The Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research - Houston
Submitted August 2005
Book View
By
David C. Wigglesworth
Saphiere, Dianne Hofner and Barbara Kappler Mikk and Basma Ibrahim DeVries COMMUNICATION HIGHWIRE, Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles. Intercultural Press, A Nicholas Brealey Publishing Company, Yarmouth, ME: 2005. 286 pp. Paperback ($34.95).
Under the big top, the performers often have a safety net in the event that they misstep. We, on the other hand, may err in the communication process and find ourselves without a net to save us. Using a circus metaphor, the authors show us how to maintain our balance on the highwire of intercultural communication and through examples and exercises help to provide us with ways to build our own safety net and experience more successful (if not always applause winning) interactions.
If ever such a book was needed, this is the time. For many of us, I think that this is a work that we all have been waiting for. It reflects solid theory, provides a multitude and variety of excellent examples, and gives us the tools to enhance our effectiveness in intercultural (and even mono-cultural) communication. It is a powerful book because it helps us to look at ourselves and determine our communication styles and where and when to use them.
According to the authors, if the message content is the what and the communicators are the who, then communication style is the how. This “how” or the way we communicate or exchange information is different for different individuals, may reflect varying situations, it may be different in other cultures and is certainly impacted by our beliefs, values and personality.
In this work, they specifically identify five factors of communication style. These are: context; goals; self-concept; values; and repertoire. And then we are introduced to a five pointed star chart that enables us to identify the relative importance of each factor in any given communication attempt. In the succeeding chapter we are presented with techniques for analyzing these charts and delving deeper into considering the particular emphases of each factor.
The authors also present a Communication Style Descriptor Check List to aid us in ascertaining what may be behind the scenes of our communication styles. In this section they work at developing a neutral terminology that may enable us to fully discuss differences in communication style and link these to differences in deeper culture.
The goal of the book is to help us leverage the power of diverse communication styles.
To assist us in this they present a four stage model.
We need to reflect on our experience to discover our feelings.
We need to analyze our feelings to discover why we feel the way that we do.
We need to discuss with others their intentions and experience.
And we need to decide how to proceed.
The book concludes with multiple examples of how too use the factors and descriptors with the goal of trying to perfect our skills through practice.
Aside from the heart of this work, which space does not allow a full presentation, there are the insightful and valuable scenarios offered. In each chapter they take us back to earlier scripts in order to apply the new learnings in easy to understand presentations that enhance the overall value of the book. Every chapter has meaningful exercises and applications that just carry the reader along the way to communication stardom.
It is more than just mirrors and music under the big top that the book proffers, it is a way to succeed on the highwire by balancing one’s values and perceptions, among other factors, in leveraging the power of diverse communication styles.
This is a book that everyone needs! It is profound, practical, and a pleasure to read. And while it may not resolve all your communication difficulties, it will certainly enlighten you by providing keen insights and proven techniques. Go get it!
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. an interculturalist is an international management and organization development consultant working through D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234/832-689-0923. Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted March 2004
Book View
By David C. Wigglesworth
Trompenaars, Fons and Peter Woolliams Marketing
Across Cultures. May, 2004. Capstone Ltd. Publishers (UK). 280 pages ($19.95)
This is a book that breaks new ground and reflects original thinking applied
to the dilemmas of marketing across cultures. It is a thoroughly researched
and well documented approach that provides practical initiatives for immediate
application.
The authors contend that ‘culture’ in today’s market place
is not simply a factor to be added in to the marketing equation, but a fundamental
construct that pervades the whole of the marketing paradigm. Thus this book
is not a list of to do’s and taboo’s but rather it offers a new
conceptual framework to provide a way of thinking that can be generalized across
cultures within a practical framework.
This marketing paradigm hinges on the three R’s of recognition, respect,
and reconciliation. The first two, of course, are fundamentals from years of
cross-cultural and inter-cultural interactions but the third R of reconciliation
is a key factor in the effective marketing across cultures.
Thinking in dilemmas allows us to recognize that a dilemma is the apparent
conflict of two propositions, where one has to chose between two good or desirable
options such as the opposition of flexibility to consistency and the tension
that is created by conflicting demands.
When faced with a dilemma, one can ignore the other options, abandon one’s
own position, compromise, or try reconciliation. To reconcile is to use an
approach where the two opposing views can come to fuse or blend – where
the strength of one extreme is extended by considering and accommodating the
other.
The book goes on to discuss marketing across cultures including the value dimensions,
marketing research, branding and franchising, ethnic boundaries, E-marketing
dilemmas, strategic marketing and the all important chapter on developing one’s
capacity to reconcile dilemmas.
It is a powerful book replete with case studies, examples, and solid information.
It reflects considerable research in the topic itself and in its intercultural
applications. The authors have produced an admirable work that is both informative
and practical.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. an interculturalist is a management and organization
development consultant and president of D.C.W. Research Associates International,
2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476, Email:dcwigg@earthlink.net
Book View
by
David C. Wigglesworth
Edwards, Linda E. Coin of Gold, A Novel of Love and Greed. Xlibris Corporation (1-888-795-42747 or www.Xlibris.com). 234 pp.
This book by our local SIETAR Houston member Linda Edwards is an enchanting novel that explores culture change on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago. It is an intriguing story of families and the individuals in these families. It explores the impact of changing values on them and their society. It depicts the pernicious effects of greed and lust in a story that carries the reader forward through the lives of its characters.
In someway, using the novel as a metaphor she links a happening of the distant past to events in on the island that proves to be a fascinating examination of differences in the cultures of changing times. It is a tale of how seemingly inconsequential actions can impact an entire society. We find vivid descriptions and an effective use of similes.
The characters include police officers, an unhappy family, thieves, good neighbors, and avaricious individuals whose lives are affected by the discovery of a gold coin from the past. Through this discovery we are led to observe the changes in behavior of people. We see how one thing leads to another within individual, family, and societal cultures.
The author writes beautifully:
Mr. Sierra glanced at the sky as he mounted his horse. No sign of rain. It was March. A blazing blue sky, free of all haze, gave the impression of seeing into infinity. Rain was not really expected until early May. He sniffed the air as a dog would. In this dry weather, bush fires could break out when the incendiary rocks in the hills overheated. Daily, he looked at the sky, and the rising hills behind his estate, as if they held the answers to his dwindling fortunes. Whatever the hills knew, they were silent this early morning. The sun had only just tipped their edges with gold, and the clefts of the valley, like the space between a woman’s thighs, were deep in shadows.
I found the book to be fascinating and hard to put down. The people in this book are very human with all the natural frailties and strengths that we have. I keep thinking about the characters, how their lives changed, and wondering how long the lessons learned will last. It is a great read both illuminating and entertaining.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist is an international/intercultural management and organization development consultant and president of a D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas, 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 2003
Book View
by David C. Wigglesworth
Lieberman, Simma, George Simons and Kate Berardo, Putting Diversity to Work: What to know and do to get the best out of a diverse workforce
A Fifty-Minute Series Book from Crisp Publications, a division of Course Technology/Thomson
Learning. http://www.crisplearning.com. Ph +1 800-442-7477; fax +1 650-323-5800.
115 pages, ISBN: 1-56052-695-5. Price: $13.95. October 2003
Just when you think that everything has been written about diversity, you come across a new work that opens up your eyes and your thoughts and steers you to new perspectives on the subject. This is a tremendously powerful, highly valuable, extremely practical, and keenly insightful book by Lieberman, Simons, and Berardo.
Putting Diversity to Work is a wonderful can-do workbook that we come to expect from Crisp Publications. These books are designed to be read with a pencil in hand either by yourself or in tandem with a friend or colleague. They are also useful in classroom situations. This book can be utilized in the above ways but I think it will be most useful in facilitated workshops which can allow for a greater sharing of knowledge and perspectives.
In an interactive foreword we are asked to assess where we feel we and our organization are relative to the business case for diversity. It is a stimulating exercise that helps to prepare us for the rest of the text.
Part One address the enabling of your organization. It looks at: building the business case for diversity and focuses on profit, people, and the planet. It calls for making a map of your shareholders and developing a threes stage process for creating stakeholder synergy to support your diversity effort and develop a business strategy to continuously gain a competitive advantage. Additionally, part one calls for benchmarking best practices and it provides ways of measuring success through an acronym, ROIC - Return on Investment Capital that underscores the characteristics of a successful diversity initiative. ROIC equals Relevant, Owned by all, Inclusive, and Complete.
Part Two is concerned with developing ourselves that includes looking at our own values and knowing our own biases and assumptions. It discusses common ideas about diversity, what it actually is, and how to think outside the box. In various exercises we look at differences in the workplace, learning about others, and steps to take to become a diversity leader in our organizations.
Part Three gets to some of the nitty-gritty of diversity efforts as we view such topics as: what managers must know and DO, face to face communication, gathering input from employees, and diversity and new ways of working. This section has two sidebars: Ten Tips for Managing Multicultural Employees and Ten Tips for E-Mailing across Borders and Cultures. While not presented as panaceas these tips are great guides that can enhance our effectiveness.
Part Four brings it all together addressing the Empowerment of Diversity by recruiting for diversity, assessing one’s interviewing skills, introducing new people, retaining the best people, and promoting the best candidates. Also, we look at encouraging diverse leadership styles that include hearing from everyone and mapping the diversity challenges. The section concludes with perceptions on managing people in conflict and dealing with sexual harassment issues.
At the back of the book we find authors’ notes on the exercises and case studies and an impressive and helpful list of resources.
What is unique about this book, aside from the fresh inputs it offers, is that by reading the material and doing the exercises we can become more competent in providing enabling diversity leadership in our organizations. The authors have provided a real service to the profession in producing this valuable work. I heartily recommend it to one and all.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist, is an international management
and organization development consultant with D.C.W. Research Associates International,
2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234; Email:
dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted Aug 30/2002
Book View
by David C. Wigglesworth
Simons, George and others EuroDiversity,
A Business Guide to Managing Difference
Butterworth Heinemann (an imprint of Elsevier Science),
New York:2002. 384 pages, paper bound, $37.99.
Available after 05 July 2002.
For some time now there has been a sea of confusion vis-a-vis the U.S. and European nations as to what is meant by cultural diversity. Discussions with trainers, a reading of the literature, and listening to different perspectives have amply demonstrated that the term cultural diversity has different meanings and different applications in the U.S. and also betwixt and between the variety of European nations. Our views of each other's definitions and treatments reflect a keen lack of accurate knowledge and understanding about one and other. And, while it is true that there have been a great number of books of varying degrees of quality written about diversity in the United States, little to nothing has appeared about European diversity.
Now, George Simons and his authors have brought a great deal of sense to the dilemmas of diversity and have made a successful attempt to clarify the air, explain the differences, and to provide positive comparative insights. This book is a first step but it is a very important step in awakening us to some of the fundamental issues of EuroDiversity . Additionally, he and the other authors place diversity in a broader scope.
In the Prologue Simons says:
Diversity is about globalization, organizational learning, and the growing importance of knowledge management just as much as it is about recruitment, equal opportunity, workforce demographics, and social integration. It concerns the information technology that is almost daily revolutionizing communication. It affects interactive networking and transport. It is perhaps the critical issue in many mergers and acquisitions – and often the least attended to. It is at the root of how organizations transform themselves.
With this broad, and I believe perceptive, vision of diversity, Simons and his other authors have provided us with ten chapters that introduce some of the fundamentals of the diversity picture in Europe. Simons in the first chapter aptly entitled Patchwork: The Diversities of Europeans and Their Business Impact paints a picture of how diversity and diversity management in Europe focuses on their own objectives, philosophy, tools, and methodologies and how these may differ from the U.S. and other models.
The data in the next three chapters (The Legacy of the Past: How National and Regional Differences Continue to Effect Trade, Cooperation, Politics, and Relationships; Current Cultural Crises, Fears, Fantasies, and Foreseeable Futures; and Managing Diversity to Create Marketable Value Added from Difference ) represents the structure and responses from a questionnaire that was submitted to a select group of managers and professionals throughout Europe. The survey aimed at identifying the principle challenges that diversity faces in Europe, to recognize how these challenges affect business and organizations in Europe, and to help them report the best practices that have been developed in response to these challenges.
As we are learning in the United States, diversity impacts all aspects of corporate activities and in the next chapter, Europe Online: The "New" Economy and Virtual Collaboration from a Cultural Perspective, the impact and influence of technology has significant meaning for diversity concerns. Here the book looks at the future of European diversity in a wired world. It examines the changing nature of commerce, organizational learning, and expatriation and provides insight into some of the leading efforts and technologies.
More often than not diversity issues in the U.S. have focused on avoiding litigation, human resources development, and in more recent years enhancing the bottom line. Chapter six, Corporate Best Practice: What Some European Organizations Are Doing Well to Manage Culture and Diversity, offers us a much more inclusive picture as it presents an overall view of how diversity is thought of, acted upon and managed in some European countries. It also, very importantly, depicts the missing links in the corporate response to being and working in a diverse environment.
Getting to the nitty-gritty in chapter seven, The Cross-Cultural Transfer of Best Practices: Learning from European and American Experiences of Knowledge Management, the author looks at diversity from a different perspective from the historical role(s) it has had in the U.S. Here, we find an examination of knowledge management aspects of three European based global organizations which pays particular attention to how these companies look at the complex cross-cultural challenge of transferring knowledge, experience and values throughout their organizations worldwide. This chapter has particular value for American diversity professionals.
The succeeding chapter Sustainable Entrepreneurship in a Changing Europe: Pedagogy of Ethics for Corporate Organizations in Transformation, brings up the issue of "corporate citizenship" and social responsibility within our globalization efforts. These become essential ingredients of a framework for diversity in Europe, and hopefully elsewhere.
The penultimate chapter, Equal Opportunity for Women and Men in the European Union: The Case of E-Quality in Belgium, deals with gender relations in the European workplace and offers us a valuable case study. Chapter ten, Who is the European? Prognosis and Recommendations, brings the whole book together. It looks at the difficult question of identity as an agenda for determining the both the social and the economic future of Europe and of the diversity initiatives that the present and future will require.
The book is indexed, has excellent chapter references, an extensive bibliography including Internet resources, and five appendices: Declaration on Cultural Diversity; Commission of the European Communities; Declaration on a European Policy for New Information Technologies; Survey of Diversity Challenges in the E.U. Region; and Benchmarking Initiative.
The book offers the American reader (and I dare say, many European readers) keen insights into the complexity of diversity issues in the E.U. It also offers all diversity professionals some major considerations in regard to the wired world and knowledge management in facing diversity issues. This is a first rate thought provoking work! It is a basic primer and should be required reading in national and international and global organizations!
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist provides
international/intercultural management and organization development consulting
and is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale
Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281-359-4234; Fax: 4238; Email:dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted Apr 14/2002
Book View
by David C. Wigglesworth
Flores, Lawrence Ph.D., THE DYNAMICS OF CAREER ADVANCEMENT Understanding the Politics of Promotion, Balancing Theory and Practice. 148 pages 81/2 x 11, Spiral bound. $15.00 from Lawrence G. Flores, 48122 North Fourth Street, Fresno, CA 93726. Tel: 559-222-6307; Fax: 559-226-7478; Email: Lgflores@aol/com or Lgflores2@netzero.net.
Larry Flores is a leader in helping people understand career advancement in the workplace. His popular Multicultural Promotion Track Game enables the participants to understand not only the barriers to promotion but also the opportunities for advancement. It is a catalytic simulation that focuses on the steps for getting ahead in a multicultural workplace.
This book refines his ideas and is the only book that I know of that really addresses the key issues in career advancement for people of all ethnicities. It is a delightful work, full of thought provoking quotes and providing keen insights into the politics of promotion.
In the preface we find that the dynamics of career advancement are critical to the leadership and management processes. They go to the heart of morale, productivity, and control of the work environment. By understanding this book, readers will have a frame of reference which will allow them to discuss career advancement as they would any other matter of an organization's business. Looking at career advancement as a discipline, the book sets forth concepts that focus on what it takes to move from the ranks and make it to the top. This includes a special emphasis on the racial and gender divide that exists in the upper echelons of management, for as the author states "If career advancement was a straight forward process, there would be no need for the applied principles of career advancement theory."
In the book, we find that for career advancement one must make decisions which enable one to blend hard work with the art of utilizing appearances, emotions, and words that tend to fit into the corporate model. If, as he suggests, management knows what factors are under a staff member's control, does a staff member know what formal and informal aspects of his/her career advancement are under management's control?
The book includes chapters that focus on the real model for career advancement, the conventional wisdom models, and the surreal model as well as chapters that address ethics, sports models, and content of character.
The author concludes with a new paradigm for career advancement, the language and symbols of career advancement politics, and a description of the multicultural promotion track simulation game. The book has some grammatic glitches and a few typos but the book itself enables the readers to understand and discuss the forces that can shape their careers. It gives legitimacy to discussing career advancement as a discipline and shows how a proactive approach can help to those who would understand that there is more to career advancement than just hard work.
The book is a formidable analysis of the subject that provokes new thinking, new discussion, and hopefully new advancements.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist, is an international
management and organization development consultant. He can be reached at D.C.W.
Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476
USA. Tel: 281-359-4236/4234; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted Aug 31/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth Since 1967,
InternationalIntercultural Management Consulting
2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339 USA
My introduction to formalized leadership came during the Korean War, as I served as an instructor in the U.S. Army Infantry Leadership Course at Ft. Dix, NJ. There it was a pretty cut and dried formula with no opportunity for innovation. In the ensuing years leadership innovations have leaped into the spotlight with ever increasing frequency. Hardly a year goes by without some professor or management guru promulgating the latest leadership theory and its applications.
In my reading of this literature, I find that many, if not most, of them offer little of substance and seem to focus on providing panaceas that seldom seem to be applicable to my or my clients' situations. They enjoy waves of popularity and then like the old soldier just fade away to be replaced by the next new popular leadership theory.
Well, Tom Peters et al can step aside. The dynamic duo of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner clearly demonstrate what effective managers need to learn to lead their organizations into the digital age. Rather than offering universal applications, these authors examine the nature of effective leadership in some depth. In specific situations they review the dilemmas of management and provide hardcore examples of how to reconcile fundamental issues of leadership.
Utilizing their base data from thousands of surveys of leaders and followers around the world and with their seven dimensions of cultural competence they have interviewed global leaders as they cope with the dilemmas of leadership. Rather than presenting seven or more essential habits, they focus on how these leaders reconcile differences to attain more effective management.
The authors suggest that business cultures are different, and that because business is run differently around the globe, we need different managerial and leadership competencies. What they call transcultural competence is their way of bridging those differences. It is a logic that tends to unify differences and that delineates the manager from the leader and the successful leader from the unsuccessful one. They call for a new way of thinking. Through-Through thinking is beyond either-or and even and- and thinking in that it synthesizes seemingly opposed values into coherence. Thus the main theme throughout this book is that effective leaders reconcile value dilemmas better than those who don't.
In in-depth interviews with 21 business leaders that run the range from Richard Branson of Virgin through the former Russian Prime Minister Sergei Kiriyenko, to corporate leaders throughout the West, we see the applications of transcultural competence through the use of the authors' seven dimensions: rule-making vs exception finding, that is universalism vs particularism; self-interest and personal fulfillment vs group interest and social concern, that is individualism vs communitarianism; preference for precise, singular, "hard" standards vs preference for pervasive, patterned. "soft: processes, that is specificity vs diffusion; emotions inhibited vs emotions expressed, that is neutral vs affective; status achieved through success and track record vs status ascribed to person's potential such as age, family, education, that is achievement vs ascription; control and effective direction comes from within vs control and effective direction comes from inside, that is inner-directed vs outer-directed; and time is conceived of as a "race" with passing increments vs time is conceived of as a "dance" with circular iterations, that is sequential vs synchronic. While not all of the 21 leaders address all of the above factors in their corporations, we do see that a number of these dimensions occur in varying issues of each organization. They include Kiriyenko working to reconcile dilemmas at the Nizhmy Novorod Oil Company (NORSI) such as that of inner direction (young Russians) vs outer directed (older Russians) or that of cronyism vs new rules or universalism vs particularism. Philippe Bourguignon of Club Med working to reconcile the dilemma of the unique, seamless, personalized vacation vs the reliable, affordable, segmented, standardized holiday with the specific ingredients going into the making of diffuse experiences.
Other examples of the reconciliation of dilemmas appear in such case studies as: creating a hyperculture with Martin Gillo of Advanced Micro Devices; recapturing the true mission with Christian Majgaard of Lego; the balance between market and product with Anders Knutsen of Bang and Olufsen; keeping closer to the customer with David Komansky of Merrill Lynch; and much more. Each of the case studies in the book offers rare insights into how the dilemmas of leadership can be met and how transcultural competence can be applied to leadership in the digital age. To quote the book itself: "The central premise that evolved is that the propensity to reconcile seemingly different contradictory values is the key competence behavior required for a leader to be effective in today's digital world." This is a fascinating spellbinding text blending the intercultural dilemmas of management with the reconciling forces of leadership to create innovative leaders. The examples from 21 business leaders prove again and again that Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner have hit enough nails on the head to build a solid model for the future.
David C. Wigglesworth an interculturalist is a management and organization
development consultant and is president of D.C.W. Research Associates
International in Kingwood, Texas. He can be reached at 281-359-4236/34 and
dcwigg@earthlink.net
.
Submitted Sept 11/2001
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
This book lives up to its title. It is an easy step-by-step guide to performance measurement. The authors point out the difference between performance measurement and evaluation stressing that performance measurement is based to a large degree on comparison between what is and what is wanted. The book provides: an overview of performance measurement, its concepts and definitions; an easy to follow linear approach; the four basic steps in the performance measurement process (establishing the business case, identifying the right performance metrics, implementing the performance measurement system, and leveraging results to improve performance); and the fourteen tools to be used. In succeeding chapters the process and the tools are linked through an ongoing case study. And to make this all easier and practical the CD-ROM provides downloadable customizable templates, tools, job-aids, and techniques. This is an excellent practical guide to implementing a performance measurement system for seasoned practitioners as well as neophytes.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an interculturalist consultant in human
resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W.
Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476
USA. Tel: 281-359-4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
.
Submitted Aug 31/2000
Book Brief by David C. Wigglesworth
The value of this book is twofold in that it is based on research and that it provides a wide array of options and techniques for reconstituting teams and making them more effective. It is a comprehensive look at team building that includes: assessment tools and inventories; exercises, activities, job-aids, and reading recommendations; and case studies which are also on the diskette. It proffers: the opening resources that teams need to be successful; how team dynamics and characteristics can aid and abet high performing teams; the essentials of effective team meetings; techniques for making critical decisions and coping with team conflict; how to evaluate team outcomes and member satisfaction; and introduces groupware technology for virtual teams. In addition to the case studies there are over a dozen team exercises included on the diskette. This is a highly practical book that reflects solid research and brilliant applications in an easy to read format suitable to all practitioners.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources,
management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research
Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA.
Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 31/2000
Book Brief by David C. Wigglesworth
This book is aimed at helping organizations and individuals develop successful ventures that eschew the short-term, quick-fix activities, and instead result in long term value for both organizational and individual success. It describes eight ‘value drivers' that must be understood and integrated for an organization to achieve sustainable success. These are: external cultural values, internal cultural values, employee values, supplier values, customer values, third-party values, competitor values, and owner values. The authors content that when these values are used to drive an organization's leadership, management, and decision-making processes, long-term value is guaranteed. This is a well written text with clear and concise case studies and examples that illustrate the key points that the authors wish to make. It is a welcome approach in a business environment that has been captivated by instant gratification and short-term gains.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 31/2000
Book Brief by David C. Wigglesworth
Essentially what we have here is the application of project management techniques to performance improvement, but there is so much more. This book is a comprehensive step-by-step guide that also includes the rationale and the philosophy/theory for the effective management of performance improvement projects. It allows the reader to deal with the "what ifs?", to scope out potential problems in advance of their happening, and to readily assess how changes in the plan can impact the project. While we have the three basic steps of project management: preparing, planning, and implementing, we also have a very solid presentation of the skills of successful human performance technology projects such as: managing people effectively, handling budgets, creating schedules to work with time constraints, and overseeing the quality of work. The book offers techniques, forms, diagrams, and exercises that all point the way for the effective management of performance improvement. It is probably the best book on this subject in its field.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 30/2000
Book Brief by David C. Wigglesworth
This book is a primer on human performance technology (HPT) presenting a step-by-step guide to the implementation of performance improvement in an organization. It recognizes the role of training in building skills but successfully argues that HPT provides for the development, application, and evaluation of skills in an holistic approach that more adequately meets the needs of both the organization and its people. Written in a clear and conversational style with examples, diagrams, and applications, the book guides the reader through the HPT process. It predicts possible pitfalls and paves the way for smooth (but not uneventful) transition. It does this by helping the reader to identify basic problems, eschewing simplistic solutions, and proffering an approach that can dramatically affect the growth and success of an organization.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 30/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
The subtitle for each books is A Fearless Guide to International Communication and Behavior. The books all follow a similar pattern. After the introduction which includes a letter from the subject area of the book informing the reader about some of the impressions the people of that area may have about Americans and subtly letting them know a bit about their own perceptions.
Part One: How To Go International tells the reader to never generalize about a people or their country, describes the so-called ugly American, provides suggestions about being considerate, and lists the authors ten commandments of going international. This section is basically the same in all the books.
Part Two: Rules That Always Apply concerns itself with vital statistics - knowing the fundamental facts about the country you are visiting, meetings and greetings, names and titles, language and body language, dining/entertaining, tipping, manners, thank you notes, dress, gifts, punctuality and pace, strictly business - general guidelines for the business person, especially for women - practical advice for maintaining your individuality without breaking with local conventions, health and safety, and a reminder to pay attention to holidays.
Part Three: Country Information provides country specific data addressing the fifteen sections of part two (above). Vital statistics for example includes the name of the country, its population, land size, type of government, living standard (GDP), natural resources, agriculture, industries, climate, and currency. Information on the people includes their correct name, ethnic makeup, value systems, family, and religion. Useful phrases in the language of the country, as well as menu terms, and the names of typical foods are provided along with the correct terms of address. Each section concludes with a list of the holidays of that particular country.
These books should be read by anyone going abroad and should be a must read for business people going to a particular country. The books are fact filled, but more than that they offer concrete suggestions for getting along successfully in a foreign clime. Note: There is also a book about America (Put Your Best Foot Forward USA) for foreigners coming to this country. It has enough interesting and valuable material in it that it should be read by those of us who live here.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted August 30/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
One of the publishing events that I look forward to each year is the publication of the Annual. Originally from University Associates and then from Pfeiffer and now from Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, the Annual, consistently for 34 years, has provided cutting edge materials from actual real-time practitioners. This year is no exception!
The general policy over the years has been that for the most part these materials may be duplicated for education and training purposes and may be adapted to meet your particular needs. These books are rich resources of ideas, instruments, experiential learning activities and keen articles of interest to all professionals.
Volume 1 addresses training. The experiential learning section presents 14 activities that deal with, among others, diversity issues, organization concerns, communication games, preparing for the best from telephone conferencing, training for learning transfer, and techniques for persuading others. In the inventories, questionnaires, and surveys section we find a sexual harassment survey that explores gender differences, an attribution inventory that addresses manager or scientist, a transfer climate assessment, and an aptitude for becoming a mentor survey. The final section on presentation and discussion resources provides us with 10 articles on communication, problem solving, consulting and facilitation. At the back of the book is a list of all the contributors and how you can reach them.
Practically every item in this volume is of considerable value. It is difficult to pick a favorite but if I had to chose but one of these contributions to recommend, it would probably be Ground Rules for Training by Brian Gordon. This reading proposes that one way to encourage learner commitment and participation is to create ground rules for trainers and trainees that create an open, supportive, responsible learning environment. The article is deceptively simple but carries considerable weight with it.
Volume 2 focuses on consulting. The experiential learning section presents 13 activities that deal with, among others, diversity. Individual development, communications, problem solving, teams, and facilitation. In the inventories, questionnaires, and surveys section we find a team hope survey designed to enhance performance in teams, an organizational readiness inventory diagnosing your organization's ability to adapt to the future, and an organization profile instrument determining the match between an organization's type and personal needs. The final section on presentation and discussion resources provides us with 13 articles on individual development, communication, problem solving, groups and teams, consulting, and leadership. Again, at the back of this book is a list of all the contributors and how you can reach them.
Again, selecting one item from a volume of terrific contributions is exceedingly difficult, However, I heartily recommend the experiential learning activity by Julie O'Mara and Aja Oakman entitled Unearned Privilege: Understanding Dominant-Culture Advantage. This is a very powerful exercise that addresses key issues in a diverse workforce and is a catalyst for having people understand the concepts of earned and unearned privilege. The exercise helps to depict that members of a diverse workforce should be enabled to access earned privilege and that there should be a mitigation of the unearned privileges that some members of an organizational population may have. This exercise calls for the skills of seasoned professionals.
These two volumes, with new editions each year, represent a major contribution by the publishers to those of us who work in the field. The editor is to be commended for the high quality of the selections and I not only recommend these book to you but suggest that if you are not familiar with them, you might want to go back to previous editions where a gold mine awaits you.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D, an interculturalist in human resources, management, and organization development is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, 2606 Parkdale Drive, Kingwood, TX 77339-2476 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
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