Case

Part 1

"Do be seated here in Mr. Nichols’ office, madam. He is expecting you this morning at half ten, but he hasn’t yet returned from his meeting with the managing director. You are a few minutes early, aren’t you? Never mind. I will ring up the managing director’s office and find out if Mr. Nichols is still there. It won’t take but a minute or two, I’m sure. Would you like a cup of coffee and a biscuit while you wait, madam?

"Yes, that would be very nice. Black, please, with a little sugar," Marybeth Lindsay said.

"I will be back with it shortly," Mr. Nichols’ secretary replied.

As she waited, Marybeth Lindsay scanned Mr. Nichols’ office. It was a large room of splendid proportion with classic Georgian details. A small fire was burning in the fireplace in an attempt to take the chill out of the damp air while outside the wind howled and the sky grew more oppressive. The gray-veined white marble floor was well worn, polished to a dull sheen by more than two centuries’ worth of use. The once glorious Oriental carpet looked as if it had been there since the room was built. In fact, it was now badly faded, frayed along the edges, and threadbare in heavily trafficked areas. The sofa and chair leather was also faded, with scuffs and stains from years and years of wear. The tables scattered around the room bore ample evidence of use as well. The plants on the dusty sills of the windows looked as if they had seen better days some months ago. Files, correspondence, and books were piled on the floor around Mr. Nichols’ massive desk, which looked like something out of a Dickens novel. Its top was buried in a sea of disorganized papers that quivered as blasts of cold air surged in and out of the drafty room. Overall, the room looked as if it had been removed from a stately home that had been left to deteriorate as the family wealth declined. It was in stark contrast to the sophisticated high-tech top-floor office with a panoramic view over Los Angeles that Marybeth Lindsay had left behind a day and a half ago.

"There you go, madam," Mrs. McConville said as she placed the coffee and biscuits on the top of a leather-bound book on the table opposite Mr. Nichols’ desk. "Dreadful weather, isn’t it, especially with Bank Holiday coming up. Dull days one after another. Rain, rain, and more rain. And such wind we haven’t seen in—"

"Tea, dear?" shrieked the elderly lady in the direction of Mrs. McConville’s office as she clanked her tea cart down the nearby marble hallway.

"Sorry for the interruption. No, thank you, Mrs. Thorne. Thank you very much for asking," responded Mr. Nichols’ secretary toward the doorway into her office. "Perhaps I will have a beaker later."

"I’ll be back with elevenses before too long. Choice of Grasmere cake or chocolate flapjack today," Mrs. Thorne screeched as she toddled in the direction of the managing director’s office.

"When I checked about the meeting in the managing director’s office, I was told that the meeting was about to finish. I expect that Mr. Nichols will be here before too long. Is there anything else I can get for you while you are waiting, madam?" inquired Mrs. McConville.

"I don’t think so."

"Then if you don’t mind, please excuse me while I return to my work. I have several letters to finish transcribing before the morning post leaves the building at half eleven. I’ll close the door so that my noise won’t disturb you, madam. Today’s Financial Times is there on the table by your coffee if you would like to read it."

Part 2

Marybeth Lindsay sat down her cup and saucer. She looked at her Cartier watch. It was 10:55. She stood up, discretely brushed a few crumbs from the front of her expensive designer suit with her carefully manicured hands, and sat down. "Where is Mr. Nichols?" she thought to herself. "I’ve been waiting more than 30 minutes, which is too long. I’m eager to get closure on the deal and get back home."

Suddenly the door behind her swung open. "Mrs. Lindsay, I presume. It is indeed a pleasure to meet you at last. I am dreadfully sorry to have kept you waiting. I am afraid that my meeting with the managing director lasted longer than I anticipated it would. I do apologize most sincerely for the inconvenience my tardiness has caused you. I do hope that Mrs. McConville has taken good care of you while you have been waiting. Would you like another cup of tea or coffee?"

"Another cup of coffee with a little sugar would be nice."

Mr. Nichols walked to the doorway and asked his secretary to bring two cups of slightly sugared coffee. As he walked back to his desk, Mrs. Lindsay noticed his disheveled appearance—a tweed suit that looked lived in, scruffy shoes that needed polish, and hair that needed combing.

In spite of his appearance, Mr. Nichols hoped to project a sense of class—impeccable manners, superior education, sharp intellect, and fine breeding—as he conversed with his American visitor.

"It is so nice to meet you in person, Mrs. Lindsay. I have heard such favorable reports about you and your company from all of our staff who have been to California. What is the weather like there these days? It has got to be better than the dreadful weather we have had here in London for the past few months. All it seems to do is rain every day with hardly a ray of sunshine. The weather has been so horrible that spring drives in the countryside and Sunday lunches have become somber events. I’m afraid that even meeting with some of the old chaps from The House recently—sorry, that’s Christ Church College at Oxford to you—was somewhat disappointing because everyone was so gloomy because of the foul weather we have been having. But I suppose you didn’t travel all the way to London to hear about the weather, did you, Mrs. Lindsay?"

"No, I didn’t, Mr. Nichols. I’m eager to work out the few remaining issues and to conclude a final agreement—perhaps before lunch—if that is possible. I’m confident that we can settle the few remaining matters quickly—including the need for your company to be more flexible and responsive to customer desires—and forge ahead. Time is money in the business world, you know, and the customer is always right. With the implementation of some highly effective American customer-service practices in your organization, our companies will make a dynamite team. I’m sure of it. In Los Angeles it is all systems go. What do you say we get down to business, Robin—er—uh—Mr. Nichols?"

Trying not to shown his profound displeasure with his presumptuous American guest, Mr. Nichols rose. "Please excuse me for a moment while I check with Mrs. McConville about the time she was able to book us a table for lunch at Simpson’s-in-the-Strand. It is a restaurant near here that is well known for traditional British fare, especially joints of beef, pork, and lamb. Perhaps you have heard of it. I’m sure we will enjoy a delicious leisurely luncheon there with a bottle of fine imported wine—French, Australian, South African, or whatever other origin you would prefer—and good conversation. After that we can discuss business matters. I won’t be but a moment, Mrs. Lindsay." With that, Mr. Nichols clenched his teeth, pursed his lips, and exited his office, closing the door behind him.

Teaching notes

Background

When engaging in business in another country, it is important to understand the beliefs, values, and assumptions that underlie its business subculture. Some of the differences are readily apparent; others are less obvious. Recognizing and being sensitive to differences in business subcultures is essential to developing and maintaining effective working relationships with people from other countries. Even in English-speaking countries, these cultural differences can be significant and must be addressed. Failure to realize the importance of interacting with British businesspersons in a culturally sensitive manner can cause major problems for American businesspersons, jeopardizing international business opportunities.

Objectives

Participants should learn that:

• In spite of surface similarities, cultural differences separate American and British businesspersons.
• Being knowledgeable about fundamental differences in the beliefs, values, and assumptions of the American and British business subcultures helps businesspersons to devise strategies for sensitively bridging these differences.

Basic Preparation

• Approximately 30 to 60 minutes of class time will be required to read the case problem, discuss the cultural differences reflected in the case problem, role play the continuation of the meeting, and debrief after the role play.
• Approximately 10 to 40 participants can be engaged in the case-related activities.
• Resource materials about the general British culture and its business subculture are needed, as are copies of "Close Encounters of the British Kind" for participants.

Instructions

1. Review the importance of being aware of and sensitive to cultural differences when engaging in business.
2. Distribute "Close Encounters of the British Kind" and ask each class member to read Part 1, looking for differences in the beliefs, values, and assumptions of the American and British business subcultures.
3. Discuss the following questions:
   1. What differences, if any, exist involving courtesy and hospitality in business settings in the United States and the United Kingdom?
   2. B. How might the physical environment in which business is conducted be different in the two countries, and what does this suggest about differences in beliefs, values, and assumptions within the two business communities?
4. Ask each class member to read Part 2 of "Close Encounters of the British Kind," looking for additional differences in the beliefs, values, and assumptions of the American and British business subcultures.
5. Discuss the following questions:
    
   1. What differences, if any, exist in the professional appearance standards of businesspersons in the two countries?
   2. How are differences in the perceived value of relationship building manifest in Part 2 of "Close Encounters of the British Kind"? Why might these differences exist?
   3. What differences, if any, exist in the urgency with which business should be conducted in the two business subcultures? Why?
   4. What attitudinal differences do the two businesspersons display? What cultural factors might be responsible for these differences?
   5. How does Mr. Nichols manifest resistance to change, and how strong do you think this factor is? Why?
   6. What role and influence do customers have in the two business subcultures? Why might this difference exist?
   7. Which business subculture is more detached and formal than the other one? What evidence supports your position?
   8. What do you think is the real reason that Mr. Nichols left his office under the pretext of discussing the luncheon details with Mrs. McConville
6. Ask one female and one male volunteer to role play the next ten minutes of the meeting between Robin Nichols and Marybeth Lindsay.  
   1. How did each of the role play participants feel after having assumed a new identity? Why?
   2. How authentically did each of the role play participants assume the new identity and related cultural baggage? Why do you think so?
   3. What developments during the role play were expected and unexpected? How well do you think the role play participants responded to the expected and unexpected events? Why?
   4. If you were to be one of the role play participants, how would your performance be like and unlike the performance of the role play participant of your gender? the other gender? Why?
   5. What did you learn from this case problem and related role play?

Follow-up

Using print, electronic, and people sources, identify a number of additional differences in the beliefs, values, and assumptions of the American and British business subcultures and prepare a set of written guidelines that American businesspersons can use to help them interact more sensitively with British businesspersons