Constructive Confrontation

Abstract：This paper tries to analyze the consistence of Intel’s enterprise culture with some American values.Through this case study based on real work experience in Intel，the paper aims at pointing out the influence of mainstream culture on international corporations

Key words：Constructive confrontation Intel American value international corporation

Never hesitate making your opinion of a problem heard even if it is against those of any others.This is a characteristic for which Intel，the world largest chipmaker and micro-conductor manufacturer，and its employees are known.At Intel，it is called “constructive confrontation”.

Constructive confrontation has been defined by Intel as a problem-solving technique which aims to achieve a balance between addressing problems and maintaining working relationships，and focuses on the problem rather than blaming people.It is proved to be a good problem-solving mode through the daily interaction of Intel’s employees from different backgrounds which often cause confrontations on thinking style and behaviors.Constructive confrontation allows people to resolve problems quickly by getting them on the table and finding the best solution.ADOPT，the acronym，which means addressing problem in a manner that is direct，objective，positive and timely，is another way to elaborate this technique.The practice of this technique includes four steps：preparation，initiation，negotiation and evaluation and each step contains more specific methods in order to finally get to final achievement.Constructive confrontation has become an important part of Intel culture，even influencing the values of its employees.

Organizational cultures draw from the culture of their particular industry.The cultures of a particular industry draw from the general business culture for their norms of behavior，values，attitudes，beliefs and symbols.The business culture in turn draws from the larger general culture of a country（Vern Terpstra，1985）.It is not difficult to discover that Intel’s constructive confrontation mode mirrors some traditional values in American culture.Americans are well known for their openness and directness in thoughts and behaviors，different from the subtle，ritualistic and indirect ways in many other countries.When facing with a problem，Americans like to get to its source.This means facing the facts，meeting the problem head on，putting the cards on the table，and getting information “straight from the horse’s mouth”.Consistent with these tendencies，it is also desirable to face people directly—to confront them.Confrontation is also a respect to the free expression of individual ideas and wills.Different opinions are raised，then negotiations follow up，and at last best solution must be easier to be found out.Some of Intel’s greatest breakthroughs have occurred by constructively confronting tough problems with one another.

Confrontation means a face-to-face meeting.It is easy to go over the limit to be aggressive.So “constructive” is essential to control confrontation for the purpose of improvement and development.Constructive Confrontation does not mean being loud，unpleasant，or rude，and it is not designed to affix blame.The essence of it is to attack a problem by speaking of it in a businesslike way.（Andy Grove，former Intel chairman）Constructive confrontation requires a good cooperation except individual expression and direct confrontation.A sense of urgency and the importance of getting things done are often combined to gain the cooperation of those who dispute the principles or disagree with objectives of the group.Competition also requires a considerable amount of coordination among individuals and groups.The typical American ability to cooperate is one of the most important assets in American business and other organizations.One principle of constructive confrontation is disagreement but commitment.Let the other person/people know your areas of disagreement and your concerns，but if they finally go with a different plan，fully commit to support the plan.Taking the situation personally should be avoided.People focus on solving the problem quickly and effectively using an agreed-upon plan.

Constructive confrontation practice in Intel can be demonstrated from two levels：work language and work style.

The two important verbal methods for a successful constructive confrontation include using “I” statements or be specific and asking open-ended question.“I” statements consist of three parts：“when…”（the specific behavior that is problematic），“I feel…”（the feelings that you have in relation to the behavior），and “because…”（the specific effect the action has on you）.The belief is that you can never commit for anybody else except yourself，which is different from collectivism（we identity）many Asian countries value.Open-ended question means questions can not be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”.Asking open-ended question includes elements as “when”，“how”，“what”，“why”，“where”，“tell me…”，and “please describe…”.This way of raising a question is helpful to identify the problem quickly and clearly.It is also different from indirect cultural values.

Constructive confrontation reflected in the work style is assertive and highly motivated.People have always been able to focus the resources on results and the process of getting things done.Assumed responsibility is a sparkling point of constructive confrontation and Intel advocated work style.It means taking personal responsibility for problems that affect the business even if they fall outside of our normal job duties and owning the problem until it can clearly be transferred to someone else who would naturally own it.Another desirable work style based on constructive confrontation practice has been mentioned as agreeing to disagree but commit.Free individual expression is encouraged and compromise and cooperation should be reached.If all else fail to solve problem，using escalation paths and Open Door policy may be the last saving procedure.It means beginning with your manager and seeing if he or she has any ideas that can bring you to a common solution.If it requires escalation，seek out another manager or employee who works more closely with the problem and work together to get it solved.This is a distinctive Intel work style best reflect its value of avoiding hierarchic hurdles.At the same time，it gives a good expression of authority challenger Americans value.

The organizational structure of a company influences the degree of intercultural understanding necessary for successful business dealings.Meanwhile，the organizational structure of a corporate is influenced by its cultural priority from its mother country.This cultural priority determines how the firm hires its employees，train them and promote them.International corporations coordinate the cultural diversity for minimizing misunderstanding and inefficiency，at the other hand，its mainstream culture in form of corporate values educates all the employees to think and act as it，even though these values are sometimes against with their own culture.

Reference：

[1] Welcome to Constructive Confrontation，Intel internal training material，Intel University Rev.4，Jan.5 2002

[2] Working with the U.S.A，Intel internal training material，Intel University Rev.3，Jan.1 2005

[3] 《美國文化與社會》，王恩銘，上海外語教育出版社，2004，6

[4] Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace（Third Edition），Iris Varner，Linda Beamer，Shanghai Foreign language Education Press，2006，10

[5] Internet materials：http：//culture.intel.com