[HBR] Why best practices don't translate across cultures

   "In the U.S., for example, shorter development cycles were understood to be analogous to a start-up culture in which workers have more autonomy and room to experiment. U.S. employees therefore welcomed the opportunity to take more chances and saw failure as promoting learning and innovation. In China, however, workers equated speed with efficiency. They told us that the compressed schedule increased their focus and led them to be more discerning about the functionality they included in the product. In India, workers had yet another interpretation: they saw the shorter cycles as a way to align their processes and skills with developers around the globe, who they believed were also moving to more rapid cycles, and they applauded the move as a way of forcing more engagement with customers earlier in the process."

   "Common practices make collaborating globally far easier. And they can be a source of competitive advantage. But our research shows that wise leaders focus on the intent of the practice, not the specifics, and encourage adaptation and experimentation to ensure that the practice achieves the desired benefits. Companies that get this right are likely to find that their people are more effective and happier at work. And ultimately, giving employees the space to experiment in this way allows them to come up with new innovations that can be shared elsewhere."

(Source)