Page 38 - Harnessing the Strengths

Culture Clashes ■ 21

gians are even less transparent than the Japanese. At the
other extreme, American-French interactions have also
often been doomed to failure because of the desire on both
sides to try to control their environment. There is nothing
wrong with this approach, but when you put these two
together, it can sometimes lead to disaster!

Deciding Factor

Obviously cultural differences have an impact, and they
need to be taken seriously. The infl uence of culture should
not be underestimated. It is one factor that infl uences every
single other process within an organization. You can com-
pare it to what “water” means to a swimmer: it is the most
basic element, the context in which it all happens. As a pro-
fessional, you can do everything within your power in terms
of training and skills in order to win the world champion-
ship, but all that is worthless if it is not in keeping with
the environment in which the event takes place. Techniques
that work in still waters may not necessarily also work in
water with a current. This is because, although water seems
to be neutral, it is not. It penetrates everything and encloses
the swimmer on all sides and is thus a deciding factor in
success or failure.
This is also the case with culture. Whether we are talk-
ing about fi nance, logistics, or production, culture infl u-
ences all of it. The integration of two organizations, or two
departments, with different cultural backgrounds requires
an active role on the part of management. An effective
approach starts with identifying the frames of reference
within which people are operating. Clashes on the work
floor are almost always a result of value differences; there-