Culture Clash
Culture Clash
Bob Fletcher, originally from Chicago, was working in Frankfurt, Germany, for an international pharmaceutical company. One of his colleagues was Dieter Kornadt, who had recently joined the company after receiving an advanced degree in psychology from a German university. Bob and Dieter had been assigned the task of developing a creative marketing plan for the sale of over-the-counter pain relievers. Bob's college degree was in art history. Some cultures blur line
between work and leisureBob and Dieter worked well together and one evening agreed to have a few pints at a nearby beer garden. Knowing about Dieter's recent advanced degree, Bob tried to introduce some light conversation about major European composers and various aspects of their personal lives. Dieter contributed to the discussion with detailed analyses of Beethoven and his personality, deafness, home life, and disappointments in his romantic relationships. Bob thought to himself, "I wish this guy would lighten up!"
Bob is experiencing cultural differences in the relationship between work and leisure time spent with the same person. In the United States, many people make a sharp distinction and friends and family members will criticize them if they "talk shop" too much. In Germany, the boundary between work and leisure time is more fuzzy. Many Germans engage in intense and analytical discussions after work. In Dieter's mind, the beer hall discussion was work related. He and Bob were working on a creative marketing plan, creativity was a part of the evening discussion, and so his serious approach to work could continue.
Dieter's intense approach to work also includes judging the capabilities of his colleague and deciding whether to request other joint job assignments. If Bob fails to converse in a detailed and analytical manner during after-hours gatherings, Dieter may conclude Bob is an intellectual lightweight.
This incident and analysis developed from discussions with Astrid Podsiadlowski, University of Munich, who has also worked in the United States. A related issue is that Germans often continue their professional identities into their weekend activities. For example, if they are hiking in the forest with friends, they continue to make conversation based on their knowledge as engineers, psychologists, physicians or economists. In preparing for an assignment in Germany, Americans should prepare for serious discussions in topic areas such as arts and culture, politics and important historical events.
The purpose of this column is to increase understanding of human behavior as it has an impact on the workplace. Special attention will be given to miscommunications caused by cultural differences. Each column will start with a short example of such confusion. Possible explanations will be offered to encourage thought about these issues.
Richard Brislin is a professor in the College of Business Administration,
University of Hawaii. He can be reached through the
College Relations Office: cro@cba.hawaii.edu