…stream of consciousness

It’s Thursday morning in Manchester (UK). For the first time, I’m traveling to this historical city for a day-and-a-half conference on the “practice of practise.” My word processor doesn’t like the second spelling of this word! Thanks perhaps to Noah Webster and George and Charles Merriam, in the US we prefer not to distinguish between the noun practice –“a way of doing something that is common, habitual or expected”—and the verb to practise –“to do something repeatedly or regularly in order to improve one’s skill”—, like the Oxford dictionary does. Turns out that, for some of my colleagues, the research we do and publish has gotten too disconnected from what practicing (or, should I write “practising”?) managers do and a few dozen researchers have been invited to study this notion in some depth.

I must confess that I feel incredibly honored and maybe even a bit intimidated, as I am the least known researcher in the list of conference participants. But just yesterday, I received an email that boosted my self-confidence highly, as I was invited to give one of the keynote speeches in another conference that will take place in Bamberg (Germany) in May. The paper I sent was blind-reviewed by two referees who rated it very highly, and the organizers felt it was worth giving it more air space than what I had expected. I know Mamá will be proud of me, even though she rarely needs a reason to do so. But enough about me; I thought I’d share with you this month some of my thoughts (the “stream of consciousness”) as I visit this “brilliant” city and here I am wasting valuable air time talking about myself.

Well, as I said above, I have just arrived in town; consequently, I feel slightly jet-lagged. Coffee here is much stronger than what I usually get in Clarion, plus I am excited about this event, so, I think I will get by. I took the train from the airport to the downtown area where the Manchester Business School is located and was reminded that they don’t call it “English punctuality” for nothing. I was trying to make sure I was boarding the right train when the time came, and off went the first I should have boarded. Fortunately, service is offered frequently, so, I was able to reach Manchester within a few minutes on the next train (note to self: stop trying to double-check everything; it’s not like you’re using an unfamiliar language, even if it sounds so!).

I had time to take a few pictures, read the “Metro” newspaper, and review the city maps so I know what to do once I reach downtown. Not a hard task, since the city has enough signs indicating street names and routes. At this point, I’m feeling hungry, even though it’s not even 6 AM for my body clock. I find a little café in one of the alleys perpendicular to Oxford Street, where I have my first English breakfast in Great Britain. I have heard so many times that “to eat well in England, you have to have breakfast three times” that I am ready to experiment –hoping I don’t get “King Henry’s revenge” just like our Anglo cousins often get “Moctezuma’s revenge” when visiting Mexico. I have to say I am not disappointed. The egg and patty are not different from what we’d find in the US, but the sausage tastes a bit different –and very enjoyable! The toast is also good flavored, but the sweet flavor in the beans is not what I am used to, yet I like being able to savor unfamiliar tastes. I also tried the decaf coffee but it tastes too much like the instant brand I use in my office when I feel too lazy to brew a better cup.

The newspapers here seem to be fascinated by the encounter of South African President, Jacob Zuma –and his third current wife—with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Zuma grabbed the press’ attention by demanding respect for his culture –apparently somebody told him that Britons do not approve of polygamy or out-of-wedlock offspring, and that has started a media frenzy like only the British Royal family can spawn.

After Checking in…

Make that “After a 2-hour nap...”! I did not really feel that tired until I thought I should feel the bed in my small room. OK, I’ve seen smaller –in Hong Kong!—, but I’m always amazed at how easy it is to get used to our jumbo-sized rooms in the Americas. I exercised a bit, shaved, took a shower and got ready for the initial meeting downstairs.

It’s a neat group of colleagues! We have so many things in common, in spite of coming from such different countries as Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, the US (and I cannot help mentioning “originally from Mexico”!), and, of course, our British hosts. Our dinner is not another English breakfast, but I enjoy it very much. Then it’s time to work –crazy, isn’t it? Well, we have to take full advantage of our being together here for a day and a half, to continue the work we have been doing for several months already and into the future.

I’ll post a picture or two on my blog if they turn out “sharable.” I think I have already exceeded the preferred length for this month’s column. Thanks for reading, I look forward to your “stream of consciousness”!

¡Hasta la próxima!

To learn more: Antonacopoulou, E. P. (2009). On the practise of practice: In-tensions and ex-tensions in the ongoing reconfiguration of practices. In D. Barry and H. Hansen (eds) Handbook of New and Emerging Approaches to Management & Organization, London: Sage.

…cultural differences

This column could be so much longer… and yet so interesting, in spite of focusing only on surface differences in a popular communications medium like film! And the fact that I’m writing it might actually make it less interesting than it could be, if I wasn’t such a nerdy academic… perhaps a funny writer would make it more readable, but it probably doesn’t matter because if you have read other columns of mine and you’re still reading this, I’m probably not so bad after all…

See? There’s the first of those cultural differences that those of us who live in two (or more!) cultures often have to endure. Self-deprecation is so atypical of individualistic cultures like the one we live in! And not only are we living in the USA, one of the most individualistic nations of all, but also we chose to major in or dedicate ourselves to Business! Putting ourselves down in front of others –let alone in a publication with national distribution—is not a good idea! Yet, growing up in a Hispanic family, with all of its traditions and religious norms, is a major influence that shows up when we least expect it, when we don’t need it, when we wish it had not.

Business negotiations, hiring interviews, even simpler social events –which we know can lead to work-related projects!—are some of those contexts in which we might wish we had not said publicly that “we didn’t think you were the best” for the job, that so-and-so can do a better job (even if you didn’t think so to begin with, but that’s the “polite” thing to do, according to our upbringing, right? ...can you hear Mom or Dad telling you, “Don’t blow your own horn! If you’re good, people will notice and there’s no need for you to tell anyone…”? Well, somehow this doesn’t seem to happen in reality…!). So, we undermine ourselves so often, in spite of the business training, against our friends’ or mentors’ advice, at odds with what we know is best for our company or for our career…

Two films, two cultures

Well, the diatribe above came right after I saw a charming French film called Je vais te manquer (“I will miss you”), at the time that my neighbor in the plane was watching He’s just not that into you. Interestingly, both films have a similar theme: the lives of several people intertwine, showing us love, life, encounters, separations, even sickness and death.

It was interesting for me to see how many brands had excellent exposure in the US film (you know… product placement!), whereas the French one had all the company names (even some that would have been quite “natural” to show, like signs in buildings or at the airport) blurred, in an evidently manufactured way.

Of course, there were many similarities between both films. Several scenes were so badly overacted (I know, I am no critic and probably I would have made the scene worst, but I did not need to be a connoisseur to feel that some segments were so contrived!). And, of course, there were some discrepancies you would expect in the cars, the music, the dialogues, the places, some clothing items, norms about relationships, etc.

Another major difference is that the US film had only young and pretty people as its main characters. On the other hand, the main characters in the French flick ran the gamut from a young child to three older individuals, from a Senegalese immigrant to a racist officer, and many of them looked quite common! I am not saying that Hollywood’s product did not have its share of African American, Asian, gay, and other token characters. And the French film also had some diversity that looked superficial, perhaps compliance-oriented. Still, the demographic differences shown in Je vais… “felt” more authentic; you know what I mean?

Five airports, many cultures

Unfortunately, those were not the only cultural differences I experienced during this trip between Clarion (PA) and Vaasa (Finland). You see, I went through five airports and the corresponding flights and stopover periods during approximately twenty-two hours. I have to admit that I enjoyed the generous service offered by non-US airlines, wishing the food and drink in our domestic flights weren’t as stingy as they currently are. In addition, I don’t think I can ever get over the wide diversity of dressing, languages, and people one can see in major European hubs like CDG in Paris. But I also felt increasingly bothered by some differences that I didn’t think would. For example, people from some non-Western nations were chewing their food loudly, without closing their mouths. Or a family with two very young girls who, in less than 45 minutes, spilled soda on the floor –and surrounding travelers—and left cookie crumbs on my coat. I guess it’s payback from the times my kids have cried on airplanes because they were not aware that jetlag would make them so uncomfortable. But, is it really too much to expect people to cover their mouths while coughing or sneezing? –especially while the H1N1 virus still seems to be a significant health threat in our world…!  It's easy to get crabby when you're jet lagged! 

Your turn…

What do you think? Would you mind posting your thoughts about the cultural differences that are most salient to you? I know there are hundreds of movies but, if you have seen these two, would you mind sharing your thoughts with me?

¡Hasta la próxima!