VOIS - Area 2 - Module 5

  1. MODULE TITLE

Module 5: Cultural Awareness
  1. AUTHORS

assist GmbH, Simona Fabellini
  1. SHORT DESCRIPTION

Enhancing your consciousness about your own cultural values, norms, attitudes and forms of behaviour helps developing an awareness also for the differences between cultures. Starting from the question about what Culture is, you will discover the link between Culture and Open Innovation and then explore how certain elements of culture, called culture dimensions, can typically show when people are working together adapting Open Innovation processes. As people behave according to their own set of values, it is important to understand why the “ethnocentric” perspective may lead to intercultural misunderstandings leading to a negative influence on Open Innovation. Last but not least, you will receive some tips about strategies how to open up to cultural awareness so that in the end you will be better prepared for intercultural encounters by having grown in your intercultural competences.
  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    Upon completing this module, you should be able to:

  • have a deeper understanding of what culture is,
  • know where your culture may show in Open Innovation processes,
  • be able to tell why culture can be a challenge for Open Innovation,
  • will be able to approach other cultures with more awareness in Open Innovation collaborations.
  1. Training Content
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Power Distance

Different understanding of hierarchies can be a real challenge when collaborating with others. In cultural terms, strong hierarchical structures correspond to a high level of ‘power distance’. A smaller power distance can contribute to a more innovative environment, this is especially important when working with people from outside your organization.

Innovations are less easily created when working under instructions, but rather when opening up to new ideas, regardless of the discipline. For this, it may be helpful to seek for lower power distance in working situations.

Key features of a low power distance are:

  • Less centralization
  • Flatter organization pyramids
  • Fewer supervisory personnel
  • Smaller wage differential
  • Structure in which manual and clerical work are equally valued.

Strategies to reduce the power distance:

  1. Establish open platforms for project input and encourage active involvement. Technology can substantially reduce the distance between people of various socioeconomic backgrounds.
  2. Create interactive systems by forming networks of cross-functional teams fostering high levels of cooperation.

Innovation requires seamless communication across diverse functional teams. It is helpful to build dynamic networks of cross-functional teams equipped with interactive communication tools boosting levels of cooperation.

  1. Promote and facilitate open communication channels.

Individuals used to high levels of power distance often contact their immediate superiors and do not escalate concerns to higher levels of management. Even when they are convinced by their ideas and see that immediate superiors are not receptive to them.

This results in limited top-level communications, and little interchange of ideas between lower levels of the organization and the top. Top-level executives need to promote open communication throughout the whole organization to break innovation hindering communication patterns.

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