Communication with Foreign Co-Workers on Overseas Assignments

April 12, 2017 at 10:16 pm (Communication Problems, Diversity in the Workplace, Effective Communication, Overseas Business Conflicts)
Tags: , , , , ,

There is no doubt that we are globalizing ourselves and that we are more diverse than before. The United States has become a land of many cultures. Communication has become better through technology and the socialization of the human species. Yet, how can we prepare employees for an overseas assignment? This is something that can be seen in two ways, a structured plan for the assignment itself and the in-depth cultural communication factor.

In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Andy Molinsky and Melissa Hahn write that there are five ways one can succeed on an overseas assignment in a structured way.

  • Have a purpose and a person who can promote that purpose. Having the right person to make this assignment work is quite important, especially in cultural understanding and understanding of the project.
  • Having a close connection to home works well, that way the person overseas doesn’t lose touch with what he or she is doing for the company. A good mentor would work.
  • Communication between the worker and employer needs to be constant for best results.
  • Before leaving, it is ideal to start on talks of how the assignment was beneficial and what was learned.
  • The company can distribute what it learned from that experience.

We often forget that to have a successful assignment overseas, the communication between the employee and the foreign team is crucial. We need to consider cultural, social, and language barriers amongst diversity and work. There is no denying that “…English is now the global language of business.” as mentioned by Tsedel Neeley in her article Global Business Speaks English. But this doesn’t really help many. My interview with Dr. Joann Jones, Executive Director – Leadership Development for Cummins, led to these tips.

  • Prepare the assignment ahead of time so that everyone working on the assignment can understand the assignment.
  • Know that there will be a need for clarification as language and cultural barriers are present.
  • If possible, know the language and culture of where one may stay can improve results.
  • An ending follow-up on the assignment will be helpful, especially a written documentation of the progress and results. This may help clarify any miscommunications.

Making sure an overseas assignment is completely worked out is the main goal, but knowing the cultural factor and having a structured plan can lead to a successful assignment.

 

By Alvaro Garcia, Business Major – IUPUC

Leave a Comment

To Pay or Not to Pay – Overseas Business Ethics and the Reality of Bribery

October 23, 2011 at 3:46 pm (Business Ethics, Diversity in the Workplace)
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bribery

       I recall vividly the global climate of suspense and worry at the end of the Cold War.  Despite being nestled in my high school melodrama in a small Midwestern city, I was nevertheless exposed to terms of “corruption” and “bribery” as it related to the new global business landscape.  Every media type reported on the cost of blue jeans and American music in the new Russia.  When the superpower that was the Soviet Union fell, the creation of new governments and new business opportunities brought the reality of the cost of bribery home.

        The U.S. government had been actively involved in the reduction of foreign corruption in business practices since the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Policies Act of 1977.  This legislation put in punitive measures for companies operating in the United States.  This put US manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage in the global marketplace where they were competing with countries and companies without such restrictions.  Even if restrictions were in place, most governments around the world were hard-pressed to enforce them due to the nature of the practice as well as the financial backing of such enforcement.  It became quickly evident that this could only be combated on a global scale, with corporations, governments and civilians working together.

The escalation of the problem following the Cold War finally brought in support from 35 other industrialized nations in 1988 with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Convention (aka Bribery convention).  This brought many trading nations together for the purpose of transparent evaluations of each other’s policies in regards to business corruption and successfully prosecuting those who do not comply with fair business standards.   This program has been hampered with the problems of the lack of finance, transparency, and political and social climates of participating countries.  Also, China and India are not signatory to the convention, so fall outside of its parameters.  These two economic powerhouses still include opportunities for bribery with officials making lower wages and lax enforcement.

What this means for the average consumer is that the costs associated with bribery and corruption would be considered the cost of goods sold.  Companies that engage in these practices gain an unfair advantage over those who do not.  Certainly not all of the “bad” companies are bringing forth products that are entirely beneficial to society.  I’m certain most will recall the lead paint in Chinese toys attempting to spoil last year’s Christmas season.  As more information becomes readily available for consumers, the good economic citizen would take care in discovering where the goods they are purchasing are coming from.  Is that company one with integrity and a realistic approach to fight corruption?  Is it a company that ships in containers full of “who-knows”?  National security issues aside, you pay for the corrupt practices in every purchase you make whether it is in taxes that go to help ferret it out and prosecute it, or in the bottom line price of that “must-have” toy of the year, imported by the boatload from countries that could care less about it’s safety or what laws are broken to get it there.

by Joe Hemmelgarn, Business Major – IUPUC

Leave a Comment