Marco, the Italian COO of a technology company in Mumbai, can’t motivate his Indian employees. Anat, an Israeli management consultant working in the United States, struggles to give “American style” feedback. Seungwoo, the CEO of a Korean software firm with a new Shanghai office, has trouble retaining Chinese staffers. All three of these executives should be successful in their respective cross-cultural contexts.77 What is impeding their success? Brandeis professor Andrew Molinksy believes they lack a specific skill he calls “cultural code-switching,” which is the ability to modify behavior in specific situations to accommodate varying cultural norms. It requires more than thinking globally, knowledge, and motivation. Managers must address the psychological challenges that require them to act outside of their comfort zone. The need to adapt to another culture is not new. You have probably heard the phrase “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” This originated with an ancient Roman leader’s need to adjust to another culture. Augustine, a native of Carthage serving as Bishop of Milan, wrote to Januarius, Bishop of Naples, with advice about an upcoming trip to their headquarters in Rome. At the time, Christians in Rome fasted on Saturday, whereas Christians in other cities did not. To avoid scandal or offense, Augustine’s approach was to fast when in Rome but not when at home in Milan, and he advised Januarius to adapt to local norms in the same way. Augustine had a long, successful career, and it may have been due to his ability to adapt and do as the Romans did when in Rome.78 Today’s OB research has shed light on the process that individuals go through in adapting to another culture....

Discussion Questions

1. Explain why the instrumental approach is more effective in adapting to another culture than avoiding the internal conflict experienced when interacting with persons from another culture.

2. Provide an example of a time when you experienced a conflict due to interaction with a person from another culture. Reflect on this experience. What did you learn from this?

3. How can you use knowledge of cultural retooling phases to help you adapt to another culture?