Style of Management

Amity International Business School

African Management Style

• Traditional African business tended towards the accumulation of power and decision-making in the hands of a few senior managers (usually white), with middle managers waiting in line to move up the corporate ladder over time.

• Post-apartheid, things have started to change — especially under the influence of the myriad of MNC’s which have flocked into the country — with hierarchies breaking down and younger middle-managers looking to become more proactively involved in decision-making.

• Despite being a somewhat egalitarian society, business people in South Africa have a lot of respect for senior executives and colleagues who have obtained their position through diligence and perseverance.


• The biggest change to have impacted at middle management level over the last few years has been the introduction of a new cadre of black professionals into most companies.

• This new breed of managers has been enabled to make corporate progress through the use of ‘affirmative action’ programmes

• In South African companies, decision-making power typically lies with the most senior person at the top of the company. However, in accordance with African culture, final decisions are often made following consultation with subordinates.

• Africans prefer to do business with those they have met previously. Consequently, formal letters of introduction from a known third party may help you to reach key decision-makers easily and therefore speed up the business process. It is deemed highly offensive to most South Africans if the proper respect for an elder is not shown, especially in more rural areas.


South African Meetings • Meeting styles will differ depending upon who you are dealing with —

a traditional, white-dominated business, a start-up black African company or the subsidiary of a multi-national located in Johannesburg or Cape Town.

• Africans expect you to have a good idea of the current situation. Show that you have done your research and that you have adapted your policies or ideas to meet the local conditions.

• Take time in the meeting to try to develop a good relationship with the people you are doing business with as relationships have always formed the basis of good business — regardless of cultural background.

• Avoid anything that could be considered a ‘hard sell’ approach.


• It is much better to be understated and patient with South African contacts as being too assertive will probably alienate people.

• The concept of time and the approach taken towards it differs between the white and black cultures living in South Africa. For the majority of white Africans, time is viewed in a in a more formal manner. However, conversely, you can expect black Africans to do things at a slower pace.

• The overall aim during business negotiations in South Africa is to reach a general consensus. South Africans prefer to see a fair, win-win situation where all sides gain something from the deal, and for this reason, confrontations and aggressive bartering over prices should be avoided.

• Don’t raise your voice or interrupt whilst your South African counterparts are speaking. Both actions lack the personal approach to a business relationship and therefore may be interpreted as an insult.


African Teams • All Africans are acutely aware of the ethnic and racial divisions and

these divisions can make it difficult to build teams which cross these boundaries.

• Putting teams together and making them work requires a great deal of sensitivity and local knowledge.


African Communication Styles • The common business language is English and most people you meet

in any international business setting will speak the language — although often with a strong accent which can be difficult to follow on occasion.

• Many white South Africans prefer plain-speaking to an overly diplomatic approach and may confuse subtleness and vagueness with lack of commitment or even untrustworthiness.

• Many of the black cultures stress diplomacy in communication and may not want to disappoint the listener by disagreeing openly or admitting that they don’t know the answer to a question.

• Humor is an often used communication device and can be used in almost all situations — it is very often used as a tension release mechanism.


• On the whole, people are addressed using first names in typical business situations, although when dealing with a driver or a maid, the first name may be preceded by Mr. or Mrs.

• It is also fairly uncommon to use formal titles such as Doctor or Professor in anything other than academic circles.

• Back slapping, firm handshakes (often quite lengthy) are common and it can be seen as a sign of aloofness if the foreign visitor backs away from this approach.


Women in Business • Traditionally women from all communities within South Africa have

played a very minimal role within the business world.

• Female participation at senior management level is extremely low and although some progress towards greater gender equality within the workforce has been made, the progress is slow.

• A ‘macho’ culture could be said to be pervasive in South Africa and women can expect to be treated with less respect than male colleagues.


African Dress Code • Men are advised to wear a collar and tie and women to wear smart,

business-like dresses or suits.

• If meeting business contacts on a social basis, it is possible to dress more casually but not too casually.


French Styles of Management and its impact on the International Business


French Management Style

• Most senior management in most French companies were educated at the Grandes Ecoles which are the elite schools of France. These colleges champion an intellectual rigour in their students, which is

rarely matched elsewhere in the world.


French Meetings

• Management style tends towards the directive.

• Meetings can often be more for the dissemination of information of decisions previously arrived at than for the open debate of perceived difficulties.

• Meetings are often chaired by the boss and follow a set agenda as

determined by the boss.

• business lunches are an important part of corporate communication ; of course, be ready to drink wine...


• In such formal meetings it would be rare to contradict the boss openly - this will have been done elsewhere, prior to the meeting in more informal lobbying sessions

• Beginning a meeting 15 minutes later than scheduled so as to wait for those who are late and who expected it to be or "wherever" : most participants are surprised when the meeting starts just on time.

• Meetings, which take place between peers without the presence of a senior figure, will be more open and less rigid.

• Open debate will often be seen in such situations and this debate can often become heated - especially when people are defending the validity of their own cherished logic.

• In such meetings, strong confrontations can often occur which reflect the sense of competition often found just below the surface at peer group levels in large organizations.


The French do not believe a win-win situation can exist ("if you win, it means I lose") and negotiations are always difficult when people do not try to reach a consensus.

Only written commitments are serious : nothing oral is really binding and lying is no big deal ...

Within the company, the French are less constrained by social codes such as "you must play golf with your boss", or "each of us must give $5 for this charity" etc... and they do not like to mix corporate life and personal life.

The French are much more sentimentally attached and faithful to their company : they like to put corporate relations on a personal basis.


• Top-down management : for the French, the Boss is the Boss and management is very authoritarian ("lick up and kick down")

• The French are highly polychronic : they love to do several things at the same time and they are good at that.

• Within the company, the French keep the doors closed (open floor offices are not popular), are reluctant to work in a team and information is often distributed selectively...


French Teams • People prefer to have definable, personal sets of objectives rather than

to work in more general team roles

• The education system fosters a sense of rivalry and competition from an early age, with peers

• A sense of team working is not encouraged and does not therefore come naturally in later working life.

• Teams are often defined as sets of specialists working on single issues for a strong leader.

• Teams arranged between functional lines for the purpose of promoting one particular project (as found in the USA) are often difficult to implement, with loyalties being divided between the project team and the 'home base' of the team member.


French Communication Styles

• The French admire the logical exposition of well defined ideas

• The way in which you say something in France is almost as important as what is actually said.

• There is a great love of and respect for elegance in the use of language and the sophisticated presentation of ideas is raised to an art form.

• A sense of national pride makes it difficult to listen to the language being spoken badly (or even worse to have to read poorly constructed French!)

• In France, the drawing of distinction is almost an intellectual goal - a goal which will help to move the process forward.


• During discussions, interruptions will often occur, with other parties in the conversation joining in and emotions can seem to be running high.

• The French admire the logical exposition of well defined ideas and when listening can be heard making such comments as - 'it's not logical', which is a good indication that problems lie ahead.

• Written business French is extremely protocolistic and formal with an etiquette which can seem anachronistic in translation.

• It is important that anything sent in writing is rigorously checked, as the ability to produce correct written language is seen as a sign of intelligence and good education.


Women in Business in France • The prerequisite for success as a woman is to have achieved a suitable

level of education and to have gained entry into a Grand Ecole.

• Women are gaining an increasingly prominent position in French business life - with particularly strong representation in retail and service industries.


French Dress Code

• One thing that is common is the need to appear well-presented

• Dress codes vary with position within the company, industrial sector and region in France. The higher the position within a larger organisation, the more formal will be the dress code with formal suit and tie being worn.

• Appearances are important at all times in France


German Styles of Management and its impact on the International Business


Countries around the globe have to adapt to what is known as the "German filter", which reflects Germany's nationalistic management methods.


German’s style of Management

• Germany's rule-oriented, hierarchical focus on task accomplishment as an example of an Eiffel Tower management style.

• German subordinates rarely disobey or openly question orders from higher level authority.

• Corporate power structures in Germany are typically more flat than they are tall. That's because German businesses are collections of highly specialized teams.

• German process of management by consensus


• In Germany, jobs are well-defined while assignments are fixed and limited. German employees know what they are supposed to do within an Eiffel Tower culture that is hierarchical, with orders coming down from the top with very little upward communication.


Formal German Qualifications

• German organizations rely heavily on formal qualifications in deciding how to schedule, deploy and reshuffle personnel.

• Companies manage their human resources through assessment centers, appraisal systems, training, development programs and job rotation. These procedures help to ensure that a formal hierarchical and bureaucratic approach work well.


Difficulty Handling Organizational Changes

• When changes need to be made, the German culture is often ill-equipped to handle the complex burdens that a rule-based Eiffel Tower bureaucracy demands. Manuals must be rewritten, procedures changed, job descriptions altered, promotions reconsidered and qualifications reassessed.

Germans Resist Changes

• Germans have a strong aversion to risk. Germans strongly believe that their processes have been proved superior, and it's hard to argue with their successes.

• Germany's superiority complex sometimes leads to an ethnocentric style of management.


German Leadership and Motivation Style

• German leadership and motivation style synthesizes the most pertinent characteristics from Authoritative Theory X, Paternalistic Theory Y and Participative Theory Z.

From Theory X:• Germans like to be directed. • In Germany, job security is primary.

From Theory Y:

• Since Germans are committed to goals, they exercise high self-control. • No threats of punishment are required to ensure task completion.

From Theory Z:• Germans are motivated by a strong commitment to be part of a greater

whole in general, and more specifically to their German organization • Through teamwork, Germans derive self-satisfaction while contributing to

their company’s success.


• The German style of competition is rigorous but not ruinous. Although companies might compete for the same general market, as Daimler-Benz and BMW do, they generally seek market share rather than market domination. Many compete for a specific niche. German companies despise price competition


GERMAN STYLE OF MANAGEMENT

• The German manager concentrates intensely on two objectives: product quality and product service.

• The watchwords for most German managers and companies are quality, responsiveness, dedication, and follow-up.

• Most German managers, even at senior levels, know their production lines. They follow production methods closely and know their shop floors intimately.

• German management is sensitive to government standards, government policies, and government regulations. Virtually all

German products are subject to norms--the German Industrial Norms


• The German management style is not litigious. Neither the government, the trade unions, nor the business community encourages litigation.

• Disagreements are often talked out, sometimes over a conference table, sometimes over a beer, and sometimes in a gathering called by a chamber of commerce or an industrial association. Differences are usually settled quietly, often privately.

• Germany has comparatively few lawyers. With one-third the population and one-third the GDP of the United States, Germany has about one-twentieth the number of lawyers.

• German managers themselves occasionally speculate that change might come too slowly, but they are not certain whether or how to alter the system and its incentive structures.


German Meetings

• Germans could be described as a pre-planner who like to attend meetings having done a considerable amount of preparation in order to help them debate their point of view with conviction.

• Meetings are often large with a designated specialist from each area involved in the matter under discussion.

• People are expected to contribute to the debate when discussions touch their area of expertise but are not necessarily expected to have an opinion on everything.


German Communication Styles

• Germans put truth and directness before diplomacy.

• Germans will give a factual rendition of their own capabilities, which is not the same as arrogance.

• Much is made of the lack of humour in evidence in Germany


Women in Business in Germany

• Germany lags behind many other European countries in its progress in the status of women in the organization.


German Dress Code

• Germans dress smartly for business but do not restrict themselves to the dark blue and dark grey suits.

• It is common for men to wear sports jackets and trousers with a shirt and tie in business situations and for women to wear smart casual clothes.

• In some of the new technology industries, dress is more casual - with jeans being seen as acceptable attire.

• It is always best to check on dress code before meeting a new company.


Indian Management Style • India is an enormously hierarchical society (arguably the most

hierarchical in the world).

• The boss is definitely not expected to perform any seemingly 'menial' tasks such as making coffee for everybody or moving chairs in a meeting room!

• Boss is the primus inter pares are virtually incomprehensible in a society still dominated by the historical conventions of the caste system.

• The boss is expected to give explicit instructions which will be followed to the letter - even if everybody knows full well that the instruction is incorrect.


• Managing people in India requires a level of micro-management which many western business people feel extremely uncomfortable with but, which is likely to bring the best results.

• Both society and business are extremely hierarchically arranged and many Indians find it extremely difficult to work in a non-hierarchical structure.

• Trying to introduce a flatter, more egalitarian approach into a society in which the caste system still flourishes can prove extremely difficult and painful for all concerned.

• Most decisions are made at the top of an organisation and it can, therefore, be a waste of time and resource to spend too much time negotiating at the middle levels of a company if top level approval has not already been given.


Indian Meetings • Meeting styles will be heavily dependent upon the type of organisation

with which you are engaged in business.

• Emergent and highly successful hi-tech industries are actively pursuing western-style business methodology and this will result in meetings following familiar patterns with agendas, a chairperson and reasonable time keeping.

• Traditional Indian companies will, however, retain more local approaches to meetings and these may cause the international business traveler more concerns.

• Meetings with more traditional Indian organisations are likely to seem very informal with the possibility of interruptions where unknown people enter the room and start to converse about other, disconnected issues or where your contact breaks off to answer the phone.


• As a heavily relationship-oriented society, meetings may initially evolve around seemingly non-business-focused discussions. This is an important part of the cycle of business and should not be rushed or dismissed as time wasting. Show that you are a person to be taken seriously by engaging in the necessary small talk.

• Time is fairly fluid. Be prepared for meetings to start and finish late and for interruptions to occur on a regular basis.


Indian Teams • Team working, as understood in the Anglo-Saxon world is alien to the

Indian approach to business.

• A team expects to be given exact and complete instructions by the team-leader or boss and then to follow those instructions exactly.

• Team members would not be expected to query the instructions passed down to them and would expect to follow them even when it became apparent that things were going wrong.

• The team leader takes complete responsibility for the success or failure of a project and needs to be constantly on top of progress and looking out for problems.

• If anything goes awry, the team leader is expected to sort it out personally. Once again, micro-management is the key.


Indian Communication Styles • English is one of the fifteen official languages in India and is the only

one which is universally spoken by the educated sections of society.

• Many Indians speak excellent, almost perfect English and it would be unusual to meet any business person engaged in international trade who was unable to converse in the language.

• Indians find it very difficult to say no - feeling that to do so would be offensive and lead to difficult ongoing relationships.

• When faced with disagreement, you are likely to encounter vagueness and lack of commitment.

• Answers such as, 'We'll try' or 'Yes, but it may prove difficult' should be viewed with great suspicion and will probably mean 'No'.


• The danger is that you will be told what people think you want to hear, rather than any unpalatable truths.

• Do not attempt to force your Indian contacts to be more direct and forthright than they feel comfortable with otherwise you may frighten them away.

• As Indians are highly family-oriented, do not be surprised if many meetings begin with questions about your family.

• Do not be over-eager to move things onto an empirical business basis too quickly.


Women in Business in India • The rank of an individual supersedes any notions of gender inequality

which may be inherent in Indian society.

• If a woman has the position of manager, she must be there for a reason and her instructions will be followed just as diligently as those of a male manager.

• It is important that women managers act at all times in a formal manner with male subordinates, as any overt signs of friendship or affection could be misconstrued.


Indian Dress Code • Men tend to wear smart, but comfortable and cool clothing.

• Businessman wears a lightweight suit although ties are not compulsory except in more traditional sectors such as banking and the law.

• Women should wear conservative dresses or trouser suits.


Japanese Style of Management


Pertinent Characteristics of Japanese Management

• Company-wide union or house union.

• General preference for inexperienced fresh graduates from schools or colleges.

• Preference for promotions from within.

• Life-time employment.

• Quality Control Circles (QCCs).


Pertinent Characteristics of Japanese Management

• Training practices

– On-the-job training

– In-house and outside training

– Job rotation

• Decision making and consultation practices

– Bottom-up communication

– Regular management-labour consultation

• Settlement of conflict trough negotiations


Understand Japanese Management – The Company as the Family

• Social belonging

• Life-time employment and loyalty

• Social status of employees linked to success of company

• Social role of employment– company song– company pin– Paternalism

• Emphasis on harmony (suppression of conflict)

• Seniority system


Understand Japanese Management – The Company as the Family

• Zaibatsu Groups –

– the financial & industrial conglomerates were outgrowths of family enterprises

• Scarcity of daily necessities during World War II

– Fostered company-based cooperative activities in the procurement and distribution of goods

– Companies were used by the government to distribute rations


Understand Japanese Management – Recruitment and Training

• Fresh graduates are recruited each spring through company's entrance examinations and interviews– Well known corporations usually focus on a few high ranking schools

and universities

• Costs and benefits of training internalised within one firm (paternalism / loyalty) – Continuous training

• Seniority system facilitates on-the-job training– Senior workers train junior workers without fear of jeopardizing their

own position


Understand Japanese Management – Participatory Management

• Process of decision making not centralized at the top

– Process of broad consultation and consensus

• System cannot move capable individuals upwards

– Moves authority downward through personal contacts and relationships (of CEO and junior)


Understand Japanese Management – Participatory Management

• Anyone with a stake in the decision will be consulted (hierarchical relationship blurred).

– Explains why talented, able and young employees can be satisfied under the seniority-based system

• The Father-leader

– Authoritarian

– Able to advance corporate goals through unobtrusive persuasion and conciliation

– Synthesizes group with warmth, sincerity and humaneness


Japanese Meetings • Punctuality is important — it shows respect for the attendees.

• Consensus nature of decision making in Japan

• Meetings are often preceded by long, non-business polite conversation which could cover such topics as mutual contacts, the merits of your company, Japanese food etc. as it is an essential element of the relationship-building process.

• Humour should be avoided during serious business meetings where it will be viewed as out of place. Humour will, in any case, probably not be comprehensible

• Avoid strong eye contact which can be seen as threatening or hostile behaviour.

• Body language is minimal and it can be very difficult to gauge progress made or the general sentiment of a meeting.

• Decisions are arrived at through a lengthy consensus-building process. As it is almost impossible to speed up this process, patience is needed.

• As the Japanese are loath to say 'no' or disagree, it can be very difficult to be completely confident that a decision or agreement has been reached.


• Business CardsIt is important, when doing business in Japan, that you have a plentiful supply of business cards — with information printed on the back in Japanese.

Cards are presented at an early stage in a formal manner. Present and receive the card with two hands. (Present your card Japanese side up.)

Treat your Japanese contact card with respect — the card is the man. Do not write on it or leave it behind, as this would show disrespect. During the meeting, place the cards carefully on the table in front of you with the senior personal card on the top.

Gift GivingGift giving is an endemic part of Japanese business life and should not be confused with notions of bribery and corruption. Gifts should not be too lavish but should always be of good quality. It is important to take a number of small gifts to Japan to distribute to new and existing contacts.

Gifts should always be wrapped. Avoid giving gifts in quantities of four or nine as these are unlucky numbers. Anything sharp could signify the desire to end a relationship.

Alcohol, especially good single malt whiskey, is always an appreciated gift.


• Business meals form an integral part of commercial life in Japan

• If you are invited out for lunch or dinner (rarely breakfast), it is important to accept.

• When using chop-sticks, never point them at anybody and do not leave them sticking into your rice. When not in use, rest your chop-sticks on the holder which will be provided on the table.

• It is considered polite to leave some food on your plate (or in the bowl) at the end of the meal to show that you have eaten a sufficiency.

• It is customary to remove your shoes when entering.


Japanese Teams

• they are naturally group-oriented which underlies the need for a truly consensus approach to issues.

• The consensus-building process or Nemawashi determines that agreement is sought before a formal meeting in order to avoid any direct confrontation.

• Self-promotion in the western sense is seen as childish and embarrassing

behaviour. • It is also important that group members maintain 'face' in front of other

group members, which amongst other things means that people must be seen to be modest and humble.


Japanese Communication Styles • Japanese communications are epitomised by subtlety and nuance, where

how one appears and what one publicly states (tatemae) and what one really thinks (honne) are often poles apart. There is often a huge distance between the expressed tatemae and the felt honne — they can often even be contradictory.

• It is probably best to say that everything should be questioned in order to ensure that clear understanding has been achieved. Check back several times for clarification of anything that remains unclear.

• Japanese body language is very minimal, making it difficult for the untrained observer to read.

• Levels of English in Japan are at best very patchy. Much of what is said by English speaking businessmen in cross-national meetings is simply not understood — or more worryingly misunderstood.


Women in Business in Japan

• Women are largely expected to perform lower grade tasks and to leave employment upon marriage or the birth of children.

• Western women working in Japan will probably only encounter difficulties when trying to manage Japanese male colleagues


Japanese Dress Code

• Appearance is vitally important in Japan and people are often judged on the way they are dressed.

• The business dark suit, shirt and tie is very much the norm in Japanese mainstream business and although other colours are seen more often nowadays than in the past, it is probably safest to maintain a conservative approach.

• For women, business dress should be restrained and formal – women do not commonly wear trousers in business in Japan. Accessories should be up market but not ostentatious.

• The climate in Japan is very varied through the seasons, so take appropriate wear for the season – overcoats/raincoats may be needed in the winter.


South (Latin) American Style of Management

• Latin American business model is a hybrid of globalization and the region’s historic traditions.

• Traditions are characterized by large social gaps and a widespread collectivism that has various manifestations. Social differences are manifested locally through benevolent, paternalistic leadership.

• The senior executive has the personal obligation to protect subordinates, and even take care of the personal needs of workers and their families.

• Latin American firms are managed like a family.


• Latin Americans prefer to depend on someone closer to the center of the organization, and to accept that this authority leads to behavior that avoids conflict and confrontation with one’s superiors.

• Behaving any other way would be interpreted as an offense against one’s superiors and colleagues.

• Latin Americans value status within a hierarchy because it indicates social distance between the higher-up and his subordinates.

• Latin American companies try to eliminate the existing power distance between directors and subordinates by creating committees that symbolize the egalitarian spirit among all members of the organization.

• In Mexican companies, “executives know that the survival of their organizations depends more on social and governmental relationships than on any support they get from the country’s financial system.


• Companies generally recruit new workers through their current employees and employees’ family members and close relatives. This guarantees the trust, loyalty and sense of responsibility that are important to keeping the organization together.

• In Chilean companies, executive selection and promotion generally reflect physical appearance, age and sex, in addition to social contacts, birthplace and other factors.

• The shortage of technical knowledge, formal education, and skills for analysis and communication represent serious obstacles for Mexican workers, Moreover, Latin American companies usually devote only a small part of their budget to training.

• In Mexico, work is considered an obligation and way to enjoy the important things in life, including family.


• Compensation usually comes in the form of fixed salary. Only multinational companies and large Latin American firms provide variable compensation based on corporate performance.


Meetings• Latin Americans are known for arriving late at meetings. Except for

Chile and Costa Rica (where schedules are very much respected),

• This helps to establish some rapport and older businessmen especially, would prefer to know something about the person with whom they are dealing.

• Latin Americans love to chat for a long while before starting to actually "talk" about business. Personal relationships are really important for Latin Americans, and you may find yourself chatting about children, sports (mainly soccer in South America and baseball in Central America), culture, food and wines (in Chile and Argentina) for a long time.

• It may even take you several meetings before actually starting to talk about an agreement.


• Lunches in top restaurants are very common in all of Latin America, and they are the preferred way of starting a business relationship.

• The first time you arrive at your client's office in Latin America, you may find a troop of people from different departments attending the meeting too. This is because, even if decisions are taken at the highest level, executives will want everyone in her team and other teams to know you – and then send her an impression about you.

• Women's presence in business and executive positions in Latin America is definitely not the rule. Depending in which industry you work, you'll find your counterparts in Latin America are mostly men. This is more evident in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Central America, and less in Venezuela, Argentina and Panama. Expect men to be polite and escort you to your chair (in restaurants and meeting rooms).


Communication in Latin American Countries• Communication within a typical Latin American organization has a

hierarchical and vertical structure in which “information generally flows from above, down to the bottom

• There are fewer horizontal relationships, and authority is rarely delegated.

• Subordinates lack a spirit of confrontation, and it’s no wonder that communications are less than adequate.

• During times of conflict, Latin Americans tend to identify with their ‘in-group,’ rather than the entire organization, because they prefer social networks based on friendship.”

• When conflict or confrontation takes place publicly, it is manifested through jokes, gossip, or passive-aggressive actions.


Punctuality

• Some Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America are not very rigid about punctuality.

• In Argentina, you should be prepared for meetings, which start after the scheduled time.

• Attempts to arrive on time for business appointments arerespected in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

• Latin Americans are more likely to expect punctuality if they are attached to an international firm. However, for social eventssuch as dinners, coming late by at least fifteen minutes is not usually considered bad manners.


Dress Code

• You won't go wrong by dressing conservatively: suits and ties for men, unrevealing business suits and long dresses for women. Argentina is probably the moat formal of the Latin American countries and Brazil the least formal. Venezuelans enjoy expensive accessories, as long as they're good taste.


Social Taboos

• Be aware that the following gestures can cause problems:

1. The sign for "OK" formed by your forefinger and thumb is offensive in Brazil.

2. Putting your hands on your hips is a gestures signaling a challenge in Argentina, and putting your feet on the table is rude.

3. Raising your fist to head level is a gesture associated with Communism in Chile.

4. Putting your hands in your pockets is rude in Mexico


Spanish Style of Management


Spanish Management Style • The style of a manager is of great importance. Much greater weight is

placed on personal attributes than on mere technical excellence.

• Key personal attributes which would be admired might be a potent mixture of such issues as honour, courage, seriousness, trustworthiness and the acceptance of the gravitas of the leadership function.

• Spanish managers have been described as 'benevolent autocrats' and this can be difficult to accept for outsiders who are more used to a consensual approach from superiors.

• The boss is expected to be courageous and consultation could be perceived as weakness - 'doesn't he know the answer?'


• Instructions tend to be specific and task-oriented with detailed explanations of how to achieve the end result.

• Mistakes will be commented on by the boss at the time they occur and then not mentioned.

• Formal appraisal systems of the type in common usage in many other countries are a recent innovation and not necessarily welcomed.


Spanish Meetings • Spain does not really have a meetings culture.

• Meetings are for the purpose of communicating direct instructions from boss to subordinates.

• In more consultative style meetings, Spaniards, who are highly individualistic, will express their views freely and forcefully which can lead to the impression that meetings are almost anarchic.

• If agendas are used at all they will not, necessarily, be followed.

• It requires a very strong and skilful chairperson to keep a meeting in Spain moving along linear lines.


• Lunch is the main meal of the day and business discussions and deals are often conducted during working lunches — although business is likely to be discussed during the later stages of any meal.

• The meals are often quite large with a number of courses and wine being served. Try not to see this as ‘wasted’ time — it is an essential part of the relationship building process.

• Do not be surprised to be taken outside the office to a coffee house during the day. These ‘informal’ chats over a coffee are one of the best places to build relationships and many of these ‘offline’ conversations are the most useful for information gathering.


Spanish Teams

• Individualistic, hierarchical and multi-active, Spaniards often find the team role a difficult one.

• They frequently express 'jealousy' of colleagues and that is not a healthy emotion in a team environment

• Teams, where they do exist, are more likely to consist of a group of individuals reporting to a strong leader and acting on his instructions.

• Communication between team members might even be through the boss to avoid confusion or duplication of activities


Spanish Communication Styles • Communication within Spanish organization is very often on a 'need

to know' basis.

• A manager will inform those that he feels he should inform and this is very probably determined by strength of personal relationships.

• Departments do not, necessarily, freely communicate across departmental lines, as any such communication is more likely to be at a more senior level - peer to peer.

• communication tends to be predominantly oral rather than through the medium of the written word.


• In Spain, if you feel something strongly, you show it. Overt signs of emotion do not imply lack of conviction or bluster and should be taken as the deeply felt belief of the speaker.

• The ability to use a large volume of language and a sincere manner are key management tools.

• Humour is not used in very serious situations, where it can be seen as lacking the necessary decorum.


Women in Business in Spain • Spain is, traditionally, a male dominated business society

• Although it is still unusual to meet women in very senior positions, they are making rapid strides in middle-management areas.

• Foreign women working in Spain are unlikely to encounter any form of gender discrimination.


Spanish Dress Code • The way you look is important in Spain and this fact is borne out by

the way in which people dress for work.

• Managers will invariably be very well-groomed wearing good quality, well-cut clothes.

• The importance of appearance should not be taken underestimated - if you want to be respected look the part! This applies both in formal business settings and in more informal social situations


UK Style of Management


Some facts• In the UK, more people visit museums

than go to theme parks and pop concerts

• Visiting libraries is more popular than going to the cinema

• There are over 4,000 public library branches in the UK

– The vast majority will be connected to the ‘Peoples Network’ by 2015.

– 70% already are.


Management in United Kingdom

• Management and worker representatives in the United Kingdom are trained to negotiate, form agreements and stick to them.

• Bargaining may be hard and prolonged but in the end you can only work with people you can trust and that means with people whose word means something.

• Agreements reached at the end of the bargaining process were on the whole being implemented and maintained unless there was good reason to do otherwise


'Negative' Management Styles Most Common in UK Organizations

• Performance levels in workplaces are suffering as overbearing and dogmatic management practices top the list of management styles.

• Tight reins: the most widely experienced management styles in UK organisations are bureaucratic (40 per cent), reactive (37 per cent) and authoritarian (30 per cent). Worryingly, all three have become increasingly common; the top two have increased by 6 per cent since 2004, with authoritarian leadership also rising 5 per cent

• Managers tend more towards generalisation than specialisation. The proposition that the manager needs to be the most technically competent person would receive little support in the UK.


• A manager is expected to have the interpersonal skills to meld a team together and it is this ability as a 'fixer' which is highly regarded.

• Modern managers often want to appear as a primus inter pares, cultivating a close, often humorous and overtly soft relationship with

subordinates.

• The British find it difficult to be direct and British managers often give instructions to subordinates in a very indirect way, preferring to request assistance than to be explicit.


British Teams

• The British like decisions to be made in a team environment and a good manager will work hard to ensure 'buy-in' from his or her team.

• The team environment aspires to being friendly and companionable with individuals within the team being seen to be supportive and helpful of each other.

• If, however, something goes wrong, it is not uncommon for the team to look for an individual within the team to blame.

• Team members often bring with them into the team a certain level of specialization, but are expected to take a generalist view of the project. Being seen as a 'good all-rounder' is definitely positive.


British Communication Styles • The British are almost Asian in their use of diplomatic language.

• Being very non-confrontational in business situations, the British equate directness with open confrontation and fear that bluntness will offend the other party.

• In addition to being diplomatic, the British also use language in a coded manner preferring to say unpalatable things using more acceptable, positive phrases. Thus, "I disagree" becomes "I think you have made several excellent points there but have you ever considered...." And a lack of interest in an idea is often greeted with, "Hmm, that's an interesting point."


• Humour is virtually all-pervasive in business situations. Indeed, the more tense and difficult a situation is, the more likely the British are to use humour to helps to keep situations calm, reserved and non-emotional.

• It is better to be self-deprecating than self-promotional in the UK. People who are verbally positive about themselves and their abilities may be disbelieved and will, almost definitely, be disliked.


British Meetings

• Meetings in the UK are frequent.

• They are often also inconclusive, with the decision of the meeting being that another meeting should be held.

• The British themselves often complain about the frequency and length of meetings they must attend.

• Little preparation is done for meetings. This is because meetings are often viewed as the forum for the open debate of an issue and that, during that open debate, a route forward will be found. When the route forward is agreed, then the detailed work schedule will be

implemented.


• Being 'over-prepared' for meetings in the UK can result in certain negative feelings towards those who have prepared in advance

• Agendas will be produced and followed loosely. If something important arises during the open debate it will not be excluded simply

because it does not occur on the agenda.

• The British consider themselves to be punctual, but when pressed will admit to rarely arriving on time. It is now fairly common for people to arrive five to ten minutes late for meetings.


Women in Business in Britain

• Women make up a large percentage of the workforce - almost 50%

• But are often found in low paid and part-time jobs.

• Women are more frequently found in managerial positions than in most other European countries and more and more women are reaching the very highest echelons of British business life.

• More female managers will be found in service and hi-tech industries than in the more traditional engineering sectors - this is largely due to the small number of women in the UK who graduate with technical degrees.


British Dress Code • Traditional dark grey and dark blue suits still tend to predominate.

• Suits are worn with white, blue or pink shirts and reasonably sober ties. In the more senior circles in the 'City', men will often wear cufflinks.

• Women in management positions often mirror male attire in so far as dark suits and blouses are worn - with little in the way of more flamboyant accessories being seen.

• Been a recent move away from this sober, formal appearance and many organisations have introduced a 'dress down' policy which allows employees to wear 'smart casual', as long as there are no clients to be met on that day.


USA Style of Management


Management Style

• The United States has adopted what could be labelled a 'scientific' approach to business.

• This 'scientific' approach - the constant search for better, more effective methods - has led to a business environment typified by the presence of change as a constant factor.

• American management style can be described as individualistic in approach

• Managers are accountable for the decisions made within their areas of responsibility.

• American managers are more likely to disregard the opinions of subordinates


• New is good. Change is ever present in American corporate life and therefore so is the easy acceptance of new ideas, new models etc.

• Gift giving is unusual in the States and many companies have policies to restrict or forbid the acceptance of presents

• Titles can be very confusing within American organisations with a bewildering array of enormously important-sounding job descriptors on offer (Second Vice-President etc.).

• Titles are an unreliable guide to relative importance within an organisation due to their proliferation.

• Respect is earned through conspicuous achievement rather than through age or background.

• Self-deprecation is often misunderstood by Americans as a sign of weakness. Sell your plus points.


American Meetings

• Meetings in the USA, is often aggressive.

• This 'confrontational' approach, (where openly and directly debating all the relevant issues even at the expense of personal relationships is valued, ) is very alien to those cultures who always put diplomacy and harmony at the heart of their approach to meetings.

• Meetings often include formal presentations by one or more of the participants.

• These presentations are a vital element in the demonstration of

professional competence.


• Presentations should not only be relevant and well researched but also delivered in a positive, enthusiastic and committed manner.

• The meeting and especially one in which a presentation has to be made, is seen as an opportunity to impress — important if personal success is to be achieved.

• Punctual for meetings - if you are late apologise.


American Teams

• In the States, teams are groups of individuals brought together for the

moment to complete a given task or project.

• It is important to show enthusiasm for the project and to show belief in the ultimate achievement of the objectives.

• In the States, teams are expected to be transitory in nature.

• Despite the seeming lack of hierarchy within an American organisation, the boss is the boss and is expected to make decisions and is held accountable for those decisions.


American Communication Styles

• Coded speech and verbosity is often seen as time wasting and in time pressured corporate USA, that is a crime.

• Americans value straight talking and 'getting to the point'.

• When an impasse is reached in meeting situations, the reaction is often to address it directly and ‘with feeling.’

• This direct, robust debate in the States is seen positively and as a sign of definite progress.

• Paradoxically, on first introductions, American can seem very friendly, polite and solicitous of your well being which seems to be at odds with the verbal behaviour exhibited half an hour later in the meeting.


• Overt friendliness (Have nice day!, Hi, how are you doing? etc.) should be taken for what it is — part of the protocol of the language and not as an attempt at establishing a life long friendship.

• Americans are much more open in conversation about private affairs than many European cultures and the converse of this is that Americans will often, quite naively, ask very personal questions at an early stage in a relationship which may be perceived by some people as intrusive.


Women in Business in The USA • Women play an active part in business in the US.

• Although progress to the boardroom might still be more difficult

• A large percentage of American executives are women and this percentage is rising year on year.


American Dress Code

• Describing dress codes for men traveling on business in the States can be a risky business.

• Dress will vary from the formal, dark business suit, shirt and tie to literally T-shirt and shorts.

• Dress code for women is as varied as that for men

Style of Management

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