Business Networking And Culture Clash

Posted by bloggertone under Management
From http://bloggertone.com 5097 days ago
Made Hot by: hishaman on December 10, 2010 4:31 am

Did you see this article about how the Irish need to do less chit-chat and more networking? It got me wondering if this is this a clash of business cultures?

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Written by ShawnHessinger
5091 days ago

Thanks for the great comments on perspective, Niall, and the further detail on global cultural differences, Rivkah. Elli, I wonder if in the end there are still other "cultures" evolving here in cyberspace that may make these regional eccentricities unimportant when dealing globally. After all LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, the blogosphere, all have developed codes of social conduct which people from all over the world seem to adopt with amazing ease regardless of their traditions in the face-to-face world. At a mixer held by a local client the other week, I was struck by how differently business people in my region here in the U.S. (northeastern Pennsylvania) conduct themselves compared to my clients and colleagues online. From an American perspective, it is amazing to me how isolated some small business people here in the U.S. seem to be in their own regional economies and how unable they are at present to realize the potential they have to do business globally. (Though from conversations I have had this awareness is certainly growing.) Perhaps the trick is not so much for local economies to change their practices at home but for them to learn different ways to communicate with different markets and in different cultural contexts. In this respect the world of global entrepreneurs empowered by the Internet could be considered a culture of their own.

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Written by nialldevitt
5097 days ago

Very interesting post Elli, thanks for sharing. There was an interesting conversation taking place about the Irish Diaspora last year (now called Global Irish), unfortunately the starting point to this conversation was "what can the diaspora do for us?" surely this is reason why this conversation and the ideas around it will fail?

Had the conversation/ideas started with “what can Ireland (the island) do for the Irish (global)?” the potential of the conversation and the outcomes is entirely different. Our networking style is all about what can those we network with do for me? It's one-dimensional, selfish and contains only one perspective. Until this changes, we will continue to be mediocore networkers at best what ever our natural social skills. Perhaps the greatest legacy of the Celtic Tiger is not the banks our the property bust but the way in which it is turned our collective perspective?

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Written by saraib820
5097 days ago

Elli,

There are definitely culture clashes out there which must be understood and surmounted.

Here in Israel it is the meaning of time. Israelis are notorious for missing the boat on this one. A business meeting, phone call or conference which is scheduled for 1pm can start at 1:15, 1:30 or even 2:15. Ehud Olmert, the former PM was famous for calling a press-conference at a certain time and making the attendees wait 3-4 hours.

Cultural barriers can sink business relationships!

Rivkah

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Written by 3keyscoach
5097 days ago

Hello Rivkah,

Thanks for sharing your story about Israel. I've heard that before about their sense of time.

There is so much advice about being on time when you are the visitor and yet, how do you plan your schedule to account for different perceptions of start times?

It's important to learn as much as you can before things get too serious.

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