The Power of Research in Intercultural Consulting
A workshop with Dr. Clifford Clarke
July 7, 2012, 14:00 ~ 16:00
For SIETAR KANSAI Participants
Program Overview
The Objectives of this program are to create strategies for using participatory action research to increase the power of intercultural consulting with global business leaders. (Participatory action research involves the process of professional consultants actively participating in an organizational change initiative, such as evolving an integrated corporate culture, while conducting research for the organization. Action research can be undertaken by any organization or institution with the aim of solving problems and improving their organization.)
The Presentation will critically review a case study of a large joint-venture corporation in Japan. The goals of this consulting project will be identified. The participatory action research approach utilized by the consultant will be presented. The research instrument and summary data will also be shared. This consulting project led to a strategy that resulted in the client’s achievement of the desired results through the corporate culture change initiative.
The Workshop will engage participants in discussing the case’s context, goals, participatory action research approach, and the actual client instrument and data. Participants will work together in teams to strategically develop an action plan for a consulting initiative in full collaboration with a client president appointed by each team who will question the consulting team’s assumptions, direction, and expectations. Then, after the presentation of each team’s action plan summary to the whole group and discussion, Clarke will comment on the team’s results. Then, if time permits, the same three teams will work together to constructively identify improvements in their team’s plan that might lead to their client’s achievement of excellent results and outcomes. Clarke will then share with the group the initiatives that actually occurred in the client organization and the results.
As Take-Aways, participants will have an understanding of the action research approach, a team-designed consulting initiative for similar clients that they believe will be effective, and the research instrument for analyses of a business client’s decision-making system.
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This presentation and workshop will be useful to any level experience in the intercultural research and management consulting field. Hopefully, each team will be composed of participants who consider themselves at the entry, intermediate, and advanced levels of experience so that mutual cooperation will enable all to feel engaged and have a meaningful time together.
Profile of the Presenter:
Prof. Clifford Clarke has been teaching three courses in Intercultural Communication Theory, Training, and Consulting at the University of Hawaii’s School of Communication for the past four years as an Affiliate Graduate Faculty member. He also founded and serves as the President of Global Integration Strategies where he executes research projects for businesses and educational exchange programs via his website at www.gis-tools.com and www.gis-tools.com/edu.html.
He was raised in Kyoto through high school and after over 30 relocations as a “global nomad” now resides in Honolulu, Hawaii, as a genuine “TCK” (Third Culture Kid) with his wife who is from Toyama, Japan. Together they are developing another new venture in service to local schools as External Program Evaluators.
GIS PROFILE
The Global Integration Strategies Corporation, founded by Clifford H. Clarke, is grounded in the discipline of Intercultural Management and has provided global companies the research, consulting and training products that have been developed and utilized with thousands of clients (individual members of over 300 client organizations) for more than two decades. Clarke pioneered a research-based approach to understanding and overcoming all types of organizational difficulties experienced by global companies,
GIS focuses on assisting clients with practical research reports on their internal issues created by cultural diversity in the global marketplace. In particular, these tools and training programs assist global businesses in initiatives such as transnational Technology Transfers, Overseas Assignment Services, Joint Venture Start-Ups, Mergers & Acquisitions, Headquarters & Subsidiary Alignments, Global Teamwork, Leadership Development and Subsidiary Development Projects.
GIS research reports offer interpretations and suggest recommendations of best practices from Clarke’s work with many world-class corporations. The impact of diverse cultures on organizational productivity, global leadership, management, team and individual performance can be turned into creative and innovative assets that create the competitive edge needed for success of the global organization.