Leading in culturally complex environments

How many cultures?

We will all answer this one.

Definition: culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the member of one group of people from another

Main cultural differences:

• Collectivism vs individualism
• Power distance
• Masculinity vs Feminity
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Fatalism

Being perceived as a "good" leader is highly dependent on which type of culture we are from. Leaders are advised to adapt their leadership behaviors according to the cultural characteristics of the environment.

What does it mean to lead in a multicultural environment?

note that questions were modified by Josee

• Assigned to: Josee
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Considering the "Global Village" mindset of this generation, do you think the emphasis on cultural differences will be the same in 10-15 years?
2. Nature or nurture: how much of our leadership skills are innate and how much are learned? If much is learned, is it detrimental to be learning from a "cohesive" environment, where the values are similar?
3. There are benefits from having a mixed environment when trying to achieve effective results - how do we ensure our professional culture is not too normative?

What is cultural intelligence?

• Assigned to: Dave B.

Answer: Cultural Intelligence is a theory that proposes that understanding an individual's cultural background is key to assessing their behaviour and helps in determining if they will be successful in a culturally diverse setting.

It is a mechanism or tool which can be used to help us make sense of people's actions. In addition, it suggests that it can help identify where individuals may fail or succeed in certain cultural settings.

• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Can a leader be effective without this knowledge?

2. If you are thrown in a situation without the proper preparation, how will you deal with this? Can your observation of the other person help you get clues?

3. In understanding someone's behaviour from their background, can it allow for certain behaviours to be explained, dismissed or minimized?

4. In allowing behaviours to be dismissed, what is the impact on the morale of the group or individual?

How should leaders balance global organizational culture demands with local culture needs?

• Assigned to: Sylvain
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. What is the most important, your organization or the local culture, keeping in mind that you are trying to win hearts and minds?
2. How do you resolve cultural differences? Should you aim to convince others that your methods are better (using logic) or should you adapt your organization to the other cultures?
3. 'What can help you integrate local culture in your plan? how do you get help?

What are the consequences of not managing cultural diversity effectively?

• Assigned to:Dan

Consequences: - invite the possibility of ethnocentrist decision making; - cause resentment in the unit, either because a culture feels marginalized (race, gender, religion, expertise, …), or because of the perception that a culture is being favoured; - potentially even cultivate an attitude of prejudism or fragmentation within the unit; - insulting an individual or a group; - fail to take advantage of the potential tangible benefits diversity provides in terms of differing perspectives and approaches; - lack of preparedness for future cross culteral interactions in a borderless comm technology world; - not take advantage of the maximum output of all employeers/mbrs due to a failure to communicate appropriately - not establish fully capable/effective ‘joint’ fighting force - high Power Difference (PD) results in reduced communication

• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Is culture a communication barrier?
2. In the reverse, can cultural differences impact positively an organisation?
3. Can having many cultures in an organization give you a competitive advantage?

show slide on CAS

What role does the media play in developing culture?

• Assigned to: Andre
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Will the number of cultures get smaller?
2. Can this create more sub cultures within our own organization?
3. How to deal with soldiers who have more and more awareness on their world? will this lead them to question more and more? comments on the effects on discipline
4. Do you think that there is a risk that the culture of the CF becomes too alienated from the culture of our own country? comment on the consequences.

What is the role of language and storytelling in our lives? What is the realationship between storytelling and reality? How does it influences culture? Why must you understand this?

• Assigned to: Andrew
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Artefacts and rituals are very important to cultures. In the military, we have our flags, battle honours, regimental history, etc.. Is there a risk of losing this by erging different units together? (especially in HQs)

What is the relationship between culture and morality?

• Assigned to: Stef
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Are there things that are universally immoral? or are they just cultural?
2. Comment on the risk that Canada's strategic interest abroad might conflict with this? (ex: supporting a country that has limited human rights vs energy security for example) where to draw the line?
3. How can you motivate troops if by respecting the local culture (winning hearts and minds), you might be compromising your values?

What is the souce of prejudice? What are the consequences? What can stop it?

• Assigned to: Carol
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Is prejudice more difficult to recognize when it is directed against someone of your own ethnicity?

How are gender role defined in different cultures?

• Assigned to: Kirk

• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Comment on masculinistic society vs feministic society
   1. masculinistic cultures stress material success. very goal oriented.
   2. feministic culture stress the quality of life. leaders show care for their followers.

In high MASC cultures, personal achievement will be given more credit than personal characteristics.

Is efficiency possible (or desirable) in a complex environment? how does this impact in these concepts?

• Assigned to: Dave P.
• Follow up questions (open for discussion):

1. Comment on the following: "if a UN HQ was less multi-cultural and less multi-national, it would certainly be more efficient, but would it be more legitimate in the eyes of the international community?
2. Is it possible to treat culture differencs as a resource?
3. a modern organisation needs to be a learning organisation. Can having multiple cultures help[ your org learn faster than others?
4. In a overseas mission, would you prefer to have a multi-cultural HQ or a Canadian only HQ?