Pending approval

My digital me hascome back to life. After 6 months of winter break Daan.com is back. Ever since my last post a lot of things have happened. The Brazilian branch of Vescom, that I am managing is growing from an embryo into an enthusiastic baby-boy. Brazil is getting to know us better and better. If it were not for the crisis I would have already managed to proof its raison d´etre. The market is opening a bit more right and I am waiting for confirmed projects to transform into actual sales.

In order to conquer the entire Brazilian market my flying hours are growing fast. From home base Rio de Janeiro I have flown to São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Recife and the coming weeks I will be able to add Curitiba and Porto Alegre to that list. I consider my Brazilian project as a pending approval. At the moment nothing indicates that I will fail to turn Vescom do Brasil into a success, but nevertheless there is still plenty to prove.

Another pending approval concerns the academic part of my life. The last couple of years I have dedicated to studying the subject of intergroup conflict in a Dutch and Brazilian context. At the request of professor Filipe Sobral of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) we are now attempting to publish the article “The effects of conflict on group performance in a Dutch and Brazilian context”. If we actually manage to get it published I would reach the highlight of my academic life.

This post is a new beginning and I plan to post at least once a month.

The boy from Brazil

The late Ira Levin wrote the novel “The boys from Brazil”. Just before leaving the Netherlands my colleagues at Vescom renamed the Boy from Brazil. In the book Lieberman hunts the trail of Nazi doctor Mengele who ordered during a 1974 São Paulo meeting 6 ex-SS members to murder a number of 94 people, and attempts to create ideal circumstances for the rise of a new Adolf Hitler. I, personally, did not come to Brazil to hunt down nazis. A new job took me back to the country where I have already spent quite some time studying and living with my girlfriend.

My new adventure started June 30th and moved from the Netherlands to Rio de Janeiro last Monday morning. Twelve hours after boarding the KLM/Air France Boeing 777 I set foot on Brazilian soil. The regular customs procedures in São Paulo/Guarulhos speeded up me leaving Galeão Airport in Rio de Janeiro and seeing my girlfriend again after a long time.

Now I am starting to set up the Brazilian brand of Dutch wall covering producer and distributor Vescom. Legislation, import taxes, housing and mobile phone contracts cause me headaches. But …….. it is all part of the game. I am to get used to the inevitable bureaucracy that more often frains that acceearates business. The boy from Brazil, who is actually a Boy from Brabant learns everyday in a country that is even after 3 years still relatively unknown to him.

Um grande abraço,

Daan Bisseling

The long path of writing a thesis

April 2007 my journey towards writing something academically sound started in the field of internationalisation of technological capabilities. What?! A first challenge of writing a thesis is of course making sure the title of your thesis carries enough complications that everybody thinks you’re doing something that really matters. This may seem exagerared and it is. But fact is that thesis titles generally seem over-complicated.

Nevertheless, writing a thesis is one of things that make me most proud of myself. My first thesis subject for my Master in International Management at the Fundaçao Getulio Vargas in Rio de Janeiro led me to Shell do Brasil, the Brazilian subsidiary of the Dutch oil giant. Unfortunately my research ended in vain, as my research planning remained a planning and was never actually realised. Hundreds of literature read, 6 weeks of 2 and a half day a week empirical research, more than thirty pages written. And yet I decided to throw the thirty pages in the garbage ban and think of a subject with more potential.

New coordinator, new subject, new companies. Re-focus on the role of conflict on group performance. Three companies in the Netherlands (Atos, VLD, and Philips) and five companies in Brazil (Nokia Siemens, TIM, BAT, Vale, and Petrobras) agreed to participate. December 2007 I succesfully finished my FGV thesis based on the empirical results from the Netherlands only. Today, 7 months later I included the Brazilian data. But I guarantee: this baby will be born well before 9 months. This weekend I hope the water will break, and a pre-mature birth of my thesis will take place. And than, with the help of my very capable coordinator things should be finished before the end of July.

Only one sad thing: in 1 year almost 200 pages written and besides the examinors probably no one will ever read it.

Do we determine our own careers?

This weekend a project group I am part of is finishing a small study on parental influence on career choices of people. Or put in other words: do our parents affect our career choices. We focused here mainly on directive support, which can be described as a steering behavior of parents. Me and my classmates are approaching the end of our study and decisions are to be made. What do we actually want to grow into? Do we actually have role models?

The influence of my parents on my personal development has been substantial. They were the ones who gave me norms and values to evolve socially. Even though I really look up to them, at this moment my decision goes above everything. I want to live my life, the way my heart and brains tell me. I do not seem to be an exception in this. Our research showed that my generation follows their parental directive behavior less than for example my parents’ generation. We did not find any evidence of this directive support actually leading to people performing jobs similar to their parents.

I have decided not to follow statistical evidence for determining my career. I hope that whatever choice I make I will find the same amount of happyness my parents found. The road towards that happyness will nevertheless be different from theirs. I take their advice serious, but try to stay as loyal to myself as possible. I want to become the best man I can.

Robin Li, a transformational leader in China

At the moment I am involved in several researches. One more extensively than another. One of those researches involves analysing a person you consider a great leader. In my group I have the privilege of cooperating with some excellent students. One Chinese, one Taiwanese and one Dutch student work together with me on analysing Mr Robin Li, the Chinese equivalent of Larry Page and Sergey Brin the founders of Google. Mr Li is the founder and owner of Baidu, China’s most popular search engine. 

In this study we have come across some interesting issues, like transformational leadership, universality of leadership behaviour and American bias. Mainstream literature bases research in the vast majority of cases on a North-American or North European context. A question comes into play when transporting those theories to other national clusters, like for example the Middle-East, South-East Asia, or Latin America. Cultural differences between North America and Nortern Europe are relatively small, which makes implantation of American theories is this region more easy. The Latin American region is however very different from North America. Where particularly the American culture can be described as highly individualistic and dominated by masculine features, like assertiveness and competitiveness (see Hofstede, 1981 for more info), a country like Brazil has a more collectivist culture and his rather ambiguous when it comes to feminine and masculine features. More clearly is what Hofstede calls power distance. A famous Brazilian expression is “Do you know who you are talking to?” In a Brazilian context the inequality of power distribution is more accepted than in the United States of America. 

These cultural differences, make that one should carefully consider how to use western practices in a culturally different context. Issues like conflict management, participative management, delegating and group discussion are not the same in the Netherlands and Brazil. A cultural translation is to be made. Our leader Li, has spent quite some time abroad. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Information Management at Peking University, he finished a Master in Computer Science at the State University of New York. His American experiences allowed him to get the most out of American and Chinese leadership. Today he is one of the best examples in China of a successful transformational leader. For clarification, a transformational leadership can be described as “the moving of followers beyond their self-interests for the good of the group” (Bass, 1997).  For more info on Robin Li please have a look at one of the following sites:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2005/dec/08/piracy.news http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/bizfocus/archives/2006/09/17/2003328060 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/business/yourmoney/17baidu.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Winning sustainably

The two master courses I am following at the University of Amsterdam at the moment are forming my vision on the “right way” of doing business. Leadership shows me how business leaders can make or break ethical business. The Enron case showed how leaders’ greed led to the fall of one the greatest upcoming US companies. Loyal blue collar employees lost their entire pension funds. Funds they had been saving for their entire life. The misserable situation of them contrasted sharply with the company’s chiefs. They saw the ship approaching the iceberg and acted. Employees were during some time unable to cash their stocks and minimize their losses. Reason for this was, that the directors did actually cash their stocks. Let’s stick to this as far as Enron is concerned.

My main point is that leaders should act out of the group’s interest and not their own individual interest. In theory this sounds very logical and obvious. In practice, however, this is somewhat more complicated. It is an old saying that power corrupts. And I believe only very strong personalities can keep their moral values. I hope I will grow into an ethical leader that gets results. Because just being ethical does not last, if you don’t perform. Finally, I believe the Enron case shows that ethics is everybody’s responsibility. Everyone can draw its limits, and once they’re forced into actions considered unethical they should value being ethical higher than being rich. Idealism? Definately! Unrealistic? I care to believe it is not.

For a documentary on the Enron case please have a look at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=972394030048527048

Between practice and theory

This week my remaining courses for the Master in Business Studies at the University of Amsterdam started. Leadership and strategy and sustainability are the courses I still have to complete in the best possible way. I strive to achieve the best possible result. What that will be is hard to predict at this moment. Besides those courses, I am still working on my thesis. Empirical research is ending, but helpful hands are appearing. This Monday professor Karen Jehn of the Leiden University agreed to meet to discuss my subject. Professor Jehn is an expert on group processes, mainly on conflict within groups. Besides knowing a lot about the subject of my interest, she showed great willingness to help. A thing I really appreciate. At the same time my highly respected co-ordinator of the FGV in Rio de Janeiro send me an email requesting a reduced version of my thesis (from 80 to 20 pages) for possible publication.

I will first need to reduce my thesis drastically as I said before. After that, professor Alketa Peci will work on the article which we will try to present at an at this moment unknown conference. After that conference corrections will be made an we will apply for publishment of the article. I feel greatly honored by this request, even though I do realize we are far from actually publishing my work. I am very happy with my work, but somehow also doubt whether it is actually good enough to publish. I will need to trust on miss Alketa for this.

All these activities are of a predominantly scientific nature. At the same time I am leaning towards practical life more and more. My scientific activities help me develop analytical skills. It is however according to me necessary to keep in mind practical implications. Developing analytical skills cannot compromise pragmatic thinking. Here I am struggling with what Dutch scholar Romme, called a “Relevance Gap”. Fallen in the gap that lies between what seems convincing in theory and what is possible in practice. Bridgebuilding is to be made by me, to make sure my work does not remain purely theory, but gains also in implementability.

End of research

I am approaching the end of my research activities for my Masters. The end of last year I already finished my Masters in International Management in Rio de Janeiro after having performed empirical research in the Netherlands. Now, on the eve of my continuation of the Masters in Business Studies at the Universiteit van Amsterdam I am getting closer ever day to finishing my research in Brazil. To clarify things, my study focuses on how job related diversity (differences in experience, educational level, functional background, and departmental and organizational tenure) enhances a higher performance in the presence of a constructive form of conflict. During my research I have been fortunate to get co-operation of prestigious multinationals like Atos Origin, Vale, Petrobras, Nokia Siemens Networks, and Brittish American Tobacco. They helped me by having several teams fill in a survey I placed online at http://www.ebape.fgv.br/pesquisas/diversity . For those who do not speak Portuguese my apologies, but this survey served for my research performed in Brazil.

In the coming weeks I will analyse the data collected. Where I only examined data from the Netherlands for my thesis in Brazil, now I will add a multi-cultural analysis. For this, my thesis is broadened with two extra hypotheses aiming at linking certain cultural traits to organizational behavior. Beforehand, I can say that I expect Brazilians to be less likely to involve in any kind of conflict (emotional or constructive). This due to a high level of risk avoidance in the Brazilian culture, and on a cross-hierarchical level the power distance will make conflict between two or more people from different hierarchical levels unlikely to occur. I will post my findings here as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or remarks:

Daan Bisseling MSc

Masters in International Management

daanbisseling@gmail.com

Re-adaptation

It has been one month since I got back from Brazil. My re-adaptation from a latin way of life in the Brazilian summer, to the Dutch winter has not gone as smoothly as expected. Where winter coldness never caused any problems to me, my body seems to be accustomed to 25 degrees or more. After a calm holiday period, the time has come for me now, to settle in Amsterdam where the coming 6 months I will finish my Master in Business Studies. I need to find a place for myself and a part-time job. Rent in Amsterdam is still a thing that amazes me. The smallest rooms have the most ridiculous rent prices. Even though I only need a room to sleep, cooking equipment and sanitary fittings, rent will be around 300 euros a month. For this same price I can get a confortable appartment in Rio de Janeiro. Different place, different rules.

My part-time job is another issue of concern. Besides finishing my Master I will work for the coming period at least 30 hours a week. The job should help me improve my financial situation and gain some extra experience. Being a part-timers seems go with some disadvantages. Since you’re not a full-time employee, the  most interesting jobs are not for you. Normal if you ask me. Nevertheless, it seems the labour market that is looking for educated personnell is missing a chance, letting highly educated people do work that often does not require any intellectual effort. Maybe my hope is vain, but I seriously believe I can add something to many companies if I am able to work 30 hours weekly. What should one of my trump cards actually seems to keep me from interesting jobs. My fluency in French and Portuguese often leads to translation or customer service jobs. Mayby, I am just being to demanding. Main goal for now is earning money. Case closed.

Welcome to civilized Europe

Last friday (03-12-2007) I got back to Europe. The intercontinental flight from Rio de Janeiro going to Paris is not my favorite waste of time. Besides my incapability to sleep in a plain I have little worries when flying. This unlike many of the travellers who do not possess a EU-passport. The welcoming committee for non EU-residents consists merely of policemen. Brazilian press has published astonishing figures this year about Brazilians being refused entrance to the EU, and being send back to Brazil. I felt very, very uncomfortable by the special treatment I received, due to the fact that I simply look European. No questions asked, no passport had to be shown, I could simply move on to the customs. Latin-Americans were, however, systematically separated from the crowd and had to go through a far more thourough screening. Out of personal experience I know how many Brazilians never live to experience the “wonders” of Europe. For them the Paris experience is restricted to a so called “zone d’attente” (waiting zone). They wait judgment in a prison-like building on the complex of Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. Surprisingly, Europeans rarely experience likewise situations. We can enter whatever country in Latin-America on a turist visa, which allows us to stay for 3 months. No European women are questioned to get certainty about the fact whether they are or are not prostitutes. Once more, everybody is equal, but apparently some are just a little bit more equal.

Talking about differences at this time of the year is talking about the role of the holidays. Last year I celebrated Christmas on  the beach with almost 40 degrees C. This year my Christmas is in the Netherlands, almost 40 degrees colder. Yesterday (11-12-2007) I visited a big Dutch supermarket chain’s pre-Christmas celebrations. Free food was given in order to gain customers for shopping prime time at the end of the year. Seeing this free-food festival, my mind immediately went to a tunnel I always crossed in Rio. This tunnel of about 100 metres of length, is home to some 20 teeners. This number is growing as a reasonable number of the women is expecting a baby. Their lives are centered on survival. In this survival process all means are permitted. Garbage cans are plundered in search for food, paper and cardboard boxes function as beds. In one region food is given away as a marketing activity, in yet another people are killed for a piece of bread. My thoughts are with those who struggle to survive this Christmas.