Quantification

Quantify the influence of culture on the success of your organization:

1. What is your target number?
2. Which key success factors contribute to that target number?
3. How much are those factors based on collaboration?
4. What is the influence of culture on that collaboration?

Step 1 – Target Number

First, define the target number as 100. Then enter that target number number into your spreadsheet as $ or €. You define what target number means. As an organization you have your goals. You have identified and quantified them. Choose one.

Step 2 – Key Success Factors

Second, list the five most important factors which determine success. These are the things which the organization must do well in order to achieve the target number. Assign a % to each success factor. The total may not exceed 100%.

Then multiply each % by the target number. This gives you a $ or € number for each individual success factor. In other words, you have quantified each success factor’s contribution to the target number.

Step 3 – Based on Collaboration

Third, estimate to what degree each of those success factors is based on colleagues in or from different countries collaborating effectively.

Assign a % to each success factor. The total may exceed 100% since you are estimating for each respective factor independent of each other. Some success factors may be more dependent on cross-border collaboration than others.

Then multiply each % by that success factor’s contribution to the target number, as quantified in Step 2. This gives you a $ or € number for collaboration of each individual success factor.

In other words, you have quantified cross-border collaboration’s contribution to your organization’s success factors.

Step 4 – Influence of Culture

Fourth, now estimate, as best you can, the influence of national culture on that collaboration. Proceed success factor for success factor.

Keep in mind that collaboration between colleagues in and from different countries requires not only the willingness and the ability to work together. Most importantly, it requires that the cultures understand each other.

Assign to each success factor a %. The total may exceed 100% since you are estimating factor for factor. Then multiply each % by the value arrived at in Step 3 – the degree to which each success factor is based on cross-border collaboration. You now have a $ or € value for the influence of culture on collaboration.

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