Being the Boss in Brussels, Boston, and Beijing

You are not “boss” the same way in Brussels, Boston or Beijing. What is expected from a leader in those three cultural environments is very different. The author, specialized in intercultural management, focuses our attention on two specific aspects of the culture, which determine the idea we have of a leader’s role?i.e. the relation to authority and the style in decision-making. She actually starts by disassociating those two dimensions, often wrongly aggregated. A very hierarchical culture does not necessarily lead to decisions made in an autocratic manner?and, conversely, decisions are not systematically reached through consensus in an equalitarian one. She illustrates her demonstration with the contrast between the United States and Japan. In Japan, people practice the nemawashi: a decision is first discussed with all the people concerned at a given hierarchical level, then it transfers to the next level up. This type of decision-making process enables consensus within a very hierarchical culture.

A valuable reading grid for decision makers immerged in an unknown cultural context.