w 32 DIVERSITY & THE BAR® MARCH/APRIL 2011
went viral on the internet last December, gasps of disbelief and laughter could be heard from offi ces across the U.S.
T e dress policy handbook dictated the do’s and don’ts of the most intimate dress and hygiene habits of its bankers, from the color of employees’ underwear—red is verboten— to prohibiting bankers from eating garlic. As American readers wondered whether the handbook was for real, the bank’s spokesperson defended the style guide, saying it is designed to meet the demands of customers who are look- ing for “perfection.” T e bank has codes of conduct and style guides for the
countries where they do business because it recognizes that a one-size-fi ts-all approach to playing in an international space doesn’t work—even when it comes to dress codes. Its country-specifi c dress guidelines are just another example of the impact local societal norms, regional practices, and client preferences have on doing business internationally. While the international derision the bank received in
response to the handbook has prompted the bank to revise its policies, one thing remains clear: culture matters.
SMOOTH NAVIGATION ACROSS CULTURAL BORDERS T e concept of multinational corporations is not new. But historic barriers to doing business abroad are crumbling and opportunities are shifting from familiar Western European nations to those in emerging markets. Countries such as Mexico, Turkey, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) are becoming attractive places in which to establish a local presence. T e burgeoning universe of virtual work teams with
limited in-offi ce interaction beg the question, is cultural competency still important for today’s businesses? T e experts say, absolutely!
hen a major fi nancial services provider’s 44-page dress policy
Although working virtually has reduced the number of
face-to-face meetings, it remains true that at the other end of our telephone calls, email exchanges, and teleconferences are clients, co-workers and bosses; and people still need to interact. “Cultural competency used to be thought of as [essen-
tial] to win, but today it needs to be seen as [an essential just] to play,” says Tanya Odom, a coach and consultant who has spent more than 15 years working with compa- nies to prepare employees for international assignments. “People who are looking to advance their careers, people who are looking to be relevant, and people who are look- ing to be on a leadership track have to have some level of cultural competency.” Sahar Andrade is a social media strategist and diversity
consultant with Sahar Consulting LLC. She agrees that as the marketplace has become more global, the relevance of cultural competency has increased. “To become globally competitive, companies need to develop new social skills, attitudes, and behaviors, along with the fl exibility necessary to communicate and work with clients and suppliers in other languages and from other cultures,” she says. Kelly Hoey, the former manager of an Am Law 50 law
fi rm who is now a strategic networker and connector, adds that cultural competency cannot be assumed. “Even when the company or fi rm has ‘global’ in its tagline or brand… doesn’t mean that employees, regardless of geographic loca- tion, think, act, or see things the same.” Vera Sullivan, a career counselor with 35 years of experi-
ence advancing the careers of attorneys and 12 years of experi- ence as a recruiter placing diverse attorneys in corporate legal departments, believes “the face of America is changing and people have to become more culturally sensitive, especially
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