Even those enlightened companies which understand the differences between employees from different cultures can fail to go to the stage described by Gill Corkindale: appreciating the subtle distinctions within each group. If a company employs Italians they might be categorised as sociable and exuberant. If this is generally true - and such generalisations must be treated with caution - there will be many sub-groups within the whole, created by geography, religion and the whole range of socio-economic conditions. The same applies to every group, whether from Britain, the United States, Germany, India and so on. It requires patience and skill to work out where each person is coming from and why. Companies which invest in this process benefit by helping each employee reach his and her full potential.

Frictions within teams can be caused by the cultural / personality traits witnessed by Gill Corkindale in her work. Dislikes disruptive to a company often stem from misunderstandings within teams. Often it requires a skilled outsider to solve these problems. Each employee then understands themselves better and their colleagues. Senior executives can be too close to see for themselves the problem.

Once I had a young Russian in my team who was reluctant to question her line managers although I had no doubt she was very smart. By talking to her I discovered she was scared to challenge authority as her father had suffered as a dissident when the Communist Party was in office. I assured her that constructive debate was expected in our company. Only then she did perform to her full potential. Senior management must make time to get to know their staff. It is time well spent.

I find that birth order is a big factor. By birth order I mean how many siblings you have, and which number child you are. I am the 6th of seven, so I gravitate towards collaboration and teamwork and move away from selfish, "only child" coworkers. I think family of origin dynamics are also crucial. My parents fought a fair amount, and us children tried to keep everyone happy so our household would maintain normalcy. We avoided confrontation because we saw its extreme. This lesson still dictates my style at work: lots of humor to diffuse situations, lots of listening and understanding all points of view, and compromising.

I strive to the best of my power to understand my team. Those from countries with strong cultures often exhibit the strengths of such cultures, such as working hard, wanting to learn and being respectful. Often a person demonstrates no national qualities. Commonly it is thought the English are reserved and the French are boisterous. I know many English who have been outgoing and many French who have been quiet. A manager must get to know each person. What is their family background. Did they have any defining experiences in their youth. By doing this I endeavour to get the best out of my team and nip in the bud rivalries disruptive to team harmony.

Madam,

Your observations on culture are profound and provide valuable insights into building an organization that can adapt itself with agility in a dynamic environment.

My first culture shock came in the form of being exposed to both science and philosophy at the same time. It took many years to reconcile the perspectives of these domains of knowledge. And yet, once the ideas were crystallized and a certain level of harmony was established, adaptation became relatively easy. Working with people of at least 50 different nationalities at various points in time has indeed been an exhilarating and enriching experience.

Returning to my roots, I have found that core values remain very similar the world over, although the degree or intensity might vary. One can have an endless debate on this, but I have found two qualities that can sustain individuals, organizations, societies or even nations to overcome any adversity or obstacle - patience and perseverence.

Warm regards

I congratulate Mark Dlugozima. He has tried to understand himself better. We can all do this. Not all of us can turn to experts employed by our companies to help us examine who we are. All of us can ask ourselves on our own, what are my good points and my bad? Why do I react to that colleague well and badly to that one? Why do I lose my temper in certain situations? Why am I so intolerant of laziness or lateness?

Hello Gill

I note an emerging theme in the literature that diversity management is becoming a hot topic. Some may say it is not new but I disagree. It is true for that for some time companies have had workforce diversity policies and programs. Yet it is only more recently that managers are openly discussing the difficulties they face in motivating and influencing the behaviour of diverse people.

Thank you for you contribution. By the way I am a white Australian, second child, with an Irish father who worked as a carpenter and I am a thinker yet highly creative and uncoventional.