Week 5

Question 1

Name some ‘Fundamental Issues in Intercultural Management’

Answer 1

 Diverse work groups do not perform as well as homogeneous groups
 Diversity provides greater variety but not necessarily greater potential for synergy

Question 2

Explain the M.B.I model

Answer 2

Mapping
Bridging
Integrating

Mapping: WHAT? Understand the Differences
Cultural values 
• Leadership style 
• Personality 
• Gender 
• Thinking style 

Bridging: WHY? Communicate across the Differences

1. Prepare with motivation & confidence
2. Decenter without blame
3. Recenter with commonalities

Integrating: HOW? Manage the Differences
• Building participation 
• Resolving conflicts 
• Building on each other’s ideas 
• SOLUTIONS

Value the differences and reach high performance!

Question 3

Explain the ‘objectives of MBI model’

Answer 3

 A framework for using cultural diversity to get higher performance
 Awareness of ourselves and others and the impact of our cultural differences
 Test the applicability of ideas to situations from each other’s experience

Question 4

what should be done before starting MBI model?

Answer 4

 Identify the key business/management issues at hand
 Identify the Goals you are trying to achieve
» E.g. resolve a team conflict, improve productivity etc
 Identify the key players involved

Question 5

What are the aims for Mapping (Understand the Differences)?

Answer 5

Mapping is about describing and understanding differences among (multinational) team members and the impact of the differences on team objectives in measurable ways.

1. Selecting which characteristics are to be mapped.
2. Describing members’ characteristics.
3. Identifying the impact of these characteristics.

Aims:

• Do we have a clear understanding of the important dimensions of differences relative to the task and team?
• Can we identify the relative strengths and differences of individuals in the team on these dimensions?
• Do we understand the impact of behaviour without cultural understanding?

Question 6

What are aims for Bridging (Communicate across the differences)?

Answer 6

Bridging is about communicating effectively across the differences to bring people and ideas together, to prevent miscommunication

Aims:
- Are we motivated to communicate truthfully about important differences?
- Are we confident in our abilities to use our differences to improve our
performance on the task?
- Do we have a common definition of the situation and common ways of
working with each other?
- Can we decenter, and explain our behaviour without blame?
- Can we take into account our differences when we communicate (listen
and talk)?

Question 7

List the three steps for Bridging (Communicate across the differences)

Answer 7

Prepare - setting the ground in your mind and the right ATTITUDE
» Be motivated to genuinely understand and communicate
across differences
» Have confidence in the ability that communication will be effective and that the outcome will be positive
2. Decenter without blame
» Move into the mind of the other person, away from your
center, see things from the other person’s perspective
» Explain without blame, Using empathy
3. Recenter for effective communication
» Find a common reality and set common rules
» Check for shared definition/understanding of the situation.

Question 8

What are the aims of Integrating (Manage the Differences)?

Answer 8

Manage the differences by designing an effective solution (that addresses the initial goal) that is justified by your mapping and bridging conclusions.
Integrating ensures team members leverage their differences and come up with good decisions. It is where understanding (from mapping) and communicating (from bridging) get converted into productive results.

Aims:

• Are we aware of the differences in how we work together?
• Are we encouraging contributions from all?
• Are we aware of conflicts and can we resolve disagreements effectibely?
• Do we build on each others’ ideas?

Question 9

List the steps for Integrating (Manage the Differences)

Answer 9

Managing participation - ensuring all members are given equal opportunity to participate by accommodating different norms of participation from cultural differences.
2. Resolving disagreements/conflicts - conflicts are addressed before they become dysfunctional.
3. Building on ideas - by seeing individual ideas as the starting point for discussion and letting go of idea ownership, “breakthrough ideas” can be produced.
» Start with individual ideas
» Explore differences; build on each other’s ideas;
» Try to invent new ideas
» Do more than combine and compromise
» Search for solutions acceptable to all
** It is very important that the “temptation to compromise” is avoided and the quality of the decision gets priority in decision making.

Question 10

What are the different uses of the MBI model

Answer 10

The MBI model is robust.
 Transcends cultures. It has been applied across Asia, North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and
Africa.
 Transcends hierarchy & space. It has been used with cross-functional project teams, managerial teams and
executive groups & boards.
 Transcends industries and organizations e.g. It has been used to train Bosnian peace-keeping forces.

Question 11

Explain what is ‘trust’

Answer 11

Trust/confidence
  Communication is quick, easy and free 
  Things get done quickly 
  Empowering, energising, enjoyable 
  Self accountability

VS

Distrust/suspicion 
  Communication is slow, hard, many misunderstandings 
  Things take time 
  Disempowering, emotionally draining 
  Blame, low tolerance

Question 12

Explain the implications for business with regard to ‘trust’

Answer 12

Trust/confidence
  Faster negotiations 
  Little bureaucracy 
  Many medium-sized companies 
  NGOs exist to be the link between Government and 
People 
  Efficiency gains

Distrust/suspicion
  Need time to ‘get to know each other’
  Heavy bureaucracy replaces trust
  Large corporations
  Few NGOs, Government intervenes in peoples’ life
  Bureaucracy costs

Question 13

How do you detect trust (or lack there of)

Answer 13

  Bureaucracy - replaces trust between people
  Speaking to a higher authority to get things done
  Efficiency levels

Question 14

What are the economics of trust?

Answer 14

Trust balance:
Distrust = Speed (low) Cost (high)
Trust = Speed (high) Cost (low)

Trust tax:
  Real, Hidden, wasted, quantifiable
  High cost
  Don’t show up on P&L but they are there

Trust dividend:
  Real, Hidden, valuable, quantifiable
  High payouts
  Performance multiplier

Question 15

List the 13 behaviours that (re)build trust

Answer 15

1.  Talk Straight
2.  Demonstrate Respect
3.  Create Transparency
4.  Right Wrongs
5.  Show Loyalty
6.  Deliver Results
7.  Get Better
8.  Confront Reality
9.  Clarify Expectations
10.  Take Responsibility for Actions
11.  Listen First
12.  Keep Commitments
13.  Extend Trust
If you display these attributes you will have Personal Integrity and Self Accountability