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The Culture Map - Chapter 6 (Task based versus relationship based cultures…
The Culture Map - Chapter 6
Two types of trust and how they grow
means by which trust is built among business associates differ dramatically from one culture to another
Trust from the head and trust from the heart
AKA cognitive trust and affective trust
Cognitive trust - based on confidence you feel in another person's accomplishments, skills, and reliability - trust that comes from the head, often built through business interactions - we work together, you do your work well
Affective trust - comes from feelings of emotional closeness, empathy, or friendship. Trust from the heart. Laugh together, relax together, and see each other at a personal level.
Americans draw a sharp dividing line between cognitive and affective trust - mixing practical and emotional is perceived as unprofessional and risks conflict of interest
Chinese managers connect the two forms of trust - they are likely to develop personal ties and affective bonds when there is also a business or financial tie - when Chinese work with Americans, the culturally based preference to separate cognitive and affective trust can indicate a lack of sincerity or loyalty
If you look at Japan on the trusting scale, you will see it is a relationship based culture though not as far right as China or India. During the day they take a task-based approach but the relationship building that happens in the evening can be critical to be business success
Across East Asia - China, Thailand, Korea etc. doing a substantial amount of drinking with customers and collaborators is a common step in the trust building process
When you share a round of drinks with a business partner, you show that you have nothing to hide. When they drink with you they show you that they are willing to let their guard down
If you don't drink you can find other ways to partake in the fun - in Japan a karaoke or trip to the spa also works. In Arabic culture you can drink tea.
Task based versus relationship based cultures
on the trusting scale, countries are rated from high task based to high relationship based
more task based, more people rely on cognitive trust for work relationships and vice versa
Relationship based is more prominent due to the BRIC cultures making a rise in the business world
Americans can be mistaken as relationship based due to client breakfasts, golf, team building activities etc.
Once this is done, it is forgotten - the relationship is dropped as quickly as it is (tried to be) built
In task based societies like USA, UK, Australia, relationships are defined by functionality and practicality - relatively easy to move in and out of networks
Icebreakers are rarely used in relationship based cultures - relationships are built up slowly founded not only on professional credibility but also on deeper emotional connections and after the relationship is built, it is not dropped easily
In China, business relationships are personal - loyalty is to the individual and not to the company - if someone leaves the company the personal relationship would be stronger than the severance between that person and the organisation
Peach vs. Coconut - friendly does not = relationship-based
Peach and coconut are models of personal interaction
Peach cultures - US/Brazil etc. people tend to be friendly (soft) with others they have just met - smile at strangers, move to first name basis quickly, ask personal questions etc.
After a while of interaction, you reach the hard shell of the pit where the peach protects itself - in these cultures, friendly does not equal friendship
Coconut cultures - French/German/Russians - people are more closed (tough shell of coconut) with those they don't have friendships with. They rarely smile at strangers, ask personal questions, or offer personal information to those they don't really know
While relationships are built up slowly, they tend to last longer
Different cultures have different social cues that mark appropriate behaviour with strangers as opposed to cues that indicate a real friendship is developing
Strategies for building trust across cultural divides
General rule of thumb - investing extra time developing a relationship based approach will pay dividends when working with people from around the world.
Showing your true self - the relationship is the contract
Showing your nonprofessional self is a better approach when working with relationship-based cultures
Join the crowd - when you switch from boardroom to restaurant or bar you begin acting as if you are out on the town with your best friends
Legal system in Nigeria for example is less reliable than one found in Denmark, UK, USA - you can sign a contract but there is no way of enforcing it if the payment doesn't come through - only way to feel assured is to trust you have in the other person
For this reason, investing time in establishing trust will often save time in the long run - a similar way of thinking continues to exist in relationship based cultures that are also blessed with solidly reliable legal structures e.g. Japan and France
Keeping a professional persona isn't the only reason task-based people find it hard to adjust to relationship-based cultures. Investing hours in building affective trust can seem time-consuming and wasteful
There is a clear practical benefit to investing time in affective relationship building especially when working in emerging markets
Considerable meals carefully: lunch may be your ticket
Strategy 1 for improving trust
If you are task based and are hosting people from a more relationship-based society, put more time and effort into organising meals to be shared.
Spend time getting to know your collaborators personally rather than discussing business
Strategy 2
Those from relationship-based societies who are hosting task-based guests don't throw out socialising all together
Organise a one hour lunch which they will appreciate - if the meal will stretch out longer, explain this in advance
If some people choose to go back to the hotel to get some rest or catch up on emails, don't take offence. This is a normal response in a task-based culture. Sharing meals is a meaningful tool for trust building in nearly all cultures - but in some cultures, sharing drinks, particularly alcoholic drinks is equally important
Choose your communication medium
A lot of trust building must take place long distance
If you are working with task based - choose the medium that is most efficient. email, telephone, face-to-face meetings - all are acceptable as long as the message is communicated clearly
When starting to work with those from a relationship based society, begin by choosing a communication medium that is as relationship based as possible. Instead of emailing, take the effort to make a phone call - if you have the budget take the trip
Once you have built a good trusting relationship, you can move to a more task-based medium like email
Wasta (Arabic) - Strategy for when you need to contact someone you don't know