Meetings and Decision-Making Questionnaire (© Intercultural Business Improvement 2006) The Meetings and Decision-Making Questionnaire (MDM Questionnaire) captures the Lessons Learnt of teams involved in cross cultural meetings and decision-making processes. Through analysing misunderstandings, frictions and conflicts in cross-border mergers, IBI developed the MDM Questionnaire to support multicultural teams in exploring their differences and creating ways of working together that work for everyone. You want your team to be more effective and have more fun? Contact us.

Communication in the Organizational Hierarchy Questionnaire (© Intercultural Business Improvement 2006) Attitudes and behaviours around leadership, authority and hierarchy differ substantially between national and organisational cultures. The differences affect how individuals communicate in an organisational hierarchy. If undetected, such differences may lead to embarrassment, negative image formation and lack of influence of individual staff members. The Communication in the Organisational Hierarchy Questionnaire (C-OH) is based on analyses of such processes in cross-border mergers. The C-OH supports individuals in international organisations in their efforts to communicate and influence effectively in a business environment whose culture differs from their own. You know of somebody who might benefit from this? Contact us.

Group Working Agreement Protocol (© Intercultural Business Improvement 2006) The Group Working Agreement Protocol (GWA) supports members of multicultural and virtual teams to explore and discover their different expectations around teamwork. Addressing the key issues of teamwork, the GWA helps your team to understand these different expectations and agree on procedures that every member will be committed to. If your team could use a little help, contact us.

Below, IBI presents an example of a Cross Cultural Conflict scenario, enabling you to test your own approach to such conflicts. Dishwasher Detergent Mr. Blue is head of a foreign subsidiary of Glanum, an international consumer products company. One day his subsidiary receives a complaint from the national consumer organisation: Several boxes of dishwashing detergent were found to contain too much chlorine, causing serious damage to china and glassware. Compensation of damages and withdrawal of remaining stock will cost the company an equivalent of US$ 100,000. To prevent similar mistakes in the future, Mr. Blue is determined to find the person responsible for the damage. He contacts Ms Lila, head of the department. When asked about the person who made the mistake, she replies that while she has some idea of who may be responsible, she does not think it's necessary to just blame the individual who made the mistake. The whole production team must take the blame since it apparently didn't sufficiently train its members and didn't properly check up on their work. Moreover, the person in question apparently felt so ashamed that he offered to resign - his colleagues had to convince him to stay. In her view, the person has been punished enough already. Moreover the whole team will see to it that such a mistake will not happen again. Please spend a minute or two on how you would approach the issue. Then click here. © 2002, IBI, All rights reserved