IIHR 2000 Coverage: The Importance of Inpatriate Training
By Christine Woolsey
When U.S. multinational companies think about the globalization of their workforce, they often focus on providing training and information to expatriates who are relocating for assignments outside the United States. But with the growing U.S. labor shortage, an increasing number of foreign nationals are coming to the United States.
International human resource managers have to become attuned to the cultural challenges these workers face, according to Dean Foster, senior vice president of global intercultural services for Windham International, a New York-based global mobility consulting firm. Foster, who has spent 19 years as an intercultural trainer, said 50% of the relocation projects Windham does now involve training inpatriates -- those than come to work temporarily in the United States.
Many U.S. managers might assume that assimilating to American culture is easier than assimilating to cultures elsewhere in the world. But Foster pointed out that American culture shock if often more pronounced. He detailed some of the realities of this culture shock during a presentation at the 23rd Annual Institute for International Human Resources Conference & Exhibition held April 2-5 in San Diego.
For example, people from different countries often view American business practices and culture in opposite ways. A Brazilian may describe Americans as always in a hurry, serious, reserved and cautious, whereas a Japanese person would describe Americans as always relaxed, friendly and spontaneous and reckless. It all depends on their cultural backgrounds and points of view.
"HR professionals have to be sensitive about how U.S. culture is being perceived by people from other cultures coming to the United States," Foster said. That often involves cross-culture training.
But to be effective, that training has to delve below the surface of U.S. behaviors. "Only 10% of what you see about a culture is actually visible behavior; 90% of what we do in the U.S. is based on our values, beliefs and historical experiences," he explained. Therefore, global HR directors need to train inpatriates about U.S. behavior as well as U.S. values.
Americans have a unique style of working that can be identified through various means: punctuality, greeting styles, gift-giving, interactions between men and women, meeting protocols and negotiating styles. All of these are very different from business and social behaviors in other countries.
Foster pointed out how America's Puritan values are quite the opposite of the value systems for people elsewhere in the world. Some of these values are apparent in American proverbs. The saying, "God helps those who help themselves," is based on our founding fathers' belief that hard work produces reward. However, when a group of Chinese were asked to fill in the ending of that proverb, they were more likely to say, "God helps those who help others." In fact, the Chinese and people from other Asian cultures perceive this proverb to be very self-serving, Foster explained.
Another common American proverb, "The squeaky wheel gets the oil," means a person should speak up when they want to get attention or make things happen. In Japan, however, a similar saying provokes just the opposite behavior: "The bird that honks gets shot."
Inpatriates have problems adjusting not only to cultural differences in America, but also to the language and food choices. They also often need assistance finding personal and family support and learning about U.S. employment laws, such as sexual harassment.
Effective inpatriate training addresses these concerns and also offers repatriation assistance to employees when they return to their home countries, Foster said. Companies that want to create a truly global environment will also work at incorporating the cultures of their inpatriates into the global organization's headquarters.