At the humorous level cultural differences provide very funny stories. However, when shock becomes clash, levels of efficiency are hit and companies and individuals can suffer.

There are only three things wrong with the Americans : "They're overpaid, oversexed and over here" is the epigram which immortalises the culture clash between the English and the Americans during World War II.

The war is over but in the eyes of many English and American businesspeople the clash between them goes on. Although culture clashes are not exclusive to UK/US relations, tensions manifest themselves whenever an expatriate from one culture goes to live and work in another.
These tensions and clashes can translate into a considerable drop in efficiency to the expatriate employee - as much as 50 per cent in the first few months, say Paris-based consultants Inter Cultural Management Associates. ICM has consulted with multinationals across the globe and advised expatriates for 18 years. Their clients say bad clashes between cultures can affect not only expatriate workers but also international businesses.

Take the following example. The chief executive of a US multinational arrives in Paris to meet the managers of the

French company it has just bought. His address to the audience of expectant French employees is couched in the language of transatlantic 'direct management'.
He says: "There are two types of people in this room: those who will stay with us and those who will leave." In the US such a message would be interpreted as a ritual gauntlet throwing - a direct appeal for commitment to the new challenges ahead. In France it is decoded as a redundancy announcement. The result is trade union agitation and an immediate confidence crisis.

Direct management, direct trouble

Difficulties are often exacerbated when cultures appear close or not too dissimilar. The impact on efficiency may not be as severe but the difficulties can be more insidious.

Elizabeth Jardine, Senior Consultant with ICM likens it to an invitation to dance. Imagine, she says, being asked to dance the tango by an Argentine. "You'd probably refuse to do it in public until you'd had some lessons first. However, you wouldn't have the same inhibitions if asked to waltz by an American - only to find yourself tripping over your partner's feet and feeling embarrassed in public because the Americans dance the waltz differently from the English."

The problem is that where, for example, American expatriates going off to Moscow may be given all sorts of help, those going to an apparently similar culture, such as the UK, are far less likely to get any help on how to cope.

Clashes come down to subtleties like the level of individualism in English and American cultures. "The Americans say they're team players but their emphasis is also on being an individual within a team. At a very early age they are taught to strive to be winners. Impossible dreams are fundamental to their culture: they foster an aspiration that anyone can be president," says Ms Jardine.

By contrast the English and Europeans tend to emphasise the team over the individual - at least in rhetoric and often in practice. This seemingly simple difference of emphasis can create all sorts of problems when English or European people and American people try to do business in each other's countries.

English humour may at best irritate and at worst offend

The efficiency of the English expatriate in the US may only drop by 10 per cent to 90 per cent, but American culture expects 100 per cent efficiency immediately says Ms Jardine. "It may be better in these circumstance," she says, "to go to your boss and say ' I want to observe for a while or to work and be observed for the purpose of getting feedback.'" The temptation is to live up to the expectation and dive in without assessing how things are done in an attempt to be seen to perform. " This can do a lot of damage," she adds.

Not that the cultural clash is one-sided: expatriates have to consider their own cultural prejudices, and their own impact on their hosts. "Cultural differences do not occur because the hosts are being difficult," says Ms Jardine. Cultural misunderstandings can end in an impasse with the expatriate becoming angry and frustrated while blaming colleagues in his or her host country for being either lazy, inefficient or un-businesslike. The expatriate must realise that different cultures apply different priorities and have different ways of doing things.

Take your time

An example of this can be seen in the attitudes of different cultures to time which can be a huge source of frustration. Time is the subject of many a joke. The Spanish ambassador said to his Irish counterpart : "Tell me, do the Irish understand the Spanish concept of 'manana' ? His Irish counterpart replied doubtfully, "Yes, but nothing so precise." Time can also be used as a tool to gain power, for instance, making people wait might be plain rude or a strategy to assert superiority.

Marc Raynaud, Director of ICM, reminds expatriates of an African notion of time where 'just now' means nothing more urgent than some time in the future.

Says Mr Raynaud, "What comes as more of a culture shock is the difference between the notions of time in cultures which are apparently close - for instance, an American's sense of time and a French person's : the French can be far less committed."

Clearly there is danger in applying national caricatures and stereotypes, whether it's the so-called English stiff upper lip or the French predilection for long lunches. Expatriates are likely to find themselves increasingly irritating and irritated when applying these. Indeed, breaking down prejudices can create considerable pressure on the expatriate.

Yet nationals do display some common characteristics. English humour may delight in some quarters and in others, may at best irritate and at worst offend. "People in the Middle East don't understand the English lack of taboos and how the English can joke about religion, sex or politics," says Mr Raynaud, "but the expatriate needs to understand the Arab attitude to these issues, or he or she could end up in jail."

Marc Raynaud warns : "Until we come into contact with another culture, we are probably blissfully unaware of our own cultural identity - wherever we come from." It is fundamental to understand that one's way of doing things may not be the most acceptable in a host culture.

He also highlights gaps in perception between the French expatriate and his or her host country workers : "Regular studies on the image of businesspeople abroad show that, as far as top management is concerned, the image of the French executive is not necessarily positive. This comes as a surprise to many of our French compatriots."

However Mr Raynaud's comment applies to any expatriate. As he says : "An expatriate is not a messiah figure, eagerly awaited by the local population, and what he or she says will not automatically be taken as the gospel truth. This attitude, embarrassingly common among some French executives, may explain why the French image abroad can leave a lot to be desired."

Marc Raynaud considers the most important quality of an expatriate is adaptability, second is technical brilliance (to be highly skilled at the job itself), third is mastery of the language.

Top tips

There is one more issue expatriates and companies should seriously consider before leaving home for it can have a greater impact on performance than any of the above.

Before anything else, Mr Raynaud urges would-be expats to consider the impact of a move on their spouses. "The experience of countless expatriates has shown that an expatriation can bring a close-knit family even closer, but it can rarely solve pre-existing family problems. A partner who has had to leave a job or a family will be even more frustrated and annoyed by a myriad of local problems encountered in a new country, not to mention the feeling of being in a 'fish bowl' all the time. A marriage which is already unstable can be completely shattered by the experience ."

Surveys consistently show that the single biggest factor in failed expatriations is unhappiness of spouses whose problems tend to be much greater than those of their working partners

"It's undoubtedly more difficult for spouses," says Ms Jardine. "They don't have the same support structures and routines. Often they are left at home, not speaking the language, having to get used to domestic staff for the first time, or dealing with local telephone company engineers and finding schools for their children. The vast majority of spouses don't get any help from their partner's employers."

There are four phases of adaptation to a foreign culture, Mr Raynaud outlines :

Phase 1 : The individual notices differences in behaviour, but he or she does not question his or her own value system. This is the period of euphoria and exoticism - feelings usually common to tourists.

Phase 2 : Errors in behaviour persist despite the beginnings of adaptation. The individual feels his or her judgement is less solid but is still not able to change it much. The feeling of awkwardness and general unease is verbalised. Finally the world seems to be turning upside down: this is the critical moment of culture shock.

Phase 3 : The individual begins to assimilate the new cultural norms, which he or she perceives with growing clarity.

Phase 4 : Now quite used to his or her new environment, the expatriate adapts and satisfaction grows.

Mr Raynaud has some useful tips on how to cope with moving jobs, based on years of experience advising expatriates :

"Veteran expatriates insist that the real factor which decides culture shock is not so much cultural difference as how much preparation the expatriate has done before leaving - including educational, cultural and psychological preparation.

Expatriates need to consider that an expatriate family is constantly on display. Being 'on duty' can be exhausting. So, take regular 'time-outs' to rejuvenate.

Expatriates need to find a balance between ignoring cultural differences and totally immersing themselves to the point of 'going native' and abandoning cultural identity. The danger lies between being inflexible by trying to duplicate the way you live at home and trying to live like a local and run the risk of being labelled an impostor. "The trick is to bathe in the new culture but not to drown."

Learn to live with two different calendar customs - one in tune with local customs (Ramadan, Sabbath, holy days) and the more emotional 'home ' calendar customs which carry on without us at home (New Year's Eve, Mother's Day)."

Elizabeth Jardine adds :

"Learn as much as possible about the culture before you go so as to fit in as best you can upon arrival.

When you get there, take time to watch and see how others perform. If necessary explain to your boss that you need to watch and understand before taking on a full schedule.

Develop a thick skin - be prepared to be embarrassed in public.

Learn as much of the language as you can. Language is one of the biggest door openers. Even a little language shows a lot of interest ."

Marc Raynaud, MRaynaud@icmassociates.com
Elizabeth Jardine, EJardine@icmassociates.com

Inter Cultural Management Associates (ICM) is a Paris-based consulting firm which since 1983 has helped managers and organisations work effectively across cultural borders, be they national, corporate or functional.

Inter Cultural Management Associates
2, rue de l'Eglise - 92200 Neuilly sur Seine - France

icm@icmassociates.com

Tel: +33 (0)1 40 88 93 00
Fax: +33 (0)1 47 38 16 20