The Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research - Houston
Submitted May 01/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
At last! A handy dandy compilation of quality exercises for the global trainer. What these authors have previously accomplished for those working in diversity in the United States, they have now begun to accomplish for those working internationally. For while quite a few books have been written about working in a global context, many, if not most of them, fail to include a sufficient number of varied specific training activities. Thus, for those in human resource development departments working globally, this collection of activities will help to fill that void.
These training activities contributed by some of the foremost names in intercultural human resources development are classified into six parts that include icebreakers, culture-general activities (consisting of cultural dynamics, communication, and time), culture-specific activities, language and interpretation, leadership and team development, and expatriation and acculturation. The seventh section of this book provides helpful information on the editors and the contributors and where and how to reach them. In lieu of an index there is an activity locator which provides short but detailed information about each activity so as to guide the reader to select those activities which would best suit a particular training situation.
The book comes with a foreword by Philip R. Harris and a valuable introduction on how best to use the book by the editors.
Among the ice breaker activities are Coups and Faux Pas, See Differences and Similarities, and Where in the world do you come from. Insider-Outsider by Donna Stringer which is an activity aimed at enhancing our use of empathy to make individuals feel more included that I found to be very effective.
Who Am I? Who Are You? by Eric Lynn is one of seven cultural dynamics activities. Its aim is to facilitate understanding of one's business counterparts, based on the principle "Let them talk." Other activities include Working in Unfamiliar Surroundings, Responses to Different Scales, and In Other Worlds: An Intercultural Space Fantasy.
Communication is addressed in nine activities that run the gamut from a Communication Continuum, through Mixed Messages, The Transcultural Communicator, Networking Across Cultures, to What is it? What is it for? I particularly liked Conducting the Intercultural Meeting by Gary Althen which is intended to help people become aware of the assumptions and customary behaviors they and others bring to meetings and to help them begin to think about ways of conducting meetings that are most likely to draw on the potential contributions of everyone present.
In the Culture Specific section, I found that I would be comfortable using the Cross-cultural Dialogues of Craig Storti and Arguing Asparagus by George Simons. Both of these in different ways lend themselves to multiple usages.
Of the eight activities in the Leadership and Team Development section, I thought that Eric Lynn's "Of course I know what a TEAM is! Do you?" would be highly usable and very effective. Likewise Cultural Self-Awareness in Leadership Teams by Malati Shinazi offered opportunities of poignancy and enhanced understanding.
To be honest, there are activities in the book that I would be less than comfortable employing. That said, however, the book has a majority of activities that I could and would use. Global Competence is an outstanding piece of work for intercultural trainers. It is a must for international and multinational organizations' human resource development departments. For the individual practitioner it is of immense value by providing, at the ready, a wide range of excellent training activities that are adaptable to many international business training sessions.
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 May 01/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
This doctoral dissertation is a quite readable and most enjoyable summary of the emerging profession of interculturalists. I thought that we were already emerged but this delightful book puts it all in perspective. His approach is to look at interculturalists as "a tribe" and present an ethnography which is in principle similar to those produced in anthropology about a wide variety of human groups; including, for example, fairly extensive quotations which can convey some "cultural flavor".'
His first chapter presents the interculturalist scene with excerpts from workshops, games, simulations which lead into a discussion of the interculturalist profession. He contends that "the lack of formal education in the consultant professions makes it necessary for their professional commodities to be built on their market potential, rather than on a standardization of professional knowledge". While there is a major element of truth in this, it fails to acknowledge that many intercultural consultants are well grounded in academic learnings and experiences. These quite often relate directly to what they do and their survival and success attest to their ability to translate these academic and experiential learnings to practical real world environments.
In the next two chapters, he addresses: the historical development of the intercultural field and the importance of SIETAR as a professional organization; and the organizational forms of the "culture-shock prevention industry". In this latter chapter he looks at and describes consultant agencies and publishing companies and also the ways in which consultants operate.
Next he looks at the different kinds of interculturalist merchandise proffered by interculturalists and he discusses some of the writings on cultural differences in the intercultural field including the differences between Hofstede and Trompenaars. He goes into some detail on the making of the professional interculturalist with focus on the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication (Portland, OR) and Lesley College (Cambridge, MA). His concluding chapter is titled "Interculturalists, Anthropologists and Culture" where he revisits recycling anthropology, the interculturalists as ethnographers, and the commodification of cultural understanding.
His four appendices are: a. diagrams of culture shock; b. a cultural assimilator; c. table of cultural differences; and Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck's diagram of variations in value orientations. The book is fairly well indexed and has a reasonable bibliography.
The book reads like an exciting tale and includes most all of the key players and their attitudes and perceptions. It has a grand historical perspective and reads much better than most Ph.D. dissertations. It is a fun book for those of us who have been in the profession for some time and a most valuable introduction to less experienced interculturalists and neophytes.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. is an interculturalist consultant and president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, P.O. Box 5469, Kingwood, TX 77325-5469 USA. Tel: 281.359.4236; (Fax: 4238); Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted March 10/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
I first heard the authors at a business association meeting and was quite frankly puzzled by the term reductionism. In their presentation that day and in this book, the authors definition of reductionism is that it "is a process that reduces complex data and events to simple terms, especially to overly-simple terms. Reductionism means reducing how we think about the whole to the components of the whole and the analysis of systems to their constituents." In other words reductionism prevents us from seeing the forest because we reduce it to trees.
They posit that reductionism along with hierarchy and institutional knowledge are often constraints on change and learning. While they will agree that this is not always the case, they contend that more often than not these three factors may be seen as impedimentary. They further suggest that these dynamics transcend personal attributes and leadership styles, that they are rooted in the nature of work and institutions and the histories and cultures of organizations themselves.
They develop three principles as gateways for learning and change: achieve an operative balance of objective and subjective factors (constraint is reductionism); delegate only around purpose (constraint is hierarchy); and enhance the efficacy of institutional knowledge (constraint is institutional knowledge). In order to achieve learning and change in an organization, it is necessary to overcome the restraints and to achieve purposeful behavior and creative discourse. This then becomes the core of the dynamic theme which refers specifically to the dual nature of reality in organizations, the relationships between the extremes of these realities and the mechanics of transition between the extremes.
The book then addresses these issues from the perspective of individuals; of leaders; and of the group as it develops a model for creating a learning-oriented culture that can enhance the efficacy of the organization. This is a thought provoking and exciting work that may cause some change agents to reappraise their approach to organization development. It merits your keen attention.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., a national/international management consultant and trainer, is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, P.O. Box 5469, Kingwood, TX 77325-5469. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email dcwigg@earthlink.net.
Submitted March 10/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
This is the 16th book in ASTD's IN ACTION series and it is comprised of 12 case studies that look at a variety of ways for developing leadership potential. The aim of the IN ACTION series has been on presenting real-world examples that focus on challenging and difficult issues in the HRD field. This book admirably continues the trend.
After a preface which defines the target audience and reviews the elements of the book, the editors provide key suggestions for the best utilization of the cases presented. In addition, as a teaching tool, this book provides discussion questions for each case, and additional source material references. The book is introduced by a brief essay on the past, present, and future of leadership development by the co-editor Franklin C, Ashby. This helps to set the stage for the remainder of the book.
The cases come from both the private and public sectors and include: leadership development as a business strategy in an insurance company; developing effective supervisors in a public sector agency; strategies and competencies to enhance leaders for the new millennium in the real-estate industry; and individual leadership development process in a major energy corporation. Some of the cases look at mentoring and coaching and demonstrate their successes by using "yesterday's techniques" in new applications. Each case stands alone and yet they are linked by common goals and in some instances similar experiences.
The case that most appealed to me was one that has great importance for this new millennium and is entitled Building Depth in New Benches: Nurturing Nontraditional Leaders. Written by Sylvia Rice Cornell (of our own Houston SIETAR Chapter), we are brought into a training program sponsored by Rotary International and designed by Ms. Cornell to develop leadership skills in a marginalized population of at risk youth in the United States. The case outlines the curriculum as it developed from the first year to the second, discusses the instruments used, and the training of facilitators to work with this teen population. It provides critical incidents and discusses the human factors that both enhanced the program and at times worked negatively. The responses from the feedback forms are most enlightening. The success of the program offers a model that others might follow. It is clear that to resolve some of the current issues of our society, we need to take a look at both innovative and traditional ways for developing leaders from other than the world of organizations (both private and public). This case is a prime example. It also offers concepts that merit consideration in our own leadership development programs.
This book makes a significant contribution to the literature of our profession. It can be used as a course text, or the cases can be extracted for use in development training programs. It is another example of ASTD providing its members with a valuable resource.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D. is a national/international management and training consultant, and president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, P.O. Box 5469, Kingwood, TX 77325-55469. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email:dcwigg@earthlink.net
Submitted March 02/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
If ever a book was designed for the new millennium, this book is it. Based on a worldwide survey of over one thousand senior executives and in-depth interviews with CEOs of seventy-eight companies around the world, this book provides keen insights and practical lessons on global business leadership.
And, if ever a book needed to be read by American CEOs, this book is it. Based on these interviews, it appears that American CEOs believe that multicultural experience is not a priority and see little need for change. The authors depict the culture of twenty-first century business in four levels: world culture, national culture, business culture, and leadership culture. Their view of world culture is that it forms the basis of this business and is molded by four powerful forces: knowledge, technology, change, and globalization.
National culture, as might be expected, reflects our localism and is formed by our history, geography, religion, politics, economics, and psychology. Business culture is formed by our organization's purpose, our plans, our networks, our tools, and our results. The business culture is concerned with where we are going?, how do we get there?, how do we work together?, what resources do we need?, and how do we measure success?.
Our leadership culture which hopefully takes us where we want to go is comprised of the four global literacies. This is, according to the authors, the creation of a new language of business. These literacies are: personal literacy-understanding and valuing oneself; social literacy-engaging and challenging others; business literacy-focusing and mobilizing one's organization; and cultural literacy-valuing and leveraging cultural differences.
It is how they apply these four global literacies to each aspect of the business culture is what makes this work so fascinating and profound. For here we see analyses of companies from around the globe, insights from the interviews and surveys, and practical guidelines for global business success on all four levels of global literacy. The book concludes with a path to global literacies that business leaders would do well to consult somewhat periodically.
This book has intrinsic value in the data and visions that it proffers. More than that, however, it offers solid common and uncommon sense that can apply to local and national endeavors as well as to global enterprises.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an intercultural/international hrd, management and organization development consultant is president of D.C.W. Research Associates International, P.O. Box 5469, Kingwood, TX 77325-5469. Tel: 281.359.4236; Fax: 4238; Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net.
Submitted March 02/2000
Book View by David C. Wigglesworth
When these books reached me, I was reminded of the old Double-Mint gum commercial. Two mints in one. Here, however, we have one topic and two books with the same authors, same topics and with both books copyright by HRD Press. Many, if not most of the material is the same (i.e. word-for-word). What is the difference, aside from the price?
Well, The Complete Guide is longer (200 plus pages), offers more resources, and provides more detail in certain areas. It includes a CD-ROM which as far as I could ascertain replicates the book on your computer screen. It is a bit tricky to pull up and I had to call HRD Press for guidance (but that may just be my technical ineptitude).
In essence, the books are the same. The binder version may be more useful to beginning facilitators, but one could use either as a course textbook and to that degree they are interchangeable. Having said that, it is clear that both works are solid, with a tremendous amount of excellent material that could prove useful to both the novice, as well as, the experienced facilitator.
They cover all aspects of facilitation and in some respects the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. That is, while each section is a more or less stand alone section of considerable value, when taken all together these texts are awesome in both theory and practical usefulness. Corporate training and organization development departments would do to have on or the other of these in their libraries.
I particularly liked the front end analysis which looks at issues relating to the adult learner, conflict, and on understanding group dynamics and decision making and process consultation. Good stuff, succinctly put, readily grasped! These books present the topic of facilitation by looking at the facilitator's resources, processes, and follow-through.
They address real issues in relation to corporate goals and cultures, what to look for and what to beware of. They also address the needs of special meetings and go into some detail (especially in The Complete Guide) on the new technologies and electronic meetings.
Both books offer step by step procedures, checklists and guidelines, and samples and templates. They include references, suggested readings, and detailed bibliographies and guides to resource materials. They are easy to read, easy to follow, and make eminent good sense. The authors have put together a most valuable and utilitarian guide to being an effective or more effective facilitator.
While writing this review, I called HRD Press and according to them the differences between the two books are that The Complete Guide is in a three ring binder format for easy access to the fully reproducible pages, contains a CD-ROM containing select components of the Guide in electronic format which allows for pages to be downloaded to a printer and reproduced in quantity ("for the site for which the book was purchased"), includes a comprehensive Appendix, and a comprehensive Bibliography.
Whereas the Fieldbook is in paperback, pages are not fully reproducible, does not have the CD-ROM, nor the Appendix nor the Bibliography. Both books are excellent but you only need to buy one. That choice is up to you.
David C. Wigglesworth, Ph.D., an international/intercultural human resource, management, and organization development consultant, is president of D.C. W. Research Associates International, P.O. Box 5469, Kingwood, TX 77325-5469 Tel: 281.359-4236 (Fax: 4238). Email: dcwigg@earthlink.net.
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