The Auto Ethnographer with John Stech
The Auto Ethnographer with John Stech
Podcast Description
John Stech, The Auto Ethnographer, draws on his thirty years in the global automotive industry to bring the world to your doorstep in both an informative and entertaining way using a style rooted in autoethnography. What is "autoethnography"? Derived from Tony E. Adams’ definition, "autoethnography" is a research method leaning on the experiences of individuals to analyze assumptions, culture, communication, local norms, traditions, emotional impact, and how they mesh with greater culture and society where they operate. Normally, "auto" relates to the self – as in "autobiography". But we put wheels on it, separated the words, and focus on vehicles and the cultural experiences related to the auto industry.The Auto Ethnographer and his guests tell the human stories behind the famous automotive and vehicle brands, spanning continents, countries, and cultures across the globe. Together, they unlock the mysteries of local culture, values, and approaches to success in the vehicle industry. Of course, every cultural interaction faces the risk of faux pas, and those will surely be covered as well. The Auto Ethnographer's guests made the vehicle industry happen in their country markets. Now they tell their stories. Each guest will relay their experiences while addressing cultural challenges they faced. Guests range from current and past industry leaders to newcomers and rising talents. They are either expats in a foreign land or local employees working with a foreign brand in their home country. The target audience are Individuals fascinated by the auto industry and how to navigate cultures for successful outcomes. The audience are either seasoned professionals or newcomers seeking to learn how to build their careers with global insights. But don't think this is limited to the auto industry. These international business principles are valid across industries.John Stech engaged in his 30-year career with Mercedes-Benz, Chrysler Corp (now part of Stellantis), Volvo Car Group, and VinFast Automotive of Vietnam. He has lived and worked on five continents, interacting with thousands of people from dozens of different cultures. Now he brings that experience to you.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on topics such as cultural interactions in the automotive sector, product strategy discussions, and marketing insights, with episodes exploring the strategies of Mercedes-Benz and comparisons between Volkswagen's presence in different countries.
The Auto Ethnographer is a deep dive into the human experience of crossing cultures—what it feels like to live, work, lead, and belong in places far from home. Hosted by global executive and cultural storyteller John Jörn Stech, the podcast explores the realities of expatriate life, intercultural communication, and the messy, meaningful process of adapting to new norms, new languages, and new ways of seeing the world.
John brings more than three decades of international experience across the United States, Germany, Egypt, Russia, Vietnam, and Thailand. His career in global leadership has placed him inside boardrooms, factories, classrooms, and communities on five continents—each move reshaping his understanding of identity, trust, collaboration, and what it truly means to work across cultures. While the show began with roots in the global automotive industry, its focus has evolved. Today, The Auto Ethnographer is a culture‑first exploration of international life, featuring voices from business, education, mobility, technology, the arts, and the broader expat and repat communities.
This is a podcast for anyone navigating the complexities of global work: expats building careers abroad, professionals managing intercultural teams, digital nomads learning to belong in new places, and globally curious listeners who want to understand how culture shapes human behavior. Through candid storytelling and thoughtful conversation, the show reveals how people adapt, thrive, and occasionally stumble as they bridge cultural boundaries.
What You’ll Hear
– Conversations with expats, repats, immigrants, and locals who live and work between cultures
– Stories of adaptation, culture shock, misunderstanding, humor, and personal growth
– Insights into intercultural leadership, cross‑border collaboration, and global teamwork
– Reflections on identity, belonging, and the emotional realities of living overseas
– Occasional automotive stories—now framed through a cultural and human lens rather than a technical one
Why “Auto Ethnography”?
Inspired by the academic method of autoethnography, the podcast uses personal experience as a lens for understanding broader cultural truths. John and his guests explore how values, assumptions, communication styles, and social norms shape the way people work together across borders. These stories illuminate the invisible forces that influence trust, conflict, leadership, and connection in multicultural environments.
Who This Podcast Is For
– Expats, repats, and global professionals
– Intercultural leaders and international managers
– Students of global mobility, cross‑cultural psychology, and international business
– Anyone fascinated by how humans adapt to new cultural landscapes
About John Jörn Stech
John has spent his life navigating cultural transitions—leading teams, launching brands, and building bridges across borders in countries like the United States, Latin America, Russia, Egypt, Vietnam, and Thailand. He is filled with curiosity about cultures and how they interact since he was a child born in Germany and immigrated to the USA at an early age. His journey is an ongoing experiment in adaptation, one he now shares with listeners through honest storytelling and globally informed insight.
The Auto Ethnographer brings those experiences to you—one culture, one conversation, one story at a time.
What if the cultural frameworks your organization relies on are actually reinforcing the very stereotypes they were designed to eliminate? In Part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Jerome Dumetz, cross-cultural management expert and author of 199 Cross Cultural Case Studies, we explore why real-life case studies offer something no theoretical model can: the full, messy, human context of intercultural work.
Dr. Dumetz makes a bold argument. Widely used models such as Hofstede, Trompenaars, and the Lewis Triangle, while historically significant, risk generating stereotypes when applied without context. His answer is a carefully curated collection of 199 one-page, real-world case studies documenting cultural misunderstandings, adaptation moments, and professional breakthroughs from around the globe. Developed in collaboration with Fons Trompenaars and Craig Storti, the book bridges academic intercultural theory with the lived experience of expats and global professionals.
One of the most thought-provoking ideas in this episode is the concept of multiple cultural identities. Your nationality, what Dumetz calls your “passport culture,” is just one layer of who you are professionally. Where you studied, which industry you entered, and the department where your career began can shape your professional worldview far more deeply than the country on your ID. For expats, international managers, and cross-cultural trainers, this reframing changes how intercultural work gets done.
We also explore the growing role of AI in cross-cultural management. Dumetz acknowledges AI’s usefulness in translation and language support, but raises critical questions about the cultural bias embedded in AI models and their inability to replicate the nuanced, questioning mindset that genuine intercultural competence requires.
His most memorable advice for anyone stepping into a new cultural environment? Slow down. Pause before reacting. And instead of asking “What should I do?”, turn to the people around you and ask: “What would you do?” This small shift in framing opens the door to genuine cultural learning and more authentic integration abroad.
Whether you are an expat navigating life in a new country, a manager leading a cross-cultural team, or an HR specialist building intercultural training programs, this conversation offers both intellectual depth and practical, grounded insight.
🔗 Connect with Dr. Jerome Dumetz:
🌐 Website: JEROME DUMETZ WEBSITE
📚 Get the Book, 199 Cross Cultural Case Studies: LINK TO AMAZON US BOOKSTORE (Also available on other Amazon international sites)
▶️ YouTube: JEROME DUMETZ YOUTUBE CHANNEL
💼 LinkedIn: JEROME DUMETZ LINKEDIN PROFILE
📩 Free Case Study Excerpt (comment on his LinkedIn post): LINK TO LINKEDIN POST
Learn more about the Auto Ethnographer: https://www.auto-ethnographer.com
Want to move abroad but the process seems to imposing? Visit the Auto Ethnographer’s Your Ticket Abroad on-line course. The course offers 28 videos and a 54-page checklist guide for tacking the challenge of moving abroad, whether alone, with a partner, or with an entire family. Visit the course page here: Course: “Your Ticket Abroad” — The Auto Ethnographer
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