Different Culture, Different Intelligence, Same Passion

Brooke Moore

Many cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings and can create unexpected tension among players and competition. In the work place cultural intelligence is important in the aspect of communicating well with other cultures making your business stand out in the sport marketing industry. The United States is very bad at authority and decision making, they do not come to a collective agreements and they typically only have one person that comes to the final conclusion. Whereas in other cultures in Europe, decisions are made quickly and subject to change. It is not made by one person and can be adjusted. “If groups reach decisions in different ways, be explicit about the process”. Both systems and ways work it just comes down to the severity of the topic at hand. You must be culturally intelligent to know which process is appropriate in each situation. Being flexible and adapting your individual style is not enough. You have to be explicit about the process of decision making; is it a group effort or a decision made by one individual.

You can be a successful leader in your own culture but if you hope to engage in cultures around the world you will need to take a multifaceted approach. Every culture from Mexico to Japan has a different way of leading and decision making. Knowing just one will no longer help the success of your business or market. You must be informed, flexible, and adaptable in order to have cultural intelligence.