Balance local traits with
global rules, author says

Fons Trompenaars, who has been cited as one of the top five management consultants in the world, will deliver the 2005 N.H. Paul Chung Memorial Lecture for the University of Hawaii's Pacific Asian Management Institute tomorrow.

Fons Trompenaars: Will speak tomorrow at Hilton Hawaiian Village

Trompenaars, author of the international best seller "Riding the Waves of Culture & 21 Leaders for the 21st Century," will speak about how Eastern values are changing Western business practices.

Trompenaars' lecture, which begins at noon in the Alii Tower at Hilton Hawaiian Village, is open to the public. The cost, which includes lunch, is $38. For more information, call 956-8041 or register online at pami.hawaii.edu. Registration also is available at the door beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Question: How would understanding the paradigm shift between the East and the West enhance business opportunities for those in Hawaii?

Answer: Understanding the shift would enhance business opportunities significantly. However, the Hawaiian culture has a lot of diversity itself. Understanding the Hawaiian diversity would be an additional advantage. People in general do not like to be seen as part of the West or part of the East. They would love to be understood as unique individuals and representative of unique groups. Hawaii will not be an exception.

Q: What traits would you be more likely to see in Hawaii's businesses?

A: In Hawaii's businesses I still see the dominant role of the personal relationship where trust plays a crucial role. It is what you talk about when you speak with reference to "aloha." It is about the actions of being genuine and kind, having generosity and being trusting, gentle and loving. It is about love and respect for the spirit of our islands, a malama o ka 'aina, that somehow unites all people and cultures. And that is what makes this such a promising culture. In its roots it has united the cultures of the East and the West. This is a great springboard to the new global culture that is emerging.

Q: Hawaii is often said to be a mix of East and West cultures. How can they be reconciled to promote greater understanding in the business community?

A: The word "poly" is all over Hawaii. There are so many cultures getting together on the islands integrating Asian, European and Anglo-Saxon influences. This means that the reconciliation of these differences will lead to business success. The major challenge will be to integrate the letter and the spirit of the law, the individual freedom with group cohesion, the overt passion with the inhibited restraint, the specific details with the holistic vision, "who you know" with "what you know," and finally the respect for the environment and status quo with the challenge of conquering it. Hawaii's future is on the line. But if you can get it, nobody can come close to it.

Q: What do you think are the most common cultural challenges that Hawaii's businesses face?

A: The major business challenge that Hawaii is facing is how to take advantage of the very subtle understanding of "local" traits, with all its subtleties and sensitivities and at the same times submit to the global rules that have been established by the international community. The fact that most people in Hawaii speak close to perfect English is an advantage that should not be underestimated.