and life in a different country.

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU:

  • Cross-cultural Intelligence Training
  • Cross-cultural Business/Management Engagement, Integration and Repatriation Support
  • Cross-cultural Concern/Crisis/Case Consultation and Intervention

 

OUR PEOPLE, YOUR ADVANTAGE: Our cross-cultural associates are professionals who have directly lived, worked professionally, conducted business, maintained active business relationships and/or managed workforces in other countries as well as in Canada. Aside from personal experiences, they are also trained and well-versed in the dimensions and frameworks of cross-cultural management. In particular, our associates specialize in East and South East Asian cultures and countries including China (including Hong Kong), Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Philippines as well as the culture of India.

Let us help and support you. For additional details of our services, click on the following or contact us today.

We can help to enhance managers’ and employees’ cross-cultural intelligence and competencies so that they can work and do business more effectively with co-workers, partners, or clients from another culture.

We provide custom, half-day, full-day or multi-day workshops on the following subjects. Sessions can be facilitated at a worksite, off site or at our Insight South Edmonton Service Centre:

  • Understanding Cultural Dimensions and Their Impact on Business, Interactions, and Management
  • Communicating Across Cultures
  • Cross-cultural Negotiations and Conflict Resolution
  • Managing a Diverse Work Team
  • Preparing to Do Business, Manage, or Work with Personnel in/from China, Korea, Japan, India, and South East Asian Countries.

Employees who are moving to or coming from a foreign country or are conducting business and working with teams, partners, or clients in/from a foreign country may require various support and assistance to ensure a smooth transition as well as minimize the risk of cross-cultural integration and engagement failure.

Many employees and/or their family members may also experience adverse psychological impact in their efforts to deal with the change and transition. These may include anxiety, stress, isolation, depression, grief, or other difficulties. Our associates and therapists can help them prepare for the transition as well as work with them to deal with any psychological barriers, challenges, and effects that they may experience during the pre-departure, on location, and repatriation phases.

Preparation to Engage Co-workers, Partners, or Clients from Another Culture: For individuals who will be conducting business or working with teams, partners, or clients in/from China, Korea, Japan, India, and South East Asian countries, our cross-cultural associates can support them in preparing for their engagement.

Preparation to Integrate into a Different Culture: For individuals who are planning or have accepted an assignment to move to China, Korea, Japan, India, and South East Asian countries, our cross-cultural associates can support them as well as their family members in preparing for their integration into their new environment, culture, and life in a different country.

On-location Integration Support: For individuals who may encounter cross-cultural challenges or need further support while in China, Korea, Japan, India, a South East Asian country, our associates can continue to support them via our secure online video coaching/counselling system or other technological means.

Repatriation Support: For individuals who will be returning to Canada upon the conclusion of a long assignment overseas, our associates can support them as well as their family members in their repatriation process.

New Immigrant Support: For individuals who will be coming to Canada or has newly arrived in Canada, our cross-cultural associates can support them in preparing for their integration into their new work and life in Canada. Our associates can also continue to support employees who may need further assistance once they are in Canada.

Should you or your team encounters cross-cultural interaction challenges, roadblocks, and faux pas that could jeopardize the negotiation, venture, or initiative that you are trying to finalize with a team, partner, or client in/from China, Korea, Japan, India, or a South East Asian country, prompt action should be taken to salvage the situation and prevent further deterioration or disruption. Our associates can assist you in:

  • quickly assessing the nature, extent, and impact of the challenges,
  • determining the appropriate steps to mitigate the situation, and
  • supporting and moderating further interactions, if necessary.