Working Across Countries, Languages & Cultures | Mastering International Expansion

Multinational and cross-cultural teams are likewise becoming ever more common, meaning organisations can benefit from an increasingly diverse knowledge base and new, insightful approaches to business challenges. But in an international business context, what is common and accepted for a professional from one country, could be very different for a colleague from overseas. Understanding and recognizing how culture affects our international expansion has helped us to avoid misunderstandings with colleagues and partners.

Organizational hierarchy and attitudes towards management roles can also vary widely between cultures. Whether or not those in junior or middle-management positions feel comfortable speaking up in meetings, questioning senior decisions, or expressing a differing opinion can be dictated by cultural norms. Often these attitudes can be a reflection of a country’s societal values or level of social equality.

Along with differences in etiquette, come differences in attitude, particularly towards things like workplace confrontation, rules, and regulations, and assumed working hours. While some may consider working long hours a sign of commitment and achievement, others may consider these extra hours a demonstration of a lack of efficiency or the de-prioritization of essential family or personal time.

The concept of punctuality can also differ between cultures in an international business environment. Different ideas of what constitutes being “on time” can often lead to misunderstandings or negative cultural perceptions.

With cultural diversity also comes opportunity, here at HANS IM GLüCK I encourage our leaders to positively guide their teams towards understanding the different cultures, as well as embracing local cultures that are unique and new to us. By employing people from different cultures and locations around the world, we give our employees opportunities to gain international experience and global understanding.

It is a tradition at HANS IM GLüCK Singapore to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Chinese New Year. We embrace cultural diversity by bringing together people of different cultures to celebrate unity and prosperity.

In Chinese and other East Asian and Southeast Asian societies, a red envelope, red packet (Ang Pow), is a gift which is given during holidays or special occasions. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck.

“There is an atmosphere of understanding and support at HANS IM GLüCK. Everyone has this respect and curiosity for all the cultural and personal differences between us. This environment encourages everyone to be the best so we can deliver the best.”