Erin Meyer

Erin Meyer is a professor at INSEAD. That is one of the leading international business schools.

She focuses on how the world’s most successful managers navigate the complexities of cultural differences in a global environment. In her book 'The Cultural Map', she offers cutting-edge insight and practical strategies to improve the effectiveness of projects that span the globe.

 

In this part, two factors will be discussed; Communicating and Sceduling, which are both quite important when you are doing business with people from South-Africa.

It is important to remember that this information is very abstract; every company or person can be, ofcourse, different than what is mentioned on these scales. 

 

Communicating

 In South Africa you can expect a different usage of the English language. Like said before, South Africa has a lot of languages, and depending upon who you are dealing with, a different language in a different way is spoken.

Many white South Africans prefer plain-speaking to an overly diplomatic approach and may confuse subtleness and vagueness with lack of commitment or even untrustworthiness.

On the other hand, many of the black cultures stress diplomacy in communication and may not want to disappoint the listener by disagreeing openly or admitting that they don't know the answer to a question.

Humor is an often used communication device and can be used in almost all situations. In the South African culture, humor is often used as a tension release mechanism.

South Africans are by nature quite tactile. This cuts across the ethnic divides. Back slapping, firm handshakes (often quite lengthy) are common and it can be seen as a sign of distance if the foreign visitor backs away from this approach. 

Erin Meyer calls this a way of communicating. It's hard to tell where you can place South Africa; but probably in the middle. The black culture in South Africa is more High-context, while the many with South Africans are communicating in Low-context

Scheduling

That different cultures treat time differently, is one of the most common observations for anyone working or even traveling abroad. On one extreme you've got the exceedingly precise Germans and Swiss and the Dutch as well. Americans and Japanes are also very time-linear; they fall relatively close to this end of the spectrum.

Western Europeans and Latin Americans tend to be a little more flexible. African countries, countries in the Middle East and India are extremely flexible about time perspective. You can read about this a little more in: 'Own Experience'. 

 

If you would like to read more about Erin Meyer or how you can improve your relationships by considering where you and international partners fall on each of the scales; you could buy her book 'The Cultural Map' or read more at the following website:

- http://erinmeyer.com/ 

- http://www.businessinsider.com/the-culture-map-8-scales-for-work-2015-1?international=true&r=US&IR=T