| Expatriates and foreign nationals who | | | | acronyms and alphabet soup: PPO, HMO, ADA, |
| relocate to the United States to live and | | | | EEOC, FLMA, and 401K. Translation please?Said |
| work often have mixed perceptions about this | | | | one foreign executive, "You are screened by a |
| young nation. Those feelings are probably | | | | nurse, and then you spend 30 seconds to two |
| best described by the late Irish poet and | | | | minutes with a doctor. You are reimbursed and |
| playwright, Oscar Wilde, who referred to | | | | talk to computers. All these plans, long-term |
| America as "a land of unmatched vitality and | | | | and short-term disability, are extremely |
| vulgarity."While most Americans rarely think | | | | complex."Rather than proactively taking the |
| of their country as "foreign," the fact is | | | | time to explain these bureaucratic plans and |
| that non-Americans who relocate to the United | | | | policies to foreigners, most HR managers |
| States to do business and "do lunch" are | | | | simply react and respond to questions. What |
| often surprised to find they experience a | | | | HR managers do not understand is that |
| severe case of "corporate culture | | | | non-Americans have no knowledge base on which |
| shock."According to recently conducted | | | | they can even begin to formulate intelligent |
| research with dozens of foreign business | | | | questions. Human resources must instead begin |
| professionals working in Atlanta and other | | | | at the beginning.The American Spirit at |
| southeastern U.S. cities, the human resource | | | | WorkMost foreigners first come to know |
| departments of multinational corporations are | | | | America through its media--movies, music, |
| woefully inadequate in preparing foreigners | | | | magazines, TV sitcoms, and theme parks. |
| for the American workplace. The purpose of | | | | Americans are projected as fun loving, |
| the study was to learn about foreign | | | | risk-taking rugged individuals who "get to |
| managers' experiences and attitudes regarding | | | | the point" and "tell it like it is." Pick up |
| the American business culture. More than half | | | | most any book about American culture and you |
| of this diverse group of CEOs, CFOs, vice | | | | will read about the legendary open, honest, |
| presidents, directors, managers, engineers, | | | | and direct communication style of Americans. |
| and analysts were European. In total, 26 | | | | And so it seems that the bold and brazen |
| different countries were represented.Equally | | | | American is, indeed, alive and well when |
| disturbing is the finding that American | | | | socializing or selling. But foreigners paint |
| employees lack cross-cultural awareness and | | | | a different picture of the American at work. |
| skills that would enable them to draw on the | | | | It is not John Wayne or Indiana Jones who |
| diverse, global talents and business | | | | they encounter behind the corporate |
| experiences of their non-American | | | | cubicle--it is Dilbert.According to the |
| counterparts.Once the physical relocation to | | | | research, foreigners observe that there is |
| the United States is complete, most | | | | little evidence of those cherished American |
| foreigners and their families say employers | | | | values of equality and freedom of speech in |
| provide little, if any, assistance to help | | | | the workplace, especially in big |
| them integrate into the American community | | | | corporations. The single, greatest discomfort |
| and business environment. They often struggle | | | | that foreigners report in the U.S. workplace |
| up to a year or longer to adapt.The financial | | | | is reconciling the perception of business |
| cost of cross-border relocations is steep; | | | | informality ("I'm your CEO but just call me |
| often two to four times the transferee's | | | | Bob;" "business casual is what we wear here") |
| salary. But the cost of lost productivity | | | | and the reality of corporate hierarchy and |
| because of months of isolation, confusion, | | | | extreme deference to rank and titles."People |
| and frustration is incalculable. The | | | | worry about political correctness all the |
| adaptation period could be reduced by 50 | | | | time to the point where they won't say |
| percent with adequate cultural orientation | | | | anything in a meeting because their boss is |
| and training, professional coaching, and | | | | in there," said a British manager who has |
| mentoring. If corporations would simply | | | | worked in the United States for seven years. |
| invest an additional 5 to 10 percent of their | | | | A Dutch marketing manager agreed, "In Europe, |
| relocation cost into cross-cultural | | | | if you have a good idea, you bring it to the |
| orientation, training, and coaching, they | | | | table. In the United States, until the boss |
| would be buying an insurance policy that | | | | puts it on the radar screen, it's not as |
| protects their substantial investment in | | | | important."A German manager says, "Here, I |
| their expatriate and foreign nationals, | | | | have to package my opinions very nicely." |
| realizing a greater productivity return on | | | | |
| their investment much sooner.Stages of | | | | Foreigners also are surprised at how |
| AdjustmentLeft on their own, foreign | | | | Americans avoid face-to-face conflict at |
| professionals frequently go through three | | | | work. Said one German who has worked in the |
| stages of acculturation: | | | | United States for five years, "Everyone is |
| | | | hiding behind policy and not getting out from |
| | | | behind their walls."A Finnish distributorship |
| | | | president speculated that Americans avoid |
| Discovery. First, they encounter the | | | | direct conflict because of the litigious |
| barriers and differences that create | | | | society they live in. "This is a big |
| discomfort and frustration for them and their | | | | difference between America and the rest of |
| families. | | | | the world. People put things in writing here |
| | | | if there is some conflict or |
| Search. Second, they begin to look for the | | | | misunderstanding. Frivolous lawsuits don't |
| people and resources that can help them | | | | exist in the rest of the world."The lack of |
| overcome the cultural barriers. | | | | job security and an adequate "safety net" for |
| | | | unemployment is another reason |
| Adaptation. Finally, they make the necessary | | | | given.Conquering Corporate Culture ShockIf |
| adjustments to their communication style, | | | | global companies would take the following |
| work style, and business practices to build | | | | four actions, they would help to ease the |
| relationships with their American colleagues. | | | | transition of foreigners into the U.S. |
| | | | workplace and greatly enhance their |
| Some foreigners never make it through the | | | | productivity. |
| adaptation stage and continue to remain | | | | |
| isolated from their American colleagues and | | | | |
| are less-than-effective in their jobs.Bottom | | | | |
| of the PyramidIn their home countries, most | | | | Provide community orientation and logistical |
| international professionals enjoy a certain | | | | support beyond finding housing and schools. |
| degree of accomplishment and self-esteem. On | | | | Help the transferees acquire basic survival |
| arriving in the United States, however, they | | | | skills and social ties with their community. |
| are pulled down to the bottom rung of | | | | |
| Maslow's pyramid of needs. Physical needs | | | | Take the time to explain employee benefits, |
| become top priorities again.Even the most | | | | policies, and laws. Do not assume foreigners |
| basic everyday needs become major obstacles | | | | understand the policies and plans or the |
| for foreign transferees. Obtaining credit is | | | | words associated with them. They are unique |
| often a major hurdle, even for affluent | | | | to America. Give them an easy way to get |
| non-Americans. A general manager of a French | | | | their HR questions answered. Be proactive |
| company's North American division moved from | | | | versus reactive. |
| Paris, France, to Atlanta, GA, three years | | | | |
| ago. He described his family's effort to | | | | Assign a trained American mentor or external |
| establish credit as a "nightmare.""We had no | | | | coach to foreign transferees during the first |
| credit history here and felt like thieves," | | | | few months of the transition process to |
| said the transferee. | | | | hasten acculturation. Foreigners in the study |
| | | | strongly favored this idea. "Having a coach |
| Another vice president also complained of | | | | or mentor is absolutely essential for getting |
| credit problems when he moved his family from | | | | direct first-hand feedback, asking questions, |
| Paris to Atlanta with a global Dutch company. | | | | learning how Americans see the situation, |
| An Atlanta car dealer refused to sell him an | | | | culture, work practices, even for subtle |
| automobile without a U.S. credit history, | | | | differences. The fact is, the U.S. is |
| even though he had used an American Express | | | | different!" said a Swedish program manager. |
| credit card in Europe for four years. The | | | | |
| executive and his wife said they felt like | | | | Build American cultural awareness and |
| "criminals." They were forced to pay cash for | | | | competence by offering cross-cultural |
| their first used car.Other foreigners | | | | training, multicultural team coaching, and |
| recalled the many frustrations they | | | | cultural events. Many foreigners in the study |
| encountered in taking care of basic living | | | | referred to their American colleagues as |
| needs--opening a bank account, connecting | | | | culturally "insensitive," "ignorant," |
| utilities, choosing a long-distance company, | | | | "egocentric," or "isolated." As a result, the |
| haggling over the price of a car, or buying | | | | foreigners believe that Americans do not |
| home and auto insurance. The marketing | | | | fully appreciate and use their unique |
| manager of a British-based international | | | | backgrounds, talents, global perspectives, |
| hotel chain moved from London, England, to | | | | and connections. |
| the American headquarters in Atlanta, GA, | | | | |
| only to discover that she did not know how to | | | | As global mergers and acquisitions continue |
| dial long distance within the United States. | | | | and as America's multicultural workforce |
| Neither did she know the meaning of dialing | | | | expands, it is vital that both Americans and |
| "911." Americans often take for granted the | | | | non-Americans understand each other and learn |
| daily survival skills that foreigners must | | | | to work together to prevent cultural |
| relearn when they arrive in the United | | | | differences from getting in the way of good |
| States.American English | | | | business. As Sheila (could this be Sheida?) |
| "Sports-speak"Understanding American English | | | | Hodge states in her book, Global Smarts, "The |
| is one of the first challenges | | | | trick is to capitalize on similarities |
| foreigners--even native English | | | | without being ambushed by differences."If |
| speakers--encounter in the U.S. corporate | | | | both Americans and non-Americans will adopt |
| culture. American business conversation is | | | | the mantra: "Think globally, act locally," |
| riddled with clichés, slang, regionalisms, | | | | then their employers stand a much greater |
| and sports expressions that are not | | | | chance of bringing better ideas and |
| understood by non-Americans. "Sports-speak" | | | | approaches to the workplace and better |
| is woven into business conversations | | | | products and services to the |
| constantly in the United States with | | | | marketplace.Susan Davidson is founder and |
| references to American football, baseball, | | | | president of Beyond Borders, Inc., an |
| and basketball. Expressions such as "slam | | | | Atlanta-based coaching, training and |
| dunk," "homerun," "Monday morning | | | | consulting firm that specializes in improving |
| quarterback," "end run," "curveball," "full | | | | the business performance of global managers |
| court press," and "stepping up to the plate" | | | | and teams. |
| only serve to confuse foreigners. Many | | | | |
| Americans are oblivious to the fact that | | | | Susan has worked with Fortune 500 and global |
| baseball and American football are not played | | | | corporations for more than 25 years to |
| in Europe and other parts of the | | | | improve the sales, leadership skills, |
| world.Acronym SoupThe language of U.S. human | | | | communications and business effectiveness of |
| resource departments is equally foreign. Most | | | | leaders, employees and salespeople.Ms. |
| international professionals come to the | | | | Davidson has published several articles on |
| United States with no knowledge of managed | | | | her groundbreaking research with foreign |
| health care or U.S. tax and discrimination | | | | business professionals who experience |
| law--complex issues that Americans barely | | | | "corporate culture shock" in the U.S. |
| understand. It is no wonder then that | | | | workplace. She is also a featured speaker |
| non-Americans consider these employee | | | | for human resource, international and |
| policies and plans a "nightmare" and glaze | | | | training organizations. She can be reached at |
| over when they read their HR manual of | | | | 770.451. |