27 minute read
INTERVIEWING
Cross-Cultural Interviewing: Part 1
The United States has been described as being a “melting pot” of different cultures and races. Immigrants come to live in the U.S., and then, to one extent or another, they begin to change as our national norms and culture become an extension of who they were. U.S. citizens living abroad are changed in the same way when they live in another country.
We read with interest Dr. Hollinger’s column relating his recent visit to Singapore and the massive use of cameras in that country (see January-February 2012 page 26). As with all our international training programs, it is important to know the culture and history of the country and people we will be dealing with. Even more difficult are our seminars for the Department of State where we may have as many as thirty representatives from different countries attending the same program.
Potential Interview Pitfalls
Most readers will be called on to interview in the United States, which as we all know can have significant cultural diversity. Certainly one of the most problematic areas is the individual’s ability to speak the English language. An interviewer who speaks the individual’s language will have a step up on any interviewer who has to use a translator. Even speaking a smattering of the language can often establish rapport with the non-native speaker.
Here are some other potential cross-cultural problems: ■ The interviewer gives more credence to a person who speaks
English more fluently than those who have difficulty with the second language. There may also be a bias to think a person is less intelligent or competent if they don’t speak English fluently. ■ During some interviews there may be a necessity to fill out paperwork. This must be done tactfully since in some countries, a person’s word is as powerful as a signed document. In other countries people may sign documents without reading them because they believe that to read them carefully would convey mistrust of the interviewer.
In any interview the interviewer needs to create a working relationship with the individual in order to obtain the necessary information often under less than optimal conditions. When we observe the cultural and language differences, we may miss the person’s uniqueness of personality and personal history that may tell a different story about our observations. This is to say there is a danger of treating the person as a stereotype or the caricature we expect to see.
by David E. Zulawski, CFI, CFE and Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP
Zulawski and Sturman are executives in the investigative and training firm of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates (www.w-z.com). Zulawski is a senior partner and Sturman is president. Sturman is also a member of ASIS International’s Retail Loss Prevention Council. They can be reached at 800-222-7789 or via email at dzulawski@w-z.com and ssturman@w-z.com.
© 2012 Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc.
Cultural Assimilation
The best way to understand any culturally rooted practice is to consult with someone who is familiar with the culture. It may be useful for an interviewer to understand the length of time the person has been in the United States, who they live with, and where they reside. For example, Native Americans can differ greatly if they were raised on a reservation where there was a strong adherence to tribal traditions versus alone in a large metropolitan area. If an interviewer has a large population of a particular cultural group, he will be more successful if he can better understand their perception of everyday life.
People will change culturally depending on how assimilated they have become to their new country. Some immigrants will not evolve culturally because they isolate themselves in their own native enclaves in the new country. Because they are surrounded by their own language and culture, they have no need to assimilate to the language and surroundings.
Chicago, for example, like most major metropolitan areas, has neighborhoods where foreign immigrants congregate. One can go to Chinatown and hear native Chinese fresh to the country conversing with second-generation Chinese who still strongly adhere to the Chinese culture.
More typical is the integrated immigrant who has begun to assimilate to the United States culture. They generally speak English and are able to interact comfortably with others outside their culture. These types of immigrants may still adhere to their own culture and family practices when they retreat into their own homes, but they are capable of successfully living in the U.S. Their children are also likely to be assimilated into the dominant culture where they live, play, or go to school. Unfortunately, there may be strong cultural disconnects between the family and the child’s outside life, which can cause problems within the family between young and old. Generally, by the third generation, immigrant families have begun to be totally assimilated into the U.S. culture. In our home our grandparents’ native language and most traditions have been lost as we later generations are separated in time from those with ties to the “old country.”
Culturally there will be some people who will be more traditional in their cultural practices and relationships. People who move to the United States when they are older tend to retain the culture of their home country. Some people moving to the United States in their younger years struggle with the conflict of the old and new ways, feeling comfortable with neither. Other individuals
continued from page 14 retain the tradition of their old culture while valuing their new situation. For these people there is a strong sense of belonging to both cultures. This leads to them maintaining the old culture or melding the language, food, holidays and traditions of their old country with those of the new.
Mix of East and West
It is clear that simply saying someone is Chinese would lead us to a stereotype neglecting the individual’s personal choices and personality. In Singapore, for example, 75 percent of the population is Chinese, 14 percent Malay, and about 8 percent Indian. However, there is a strong British influence since it was an important trading colony dating back to 1819. The city sports English signs and has English as one of its official languages. English is even the language of choice for business and politics. Singapore’s legal system is based on English common law, as is the United States.
Even though there is a strong British influence in Singapore, there is also a clear and significant Chinese cultural component, plus influences from its neighbors Indonesia and Malaysia. Like the Chinese, Singapore has a social structure that centers on the family. The society emphasizes respect for the elderly and mutual group harmony over the importance of the individual. As in China, retaining personal dignity and saving face are important in all aspects of a person’s life. Creating harmonious relationships is a critical component of the Singapore culture; it is the group or family where one goes for support.
Because there is often a reliance on hierarchy, there is a strong respect for age and status resulting in business interactions that may be more formal with a strict protocol. There is a strict chain of command and often relationships take time to develop, but a calm demeanor is favored over a more aggressive style.
Singapore is an interesting mix of East and West. On the one hand, there have been thousands of years of Chinese culture and religious practices, and, on the other hand, there are several hundred years being a strong trading partner with the West.
It was interesting discussing interviewing with investigators based in China and Singapore. Most noteworthy was the comment that the best interviewers in Singapore were non-confrontational and used tactics that allowed the subject to save face. Our experience is exactly that—an interviewer who is friendly and non-confrontational will produce more admissions and information than one who acts aggressively.
Soliciting Your Experience
As more organizations become global there will be an increasing need to understand other cultures and the unique traditions associated with them. This will require investigators to manage the interviews in ways that complement the laws and culture in which they are working. Here in the United States as more and more immigrants join our ranks, investigators need to understand the person’s culture and his relative assimilation into ours.
In our future columns we intend to focus on ways of building rapport and conveying respect across cultural barriers. In addition, we will address common problems and misunderstandings in cross-cultural interviewing. If anyone has specific questions, situations, or experience in cross-cultural interviewing, we would love to hear from you as we prepare these upcoming columns. We can be reached at dzulawski@W-Z.com.
Cover feature
Volunteers in Action
LP Professionals Giving Back
Each year since 2007 at the National Retail Federation (NRF) Loss Prevention Conference, I have the opportunity to present the Volunteers in Action video that showcases loss prevention professionals making significant and measurable contributions to charitable organizations. While the many activities these individuals participate in vary widely from fundraising to outreach to volunteering, they all result in a positive impact in their community.
Every year as I review the submissions in preparation for the process of creating the video, I always find myself shaking my head in wonder at what people in our industry have done with the interest of another in mind. This year is no different. The LP individuals, teams, and vendor partners for 2012 have accomplished incredible things, but before you meet them, it seems to me the proper place to start is at the beginning. So here, as Paul Harvey would say, is “the rest of the story.”
People Stepping up
The concept of some type of award or presentation that would honor individuals in our industry who extended themselves to others within their own communities was the brainchild of Mike Keenan, who was a member of the NRF awards committee. The consensus of the committee was that this was definitely a worthwhile endeavor, but we were undecided as to exactly what form it should take. As the new awards committee chairperson at the time, it fell to me to figure it out.
As the June 2007 conference grew closer, I made an executive decision to attempt to compose a PowerPoint deck of the photos submitted with musical background. I made that decision solely on the fact that it sounded like it would be the easiest way to accomplish the goal.
We made that first video at our kitchen table using our home computer. After receiving detailed instructions from my teenagers about how to use Movie Maker software…while trying to ignore the eye rolling between them…I did what any parent would do—I paid them to help me.
As with so many things, it was not nearly as simple as I had thought. The problem was the volunteers and the incredible things they had done. Take for example, Todd Jenkins, regional loss prevention investigator with Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores, who was featured in that first video. After the so-called Christmas tsunami hit Thailand in December 2004, Jenkins decided that he could not just “stand by and do nothing,” so he gathered some tools, took vacation time, and bought a ticket to Thailand with no other plan than to just start helping the survivors of the tsunami in whatever way he could. Jenkins stepped up.
Or consider Terry Yankee, security
LP manager for Sobeys, Inc., who was also featured in that video. Yankee runs a not-for-profit organization that provides jujitsu lessons to under-privileged children, with the goal of decreasing the chances of these kids becoming involved in drugs, alcohol, or gang activity. Yankee saw a need, and took action to fill it.
Home Depot had entire LP teams at various destruction sites left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, taking care of individuals who had lost everything they had as well as the volunteers who were there to help them rebuild. Home Depot’s LP organization showed up.
None of the people featured in the video that first year had done something that was “simple” or “easy,” and it felt a bit like I was cheating them to do any less in telling their stories. So, I added voice-overs and a storyline for each set of pictures and tried to tie the whole thing together. My children and some coworkers provided their voices. My husband and I pulled a few all-nighters to get it done.
When we had the video complete, we played it through one final time. As he was loading it to the NRF site for their review, my husband told me that he found it “very moving.” Because my husband is generally a fairly stoic guy, his comment made me panic. I said, “Stop! Can you un-send it?” He laughed at me while the kids rolled their eyes.
A couple of weeks later, as I stood offstage waiting to walk out and present the video, the phrase “career suicide” kept running through my mind. What had I been thinking? Loss prevention people are stoic; they are not going to respond well to something that is “moving.”
After introducing the video, I found a place where I could watch the crowd as the video rolled. I was strategically positioned near an exit in case this thing “went over like a lead balloon,” as my dad used to say.
In the end it was not the song, the story line, or the voice-overs that carried the day. It was the people featured and their incredible acts of generosity in giving of their time and financial resources to impact the lives of others. And truly, what they do does impact the lives of others.
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Rent-A-Center’s Andrew Schneider, CFI with one of the children in the daycare facility he helped renovate in South Africa.
The Fuel for the Vehicle
Every year since, as I put the video together, I am again impacted by the people whose stories we tell. How could I not be? Consider these examples. ■ LP associates who have literally laid the foundation for a family to have a home by working with Habitat for Humanity. ■ LP vendors who organized, ran, and participated in a golf tournament that generated a donation that would provide funding for many “wishes” to be granted to children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. ■ LP teams that garnered the collective energy of many in LP to benefit the
National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children by holding annual fundraisers that collected an incredible $580,000 from 2004 to 2007. ■ Individuals like Everett Stein, CFI, a regional LP manager for Tractor Supply
Company, who became a trained advocate to speak up for abused and neglected children in court by volunteering his time to work with the Court-Appointed Special
Advocates Association.
I learned something very important putting that video together that first year. I understood that while it is true that the “vehicle” that drives these charitable organizations is in large part funding, the “gas” for that vehicle is volunteers—the LP folks who show up to hammer nails into the framework of an elderly person’s home or spend weeks with Team in Training to run a marathon in order to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s research.
Our coworkers in LP who go into disaster areas with a shovel or a chainsaw following a flood, tornado, or hurricane, do not go because they know somebody in the disaster area or because they are paid to go. Rather, they go “because they couldn’t stand by and do nothing.”
In 2008 we featured an LP team that raised money for a well to be dug in a remote village in Africa. The people from that village had to walk many miles each day to a stream they shared with animals to get drinking water. The generosity on the part of the Saks Fifth Avenue LP team led by Rosamaria Sostilio was like dropping a pebble in a pond. This single act had a ripple effect that changed the future of an entire village. Today, the people of that area have clean, safe drinking water from a well within their own village.
In 2009 we told the story of Jon Harper, LPQ, a loss prevention analyst for Genesco, who decided he would fulfill his sister’s “bucket list” wish of running in the Music City Marathon. Suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and confined to a wheelchair, she could not run as she had hoped…but he could push her. When Jean Ann Schutte from Checkpoint, one of Jon’s vendors heard about it, she decided to support Jon in this endeavor to raise money for ALS research. In an act of extreme solidarity, Jean Ann showed up and ran it with them.
Inspiring Leaders to Do More
There have been times over the last five years when the leaders of an organization got fired up about the potential good that their organization could do, and the synergy created took them to a higher level.
For example, after seeing the 2007 video, Randy Meadows, vice president of LP for
Kohl’s, issued a challenge to his LP teams across the country to see if they could top 100 total separate events in a single year. They more than doubled that number the next year, and then doubled it again the following year with events ranging from shining up a school to taking a special education class to a park for the day.
In another example, two associates from Hart Inventory Systems were featured in the 2010 video presentation. When Hart CEO Ed Tonkon saw the video, he decided that as a company they could do more. With the intention of creating an environment where employees could make an impact on their communities with deliberate and intentional support from the company, Tonkon formed a community service team that organizes events that support a wide variety of community services chosen by the employees. Some of the charitable activities include a coat drive, Polar Plunge for kids cancer camp, and funding the purchase of 100 totes, backpacks, and suitcases for kids in foster care.
2012 Volunteers in Action
This year the 2012 edition of the Volunteers in Action video will be presented at the NRF conference in New Orleans, June 19–22. Following are just a few of the LP professionals, teams, and vendor partners who will be featured.
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Members of the Kroger team from Portland, Oregon, who participated in the Polar Plunge to benefit the Special Olympics.
■ Sears Holding Corporation—In July 2011 eleven LP associates volunteered in
Joplin, Missouri, rebuilding a home for a single father with two small children.
Their goal was to complete the home and present it to the family on Friday (see photo page 24). ■ Andrew Schneider, CFI—A divisional
LP manager for Rent-A-Center, Schneider along with eleven other volunteers traveled to South Africa where they renovated an uninhabitable daycare facility, finished out a new building, and beautified the grounds with new grass, a playground, and a garden for children who are orphans or whose grandparents are unable to raise them (see photo page 18).
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Adel Sayegh, CEO of Universal Surveillance Systems (USS), with some of the 350 children from poverty-stricken communities who received new bicycles donated by the USS Foundation. ■ Universal Surveillance Systems—In 2010 Adel Sayegh took aim at a problem in an orphanage in Zambia, Africa. The children there had to walk four hours each day to school. Sayegh successfully created an initiative for donations that provided bicycles to all 800 orphans in the village. He has now turned that initiative to providing bicycles to underprivileged children in the United
States (photo at left). ■ PETCO—During their annual department meeting last December,
Kelly Gorman, vice president of loss prevention, and the entire LP team took time to volunteer at the Animal
Defense League shelter in San Antonio,
Texas. Chartered in 1934, the Animal
Defense League is a non-profit organization that is the largest “no-kill” shelter for abandoned, abused, or neglected dogs and cats in the Southwest.
The team supplemented the manpower at the shelter, allowing the regular staff to accomplish things they might not otherwise have been able to do. ■ Limited Brands—The LP team at
Limited Brands has participated in various charities, including United
Way, National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children, cancer research via a bike-a-thon, and volunteering at the
Columbus Early Learning Centers.
■ Kroger—The members of the Kroger central alarm control monitoring station literally took the plunge for the Special
Olympics when they participated in the
Polar Plunge into the 38-degree water of the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon (see photo opposite page). ■ PetSmart—The entire department of thirty-four LP associates volunteered time at the Greater Phoenix Youth at
Risk community center, with one LP professional stepping up to be a mentor for a child there this past year. This organization provides at-risk children a safe, nurturing place to learn, have fun, and see that there are other options for their lives than what they currently know. ■ Thomas Courtney—A regional LP investigator at LifeWay Christian
Stores, Courtney spent two weeks in earthquake-ravaged Haiti rebuilding homes, churches, schools, and distributing food and water to villagers. ■ Terry Hennessey—A corporate investigator at Stanley Black & Decker,
Hennessey raised over $15,000 in 2011 for cancer research in 24 Hours of
Booty, an annual cycling event held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Last year was Hennessey’s sixth year riding in the event in memory of his mother who “ran out of time waiting on a cure” eight years ago (see photo page 22).
An Ironic Twist of Fate
Last year after the awards ceremony, someone asked me if “the volunteer thing was an assignment I believed I had to complete every year or if I completely believed in it?” I understood why I was asked the question. Like most of you, I had found myself at charitable events occasionally, mostly because someone asked me to attend or because the event itself was something my husband and I wanted to do. I realize now that these were not really good reasons, but I rationalized that once we wrote a check, it all balanced out.
I sat in those events and listened as the speakers waxed eloquently about the individuals who would be helped by our financial support. Almost always the speakers mentioned that they not only needed financial support, but they needed people who could step up and support them by donating their time. That’s when I would whip out my checkbook as fast as I could, thinking to myself, “Time? Come on, I’m giving you money!” I admit that I would give myself a little mental pat on the back for doing the right thing and then forget about it. It wasn’t that I didn’t care; it’s just that I didn’t “get it” at the time.
But life can turn on a dime. In April 2004 I got a request for a donation of an auction item for a golf fundraiser taking place at the NRF LP conference to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I don’t play golf, so I passed. Shortly after that, there was a fundraiser on television for the Children’s Miracle Network that benefited the local children’s hospital near our home. Because my then 12-year-old daughter, Katie, would not surrender the remote control until I called in a donation, I did…again with a mental pat on the back.
Two short weeks later, I stood in that very same hospital listening to a doctor tell us that Katie had leukemia. What a twist of fate. I suddenly had a lot of time to think.
I thought about the irony that now I knew what those people were like that they spoke about in fundraisers. In a single
instant my family was the beneficiary of thousands of miles of running so many have done with Team in Training to raise funds to support cancer research, which has helped raise the survival rate for the type of cancer that our daughter had from 6 to 80 percent.
We spent the better part of two-and-a-half years at that children’s hospital. We appeared on that telethon we had seen on television the year before. We were the family that went on a Make-A-Wish trip—one week that allowed us to remember that we had two other children who wanted time with their parents and that there is a world outside of the cancer floor at the children’s hospital where people actually have fun.
Thankfully, Katie is now 20 years old and in remission. She is no longer considered a cancer patient, but a cancer survivor.
As you can imagine, we are truly grateful for charitable organizations and the financial support that individuals and companies offer them that ended up enabling these organizations to help families like ours. But at the end of the day, it was not having a child with cancer that most often brought us to our knees. And it was not an organization representative walking in the door with an offer of help. Rather, it was the kindness of people, like those recognized in the
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Terry Hennessey (left) riding with Lance Armstrong in the 24 Hours of Booty event to raise money for cancer research. Photo by Kreutz Photography
Volunteers in Action video, who showed up to give of their time for complete strangers like us.
The truth is, and the message of the Volunteers in Action recognition program is, that real differences are made not by
continued on page 24
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continued from page 22 corporations, but by individuals. This article is not to tell of the exploits of a few “good” people in our industry, but to encourage each of you. Often we find ourselves falling into the mindset that as a single individual, our part won’t really make a difference. But look at what all of the individuals you have read about in the LP community have accomplished, often for people they may never meet, but sometimes for people like the Mitchell family.
So, to answer that question about believing in this program—yes, I completely believe in the concept of volunteering, as well as firmly believe that honoring the individuals among us is something we need to do. I think of it as our annual opportunity to say “Thank you” to the people within our industry whose actions end up helping so many when it’s needed the most.
EDITOR’S NOTE: To watch the Volunteers in Action video, visit the magazine website following the June 19 – 22 NRF conference.
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Members of the Sears Holdings team assist in the rebuilding efforts following the tornado in Joplin, Missouri.
MELISSA MITCHELL, CFI is director of loss prevention and inventory control at LifeWay Christian Stores based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a member of the National Retail Federation (NRF) loss prevention advisory committee and chair of its awards subcommittee. She also sits on the Certified Forensic Interviewer advisory board. Mitchell’s LP career followed her service in the U.S. Air Force and includes various positions with T.J. Maxx, Revco, Roses Department Stores, Cato, and Service Merchandise. She can be reached at 615-251-5044 or melissa.mitchell@lifeway.com.
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Sandy Chandler, LPC, CPP
Regional Director, Loss Prevention Rite Aid Corporation
With the evolution of our profession, it is imperative that retail LP professionals become true business partners. Whether you are a seasoned LP professional or just starting out, the Foundation certification courses have valuable content to meet that goal.
These courses contain a wide range of subject matter that validates our ever-changing roles, showing how valuable our position is to our retail organizations. The LPC allowed me to become more proficient on some subjects not previously utilized. For example,
“I have a job. Why do I need certification?”
the compliance module enhanced my expertise, giving me an edge in our highly regulated retail environment.
In order to promote career knowledge and advancement, the Rite Aid LP department endorses both the LPC and LPQ courses, and selects key personnel every year to receive scholarships. Why? Because these certifications provide the business skills necessary to maximize our contributions, not only within our department, but to impact the company on multiple levels, substantiating a higher return on investment and further advancing our industry through continued professional development. Certification not only prepares you for the future, it helps you when you need it most—in your current job. Certification refreshes and validates your knowledge base while teaching you critical business expertise to roundout your skill set. It not only covers key components of loss prevention, it teaches you solid business skills to prepare you for your next promotion.
“It costs a lot.” Certification is very affordable and can even be paid for in installments. It is one of the best investments you can make for yourself and will pay for itself over again as you advance in your career. “I don’t have the time.” Certification was designed by seasoned professionals who understand the demands on your time. The coursework allows you to work at your own pace and at your convenience. Everyone is busy, but those who are committed to advancement will find the time to invest in learning.
“I’ve never taken an online course.”
The certification coursework is designed with the adult learner in mind. The online courses are built in easy-to-use presentation style enhanced with video illustrations to elevate comprehension and heighten retention. “What if I fail?” Both the LPQ and LPC certifications have been accepted for college credit at highly respected universities, and as such, passing the exam demands commitment and study. However, the coursework includes highly effective study and review tools to fully prepare you for the exam. In the event you fail the exam, you can review the coursework and retest after 30 days.
“Okay, how do I get started?”
It’s easy to get started. Go online to sign up at www.LossPreventionFoundation.org. If you need help or want more information, contact Gene Smith at Gene.Smith@LossPreventionFoundation.org or call 866-433-5545.
SM
