The client
Arbor Lodging is a leading real estate investment and management company with a diverse portfolio of hotels and apartments across the United States. With plans to expand its operations into Mexico, the organization sought to ensure strong integration between its existing U.S. workforce and new team members in Mexico, fostering a unified and collaborative cross-border culture.
The challenge
As Arbor Lodging prepared for cross-border operations, several cultural challenges emerged that needed to be addressed to enable successful collaboration between teams in the U.S. and Mexico:
1. Communication Differences
Distinct communication styles in the U.S. and Mexico led to misunderstandings in tone, intent, and hierarchy.
2. Leadership Expectations
U.S. teams emphasized individual accountability and direct leadership, while Mexican teams tended to favor relational approaches and hierarchical respect.
3. Feedback and Conflict Styles
Differing norms around giving and receiving feedback created discomfort and hesitation when addressing performance or project issues.
4. Cross-cultural Team Dynamics
With little prior experience working across borders, both sides struggled with assumptions and biases, which impacted team cohesion.
Why Global Business Culture?
- Extensive experience supporting U.S.-Mexico cultural integration
- Strong track record in hospitality and service-based industries
- Ability to design programs grounded in real business needs and team dynamics
- Interactive workshops that foster psychological safety and reflection
- World-class facilitators with deep expertise in cross-border leadership and communication
What we did
Global Business Culture designed a two-phase cultural integration program for Arbor Lodging, combining onsite and virtual training sessions to engage participants across locations. The workshops were informed by stakeholder interviews to ensure contextual relevance.
Phase 1: Cultural Foundations
Separate sessions for U.S. and Mexico teams introduced cultural frameworks and helped teams reflect on their own work styles and assumptions.
- Definition and dimensions of culture Overview of national cultural values in the U.S. and Mexico
- Group discussions on challenges when working across borders
- Business practices in communication, leadership, feedback, and collaboration
- Guided reflection on real challenges and cultural drivers
Phase 2: Working as One Team
In a joint virtual session, U.S. and Mexico participants came together to share perspectives, build understanding, and co-create solutions.
- Recap of cultural insights and challenges from earlier sessions
- Cross-cultural discussion groups to assess shared pain points
- Collaborative creation of culturally sensitive business practices
- Best practices for bilingual and cross-border teams
- Action planning for implementation and next steps
The Program
- Workshop 1: 2-hour virtual session for U.S.-based participants
- Workshop 2: 4-hour onsite session for Mexico-based participants
- Workshop 3: 2-hour virtual session for the combined U.S.-Mexico team
The results
The final session brought together US and Mexico-based teams to strengthen cross-cultural understanding and improve collaboration. Participants explored how cultural differences impact business practices, with a focus on typical norms in both countries.
Through facilitated discussions and small group activities, the teams identified key collaboration challenges and co-developed culturally sensitive solutions. The workshop concluded with actionable plans that can be immediately implemented to reduce misunderstandings and enhance day-to-day teamwork.
