Understanding Cross-Cultural Adaptation In Global Business Environment

Factors impacting collective adaptation experiences

1.The fundamental aim of strangers within an unfamiliar environment tends to embark on a collective project of cross-cultural adaptation that is establishing and sustaining a considerably consistent and reciprocal association with the host environment. Typically collective adaptation experiences are identified as primary focus of cross-cultural adaptation theory. It is thus perceived as a process of fundamental and dynamic unfolding of the customary human tendency to contest for an internal equilibrium in the context of adversarial environment conditions (Shiraev & Levy, 2016). However multiple forces are concurrently at work surrounding the communicative interface between the individual as well as the host environment from the circumstances of the environment as well as ethnic and individualistic pre-conjectures of the individual. Furthermore, certain factors tend to be highly significant in comparison to the other in certain areas of cultural adaptation (Noels & Clément, 2015). Adaptive achievements may be comprehensively pertinent because of its ingenuousness, strength and assertiveness of strangers’ individualistic attributes.

The feasibility of a theory relied on the realism and practicality to which it has been directed. However the current notions of the conjecture relates to the recounting of experiences and knowledge along with the relevant transitions in numerous individuals who have been seeking to build new and enhanced lives from their customary grounds (Gelfand et al., 2017). Cross-cultural adaptation has further been recognized as an exceptional determinant of life sustaining as well as life development actions that are integrated in the established human agility and self-organizing competence (Alsaad, 2017). Similar to the wide ranging human adaptations, cross-cultural adaptation tends to emerge through the communicative interface of an individual as well as a recently developed and foreign cultural environment whereby individuals execute their daily functions.

Gelfand et al., (2017) observed that major proportion of newcomers who identify themselves in a highly unknown environment instinctively strive to comprehend situations as per their developed ideas and understanding. Furthermore, through relentless performances and actions emerging through new learning as well as internal re-organizing, they tend to attain a highly elevated functional fitness in the context of the host environment (Aktas, Gelfand & Hanges, 2016). However, well-embraced individuals are referred to individuals who have attained the preferred level of effectual functional association with the host environment specifically with those sections of individuals with whom the new comers execute their customary actions (Shiraev & Levy, 2016).

For example, eye contact for a prolonged period has been perceived to rude and offensive in Asian nations, while Americans prefer persistent eye contact in the corporate environment to recognize the precursor to a confident person. Noels & Clément, (2015) gave other insight that capturing photographs military installations is viewed as a highly unlawful act and can be regarded as an incursion of national security.

Significance of cultural intelligence in establishing association with host environment

2.The media article published on Business News by Dr. Richard Nongard essentially focussed on comprehending the approaches used for understanding cultural divergences and further establishing a culturally efficient organization within global business domain. It mentions six highly predicable outcomes such as cultural ability which creates affinity, enhances the productivity and further expands into markets and associations (Nongard, 2018). These conventional approaches further develop the sense of value and establish dedication and create ways for creativity and reduce areas of misinterpretations within the organization. The article can be considered as one of the most comprehensive one amongst the other articles chosen for evaluation of cultural adaptation as it significantly distinguishes social events whereby cross cultural competencies change to refrain several business enterprises to fall into unconstructive decision making and circumvent irrelevant business strategies especially while making any advertising decisions. Author further sheds light on factors related to empathetic responsiveness which primarily focuses on surpassing one’s own perspective and appreciatively encourage others’ vantage points. In such scenarios, leaders must obtain this type of individualistic worldviews in order to adopt others’ frame of reference without experience one’s own and further facilitate the followers to perceive in a distinctive manner.

Similarly Lisak & Erez, (2015) the article consider a global emphasis instead of perceiving through cross cultural lenses as it evaluates the Global attributes of several emergent individuals exhibiting leadership skills on multicultural teams. These attribute however such as cultural intelligence Global recognition along with an ambiguity towards diversity facilitates a global leader to efficiently supervise their teams with utmost cultural perspectives relevant in the Global context. primary concern of the article was based on person centric environment fit strategy through the illustration of the propensity of developing as proficient leader has been recognised to be significantly higher for members constituting global attributes which appropriately fix the global context. Lisak & Erez, (2015) in their article further mention that establishment on theories of person-environment fit and on pattern approach have revealed that cross-cultural teams tend to score higher in comparison to the individuals possessing. It states that each individual requires the continuing validation of the newly arrived individual’s experience by sustaining an acceptable level of psychological health which incorporates with conceptualization of culture shock as well as psychological adaptation (Lisak & Erez, 2015). These factors have developed the connotations of culture shock and further comprehended it as a vital part of general transition shock. Such natural outcomes relate to the individuals’ incompetence to communicate with the new and unknown environment in an efficient manner.

Approaches used for understanding cultural divergences in global business

3.The important area of Business news article lies on the ability of cross-cultural factors to generate higher profitability level and produce innovative and creative associations to benefit wide ranging people (Nongard, 2018). However the BBC article on cultural adaptation has offered well-observed insights related to both linguistic and cultural flexibility which still has been undergoing critical areas of challenges. The major aspect of Nongard’s article based on the areas those exhibit situation contexts which typically generate cultural shock in comparison to other median articles dealing with cultural competence (Nongard, 2018). Meanwhile Bird & Mendenhall, (2016) had traced evolutionary developments in cross-cultural domains the author could have provided an observed discourse on the consequences of the evaluation for prospective investigation as well as managerial practices. On the other hand, Lisak & Erez, (2015) one of the most comprehensively sited articles, offered a well-observed analysis on attributes of prospective leaders rather than exclusively emphasizing on cross-cultural associations. It has further casted light on the strong analytical ability of pattern approach in relation to the predictive dominance of independent attributes. At this juncture the paper based on “From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution and adaptation” by Bird and Mendenhall must be taken into consideration the article in comparison to Lisak and Nongard sheds light on the way managers engaged in global business domain has adopted strategic role with the emergence of advanced technologies. The idea of cross-cultural adaptation has facilitated process of strategic thinking along with system wide approaches to exhibit intercultural adjustment in leadership skills (Bird & Mendenhall, 2016). The case study on Asian students proposed significance of educators along with host educational institutions to be highly accountable to prepare Asian learners with comprehensive idea of academic discussions and further aid them to successfully surpass any forms of cultural restrictions (Li & Campbell, 2006). However it could have offered an integrated approach in seeking pedagogical approaches to realign them to the demands of both national as well as international learners. Nongard, (2018) on the other hand efficiently focused on the greater level of needs and value that is important to consider the areas of divergences and resemblances in the world of interdependence and globalization. Further Lisak and Erez have accentuated the probability whether cultural knowledge is more significant in comparison to language competencies. It has been observed that though wide ranging global business enterprises are approving English as their official corporate language, comprehensive fluency and confidence is not essential for any project of five years or less duration. However possessing flexibility to diverse communication style are viewed as highly critical (Lisak & Erez, 2015).

References

Aktas, M., Gelfand, M. J., & Hanges, P. J. (2016). Cultural tightness–looseness and perceptions of effective leadership. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 47(2), 294-309.

Alsaad, K. S. M. (2017). Psychosocial and mental health challenges of international students compared to British students in UK universities.

Bird, A., & Mendenhall, M. E. (2016). From cross-cultural management to global leadership: Evolution and adaptation. Journal of World Business, 51(1), 115-126.

Gelfand, M. J., Aycan, Z., Erez, M., & Leung, K. (2017). Cross-cultural industrial organizational psychology and organizational behavior: A hundred-year journey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(3), 514.

Li, M., & Campbell, J. (2006). Cultural adaptation: a case study of Asian students’ learning experiences at a New Zealand university.

Lisak, A., & Erez, M. (2015). Leadership emergence in multicultural teams: The power of global characteristics. Journal of World Business, 50(1), 3-14.

Noels, K. A., & Clément, R. (2015). Situational variations in ethnic identity across immigration generations: Implications for acculturative change and cross?cultural adaptation. International Journal of Psychology, 50(6), 451-462.

Nongard, R. (2018). How Cultural Competence Improves Your Business. Retrieved from https://www.business.com/articles/business-cultural-competence/

Savage, M. (2018). Is cultural knowledge more important than language skills?. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180518-is-cultural-knowledge-more-important-than-language-skills

Shiraev, E. B., & Levy, D. A. (2016). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. Routledge.