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   RUSSIA'S ANTI-SHARING CULTURE TRANSFORMED BY AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP
Page 3.

C. 'NOT INVENTED HERE' (NIH) MINDSET

Showing behaviours that indicate resisting or ignoring appropriate outside knowledge to improve one's performance is referred colloquially as a 'not invented here' syndrome.

Two traditional obstacles present included (i) a mistrust of outside knowledge and solutions and (ii) prestige and superiority attitude of developing one's own ideas out of pride.

Three additional obstacles were also evident in these anti-knowledge sharing cultures:

(iii) Strong group affiliation. Historically, the work ethic was part of the social ethic of collectivism.

'Russian culture is generally considered to be collectivist, although there are recent indications of increasing individualism. The spirit of collectivity has very deep roots in Russian culture.... The collective interest had clear priority over the private interest.'

Paradoxically, cross-cultural team processes impede a collectivist, hierarchical culture because there is a degree of freedom in these teams that does not fit with the prevailing culture. There are even loyalties within levels of hierachy.

'All Russian respondents, each of whom had more than three years management experience, considered sharing information and knowledge with people working at lower levels as being disloyal to their peers occupying similar management positions in other departments of the company.

'"It is out of the way that one suggests alternative ways of doing things to people from another department in the firm. If one really believes that things in that department go wrong and influence badly one's own department, one should address the higher level. It is impossible to do anything else."
                       ---Opticom's Russian Vice CEO '

(iv) Suspicion of Foreigners. An entrenched collectivist culture naturally limits outsiders from assisting in a Russian organisation's business objectives.

'Looking at Westerners as exploiters and partners at the same time is a reflection of Russians' "love-hate hysteria about the West."
                                (quoted from R. Hingley, 1978)

Recommendations III

What is a perceived obstacle can be a powerful catalyst. Group affiliation can still be honoured while changing the type of group knowledge workers belong to over time.

Through a culturally sensitive process, the context of the group can be redefined. Joint projects between departments can be a start. Outside knowledge use should be encouraged, measured and rewarded. Foreign workers should develop empathic attributes regarding a Russian worldview.

'Western managers should aim at breaking down the suspicion and hence the intensive NIH syndrome by, for example, socializing with Russian managers and employees, creating cross-cultural teams, training and educating Russians in the Western offices, and investing serious effort in studying Russian history, culture, and language.'

'Forcing techniques are able and (temporarily) needed, according to the data, to initiate a transformation process from a hostile to a more friendly knowledge-sharing environment.'