Advice You - Business

The use of cultural awareness training has increased rapidly in the majority of global companies over the last decade.

My experience working in global companies in which effective c

According to USFDA, a combination product is one composed of any combination of a drug and device; biological product and device; drug and biological product

ross-cultural functioning was critical, involved the devotion of considerable time and energies to ensuring that cultural training needs were identified and accommodated as necessary

; or drug, device, and biological product and fixed dose combination would include two or more combinations of drug.

Examples of combination products may in

This commitment to bridging cultural gaps represents a perceptible shift in attitudes amongst British company global thinking. This is a shift from the prevalent subconscious (and

lude drug-coated devices, drugs packaged with delivery devices in medical kits, and drugs and devices packaged separately but intended to be used together.

ometimes not so subconscious) driver, which existed in previous years. Thinking typically held that the way in which the West did business was the norm to which to strive and that no

here is enormous increase in the number of combination products entering the market in the recent years. Combination products have proven advantages but fixe

n-western citizens should assimilate into our own particular mode of cultural thinking as opposed to vice versa.

Little effort was truly made to understand the cultural differences

d dose combinations are still in the process of convincing regulatory authority on their advantages over the single ingredient formulations.

Combination pro

etween countries. This thinking was gradually moulded and changed by the realities of the failure of such thinking including ineffective team functioning, lack of productivity and ge

ucts have become life saving products for the pharmaceutical companies who doesn’t have many innovative molecules in their product pipeline and have been inc

eral dissatisfaction amongst cross culturally functioning staff. It also become apparent that the financial costs of failed cross-cultural initiatives could be readily assessed and h

easingly used in the product life cycle management. Even the companies having product patents are trying to extend their product life cycle through the combi

ad a tangible impact on the financial bottom line.

It is also interesting to note that the view that cultural awareness is unnecessary within other western groups has also changed.

nation products and maximize the revenues. But the companies involved in this practice are overlooking that they are burdening the patients both economically

Commonality of language can sometimes be an impediment as opposed to an advantage as it disguises the differences of thinking and approach, which may underlie whole strands of busine

and physically. They need to rightly judge the benefits of the combination products and they have to even look at the risks involved when combining the produ

s practice. When dealing with countries with obvious differences in respect to language, religion, values and behaviours etc., then individuals more readily accept the need to unders

ts. Some of the combination products were well accepted by physicians while others suffered. Companies involved in development of combination products are fi

and the motivations of the other party. When multicultural differences arise between western groups however, conflict within approach is often attributed to the ineptness / stubbornn

ding difficulty in defining their combination products and facing various challenges from selecting a combination to marketing it.

Following aspects would a

ess of the other party. When such attitudes become ingrained within teams, then self fulfilling prophecy may kick in and poor relationships become the norm affecting productivity and

dd to the challenges in developing combination products:

Which markets to tap where the combination products can do fairly well?
Which combination prod

hence financial gain.

Recent experiences of running cultural awareness sessions for a UK team dealing on a regular basis with the US proved invaluable to overcoming a number of issu

cts are meaningful and rational?
Which therapeutic categories to select?
Which Combinations can address unmet needs of the patients?
Do combin

s which had become entrenched into the operating behaviours of the teams. The sessions heightened awareness within the team of operating differences and helped to generate an underst

tions increase the patient compliance?
What would be the developing cost?
How to tackle the risks encountered during combination product developmen

anding of why these differences existed within the groups. It also presented the teams with an opportunity to understand the potential frustrations that their US colleagues may have

t?

As combination products don't fit into the traditional categories of drugs, medical devices, or biological products, the USFDA is in the process of devel

ad with their UK peers in respect to their own personal approach to managing meetings, negotiations, making decisions, resolving issues etc.

Involvement in awareness programmes acro

ping new procedures for reviewing their safety, efficacy and quality.

Professional from academic institutions, pharmaceutical industries, health care indust

s a range of diverse issues is proving invaluable in resolving numerous poor performances in international business and in enhancing day to day HR practices; for example:

Expatriate

y and representatives from various regulatory agencies are working out to design the regulatory requirements for manufacture and sale of combination products

assignments, management, training and benefits

Production of international relocation guides and related support materials

International company and office relocations

Internatio

.

As there is an increasing trend of the combination products companies manufacturing such products should be able to tackle the problems involved in the de

al recruitment

Corporate mergers and acquisitions

Training and development

Policy development

Clearly from an HR, and hence a business perspective, cultural awareness has been cr

elopment. They need to be wiser in analyzing the market trends and the regulatory requirements.

Companies that provide selfless information through particip

tical to the success of global companies with the progression of strong acceptance within businesses for the need to enhance cultural awareness through diverse cultural interventions

tion in industry events and feedback to regulatory authorities would be able to face the challenges and will be successful in developing combination products

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