Essay: Don’t mess with my Professionalism, by Vanessa Barros (E93)

Questioning others’ professionalism invites an immediate negative reaction that many international executives have when they are facing a behavior which is culturally different from theirs and which they don’t understand in the workplace.

‘Professionalism’ becomes the alibi for imposing one’s cultural views of the world and of the workplace. ‘Professionalism’ becomes the alibi for ethnocentrism, which in turn jeopardizes relationships at work and reduces chances of success in the ever growing multicultural business world. 

Such phenomenon may help explain why 70% of merger and acquisitions failures are due to cultural differences, whether these may be corporate or national. According to another research, 60 to 80% of all difficulties in organizations stem from conflicts between employees. These difficulties increase when cultures collide.

In this book, the author go beyond individual views of “professionalism” to discuss the complex intercultural conflict phenomenon at work and propose practical ways to resolve it effectively. 

Don’t mess with my Professionalism: How to Resolve Conflict Across Cultures
Vanessa Barros (E93)
Penguin Publishing
144 pages
14,22 €

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