UGM cultural competence Case Studies

Meeting the specific needs of clients means that UGM embarks on a wide array of assignments. Our Case Studies represent a small cross-section of our portfolio of experience, providing brief insights into how we have helped many clients. Contact us to learn about the numerous other projects we've worked on over 30 years in business.

Acquisition by global business – Making it Work

When a company with operations in Australia and Asia was acquired by a European interest, they wanted to partner with a consultant firm that could provide them with an interrelated suite of services including: strategic thinking and business planning; leadership development; change management; and cultural intelligence. To secure this ‘one stop shop’ they came to UGM. We worked with the Australian executive team for more than a year but also worked closely with the Asian executive team, bringing the two together to agree on their purpose and promise going forward. The next step focused on helping them work well with their new ‘owners’, based in Europe. Specific programs were developed to tackle the challenges facing, for instance, staff from Europe operating in China and Australians managing up to the European Headquarters, embedding new approaches in an inclusive, high performance culture. The company met and exceeded their financial targets, with both CEO and CFO winning awards. The HR Director during the transition expressed the company’s gratitude to UGM, and commented on the enduring legacy of skills left within the company, as a result of our work.

Multinational Project Team in the engineering sector

A global engineering company, with HQ in Europe and more than 60,000 employees, turned to UGM when they wanted to mitigate the cultural risks they face. A large engineering project in Australia provided the ideal site for examination by the UGM research team. The project was typical for the sector: complex and multi-year duration, with engineering specialists drawn from many different countries. The UGM team went on site, not only interviewing key personnel but also observing every day problem solving interactions. We distilled our findings into a report, mapping a more inclusive way forward for the company. The first of the recommendations have already been implemented: 3 different cultural insight programs for European, Australian and Asian engineers. The Project Director commented to UGM, "Your assistance has been very relevant, as effective project management is heavily reliant on effective people management. The diversity of the team is commonplace in our industry. Therefore, the higher my skills, the more effective I can be."

Supporting Australia's Senior Government Officials around the Globe

The UGM team has a strong commitment to supporting the Australian Government, through the sound preparation of officials departing on culturally sensitive assignments overseas. We have delivered country-specific briefings to Trade Commissioners setting off for 3 year stints in more than 30 different countries, from Russia in the north and Chile in the south, to France in the west and Japan in the east! This involves addressing the business critical challenge of culture shock, as well as debriefing on return, thus enabling agencies to capture and apply valuable learning. In the Asia-Pacific region, UGM has supported officials from more than 20 Commonwealth Government agencies. We have the problem-solving skill set to take on unique and complex cultural challenges including: equipping the AFP for peace keeping in PNG and the Solomons; training magistrates about to hold trials in post civil war countries; preparing tsunami emergency relief teams; supporting the Electoral Commission in fledgling democracies such as E Timor; preparing finance officials for the cultural issues that will confront them in developing countries, rife with corruption.

Charting a culturally compentent strategic course of action

A Commonwealth Government agency had arrived at a crossroads in relation to its significant operations outside Australia. These operations were designed to develop the capacity and capability of counterpart agencies in a range of developing countries where governance and security systems were severely challenged. Some of this work required collaboration with the UN, as well as government stakeholders in each country. UGM was asked to investigate 'where to next?' and provide a comprehensive and detailed report which could help chart the course over the next 3 to 5 years. This involved analysis of research data world-wide (to ensure that the Australian government's approaches took this into account); interviews; focus groups; observations; document analysis. Evidence was collected both in Australia and overseas. The findings were then distilled into a detailed report of more than 50 pages in length which will now guide the agency's way forward and enable them to play a leading role internationally as a UN 'Centre of Excellence'.

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