Enjoying the holidays with your team in the Americas

It’s that “most wonderful time of the year”! Let’s quickly review some intercultural points for the holidays’ best get-togethers, parties, fiestas, or whatever little celebration you’re planning for your collaborators.

As in many places around the world, the holiday season has become a commercial occasion, but one needs to remember that in many Americas countries, it is still an important religious holiday. In Mexico, as an example, there are festivities from December 12th, Day of the Virgen de Guadalupe until the December 6th, the Dia de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings day). Jokingly, it is called the Guadalupe-Reyes Marathon, (1) as celebrations go on throughout this whole period. It is important for organizations to ensure inclusivity to all those who celebrate them, such as Catholic, Christians and Hanukkah (Jewish) and even those who do not have a personal religious tradition.

I will touch upon 3 of the Hofstede dimensions which mark the different approaches placed of the way celebrations are regarded in Mexico, U.S. and other countries within the Americas.

Long term Orientation

The Long Term Orientation dimension describes “how every society maintains some links with its own past while dealing with the challenges of the present and future, and how societies prioritize these two existential goals differently”. Mexico scores low on this dimension, showing that there is a preference to maintain time-honored traditions and respect for norms while viewing change with suspicion. Those with a culture which scores high, in contrast, take a more pragmatic approach: they encourage thrift and efforts towards modernity.

Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, the U.S. and Canada cultures relatively score low, which means they are normative. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth. A bit on the other side is Brazil which scores as intermediate in this dimension; something to consider when we look at their preference and search for change.

Indulgence

The dimension of Indulgence is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses, based on the way they were raised and socialized as children.

With a very high scores of 83 and 97, Colombian and Mexican cultures have a definite tendency toward Indulgence. This means they are generally willing to grasp their impulses and desires with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. The strong importance they place on leisure time, act and spend money as they wish, shows a great tendency to really focus on festivities and specially a most traditional one, such as Christmas. Brazil, Argentina, US and Canada aren’t very behind with a score of 59 and 62, 68, and 68.

Individualism

Here we find the biggest cultural difference between Canada, US and most Latin-American countries. The Individual dimension is the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. It has to do with whether people define their self-image in terms of “I” or “We”.

Mexico, Brazil, with scores of 30, 38, are considered collectivistic societies. At a score of 13 Colombia is amongst the lowest and the most collectivistic cultures in the world, together with Ecuador, Panama and Guatemala. This shows in a close long-term commitment to member ‘groups’, be that family, extended family, or extended relationships. Loyalty is paramount, and is stronger than most other society rules and regulations. Employer/employee relationships are perceived in moral terms to be like a family link.

Argentina sits in the middle rankings with a score of 46 by far, the most Individualist of all Latin countries. This is a consequence of its migration waves and the early emergence of wide middle classes. It’s collectivistic traits prevail together with more modern, Individualist traits, particularly in the large organizations. The employer-employee link is rather calculative and there is a strict division between private and work life.

In contrast, Canada and the U.S. score high on this dimension and are characterized as an Individualist culture. This translates into a loosely-knit society where the expectation is that people look after themselves and their immediate families.

Be inclusive and respectful

So what do these three dimensions mean for Christmas celebrations? Understand your own views, and positions of those around you,  when considering the festivities. Do they celebrate the “holidays” with a focus on shared values such as joy, hope, peace, and giving? How important is having all the family together and/or having the opportunity to visit the family? How closely knit are relationships with friends, and even work colleagues and maybe some of the key customers or suppliers? Is it important to assure some year-end festivities with some fun and open heartedness? Play it safe and be respectful of the fact that not everyone celebrates the same way.

Be flexible as different employees will have different needs regarding holiday celebrations. Some will need more time than others. Remember Family is given high priority so many employees may want to take their vacation days and go visit family. Additional to the company’s official holiday schedule, many employees will use their vacation days to complete the time they need. Maintain open and mindful lines of communication. Keep people involved in the planning of holiday events and decorating. Ask them how they prefer to celebrate, and encourage them to share their holiday traditions.

As an Executive Intercultural Coach, let me accompany you as a Global Leader to discover both your culture and the new cultures you are encountering in your career paths, helping you effectively cross the bridges into the new world that is presenting itself to you.

Sources / Further reading

1. Muñoz-Ledo, R. (2022). ¿De qué se trata el maratón “Guadalupe-Reyes”? Extracted from: https://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2022/12/12/maraton-guadalupe-reyes-mexico-fiesta-mas-larga-ano-orix/
2. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J., & Minkov, M. Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and expanded 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010. ISBN 978-0-07-166418-9.