Published April 14, 2018
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A recent Boston Consulting Group report highlighted the capability gap companies are faced with when trying to achieve their global ambitions. The work Global Business Culture has done over the past 15 years or so with companies going through this globalisation process would fully support the findings of this report which highlights a number of key deficiencies. Our assertion would be that one of the core knowledge gaps (if not the key knowledge gap) companies struggle with is a lack of understanding of the profound effect local cultural business approaches can have on the delivery of any global strategy.
When going through this globalisation process I’m afraid you just have to face two unassailable realities:
and……
The BCG report highlights three key areas of concern:
I have seen all of these problems happening time after time, year after year with monotonous regularity. Globalisation is a mindset not a word. Understand your own view of the world, your counter-parties’ view of the world and where the similarities and differences are. The similarities are the points of contact where you can build bridges and forge efficient common practices; the differences need to be acknowledged and worked on.
Deep cultural understanding is a ‘must’ not a ‘nice to have’ – but then I suppose I would say that wouldn’t I?
If you would like to discuss how Global Business Culture can help your business work more effectively in a culturally complex world, contact me at keith@globalbusinessculture.com
This post was originally published on LinkedIn, July 16, 2015.
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