The 11th Intercultural Management Institute Annual Conference was, in my eyes, very well organized, very well attended, and had very interesting presentations from most panelists: Overall, an extraordinary opportunity to interact with practitioners, students, and interested persons in the field of intercultural Relations. Having majored in business and a Masters candidate in International Affairs, this was a great experience in bridging these two seemingly disparate fields. Not only was there a good and healthy balance of business focused topics, such panels were infused with many important findings and sharing of intercultural knowledge.
Personally, the highlights of this past Thursday and Friday were: “Voices From Home: The Personal and Family Side of Short-Term International Assignments”, presented by Anne Copeland of The Interchange Institute and Vania Broderick of Dwellworks; “Intercultural Communication, Business Negotiation, and Promotional Effectiveness”, presented by Bagher Fardanesh of Piaget Consulting; “Intercultural Knowledge Management in Global Organizations”, presented by Neal Goodman of Global Dynamics, and “Strategic Vigilance for the Global Manager”, presented by Richard Linowes of Kogod School of Business, American University.
In “Voices From Home: The Personal and Family Side of Short-Term International Assignments”, presented by Copeland Broderick, a presentation on case studies on relocation and Human Resources compensation policies, effective business practices that affect the successful outcome of a short-term (overseas) assignment were discussed. The findings of the research done by Copeland under the sponsorship of Dwellworks were very telling of how proper HR support policies can make a difference in almost all professional and social aspects of the assignees and his or her family. Out of a sample of 1471 employees and 68 of their spouses, important professional aspects such as attitudes towards work, their ability to get the work done, and their willingness to go on another such assignment were examined, along with very important personal aspects that influence work, and vice-versa, such as mental health, perceived quality of marital situation, and substance abuse, among others. The findings showed a great degree of interrelatedness between overall work/personal satisfactions. The innovative side of the study, however, lied on studying not only the employees themselves but also the opinions and perceptions of their spouses, thus pointing towards a need for HR policies to not only properly compensate the sacrifice these employees have made for their careers, usually at the expense of quality family time, but also to support the employee throughout the assignment in a way that such a decision would be the least taxing to his or her family as well. The goal would be for a win-win solution for all parties involved.
The interactive presentation by Fardanesh, “Intercultural Communication, Business Negotiation, and Promotional Effectiveness”, had many examples of failed international marketing attempts due to cultural misunderstandings and an acted out example of the breakdown of a business negotiation due to cultural distance/misunderstanding. As a former employee of an MNC myself, I thought it was very illustrative of real and actual day-to-day challenges we face in an international business setting. The implication of having a better understanding of our own intercultural competencies and interactions is very important, but due to the stakes involved in a business setting, it is clear they become essential. Many examples were shared and the proper interaction fostered by the presenter with the audience allowed many to share their own experiences, which made the session richer. The guidelines exposed by Fardanesh to identify the pitfalls commonly experienced, even by the seasoned professional in an international setting, and how to avoid them were a welcome surprise to a session that was more than informative, and rather enriching.
“Intercultural Knowledge Management in Global Organizations”, presented by Neal Goodman left the impression it was one of the most well structured and well thought out presentation I had the privilege to attend during this year’s conference. Delivered as a skills workshop, it also was at the cross roads of business and intercultural relations. It dealt, however, with the acquisition, retention, and diffusion of intercultural knowledge for the growth of the organization itself, other than solely for it’s employees. An analysis of the different departments within an organization and their intercultural knowledge management can be seemingly disconnected was discussed, following with the presentation of a model to increase productivity and profitability leveraged on the proper use of such knowledge. After discussing with other participants, I left with the clear impression that no matter the size of an organization, large or small, intercultural knowledge management remains as a challenge for many, as it is the fluid nature of the subject, and the otherwise orphan status it has in most companies that lends for most of the difficulties participants experience in their own organizations.
Last, but definitely not least was “Strategic Vigilance for the Global Manager”, presented by Prof. Linowes. As a student at American University, taking some international Business classes at Kogod Business School, it was good to see the organizers of IMI were able to tap into the great resident professors that abound at this school. Prof. Linowes did not disappoint. Focusing in emerging markets, where most of intercultural breakdown usually occur for the western businessman, first we were asked to share our own experiences abroad with each other and the group as a whole, which made for a very rich and diverse experience. Since many had been abroad, or were otherwise coming from abroad themselves, insights were many and meaningful. This session was particularly interesting to help put in perspective all anticipated and non-anticipated events that could hinder any prospective international business venture.
As I reflect back on this past Conference, I can only think of the many rewarding and diverse experiences many have had that I would like to experience for myself. I remind myself of my own intercultural difficulties, and reflect back at how I would have done things differently, given the chance. Most importantly however, are the lessons learned I will be taking with me to add to my own experiences to foster an improvement of self. Once again, I cannot stress enough how well this conference was organized, the diversity and open mindedness of participants, and the professional level of all presenters involved. All in all, this was a great experience, filled with knowledge I am glad to say will be very useful not only in a professional setting, but in my personal life as well.
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