Beasley Intercultural

Provides with knowledge about what constitutes culture and how to effectively work with culturally diverse people.

S. Pasricha
Participant
 

Case Studies

Successful International Partnerships in APEC

Beasley Intercultural was commissioned by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)  to research and design an International Partnership (Twinning)  Framework for Capacity Building in APEC economies.

Twinning is a process of pairing like institutions, organisations or networks to transfer knowledge and build capacity. Twinning is different to more traditional forms of international capacity building as it involves long-term partnerships, significant people-to-people linkages through transfer of staff and ongoing collaboration. International twinning often occurs in a complex cross-cultural context between organisations with varying levels of capacity and stakeholder engagement.

The BI team carried out international research in English, Spanish, Mandarin and Thai languages to identify the key elements of successful twinning programs and build a case study database. Utilising these key success factors, BI then designed the ‘P.A.I.R.' framework to provide a simple, step-by-step guide to twinning design, implementation, management and review.  final_pair_process.jpgThe PAIR framework and tools enable:

  • Successful identification and assessment of international partnership opportunities
  • Project design to ensure cross-cultural success in contexts with limited capacity
  • Management structures to ensure smooth implementation
  • Processes for continuous review and  improvement and review


A Beasley Intercultural consultant accompanied the DFAT team to the APEC Meeting in Peru and presented the final report which was subsequently endorsed by APEC and published in February 2009. A pilot program is currently being undertaken utilising the framework.

Click here to read a full copy of the report:

Insights on Asia Strategy

An ASX 100 listed company approached Beasley Intercultural to assist with their Asia strategy.  After a comprehensive needs analysis, BI Consultant Tamerlaine Beasley led a leadership retreat intensive with the CEO and Executive Team. The program provided a framework for deeper understanding of Asian business drivers, and key insights into the realities, challenges and opportunities when doing business in the region.  Other content included covering typical pitfalls to avoid, strategies for success and insider insights. The session concluded with a rigorous discussion of previous and intended strategic direction. 75% of participants rated the one day program five out of five in response to the question "How effective was the program in the context of your work" with the remaining 25% of participants rating the program a four. As a result of the value of the intensive, three further half-day ‘deep-dive' country-focused sessions were then provided for the executive team. These sessions focused on the key differentiators of country markets, risk management strategies and how to leverage investments for success. Sessions were facilitated by Tamerlaine and led by BI business practitioners with deep knowledge of local markets: Uppinder Bhatia on India, Tom Parker on China, and Joseph Crumlin on Japan. As a result of the benefit of these sessions, BI is now being engaged to consult on key Asian strategic initiatives and delivering ‘Intercultural Essentials' training programs to senior executives across the business.

Successful Asian Expansion

A large private company approached Beasley Intercultural for assistance prior to integration with the Asia Pacific region, and the move of business functions to China.  Initially, coaching was provided for Senior Managers whose roles were being expanded to include an ‘Asia-Pacific' focus. This coaching focused on effective leadership in a regional team role, Asian business practices and norms, and insights on typical pitfalls to avoid and key success factors. As a result of the success of the coaching, and the positive impact on business outcomes, BI then went on to assist with:

  • Facilitating an international leadership meeting in China for heads of IT from more than ten countries. BI delivered a one day program focusing on effective international team collaboration, then continued to facilitate delivery of the agenda outcomes for the remainder of the program
  • Delivering training in English and Mandarin languages to Chinese staff on effective phone customer service delivery to Western clients. The program content focused on managing client expectations, taking initiative when problem solving and ensuring outcomes
  • Providing pre-departure briefings to staff relocating to China with their families.  The session focused on successful cross-cultural adjustment, workplace factors and how to ‘hit the ground running' in China
  • Delivering ‘Global Team Essentials' training to Australian staff to ensure quality collaboration and achievement of timely outcomes when working  with colleagues in the Asia-Pacific region.