One of my favorite things to do when I travel to a new country is hit a grocery store and check out the products. I […]
Flipping the Cultural Lens: A European Take on Americans
I recently found myself flying from Stockholm to London on British Airways. Looking to pass a few minutes before landing, I flipped open one of […]
Nemawashi: A Japanese Management Style for the Modern American Worker
In the abstract, I’d advise against traveling down an Internet rabbit hole. You know the situation: You start reading an interesting story, and you see […]
Culture, Language, Chicken, Egg: Finnish Reticence
It’s fascinating to me how language both shapes and is shaped by culture. I recently came across another example, this time about the people of […]
Cultural Artifacts Case Study: The J&J Credo
As anyone who reads my posts may have noticed by now, I’m fascinated by cultural artifacts–the visible, tangible evidence of what an organization believes and […]
What That Sign Says About Your Corporate Culture
The term “cultural artifacts” refers to the physical items that communicate to observers what an organization (be it a family, a company, a school, or […]
Doing the Needful
When I was learning Spanish in high school, a phrase that caught my ear and has remained a favorite of mine is “lo necesario.” It […]
Untranslatable: The Magic of Culture-Specific Words
I love finding out about words that don’t have a direct translation into other languages. It’s an interesting window into the situations that a particular […]
Cultural Artifacts Case Study: Whole Foods
Cultural artifacts in the workplace can be a great way to remind employees and leadership alike of the core values of their organization. Having items […]
The Language of Power Distance
One of the core dimensions of culture defined by Hofstede is “power distance.” Cultures differ on how much attention people pay to hierarchy and rank. […]