Building a brand

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Academy of Management Conference, Philadelphia,
August 3-8 2007
PDW Interactive Teaching Methods in
International Management How to Enrich Case
Discussions by Incorporating Experiential
Exercises Günter K. Stahl, INSEAD
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Using Exercises to Enrich Case Discussions
Examples
Topic Examples of Case(s) Exercise(s)
Managing Across Cultures David Shorter/Bob Chen (Ivey)Johannes van den Bosch (Ivey) Role playsCoaching exercise
Managing Change Nissan Turnaround (INSEAD) IBM Turnaround (HBS, INSEAD)Guangdong Electronics (INSEAD) ChangePro Simulation
Performance Management Wolfgang Keller at Koenigsbraeu (HBS) Role playsCoaching exercise
Aligning People With Strategy Southwest Airlines (Stanford)GE Talent Machine (HBS) Strategy Mapping exercise
International Assignments Andreas Weber (INSEAD)Jaguar or Bluebird? (INSEAD) Europa Construction Intl. exercise (LBS)
Ethics Changmai Corporation (INSEAD) Negotiation simulation Role plays
CREATES IDENTITY
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Shorter/Chen Cases Suggested Timing (3-hour
session)
Understanding and Working With Cultural Differences Understanding and Working With Cultural Differences
1400 1430 Introduction Culture and its impact on management
1430 1450 Table discussion Personal experiences working across cultures
1450 1530 Understanding cultural differences Cultural frameworks
1530 1545 Break
1545 1615 Group work Shorter/Chen cases (case analysis and role play preparation)
1615 1645 Role plays and debriefing
1645 1730 Creating cultural synergy The Map-Bridge-Integrate approach (if time permits, followed by coaching exercise)
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Perceptual Processes and Mental Models Vary
Across Cultures
Source Nisbett (2003). The geography of thought
How Asians and Westerners think differently.
New York Free Press.
Example of item measuring whether judgments of
similarity are based on family resemblance or
rules
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Nonverbal Negotiating Behaviors Vary Across
Cultures
Behavior Americans Brazilians Japanese
Silent Periods Number of silent periods greater than 10 seconds, per 30 minutes Conversational Overlaps Number of overlaps per 10 minutes Facial Gazing Minutes of gazing per 10 minutes Touching Not including handshaking, per 30 minutes 3.5 10.3 3.3 0 0 28.6 5.2 4.7 5.5 12.6 1.3 0
Source Graham (1985), The Influence of culture
on the negotiation process. Journal of
International Business Studies, 16, pp. 81-96.
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Cultural Orientations
Basic issues that all societies throughout
history faced, but different societies developed
different ways of coping with these issues.

1. Environment What is our relationship with the
   world around us? (Harmony-Mastery-Subjugation)
2. Human Nature What is the basic nature of
   humans? (Good-Mixed-Evil)
3. Relationships To whom and for whom do we have
   responsibility? (Hierarchical-Collective-Individua
   listic)
4. Mode of Activity What is the primary mode of
   activity? (Being-Doing-Thinking)
5. Time How do we think about time?
   (Past-Present-Future)
6. Space How do people see and use space?
   (Private-Public)

Source Kluckhohn Strodtbeck (1961). Variations
in value orientations. Evanston Row, Peterson
and Company.
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Example Cultural Analysis


IndonesianCulture

GermanCulture
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Cases David Shorter Bob ChenSource Joe
DiStefano Neil Abramson, Ivey Business School
James-Williams The New Enterprise Group
Organizational Chart
Practice Director Other Partners
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David Shorter Bob Chen Case Questions

• 1. Taking the perspective of either David
  Shorter or Bob Chen, please explain the
  situation as of the end of the case. What are
  the causes of developments up to now?
• 2. Prepare to play the role of either Shorter or
  Chen in their upcoming meeting.
• a) What is the outcome you desire for the
  meeting?
• b) What will you do and say to help this come
  about?
• c) What assumptions do you have about the
  other person's motives and his likely
  responses to your plan for the meeting?

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David Shorter and Bob Chen Different Perspectives
Issue Shorter and others Chen
Motivation Get Chen to comply with doing the Softdisk auditLoyalty to client and to the organization McLeod and Silverman frustrated, low confidence Get transfer now, as promised (friends have been transferred without any audit responsibilities) Loyalty to mentor and to the organization Discouraged about chances of resolution, feels trapped
Perception Chen is disloyal and hypocritical, is not being straight Personality problem Shorter hasnt protected me, others want to persuade me Problem is firms need
Communi-cation Tell Chen to do the audit Meetings are for disclosure and discussion Express disagreements openly and directly Get others to tell them no Meetings are for persuasion and coercion Express disagreements indirectly and avoid conflict
Source Joe DiStefano, IMD, Teaching note Bob
Chen/David Shorter.
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Some Clues to Cross-Cultural Conflict

• Bob Chen's current behavior vs. his reputation in
  the firm
• Resistance to doing the audit vs. previous
  accommodating behavior
• "He's out of line fire him!" vs. solid
  performer, potential partner, liked by colleagues
• "He's acting crazy must be a personality
  clash vs. polite (indirect), civil (modest)
• Disclosure of reluctance to do audit to
  colleagues vs. shy, private person
• Apparent agreement to do the audit vs. signals
  that he won't do it
• Seems to agree to audit three times vs. Mike
  doesn't sense real agreement
• Seems to accept 3 year tax program vs. tells
  Shorter he doesn't want it
• Agrees during the 3 hour meeting vs. Mike hears
  indirectly he won't do it
• Past self-sufficiency vs. requests for help
• Has only dealt with Shorter regarding career
  issues vs. asks Jane for help

Source DiStefano, J., Teaching note Bob
Chen/David Shorter.
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Shorter/Chen Cases Cultural Analysis


ChineseCulture

CanadianCulture
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High Context and Low Context Cultures
Japanese
High
Arabs
Latin Americans
Italians/Spanish
Context
French
English
North Americans
Scandinavian
Germans
Swiss
Low
Explicit
Implicit
Messages
Source Hall Hall (1995)
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Sixteen Ways to Avoid Saying No in Japanese

• Vague no
• Vague and ambiguous yes or no
• Silence
• Counter question
• Tangential responses
• Exiting (leaving)
• Equivocation or making excuse
• Criticizing the question itself
• Refusing the question
• Conditional no
• Yes, but
• Delaying answers
• Internally yes, externally no
• Internally no, externally yes
• Apology
• The equivalent of English no

Source Ueda (1974)
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Sixteen (and More) Ways to Avoid Saying NoBob
Chens Communication Style

1. Conditional no
2. Yes, but
3. Delaying answers
4. Internally yes, externally no
5. Internally no, externally yes
6. Apology
7. The equivalent of English no
8. Avoid the other person(s)
9. Get another person involved

1. Vague no
2. Vague and ambiguous yes or no
3. Silence
4. Counter question
5. Tangential responses
6. Exiting (leaving)
7. Lying equivocation or making excuse
8. Criticizing the question itself
9. Refusing the question

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Common Stereotypes About Asian Americans
Observed Behavior of Asian Americans Common Stereotypical Misinterpretations Possible Cultural Explanation
Nonconfrontational Passive does not care one way or another Values harmony
Quite reserved Has no opinions Values opinions of others and fitting in with group
Agreeable dependable follower Unassertive no leadership qualities Values what is good for group can be assertive if needed for the group
Industrious Make good worker bees Values carrying their share of work believes hard work will be recognized
Technically and scientifically competent No management skills or leader-type charisma Values science as universal language crossing cultural barriers believes leadership comes in many forms
Deferential to others Not committed to own opinions, judgments, or preferences Values being respectful of others believes in saving face for self and others values age and wisdom
Source Osland, Kolb Rubin (2001).
Organizational behavior An experiential approach
(7th ed.). Prentice Hall NJ.
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Update What Happened During and After the Meeting
The meeting was, in Shorters words, a
disaster. Chen felt that he had no choice but to
resign. He was sure that his relationships with
the partners had been so badly damaged that he
could never recover. He also felt that he was
being taken advantage of because of his easy
nature and that there were other people who could
have done the audit. Shorter was stunned. He
never expected such a turn of events. Even worse,
he hadnt ever faced a male employee breaking
down and crying in his office. He didnt know how
to handle the emotions being displayed by the
normally reserved Bob Chen. Shorter was unhappy
to lose a good employee (and the Softdisk audit
still had to be done!), and Chen was unhappy to
leave the firm that had given him the opportunity
to work and live in Canada. Chen obtained
employment as a financial analyst in a financial
institution in Toronto within three weeks of
resigning at James-Williams.
Source DiStefano, J., Teaching note Bob
Chen/David Shorter.
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