10/18/2006 - 10/19/2006

Being Culturally-Savvy

What do I mean by “culturally savvy“? I am not talking about being politically correct, rather I am talking about simply being cognizant that there is a larger cultural impact on how business is conducted today than ever before. Cultural differences often exist within the same companies…they certainly exist between different companies. Without question there are different cultural business practices in different cities or regions within an individual country. These differences are almost exponentially complicated when you start doing business on a global basis. For purposes of this post we will address how to best blend and manage your internal cultural characteristics with those of your vendors, partners, suppliers, customers and investors who may be located in foreign countries.

education secretary announces diversity classes for adults

Adults are to undergo citizenship and diversity classes as part of measures to improve community cohesion, the education secretary, Alan Johnson, announced today.

Speaking at the national adult services conference in Brighton, Mr Johnson said education held "tremendous power" to break down class and social barriers and played a critical role in promoting respect and understanding in a multicultural society.

new Cultural Competence Package for Health Care Organizations

NetworkOmni Multilingual Communications a leading global provider of oral interpretation, written translation, cultural competence training and language communication solutions -- today announced at the Quality Health Care for Culturally Diverse Populations (QHCCDP) National Conference in Seattle, Wash. that it is rolling out a first-of-its-kind package of multilingual and multicultural communications solutions for health care organizations. The NetworkOmni Head of the CLAS(SM) compliance program enables hospitals, health care systems, physicians and other health care providers to meet an array of local, state and federal requirements that require culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS).

Multilingual Tools Mine Buzz in Blogosphere

Companies trying to navigate the maze of blogs around the world to find out what’s being said about them will get help soon in the form of some localized blog search sites from Technorati.

The company has partnered with public relations firm Edelman to develop versions of Technorati’s blog search tools that are localized in French, German, Italian, Korean and Chinese. Edelman will have exclusive use of the new tools until early next year, after which they’ll be available to the public.

men make reluctant trailing spouses

More women are being sent on international assignments than ever before, especially in Asia-Pacific, but they are far less likely to be accompanied by a partner than male assignees.

A global survey by Mercer Human Resource Consulting, covering over 100 multinational companies with nearly 17,000 male and female international assignees also finds that companies in Asia-Pacific have 16 times more females on assignment this year than they did in 2001.

word of the day: qua

qua \KWAY; KWAH\, preposition:
In the capacity or character of; as.

This might be thought a decisive objection to a federal judge's writing about this subject even if the judge writes qua academic rather than qua judge. -- Richard A. Posner, An Affair of State

Gossipmongers aren't obsessed with gossip qua gossip; they're grappling with the great issues of our day: Truth, Honor and Justice. -- Robert Plunket, "Cyberscandal", New York Times, June 1, 1997

hizbullah embraces multilingual internet

Hizbullah recently translated one of it’s websites into Hebrew. This was the organization’s first attempt to address the Israeli audience through the internet.

The site is stored at an Iranian address and offers a plunder of reports on the IDF, the political system (including updates on President Katsav’s situation), and negotiations with the Palestinians. The website’s name means resistance in Farsi.

poles apart in peterborough

As a growing number of Polish workers are travelling to the city to work, Peterborough College of Adult Education decided the time was right to run a course on basic Polish culture and language. Features writer Jemma Walton found out who will be attending the course – and why – and what they will be learning.

When Polish Iwona Breisa-Kmiec came to this country to polish her English, she had no idea that she would fall in love with our way of life. But such was Iwona's passion for England in general, and Peterborough in particular, that she decided to make her home here – and use her skills to teach locals her mother tongue.

at&t launches phone translation service in san francisco

San Francisco is the launching point today for a new phone service for immigrants who speak limited English. AT&T has created a telephone interpreter system to hook people up with businesses in their native language for free. They decided to launch in San Francisco because it is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country.

word of the day: obstreperous

obstreperous \uhb-STREP-uhr-uhs; ob-\, adjective:
1. Noisily and stubbornly defiant; unruly.
2. Noisy, clamorous, or boisterous.

He began standing up to the Orderlies, talking back, openly obstreperous. -- John Darnton, The Experiment

When he was ordered from above to expel two obstreperous comrades -- they insisted on challenging the leadership -- he found himself "caught between my Jeffersonian upbringing and my Party loyalty." -- William Herrick, "Truth Was the Last Straw", New York Times, July 12, 1987