This paper examines the case of Jiango, a senior vice president at an international fragrance company, whose strengths in non-Western market knowledge are offset by limited engagement with Western European culture. The analysis identifies cultural competency gaps and proposes a structured development plan centered on leveraging peer relationships, active cultural immersion, and social networking within the organization. The paper demonstrates how behavioral skills, mental characteristics, and core competencies interact in cross-cultural adaptation and recommends a bidirectional knowledge-sharing approach that benefits both the executive and the broader organization.
Before proposing a specific development plan for Jiango, a senior vice president at Deronde International, a French fragrance company seeking to expand into emerging markets, it is critical to evaluate the executive's strengths and weaknesses. This analysis will reveal significant insights into the gaps between Jiango and his predominantly French colleagues, and will inform a course of action that accounts for differences in global and cultural competencies. Such gaps are fairly common among international executives (Nardon and Steers 2007, p. 47).
Jiango brings considerable strengths to his role. He is extremely knowledgeable about non-Western cultures from an international perspective and was largely hired by Deronde because of his deep familiarity with Asian markets (Nohria 2009, p. 32). The case material suggests he is also familiar with other non-Westernized cultures, including South American markets. Additionally, Jiango demonstrates strong determination about accomplishing his professional objectives, indicating willingness to reevaluate his approach to Western and French culture.
His principal weakness, however, is a failure to integrate with or value Western culture in his professional context. This is evidenced by his routine absence from both formal and informal Deronde meetings. This disengagement creates a cultural and professional distance that undermines his ability to function effectively within the company's dominant culture and limits his capacity to leverage his colleagues' expertise.
To address this imbalance, Jiango should utilize Westernized cultural input in his advertising and strategic thinking, drawing first on his team of fellow vice presidents—Yves, Antoine, and Elyse. These colleagues possess the same depth of familiarity with Western and French business culture that Jiango has with non-Westernized markets. By actively seeking their input and learning from their perspectives, Jiango can develop a more integrated cultural framework.
This peer-learning approach is supported by examples of expatriate executives who successfully immersed themselves in foreign cultures. One executive, Debra, relocated to SĂŁo Paulo and "quickly embraced her new staff, her new environment, and her new task" (cited in case material). This example demonstrates that executives can shift their mindset and engagement when they commit to active cultural integration. For Jiango, accessing the knowledge of his inner circle of vice presidents represents the most readily available and structured way to begin bridging his cultural competency gap (Javidan et al. 2010, p. 110).
Rather than viewing Western and French cultural knowledge as something to be tolerated, Jiango must learn to recognize its strategic value in marketing and business development. His colleagues can serve as mentors and models, helping him understand not only the formal rules of Western business culture but also the underlying values and assumptions that drive decision-making.
Once Jiango establishes a foundation for understanding Western culture within his core executive team, he should expand his engagement to informal professional and social contexts. This expansion is essential because much Western business interaction occurs outside formal office settings—in dinners, social gatherings, and informal networking events.
To build these relationships effectively, Jiango should consult with "local experts both inside and outside the company to build personal relationships" (Javidan et al. 2010, p. 110). This broadened engagement will serve a dual purpose: it will deepen his appreciation for Western culture in ways that inform his international marketing objectives, while simultaneously bridging professional and personal gaps between him and his colleagues.
By demonstrating genuine passion and desire to immerse himself in French and Western culture, Jiango will become more likely to receive invitations to informal social and networking events. These settings, though less structured than formal meetings, are where ideological and professional alignment often occurs. Through consistent participation and authentic engagement, he can transform his current status as a cultural outsider into that of an integrated team member.
Understanding how cultural competencies develop is crucial to designing effective interventions. There is a pyramidal relationship among three layers of competencies: behavioral skills form the foundation, mental characteristics occupy the middle layer, and core identity sits at the apex. Behavioral skills include social skills, networking abilities, and cultural knowledge (Osland 2012, p. 56)—precisely the areas where Jiango currently shows deficits in the Western context.
Jiango's existing strengths in mental characteristics and core competencies (his deep knowledge of non-Western markets and his intrinsic motivation) provide a solid foundation. By developing his behavioral competencies through intentional practice in networking and social engagement, he can leverage his existing strengths while building new capabilities. His social intelligence and willingness to learn can become tools for expanding his behavioral repertoire (Boyatzis 2007, p. 8). This layered approach ensures sustainable development rather than superficial cultural adaptation.
The final and most important step is to incorporate Jiango's newly developed Western cultural understanding into effective marketing strategy that serves both Western and non-Western markets. This represents a hybrid approach that leverages the diverse cultural knowledge now present across the executive team.
Jiango's role in this process will naturally focus on translating his Western cultural insights through the lens of his existing expertise in non-Western markets. However, equally valuable is his willingness to share his non-Western cultural knowledge with colleagues like Yves, Antoine, and Elyse, enabling them to incorporate non-Western perspectives into their own work. This reciprocal exchange creates organizational advantage that transcends any single executive's contribution.
By fostering this two-way knowledge flow, Deronde benefits from a genuinely cross-cultural approach that extends beyond Jiango's individual development. This demonstrates the validity of the principle that "no one can become an expert in anything without help from other people" (McCall Jr., no date, p. 24). The company's competitive position in both Western and emerging markets becomes strengthened through the integration of diverse cultural perspectives across its leadership.
An evaluation of Jiango's strengths and weaknesses reveals a clear development roadmap: he must utilize the human resources of his colleagues to learn more about French and European culture, commit enthusiastically to this goal, and engage in social networking to achieve integration. Finally, he must be willing to incorporate this knowledge into marketing strategy while communicating with colleagues about both his culture and theirs.
Personal experience validates this approach. When I attended my first data management conference, I was intimidated by others' expertise and remained isolated. Within six months, after learning the field more deeply, familiarizing myself with colleagues, and actively engaging in social activities and networking, I found myself learning substantially more and building meaningful professional relationships. The difference lay in shifting from defensive isolation to active cultural immersion—precisely the shift Jiango must make.
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