REPRINT H05A8N
PUBLISHED ON HBR.ORG
DECEMBER 02, 2019
ARTICLE
MANAGING YOURSELF
What Makes You
Multicultural
by Stacey Fitzsimmons, Davina Vora, Lee Martin, Salma
Raheem, Andre Pekerti and C. Lakshman
This document is authorized for use only by Sheniqua Maefau ([email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerse[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
MANAGING YOURSELF
What Makes You
Multicultural
by Stacey Fitzsimmons, Davina Vora, Lee Martin, Salma Raheem, Andre Pekerti and C.
Lakshman
DECEMBER 02, 2019
MICROZOA/GETTY IMAGES
Youve heard about multicultural societies and groups, but have you thought about
multicultural individuals and what they bring to organizations? Multicultural individuals such as
Chinese-Canadians, Turkish-Germans, or Arab-Americans commonly think, perceive, behave, and
respond to global workplace issues in more complex ways than monocultural individuals.
Some multicultural individuals translate these differences into career success. For example, a study
of 100 Israeli managers working in Silicon Valley found that Israeli-American managers thought in
COPYRIGHT 2019 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2
This document is authorized for use only by Sheniqua Maefau ([email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerse[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
more complex ways than managers who saw themselves as belonging to only Israeli or only American
cultures. As a result, peers rated them as more competent managers and they were promoted faster.
Many people are confused about whether they are multicultural. Does having immigrant parents or
grandparents, working internationally, or living in a multicultural city mean that you are
multicultural?
Its a question that even experts find hard to answer, because multiculturalism is defined in so many
different ways. For example, some researchers argue that residents of Hong Kong are multicultural
because of its colonial history. In contrast, others define multicultural individuals by their ability to
function effectively in more than one culture, such as knowing multiple languages or having
multicultural minds, meaning they can think in ways that reect multiple cultures.
As a six-person international team representing 16 cultures, we decided to resolve this confusion by
consolidating the best parts of all previous definitions. In doing so, we recognized that people can be
multicultural to varying degrees. After reading 183 articles in fields ranging from sociology,
anthropology, and psychology as well as management and marketing we define
multiculturalism within individuals as the degree to which they know, identify with, and internalize
more than one culture.
Answer the following questions on each dimension to assess your level of multiculturalism. Think
about culture in a broad sense: It includes national cultures, societal cultures that span nations (e.g.,
Arab culture), regional cultures within nations (e.g., Bengali and Punjabi cultures in India), hybrid,
and intersecting cultures (e.g., Mtis indigenous culture).
How much knowledge do you have about each of your cultures?
Does your knowledge of your cultures go beyond book learning? How much do you know about
their values, underlying cultural assumptions, beliefs, and typical behaviors? How familiar are you
with their histories, heroes, traditions, customs, and social institutions? How uent are you in their
languages? If asked about these cultures, how many unique, culture-specific points can you come up
with in a few minutes? Use your answers to place yourself on this dimension, using the spectrum of
possibilities listed below.
Monocultural: High level of knowledge of one culture
Slightly multicultural: High level of knowledge about one culture and moderate knowledge about
another culture
Moderately multicultural: High level of knowledge of more than one culture
Highly multicultural: high level of knowledge of more than two cultures
Your level of multicultural knowledge is particularly useful for .
For example, consider Hid, a Japanese-American employee in a U.S. subsidiary of a Japanese firm.
Hid knew that head oce messages might confuse their American customers, because they used a
COPYRIGHT 2019 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 3
This document is authorized for use only by Sheniqua Maefau ([email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerse[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
structure common in Japan, starting with peripheral information and only eventually getting to the
main issue. Instead of passing the translated messages on verbatim, Hid used his multicultural
knowledge to rewrite them more directly, resulting in a better reception among customers.
So if you have in-depth knowledge of more than one culture, you can use it to enable cross-cultural
understanding in your firm.
How much do you identify with more than one culture?
People who identify with more than one culture often find it dicult to answer the question: Where
are you from? How many cultures come to mind when you respond? Do you say we (as opposed to
they) when talking about these groups? When someone criticizes these groups, do you feel
personally offended? Use your answers to place yourself on this identification dimension.
Monocultural: Identify with one cultural group
Slightly multicultural: Identify primarily with one culture, and to a lesser extent with another
culture
Moderately multicultural: Identify strongly with more than one culture
Highly multicultural: Identify with more than two cultures
Identification with more than one culture can help facilitate connections with others, including
relationships across firms. For example, compared to British employees of a U.K.-based
pharmaceutical firm, the firms Chinese-British employees used their dual cultural identities to
develop better trust with employees at new Chinese partner firms. The trusting relationships
Chinese-British employees created with employees from both their British employer and the Chinese
partner firm ultimately helped them build successful alliances between their firms.
If you identify with more than one cultural group, you can draw on your network to connect people
across your cultures.
How much have you internalized more than one culture?
To answer this question, examine your values, beliefs, and assumptions. This is hard; we are often
not aware of how culture shapes these deepest parts of ourselves. To what extent do different
cultures inuence your value systems? Do you think about issues from the perspective of more than
one culture? Do they inuence how you feel? How much do you use values, beliefs, and assumptions
from more than one culture when making decisions? Do you find yourself unconsciously engaging in
different cultural behaviors depending on the situation? Use your answers to place yourself on this
internalization dimension.
Monocultural: Internalized one culture
Slightly multicultural: Internalized one primary culture and a second culture to a lesser extent
Moderately multicultural: Fully internalized more than one culture
Highly multicultural: Fully internalized more than two cultures
COPYRIGHT 2019 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 4
This document is authorized for use only by Sheniqua Maefau ([email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerse[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
When youve internalized more than one culture, it can help you develop more complex thinking
skills and innovative solutions to problems. When people intimately understand more than one
cultural system, they see new ways to combine them, leading to innovations. For example, a FrenchIrish-Cambodian LOral employee was tasked with for the French
market. He understood better than his French colleagues that the French product development
process was hampered by its sharp category definitions. While his French colleagues saw makeup
and skincare as separate categories, this employee saw the opportunity to combine these categories,
as is done in Asia. He therefore introduced a tinted and lifting cream to the French market, where it
quickly became popular. Even such a seemingly simple change is often dicult because our cultural
beliefs frame the categories we see in the world.
If you have internalized more than one culture, you can try to use it to help you create innovative
solutions to your international workplace dilemmas.
***
Combine all three of your answers to the above questions to determine your level of
multiculturalism. If your answers placed you beyond monocultural on all three dimensions, then
you have some level of multiculturalism that you could use to help you accomplish cross-cultural
tasks, connect people, and develop creative solutions.
Stacey Fitzsimmons, a monocultural Canadian, is an Associate Professor of International Business at the Peter B.
Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, Canada.
Davina Vora, an American of German-Indian heritage who has lived and worked in four continents, is an Associate
Professor of International Business at the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz), USA.
Lee Martin is a Senior Lecturer in Management at Deakin University, Australia. She has Chinese-Australian heritage and
has lived, studied and worked in three continents.
Salma Raheem is a Lecturer in HR/Organizational Behaviour at the University of Liverpool Management School. Born to
South Indian parents in Dubai and brought up in international communities in the Middle East, Salma now lives in the UK,
her adopted home.
Andre A Pekerti is a Senior Lecturer in International Management at The University of Queensland Business School,
Australia. He is a Christian of Indonesian-Chinese heritage who grew up in Jakarta, Southern California and New Zealand;
as an Indonesian, naturalized New Zealander and Australian, Andre currently works in Brisbane.
C. Lakshman, an Indian-American who has lived and worked in three continents, is currently an Associate Professor of
International Business at Florida Atlantic University.
COPYRIGHT 2019 HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL PUBLISHING CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 5
This document is authorized for use only by Sheniqua Maefau ([email protected]). Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Please contact
customerse[email protected] or 800-988-0886 for additional copies.
Are you busy and do not have time to handle your assignment? Are you scared that your paper will not make the grade? Do you have responsibilities that may hinder you from turning in your assignment on time? Are you tired and can barely handle your assignment? Are your grades inconsistent?
Whichever your reason is, it is valid! You can get professional academic help from our service at affordable rates. We have a team of professional academic writers who can handle all your assignments.
Students barely have time to read. We got you! Have your literature essay or book review written without having the hassle of reading the book. You can get your literature paper custom-written for you by our literature specialists.
Do you struggle with finance? No need to torture yourself if finance is not your cup of tea. You can order your finance paper from our academic writing service and get 100% original work from competent finance experts.
Computer science is a tough subject. Fortunately, our computer science experts are up to the match. No need to stress and have sleepless nights. Our academic writers will tackle all your computer science assignments and deliver them on time. Let us handle all your python, java, ruby, JavaScript, php , C+ assignments!
While psychology may be an interesting subject, you may lack sufficient time to handle your assignments. Don’t despair; by using our academic writing service, you can be assured of perfect grades. Moreover, your grades will be consistent.
Engineering is quite a demanding subject. Students face a lot of pressure and barely have enough time to do what they love to do. Our academic writing service got you covered! Our engineering specialists follow the paper instructions and ensure timely delivery of the paper.
In the nursing course, you may have difficulties with literature reviews, annotated bibliographies, critical essays, and other assignments. Our nursing assignment writers will offer you professional nursing paper help at low prices.
Truth be told, sociology papers can be quite exhausting. Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. You can relax and have peace of mind as our academic writers handle your sociology assignment.
We take pride in having some of the best business writers in the industry. Our business writers have a lot of experience in the field. They are reliable, and you can be assured of a high-grade paper. They are able to handle business papers of any subject, length, deadline, and difficulty!
We boast of having some of the most experienced statistics experts in the industry. Our statistics experts have diverse skills, expertise, and knowledge to handle any kind of assignment. They have access to all kinds of software to get your assignment done.
Writing a law essay may prove to be an insurmountable obstacle, especially when you need to know the peculiarities of the legislative framework. Take advantage of our top-notch law specialists and get superb grades and 100% satisfaction.
We have highlighted some of the most popular subjects we handle above. Those are just a tip of the iceberg. We deal in all academic disciplines since our writers are as diverse. They have been drawn from across all disciplines, and orders are assigned to those writers believed to be the best in the field. In a nutshell, there is no task we cannot handle; all you need to do is place your order with us. As long as your instructions are clear, just trust we shall deliver irrespective of the discipline.
Our essay writers are graduates with bachelor's, masters, Ph.D., and doctorate degrees in various subjects. The minimum requirement to be an essay writer with our essay writing service is to have a college degree. All our academic writers have a minimum of two years of academic writing. We have a stringent recruitment process to ensure that we get only the most competent essay writers in the industry. We also ensure that the writers are handsomely compensated for their value. The majority of our writers are native English speakers. As such, the fluency of language and grammar is impeccable.
There is a very low likelihood that you won’t like the paper.
Not at all. All papers are written from scratch. There is no way your tutor or instructor will realize that you did not write the paper yourself. In fact, we recommend using our assignment help services for consistent results.
We check all papers for plagiarism before we submit them. We use powerful plagiarism checking software such as SafeAssign, LopesWrite, and Turnitin. We also upload the plagiarism report so that you can review it. We understand that plagiarism is academic suicide. We would not take the risk of submitting plagiarized work and jeopardize your academic journey. Furthermore, we do not sell or use prewritten papers, and each paper is written from scratch.
You determine when you get the paper by setting the deadline when placing the order. All papers are delivered within the deadline. We are well aware that we operate in a time-sensitive industry. As such, we have laid out strategies to ensure that the client receives the paper on time and they never miss the deadline. We understand that papers that are submitted late have some points deducted. We do not want you to miss any points due to late submission. We work on beating deadlines by huge margins in order to ensure that you have ample time to review the paper before you submit it.
We have a privacy and confidentiality policy that guides our work. We NEVER share any customer information with third parties. Noone will ever know that you used our assignment help services. It’s only between you and us. We are bound by our policies to protect the customer’s identity and information. All your information, such as your names, phone number, email, order information, and so on, are protected. We have robust security systems that ensure that your data is protected. Hacking our systems is close to impossible, and it has never happened.
You fill all the paper instructions in the order form. Make sure you include all the helpful materials so that our academic writers can deliver the perfect paper. It will also help to eliminate unnecessary revisions.
Proceed to pay for the paper so that it can be assigned to one of our expert academic writers. The paper subject is matched with the writer’s area of specialization.
You communicate with the writer and know about the progress of the paper. The client can ask the writer for drafts of the paper. The client can upload extra material and include additional instructions from the lecturer. Receive a paper.
The paper is sent to your email and uploaded to your personal account. You also get a plagiarism report attached to your paper.
GET A PERFECT SCORE!!! 
Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore.
That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.
You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.
Read moreEach paper is composed from scratch, according to your instructions. It is then checked by our plagiarism-detection software. There is no gap where plagiarism could squeeze in.
Read moreThanks to our free revisions, there is no way for you to be unsatisfied. We will work on your paper until you are completely happy with the result.
Read moreYour email is safe, as we store it according to international data protection rules. Your bank details are secure, as we use only reliable payment systems.
Read moreBy sending us your money, you buy the service we provide. Check out our terms and conditions if you prefer business talks to be laid out in official language.
Read more