Written by A French office is like a royal court; a German office is a well-oiled machine.
As we’ve discussed over the past few weeks, analogies are simple mental models that can aid cross-cultural understanding.
While behavioral changes are inevitable when working a new culture, it can be impractical to completely alter your cultural identity. Analogies provide a rough blueprint so you can play by the rules.
They show you how another system works by transposing that system onto a concept that’s relatable to you.
Analogies aren’t perfect, but they do enable you to better comply with behavior in another culture which will make you more effective as a colleague or manager.
Instead of making decisions from the bias of your own cultural anchor, by understanding the structure of the workplace, you better understand its mechanics and are able to intuit decisions that more appropriately align.
If you don’t have a zookeeper to come up with an analogy for you – like an expat or local who’s worked in a similar cross-cultural capacity – observe the nuances of the culture and create your own simple but clear analogy to use as a mental model.
Here’s one example of how author and professor, Clotaire Rapaille, did just that.
The Culture Code
Having been exposed to numerous cultures in childhood, it was natural for Rapaille to dedicate his life to researching the differences of cultures around the world.
In doing so, he became a personal advisor for CEOs of top global companies and is on retainer for many Fortune 100 companies.
By applying basic analogies in his book, The Culture Code, his concise observations of other cultures make cross-cultural understanding more efficient.
Chrysler Case Study
One case study Rapaille presented in The Culture Code involved the development of Chrysler’s PT Cruiser.
Data from focus groups helped Chrysler analyze and understand the “code” of American car consumers.
What did they find?
- A car means family: For Americans, the family car is made important during primary socialization. Therefore, the nostalgia of childhood and family are aspects entering into this code.
- A car means freedom: As with most things American, owning a car in one’s youth means owning freedom in more ways than one. It was found that 80 percent of Americans have their first sexual experience in the backseat of a car.
- A car means identity: There is a strong correlation between a person’s car and their identity in the U.S. In some ways, you are what you drive.
Considering this data, it’s clear that there’s a powerful emotional relationship between Americans and their cars.
As production planning for the PT Cruiser went into effect, German car manufacturer Daimler-Benz (Mercedes) took over Chrysler.
The German culture’s relationship with their vehicles is much different.
The legal driving age in Germany is 18, so the correlation between youthful freedom (and the nostalgia of a first sexual experience in a car) isn’t as common.
Moreover, German cars are ubiquitous with quality engineering. The focus is on advanced technology rather than on the powerful emotional relationship a consumer might have with their car.
Due to these differences in culture, the PT Cruiser project was not as successful as it could have been.
While the retro and individualistic design of the Cruiser pushed the right buttons for the American consumer, the German executives ignored this, instead focusing on the vehicle’s modest quality engineering.
They assumed the PT Cruiser would be a marketing disaster and consigned its production to a small plant in Mexico.
Because of this decision, supply couldn’t keep up with demand, when the car became a big hit with Americans.
The company could have sold much more in the first year had Daimler-Benz better understood and catered to the culture of the American car market.
This is one example where exploiting a cultural analogy (one shaped by family, freedom, and identity) could have guided decision-making and led a company to greater commercial success.
Success Across Cultures 