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Cross-Cultural ‘Co-opetition’ Means Better Business
By Cherie Zeringue, BSME, BSBmE, MBA  In any number of industries in the United States,
there is a growing trend towards "co-opetition"—that rare and
stratified arena where two companies who would otherwise be in
competition with one another find strength by joining efforts to
pursue common goals.
Many business experts attribute the emergence of this new
business structure to the costly acquisitions and mergers of the
1990s that failed to achieve promised profitability or increase
shareholder value without considerable restructuring.
Emergent technologies have increased global interaction, making
it viable for US companies to enter into cooperative agreements
with companies headquartered far across the Atlantic, Pacific or
Indian oceans, enabling them to expand their markets and reach
target consumers without launching new products. In our own
industry, we have watched a number of acquisitions change the
roster on the scorecard so much that you no longer need just a
program, but an instant messaging system to tell you "who's who."
Given such a trend, is it possible that the US orthotics and
prosthetics industry will be isolated from global integration? Or
will the emergence of super manufacturers force allegiances of
smaller companies around the globe to stave off competitive
forces?
In either of these scenarios, you may find yourself in the midst
of meetings with individuals from another firm based in another
country. So what are the "do's and don'ts" of cross-culture
meetings and working environments when cooperation and mutual
benefit are the primary objectives?
Generalizations about national behaviors run the obvious risk of
stereotyping, but a working knowledge of basic cultural
traits—ours as well as others'—can minimize surprises,
provide advance insight, and improve interactions. For example, the
French and American approaches to business have vast differences.
First and foremost, the fundamental thought processes of the two
groups are totally divergent. The French see truth as
unequivocal—something to be discovered by deductive
reasoning. If one side is right, the other is wrong. This approach
is based on the teaching of René Descartes and is deeply
ingrained in the French educational system.
Conversely, Americans tend to be inductive thinkers, following
the English tradition of empiricism. Truth is found in the
observation and understanding of empirical evidence. The typical
American approach is to present data, offer a conclusion, and
expect a decision, while the French will "back way up," look at the
big picture, and engage in extensive reasoning to arrive at truth.
The American desire to get on with the "what" of things runs
counter to the French need to first understand the "why."
Americans tend to get to the point. We show the data, draw
conclusions, and make recommendations for "next steps." The French
will present the big picture first, skillfully move through a
series of "therefores" until every detail is covered, and then
present a logical conclusion.
As a result of their different views in this and other areas,
the two nationalities can develop some unflattering stereotypes of
each other. The French are formal, reserved, discreet, precise,
technical, and quality-conscious. Americans appear to the French to
be brash, informal, casual, loud, too talkative, and
quantity-conscious.
However, situations involving such cultural differences are not
insurmountable. Aware and open individuals who want a positive
outcome can effect the desired result. 
Table Of Contents - September 2002
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