Next year, we Europeans will become one big family of twenty-five members. And some more relatives have already announced they'll be moving in soon.
Given what some have dubbed 'global Europe', one might ask one of the questions that globalization itself raises: Is a single, common way of leading, managing, and doing business emerging in the world—and in Europe in particular? Or, on the contrary, do cultural differences persist?
The question of convergence versus divergence is a dilemma that has occupied researchers, managers, and professionals for years. If it is true that we are becoming increasingly similar and doing things in a more homogeneous way, then cultural differences will be less important when it comes to working and doing business. If, on the contrary, the reality is that we remain distinct, the understanding and proper management of cultural differences will gradually become more significant.
Research indicates that both phenomena—convergence and divergence—are occurring simultaneously, but on different levels. Convergence appears to manifest at the macro level—structure, organization, technology, etc.—while divergence is concentrated at the micro level, particularly in interpersonal processes and actions—negotiations and sales, for example—and in human behavior within organizations.
In other words, it could be said that organizations are becoming more and more similar, but human behavior inside and outside of them maintains cultural differences.
And there's more. Organizational culture, which at first glance might seem to neutralize or soften 'national' cultural differences, has proven to be quite the opposite. It not only leaves them intact but actually reinforces them, even when working in large multinationals with a strong organizational culture (IBM, Coca-Cola, etc.).
In fact, management and business practices are not as global as they seem. Extensive research conducted with 11.678 managers from 25 different countries concluded that "the idea of a global community where a common business culture unifies professional and business practices throughout the world is more of a wish than a reality." (1)
And referring specifically to Europe, the conclusion is very similar. Professor Kakabadse, from the Cranfield School of Management (UK), comments that, as a result of his study entitled Top Executive Competency Research Program, "there is no European style of management, which reinforces the evidence that 'doing things the European way' is an unrealistic phenomenon today." It is, in short, what has been called the 'convergence myth'.
If, as we have seen, everything seems to indicate that in the new Europe, the 'global Europe,' cultural diversity will continue to be maintained, if not increased—Hofstede predicts this will be the case for several more centuries—then it is essential and urgent to emphasize the proper management of our cultural differences. How? By training in the principles and techniques of intercultural communication in general, and its application to business and companies in particular. Why? Because we know that intercultural communication skills are not innate and, therefore, must be learned. For what purpose? To avoid falling behind. In the social, political, and economic-business environment where we live and work—and will increasingly so—there is unanimous agreement that mastering intercultural skills is already, and will continue to be, a crucial source of competitive advantage and a key factor for survival.
The early bird catches the worm…
(1) Kanter, RM Transcending business boundaries: 12,000 world managers view change. Harvard Business Review, May/June 1991.
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