A question of permission – what do you allow yourself at Christmas? (Series: global teamwork)

“The question is not who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me”,

Ayn Rand, Russian-American novelist

What do you allow yourself during the holidays?

How far can you go?

This is also partly a question of cultural imprinting. And what better time to focus on indulgence than the holidays, a chance to spend time with the family, review the past year, perhaps eat a treat or two that you would otherwise have denied yourself?

I allow myself to go to the gym less right after Christmas.

Because there’s nothing I hate more than classes that are so full that I can’t practice crow during yoga without feeling like I’m sitting on my neighbor’s lap or having the participant’s backside right in front of me.

For me and my little family, the holidays are a time of peace, togetherness and enjoyment.

This is what Hofstede’s dimension of indulgence (or indulgence versus restraint) is all about. The latest of a total of 6 dimensions is based on Michael Minkov’s continuation of Geert Hofstede’s work; it is therefore still somewhat controversial, but in my opinion nonetheless contains some interesting points from which intercultural cooperation benefits.

Basically, it is about how socially acceptable it is to pursue one’s subjective well-being and happiness, to allow oneself something, or to want or have to restrict oneself due to social norms.

Cultures with a high pleasure orientation are characterized by

• An optimistic basic attitude.
• The expectation that you smile when you come into contact with other people.
• The belief that you can shape and control your own life.
• A high percentage of people who feel healthy.
• Higher birth rates, in the wealthier states.
• The fact that maintaining order is a lower priority.

Cultures in which self-control is held in high esteem are characterized by:

• A pessimistic attitude.
• Widespread cynicism.
• Cautious reactions when people are smiled at by strangers.
• The belief that life happens to you and there is little you can do about it.
• The importance of thrift.
• A lower birth rate in wealthier countries.
• The fact that maintaining order is a high priority.

This was particularly evident when McDonald’s wanted to gain a foothold in Russia and gave the local employees what has also contributed to success in the USA: the smile of the employees when customers arrive at the counter. Unfortunately, in Russia this increasingly led to confusion among customers, who wondered what the staff wanted from them and why they were being smiled at by complete strangers, so McDonald’s had to adapt its strategy here in order to survive in the market.

Kulturen, in denen Selbstbeherrschung als Wert hochgehalten wird, sind gekennzeichnet von:

• Einer pessimistischen Grundeinstellung.
• Verbreitetem Zynismus.
• Verhaltenen Reaktionen, wenn Menschen von Fremden angelächelt werden.
• Dem Glauben, dass einem das Leben passiert, und man wenig dagegen tun kann.
• Der Wichtigkeit von Sparsamkeit.
• Einer niedrigeren Geburtenrate, in wohlhabenderen Ländern.
• Der Tatsache, dass der Erhalte von Ordnung mit hoher Priorität verfolgt wird.

Dies ließ sich besonders gut verfolgen, wie McDonald’s in Russland Fuss fassen wollte, und den hiesigen Mitarbeiter*innen das mitgegeben wurde, was auch in den USA zum Erfolg beigetragen hat: das Lächeln der Mitarbeiter*innen bei der Ankunft von Kund*innen am Tresen. Leider führte das in Russland vermehrt zur Verstörung der Kund*innen, die sich fragten, was die Mitarbeiter*innen von ihnen wollten, und wieso sie von wildfremden Menschen angelächelt wurden, sodass McDonald’s hier ihre Strategie anpassen musste, um am Markt zu bestehen.

As always, “Before you take this medicine, speak…..”. These frameworks are intended as references and will not be able to predict every situation exactly.

That’s why I find it all the more interesting to see where you yourself stand on a topic:

• What do I allow myself to do?
• What do I allow others to do?
• How does this affect my collaboration with people from other cultures?

With this knowledge, it is easier to engage with other approaches.

Whatever you plan to do over the holidays, whether it is enjoyment or mastery, I wish you continued ‘good intercultural teamworking’, thank you for your attention and look forward to a new one in 2018!

Under the links you will find the previous articles on individualism and collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, Hofstede, cultural misunderstandings.

Be it as leaders or teams, as a business coach I can support strengthening your intercultural cooperation and to  effectively  benefit from your cultural diversity. Get in touch with me!

See you soon,

Cary Langer-Donohoe