Can we control culture?

29th April 2024

Our columnist explains how he deals with diverse cultures across various countries and why company cultures and sub-cultures cannot be managed, controlled or measured; they can merely be felt and influenced.

A substantial part of my time is spent travelling to various countries across the globe, visiting our operations, meeting with management teams, spending time on the shopfloor in discussion with employees and contractors, or conducting training in Social Psychology of Risk. As a result, I often get questioned by friends and work colleagues on how I deal with the diverse cultures of different countries. My answers start with “It’s not always easy”. It is, however, important to understand what one should (and shouldn’t) do to show respect and build trust.

The Island of Saipan

Recently I visited the island of Saipan to spend two weeks with our family who reside there. The island forms part of the Mariana Islands, a commonwealth of the US. It is just 23km long and 8km wide at its widest point and is full of cliffs, caves, and inlets on both sides of the island.

Saipan was ruled by the Spanish from 1565 to 1899 and then fell under German rule for 15 years until 1914, before becoming a Japanese mandate in 1920. It became a fierce battle site between June and July of 1944, during World War II. An invasion of the island by the allied forces resulted in the capture of Saipan. Sadly, around 3,500 US troops and 30,000 Japanese defenders died in the battle. In addition, thousands of Japanese civilians died by jumping off cliffs rather than be captured and tortured. Today the cliffs are called “Suicide Cliff” and “Banzai Cliff” respectively.

After visiting the memorial site at the two cliffs we sat on a bench reflecting on the pain, suffering, and desperation that must have been experienced during the two months of the battle: how two diverse cultures conflicted with one another. One wonders what the point of any war is; there is never a winner.

We visited numerous memorial sites during our two-week stay to understand the history of the island. We went on semiotic walks to understand its dynamics, its people, and the diverse cultures and sub-cultures. As scuba diving is one of our preferred hobbies, we conducted numerous dives, including diving on reefs with ships and military aeroplanes that were either sunk or shot down during the war.

Observing the artifacts

One of the key elements in feeling the culture – be it in private life or at the workplace – is to observe the artifacts. This includes, amongst others, the signs, symbols, and text, as well as talking to the people. At each of the memorial sites, we spent time reading the information provided and observing the statues, plaques, photographs, and shapes of the memorials. One statue had a Christian cross and Japanese Lady which, when we tried to interpret them, gave us a sense of the cultures coming together.

One of our dives took us around a World War II plane lying peacefully on the ocean bed: a reminder of the battles on the island. We noticed two underwater monuments in remembrance of the Japanese and Korean soldiers who had lost their lives; a semiotic reminder of those that had passed, no matter from which country or ethnic group; a pleasant semiotic of respect. This was reminiscent of most memorials and shrines around the island. Sadly, though, I found out that the pilot seat had been damaged by divers wanting to sit on it for a photograph: a sign of disrespect for cultures and those who had lost their lives in battle.

As a leader, when switching on to semiotics it is important to look at the artifacts on a site, including types of trophies and awards, the language used on posters and video campaigns, and what is written and displayed on communication boards. I have visited sites where production trophies are placed in cabinets at the entrance to the production areas; the message to the unconscious mind here is that production takes precedence over safety. I have also been to sites where there is a nice mix of trophies, from production to safety and team events. One site in the Czech Republic that I visit regularly has a large trophy cabinet at the entrance with trophies related to the annual dragon boat race along the river. The message to the unconscious mind in this case is all about teamwork – an essential element of influencing culture.

I recall visiting a large project site in 2007 where, during a lunchbreak, I observed a contractor taking a rest with his overall sleeves rolled up. On his left arm I noticed an anti-Semitic tattoo of a Nazi Party swastika. I approached him and kindly asked him to cover it up; he became aggressive and argued that it was his right to have it. As he refused to cover it up, we had the person removed from the site. This artifact was in contradiction to our values and did not fit the company culture.

Cultures and sub-cultures at work

Sadly, the people of Saipan have lost their original Pacific Islands culture and are today influenced by US culture, creating a cultural mix on the island. It is believed that only around 25% of the total population are descendants of the original inhabitants, who intermingled with – amongst others – Mexicans, Filipinos, Spaniards, and various Asians. Today the population includes people from Korea, Japan, China, and other Pacific Islands. The dynamics of diverse cultures and ethnic groups must be understood to work and live together in communities where everyone is considered equal. Coming from South Africa, we understand the dynamics and challenges inherent in this.

This is no different to the workplace where, in a global context, many multinational companies have persons from diverse cultures and backgrounds working side by side. It is, however, important that leaders understand that there is a dialectic and various dynamics that influence the culture of an organisation or site. While one cannot manage or control culture, one can influence culture and sub-cultures. Therefore, it starts with understanding the diverse cultures and sub-cultures that exist at the workplace, from the members of the sites management team to the middle management teams, departments, and individual shifts. Each one will have a different and very specific sub-culture.

In Social Psychology of Risk, leaders are taught about what makes up culture and sub-cultures; the metaphor of the “Culture Cloud” is used to explain that each sub-culture has its own turbulences and challenges. We as leaders cannot believe that all departments can be treated the same, as they all have their own sub-cultures, which are often influenced by both formal and informal leaders.

When visiting sites, leaders should be aware of the development of “in groups” and “out groups” when it comes to different departments, nationalities, and ethnic groups. If there are clear separations of diverse groups, it could be an indication of group think – which influences teamwork. How often do we hear of maintenance blaming production, or vice versa? Our structures as leaders influence the groupthink considerably if there is little thought of how leaders structure their working teams.

I once visited a company where most employees were sourced from two bordering countries which had been in conflict for decades. One production line was run by employees from one country and the second by employees from the other. When I questioned the reason for this, the leader informed me that he felt the team members would have a better understanding of one another. I then pointed out that such a structure developed the “in group – out group” approach and the spin-off was that the two production lines were competing, rather than working together for the benefit of the company, sharing best operation practices, and supporting each other when needed. This arrangement had a negative impact and influence on the overall culture and was countering the drive for improved teamwork.

When visiting sites as a leader – be it the production areas, warehouses, maintenance workshops, or offices – one should be switched on to the feeling of the culture and sub-cultures of the operation. There are numerous ways to do this, including but not limited to the following:

Listen to the metaphors and common language used when you engage people in open discussion.
Observe what artifacts are displayed in trophy cabinets. For example, are they only production records or are they balanced with production, team events, safety, and so on? If only production is visibly rewarded, then the message is that production is king and takes priority.
What messages or posters are on the walls or communication boards?
What are the slogans and mantras? For example, “Zero Harm” develops mistrust in leadership and results in hiding injuries and incidents.
Sit with employees in the canteen area over a cup of coffee in general discussion.
Visit the canteen, cloakrooms, and toilets; the cleanliness will give a good indication of how employees are treated.
Listen for comments about different ethnic groups and citizens of other countries.
Consider the layout of the plant, and how far the safety and health managers’ offices are from the plant managing director’s office.
How is safety spoken about? Is it seen in a positive or a negative light?
Is speaking up encouraged, or is there a general fear of consequences?

Reflection

Culture cannot be managed, nor can it be measured; it can only be influenced and felt. Leaders must realise that not only the measurable things are important. Those that cannot be measured (like culture) are just as – or often even more – significant. For example, if we understand the dynamics of the company culture or sub-cultures and, as leaders, have an influence, it will also naturally improve the things we usually measure. If we ignore the turbulences in the culture and sub-cultures, there will be a negative impact on the success of the company.

Just like the cultures during the war and on Saipan today – as well as the sub-cultures of the divers – various cultures and sub-cultures exist at the workplace and are influenced by many issues. Leaders should be aware of the elements that make up culture and the turbulences within sub-cultures if they want to have an influence.