Erin Meyer, a leading expert on cross-cultural management and author of "The Culture Map," shares insights on how cultural differences shape communication and trust. She explores distinctions between low-context and high-context communication styles, highlighting their impact on feedback and interpersonal interactions. Meyer discusses the dual nature of trust—cognitive and effective—and how this varies across cultures. Additionally, she delves into the evolution of leadership styles and the necessity of fostering an inclusive corporate culture for global success.
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Botswana Experience
Erin Meyer's move to Botswana after university exposed her to different cultural norms.
Her US classroom management techniques failed, sparking her interest in cross-cultural management.
insights INSIGHT
Communication Styles
Communication styles differ across cultures, with some being low-context (explicit) and others high-context (implicit).
Good communication in high-context cultures involves understanding unspoken messages.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Explicit Humor
In the US, even jokes require explicit verbal confirmation like "That's funny."
This highlights the American tendency to spell things out, even in humor.
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In this book, Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer explore the counterintuitive management culture that has driven Netflix's success. The authors discuss how Netflix's approach, which includes no vacation or expense policies, generous severance for underperforming employees, and a focus on candid feedback, has led to unparalleled innovation and speed. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with current and past Netflix employees, the book provides actionable lessons for leaders on how to build and maintain a highly innovative and adaptable organizational culture.
The Culture Map
Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business
Erin Meyer
In 'The Culture Map,' Erin Meyer presents a comprehensive framework for understanding and managing cultural differences in the global workplace. The book introduces an eight-scale model to analyze how cultures vary along different dimensions, such as communication styles (high or low context), leadership approaches (hierarchical or egalitarian), and feedback methods (direct or indirect). Meyer uses engaging real-life stories and anecdotes to illustrate common misunderstandings and provides actionable advice for improving international collaboration. The book is essential for anyone working in multicultural teams or managing global projects, offering practical tools to enhance communication, leadership, and decision-making across diverse cultural contexts.
How do cultural differences influence the way we interact and communicate? What defines an ideal organizational culture? And what influence have the Vikings had on Scandinavian corporate culture? In this episode, Nicolai welcomes Erin Meyer, a leading specialist in cross-cultural management and author of "The Culture Map." Erin shares fascinating insights into communication, the importance of understanding cultural nuances in feedback, and the varying ways trust is built across cultures. This episode is a deep dive into the complexities of cross-cultural interactions and offers valuable lessons for anyone working in a global environment.
In Good Company is hosted by Nicolai Tangen, CEO of Norges Bank Investment Management. New episode out every Wednesday.
The production team for this episode includes PLAN-B's Pål Huuse and Niklas Figenschau Johansen. Background research was conducted by Kristian Haga and Isabelle Karlsson.
In Good Company with Nicolai Tangen 
