Expatriate training: Don't leave home without it - Passport

Training & Development, Feb, 2002 by Gary Wederspahn

Organizations worldwide often react to economic downturns and uncertainty abroad by cutting training for expatriates and international business travelers. That shortsighted response is unwise and counterproductive. But don't take my word for it. Cross-border business failures make the best case for intercultural training.

Unidata. The European company Unidata, formed to challenge IBM's domination of the global computer market, was a high-profile alliance of Dutch, German, and French computer producers. That alliance formed many multicultural businesses and technical teams. After several years of acrimonious infighting, the entire venture was dissolved without launching a single product. Launching a single product.

Siemens and Westinghouse. These two powerhouses planned to team up and sell worldwide a range of industrial automation and control systems. The project, however, never survived negotiations. The stated cause: lack of common ground between partners.

Renault and Volvo. According to Ward's Automotive International, the deal between these two automotive giants failed due to "overwhelming cultural differences." Expatriates and international business travelers know the importance of making a positive impression. Failure not only undermines the mission of their organizations, but also hinders expats from making local allies.

Expatriate dis-plomacy

Saudi Arabians, Turks, and Egyptians have told me that they dislike the tendency of U.S. business travelers to rush starting a project before they've invested time and effort in building personal relationships. Intercultural experts Philip R. Harris and Robert T. Moran, in their book Managing Cultural Differences, summarize feedback from Arab businesspeople regarding how they perceive many Westerners. To them, Westerners

* act superior, as if they know the answer to everything

* aren't willing to share credit for joint efforts

* are unable or unwilling to respect and adjust to local customs and culture

* prefer solutions based on their home cultures rather than meeting local needs

* resist working through local administrative, legal, channels, and procedures

* manage in an autocratic and intimidating way

* are too imposing and pushy.

Reactions from people in other countries strongly indicate that more intercultural training of U.S. businesspeople is required. The May 1999 Forbes article "Damn Yankees" reveals the negative opinions of U.S. businesspeople held by citizens of 11 countries. "What drives me crazy," says one Colombian executive, "is the American need for information, right now! Americans are also too straightforward, too direct."

It's neither accurate nor fair to exaggerate the poor image of U.S. citizens abroad. Many host nationals also mention their positive characteristics: optimism, industriousness, inventiveness, decisiveness, enthusiasm, and friendliness.

Non-U.S. expatriates also carry problematic cultural baggage. For example, the Dutch are thought to be blunt, Germans inflexible, Japanese vague and indirect, and Latin Americans casual towards deadlines. Therefore, it's worthwhile to equip expatriates and business travelers of all nationalities with sufficient intercultural savvy.

Cultural maladjustment

Despite best intentions to establish rapport with the locals, expatriates in the stressful throes of cultural adaptation aren't in good condition to develop such relationships. In many cases, their marriages are shaken, careers threatened, and self-concepts debilitated.

Settler International, a worldwide relocation assistance company, reports that the divorce rate among expatriate couples is 40 percent higher than their domestic counterparts, and the school dropout rate of their children is 50 percent higher than in their home countries. Adjusting to an unfamiliar environment, cultural values, and social customs is stressful. A 1999 survey by Cendant International Assignment Services found that of 300 companies contacted, 63 percent reported failed expatriate assignments.

Symptoms of culture shock significantly hinder expatriates' ability to establish friendships with local people. The problems include

* negative feelings about the local culture and people, including irritability, hostility, and defensiveness

* homesickness, nervousness, depression, uncharacteristic mood swings, anxiety, and anger

* withdrawal or exaggerated dependence, aggressiveness, domineering behavior, and inappropriate attention-seeking

* self-damaging behavior, such as sexual adventurism and alcohol or drug abuse

* indecisiveness, inflexibility, close-mindedness, hypersensitivity to criticism, impatience, and boastfulness

* ridicule or excessive criticism of local people.

Proper assessment, selection, counseling, training, and support can prevent or lessen most of those unfortunate reactions.

Starting the discussion

Michael Marquardt, in his Info-line "Successful Global Training," writes that 70 percent of American businesspeople going abroad receive no cultural training or preparation; 59 percent of HRD executives say their companies offer no cross-cultural training; 5 percent didn't even know of the existence of such training.