Doing Research in International Organizations

Abstract

This chapter describes the difficulties of doing research in international organizations, along with ways to understand and overcome these special hardships. Written by a renowned international researcher with experience in IBM and working with several global organizations, Allen I. Kraut shares many of the experiences he has had and observed. He notes that the major issues in doing such research are based on cultural differences and the related difficulty of communicating with others who may be part of the work effort or work team.

A framework to view culture is described using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions. Examples are offered of how the process of international research can be more complex than working solely in one’s home country. For example, different assumptions about proper inequality in a society (power distance i.e.,) may make some people reluctant to offer any negative feedback to a superior about a research flaw, even if that was desirable. Other people may seem overly critical when they think they are simply being frank.

Major cross-cultural studies are reviewed to show the countries that cluster together, based on similar cultures. This knowledge can make it easier to anticipate the amount of cultural divergence a researcher can expect to work with.

Difficulties in international research are also likely to arise because of faulty communication. This happens primarily when not all colleagues are native speakers of the same language. In some settings, where English may be everyone’s second language, the chances for misunderstandings are increased. Aids to better communication include reflective listening and allowing more time and more interaction among co-workers, especially when they are part of a work team that is virtual and global.

The chapter offers examples of how international researchers have been successful in doing research and applying their work. The examples cover employee opinion surveys, global selection systems, and human resource management. The chapter concludes with an appendix of useful resources for teaching and understanding cultural differences among nations through the use of the Internet, movies and other books.

Chapter Appendix—Useful Sources for Cultural Information

For Americans to get a better understanding of American culture, a quick way to start would be to travel out of the USA. A new awareness based on travel experiences would probably prove true for most people in other countries as well. Fortunately, there are less expensive alternatives (and supplements) to actual travel. These methods include talking to people who have been in other countries about their experiences, watching movies from and about other countries, reading books set in other lands, and learning from studies specifically focused on national cultures. Some specific and useful sources are described below.

Internet

The web is a major asset in learning about country cultures. A website called culturecrossing.net is a fabulous resource for learning about appropriate everyday behavior in most countries around the world. The site describes proper greetings, eye contact, use of personal space, and touching, as well as taboos and also covers topics like meetings, negotiations, and even gift giving. There are also special sections for students and business people. This site also offers links to a variety of short and interesting (if somewhat uneven) videos that can be the basis for orienting and training members of a research team.

Not surprisingly, Google and other web search engines will give researchers fascinating information, by searching for a combination of “culture” and “country name.” Wikipedia and other data sources can be most helpful. Hofstede has created a website to give culture dimension scores and some explanation for more than 80 countries. (See http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html.) Sites such as everyculture.com and also a “fact book” by the US Central Intelligence Agency (see http://ciaworldfactbook.us/countries) offer good factual descriptions of most countries’ history, geography, politics, population, holidays, and culture³.

Films

An appealing way to appreciate another culture is to see it come to life in a movie. For example, a recent film called “Outsourced” starring Larry Pine tells the story of an executive whose US call center is shut down and he goes to India to train his replacement. He encounters vast cultural differences in every aspect of his business and personal life. Such movies are often easily available on DVD or via streaming websites such as Netflix.

A number of other useful films come to mind, such as “Gung Ho,” the comedy with Michael Keaton, that has a Japanese firm re-opening an American auto plant, and introducing its own cultural traditions, like morning calisthenics and company singing. Other films, such as “Lost in Translation” with Bill Murray, show the travails of an American executive doing business in Tokyo. Such films may not always be relied on for accurate profiles of culture, but may provoke worthwhile interest and discussions.

Cultural Etiquette

A valuable, perhaps surprising, resource for dealing with other countries comes from a former White House social secretary, Leticia Baldrige, who has written a book on business etiquette (Baldrige 1993). It includes many topics that are important to effective I–O research in international organizations when it involves interacting with people from other countries. The book covers behaviors and attitudes on punctuality, dress, the acceptance of women, dining, and even the appropriate time to open a gift, which varies by country. Hand gestures that are innocent in one nation can take on offensive meaning elsewhere. Showing the soles of one’s shoes to another, or handing over an object with the left hand (sometimes associated with toilet paper) can be an insult. Researchers can read Ms. Baldrige’s book, New Complete Guide to Executive Manners as a checklist of cultural differences, both striking and subtle, from one’s own country. Her chapter on Doing Business Internationally is especially relevant to our efforts, as it covers topics like meetings, social customs, and gift giving. Of special note might be the section titled “American habits that displease people from other countries.” Among other things, she warns against teasing about sacred matters, even in jest.