Diplomatic Culture

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Diplomatic Culture its Domestic Context

• Kishan S Rana

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1. Circumstances

• More sovereign actors, celebrate diversity.
• Shared values persist, professionalism,
  integrity. Surface diversity, some core
  homogeneity.
• Diplomatists need to be more open, accessible.
• Our narrative both descriptive normative

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2. Sources

• Diplomatic culture comes from
• National culture
• Culture of own institution
• International professional culture

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3. Professional Culture

• Ability to handle cross-cultural interface,
  language functional skills.
• Outreach, communication, advocacy, negotiation.
• Ability to synthesize, produce cross-connections,
  leverage.
• Work as generalist-specialist.

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3. (continued)

• Gradualism, pragmatism, working for incremental
  gain, long-term orientation.
• Public diplomacy entails two-way dialogue with
  multiple stakeholders.
• Moving to greater accountability, customer
  satisfaction, good governance.

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4. Domestic interactions

• Diplomatic services feel under siege (comment
  at Wilton Park 2003). Strong public criticism in
  many countries.
• Domestic publics increasingly involved in
  external affairs.
• Past elitism is fading, greater plurality now.
• MFAs want to integrate better with home publics
  and institutions.

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4. (continued)

• MFA moves from gatekeeper to coordinator,
  networker, value-provider.
• MFA has no sectoral agenda, natural harmonizer,
  centrality.
• Work culture shifting from confidential to
  open, cooperative.
• Archives are a barometer, not too open in the
  global South.

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5. Change Process

• Is a distinctive diplomatic culture good from
  perspective of home partners?
• Training is key, especially for senior officials,
  ambassadors.
• Periodic ambassador conferences.
• Personnel exchanges between MFAs home agencies.
• Performance management.