Cross Cutural Communications Q&A

7/29/2019 Cross Cutural Communications Q&A

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Q1: Differentiate between any two cultures,

Asian, African or Middle Eastern using

2 Cross Cultural benchmarks.

India (Asian)

Collectivism: Institutional & intragroup Future orientation Gender egalitarianism Humane orientation Power distance

Egypt (African)

Question 2: How do Cultural Values drive the style of Management?State 3 values briefly.


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Culture Value 1: Time FocusMonochronic:People tend to do one activity at a time anddislike having to move away from a schedule.They are more focused on information than people.Polychromicpeople tend to focus on several tasksless dependent on detailed information.Schedules, if kept, are much more approximate.People take priority over schedules.Example USA vs. Egypt

Monochronic PolychronicPlannin

Focus on task Focus on relation

Organiz

Structure, linear andtask-focusedapproach

Less structured, moreholistic and ppl-focused

Staff Concerns focused onshorter-term, meeting

immediate needsand requirements

Focus on the longerterm, concern for

building relations overtime

Direct

Emphasis on making& following plans,managing the inflow& distribution of info

Emphasis on flexibility,reacting acc. Tocircumstances. Priority toppl over plans, relyingmore on sharing implicitknowledge and info

Control

Use control systemsthat depend ondetailed info andinvolve strictdeadlines

Use more flexible controlsystems involving peopleas well as info.


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Culture Value No. 2 Time orientation

Past orientation China, Future orientation USAPlan Emphasis on continuing

traditions & building inlong term time framesof the plan is for thechange process

Emphasis on longer-termplans and long-termresults

Organiz

decisions made in thecontext of the customsof the society. Pastgoals and precedentsguide the process oforganizing

Work and resourcesdivided & coordinatedto meet longer-rangegoals and projections forthe future

Staffing

Management areslower in adapting thecriteria by which theyslect and trainemployees

Management selectand train employees tomeet long-term businessgoals

Directi

Tendency to developvision & missionstatements thatemphasize thecontinuation of thecompanys values &reputation

Tendency to developvision and statementswhich focus onachieving long-termbenefits

Control

Tendency to developperformance objectivesin keeping withcustomary goals

Tendency to develop

performance objectives

in the context of long-

term goals


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Culture Value #3 - Power value orientation:The extent to which a society expect or accept that power is distributed unequally.

In some cultures, inequality is a given and no attempt is made to make any

compensations on a socio-economic level for intellectual or physical inequalities. In other

cultures, inequality is regarded as undesirable, necessitating some form of correction

through legal, political and economic means.

Culture Value #3 - Power value orientation:The extent to which a society expect or accept

that power is distributed unequally.

Hierarchy JapanMore autocraticMangers take decision

Without consultations

Organizational structure is tightly controlled

Subordinates expect bosses to take initiatives

Employees like being closely supervised

EqualityMore participative Netherlands

Organizational structure encourages

individual autonomy

Subordinates develop performance

objectives with their bosses

Managers exhibit consultative style

At work, the level of power and authority are strictly marked out by cultures oriented to

hierarchy. There, the employees do their work according to the directives of their boss. In

their eyes, the role of the manager is to allocate tasks and to take decisions. During

negotiations, title, status and formal position have less influence in cultures oriented

towards equality. There, the hierarchy exists essentially to facilitate the relations between

the people in an organization. Managers see their role as more participative than

directive. They are more likely to consult employees before taking decisions. Eg.Colombian and South Korean pilots flying planes that were doomed due to the inability oftheir co-pilots to warn them due to cultural hierarchy issues


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Hierarchy More autocratic Organizational structure is tightly controlled Subordinates expect bosses to take initiatives Employees like being closely supervised, i.e.: JapanEquality More participative Organizational structure encourages individual autonomy Subordinates develop performance objectives with their bosses Managers exhibit consultative style, i.e.: NetherlandsCulture Value #4: Communication:High vs Low Context

High-context:Information is hidden or implicit in the text

eg Arab Manager who meets everybody

and does not respect agenda Low-context:The messages are clear and explicit.

US Manager who has assistants and

supervisorscontrolling the flow of information andhas a pre-set appointment schedule


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Culture Value #5: Structure:Individualism vs Collectivism

Structure refers in business to anorganizational structure.

Value orientation concerns the relationbetween individual and a group.

Individualism: I predominates overthe We, Eg: USA, UK, Canada

Collectivism: interests of the groupprevails over individuals, Eg: China

Individualism shows the extent to which cultures elevate the role of the individual over therole of the group. When individualism is valued, the 'I' predominates over the 'We',

Individual goals, initiative and achievement are most important and people areencouraged to be independent and self-reliant. There is less need to conform to a group

and less distinction made between in-groups and out-groups. Individuals frequently

acquire and change their friends and do not hesitate to establish preferred relationships

among family relatives.

Collectivism shows the extent to which the interests of the group prevail over individualinterests. Each person in a collectivist society is encouraged to conform, to do what is

best for the group and to avoid expressing opinions or beliefs that go against it.

Reluctance to co-operate within the group or eagerness to stand out is frowned upon.

Relationships are more constant both within and outside the family. Eg. Japanese children

learning in school collectively.


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Culture Value #6 - Action:Private vs Public

PrivateForms of planning: individualisticTask-centred.Explicit information about how staff

are to be employed

Managers and employees do not sharethe same office

Explicit measures of performance.PublicGroup-orientedRelationship-centred Implicit informationSize of the place where an employee

works does not reflect the persons rank

Informal checks on performance.


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Culture Value #7 - Action: Doing vs Being

Doing cultures USA Developing time-framed action steps. Action-oriented documentation Ability to fulfill organizational tasks. Expertise and competenceBeing cultures, Egypt Strong focus on the vision Based on common vision and personal trust. Career development based on personal or social criteria. Personal philosophy, values and styleCulture Value 8: Competition: Competitiveness Vs Cooperative:

Competitive Eg. 2 car dealers cooperating together Managers have more of a leadership role. Selection of employees on ability to act independently. The leaders role is to track and reward achievement. Preferred control systems are performance-basedCo-operative Managers have more of a facilitating role. Employees elected on ability to work well in groups. The leaders role is to facilitate relationships. Task performance is recognized as a standard for success

Q 3 What are the forms of Corporate StructuresGeographic, Functional, Product, Matrix

Recent forms of Organizational StructureNetwork Structure, E.g. Coffee Beans A network of company units whichhas a horizontal system of

communication

Responsibility is dispersed to localsubsidiaries

Facilitates cross-cultural transfer ofknowledge and organizational learning

Facilitates organizational learning.Transnational Structure, GM & Ford Multi-faceted organization which canrespond

to international, multinational and global

environment

Dispersed, interdependent, andspecialized

National units make differentiatedcontributions to integrated worldwide

operations

Knowledge is developed jointly andshared worldwide.


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Q 4, compare and contrast between X and Y theories of leadership?

The X and Y Theory of McGregor

They give a contrast between the and. The message accompanying this theory is

that managers should take a more positive approach towards employees,

delegate authority, making jobs more challenging, providing rewards for superior

performance and treating workers with respect.

Theory X

Represents a task-oriented view. It is based on a pessimistic assumption thatpeople dislike work and will do a lot to avoid it. They lack ambition, avoid responsibility,

and seek security in the workplace, lack imagination, creativity and initiative.

Theory X manager is result driven, demands rather than asks, has little interest in human

issues, and shows little concern for the morale of the workforce. He does not listen to

suggestions for improvement, sees criticism as threatening, holds responsibility but is the

first to hold subordinates accountable for failure. Eg. the time clock. You have to clock inpartly because the management thinks you'll arrive late and leave early if you don't

Theory Y Represent a human-oriented view. based on an optimistic approach and

assumes that people actually like working under suitable conditions; they are self-

starters, willing to accept responsibility, are creative and imaginative. The Y manager

believes people want to learn to accept and to seek responsibility. He wantsemployees to participate in decision making and problem solving. Eg. An example is anartist on contract to produce art. You tell the artist what you want done but you leave it tohim/her when and how to do it as long as they produce what you want within yourtimeline. She can paint at 2AM for all you care - as long as you get art by the deadline.


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Q5 What are the problems with cross-border market research?Language barriers: Translation even

interculturally

(Mandarin to Tamil to MalayLanguages).

Sensitivity of questioning Greeks dont

mind

revealing information about their

income, but not British.

Research techniques:

Explicit/Individualistic/US based.

Sentiments/ability to express varies

culturally

Some in Europe/Asia reluctant to talk.Cultural differences: contextual

differences need to be catered for

when analysing research data

Suspicion of how data will be used?

Who?

Statistical comparisons cross country

comparisons are difficult due to

differing contexts and practices.

Cultural diversity can refer to thecollection of groups who form the

organization, differentiated in terms of

gender, mother tongue, education,

position and salary.

Diversity Blindness: No Provision is madewithin the organization for addressing

the problems and/or opportunities

relating to diversity.

Diversity Hostility: The Organizationattempts to homogenize its

employees and actively suppresses

expressions of diversity.Diversity Naivet: The Organizationviews diversity positively and

encourages diversity awareness, but

may be unable to cope with any

problems which diversity may cause.

Diversity Integration: Organizationaddresses diversity in a pragmatic way.

It helps its employees to develop skills in

diversity management and creates the

preconditions needed for effective

communication between the different


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groups in the workforce.

Three types of Communication Barriers?WrittenNo instant feedback

No opportunity to check for understanding

Doesnt involve questioning and paraphrasing

Slower closure on open items

Usually unstructured

Decreases speed of communication

VerbalNo record for future reference

No structureNo Tools to gain attention(bullets, bold, etc)

Disability to provide details

More informal

Doesnt consist of (diagrams, pictures, graphs..)Non Comprehensive and Accurate

Non-verbalPhysical Aesthetic, Signs, Symbolic

Facial Expressions

Complements Verbal Communicationmay accent or underline a verbal message.

Eg. Pounding the table to underline a message.

Gestures talk more than words

Could be Positive / Negative

Indicative of a persons personality

MetaCommunication

Q 8 Discuss how conflict is viewed from one culture to another.

A conflict appears when people with differing needs or goals are preventedor perceive

that they are being preventedby others in achieving these needs or goals. Attitudes

towards conflicts can vary considerably from culture to culture, as can the ways in whichconflicts are addressed. These differences relate to:

The degree to which disagreement is acceptable and therefore the extent to whichconflict is tolerated.

The strategies to be adopted when dealing with conflicts. The moment when the manager needs to intervene and the way he or she

intervenes.

For Example in Thailand, the land of smiles or or South Korea, conflict is rarely regarded as eitherpositive or negative: if a conflict arises, a third party (traditionally a respected elder) is called upon tomediate.


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What is meant by Third Culture?

It is a framework designed between individuals from different cultures, to ensure enduring adaptation and

survival: shared value systems and increasing interdependence. In such framework, individuals from

different cultures are integrated in a new hybrid culture which each of them can accept as a new part of

her/his cultural identity.

Q 9: Discuss the different approaches to Cross Cultural Communication

There are two types of approaches to cross cultural communications: descriptive and

prescriptive. Descriptive theories represent things as they are with no deep logic. Therefore

descriptive theories should be avoided at all costs. Prescriptive differences on the other hand

rely on deep logic. For example, If someone travels to Iran and see children with head orbody injuries, s/he might think of child abuse or barbaric behavior, thus relying on theirdescriptive analysis, not knowing that such injuries are part of a habitual rituals followed by

Iranian Shiites in mourning the killing of Imam Hussein and his family.

Question Eleven - #11

What is the difference between High Synergy & Low Synergy?

High Synergy Society Low Synergy Society

Emphasis on cooperation for

mutual advantage

Uncooperative, very competitive culture,

enhances rugged individualistic and dog-

eat-dog attitudes

Conspicuous for a nonaggressive

social order

Aggressive and antagonistic behavior

toward one another, leading to either

psychological or physical violence toward

the other

Society idealizes win-win Society adheres to win-lose approach

Social institutions promote

individual and group

development

Social arrangements self-centered;

collaboration is not reinforced as desired

behavior.

Leadership fosters sharing

wealth and advantage for the

common good. Cooperatives

are encouraged, and poverty is

fought

Leadership encourages private or

individual gain and advantage, especially

by the power elite; poverty is tolerated,

even ignored.

Society seeks to use community

resources and talents for the

commonwealth and encourages

development of human

potential of all citizenry

Society permits exploitation of poor and

minorities and tolerates the siphoning of

its wealth by privileged few; develops

power elites and leaves underdeveloped

and powerless.

Open system of secure people

who tend to be benevolent,

helpful, friendly and generous;

its heroes are altruistic and

philanthropic

Closed system with insecure people who

tend towards suspiciousness,

ruthlessness, and clannishness; idealizes

the strong man concerned with greed

and acquisition

Belief system, religion, or Belief system is frightening, punishing


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philosophy is comforting and life

is consoling; emphasis on the

god of love; power is to be used

for benefit of whole community;

individuals; groups are helped to

work out hurt and humiliations

terrifying; members are psychologically

beaten or humiliated by the strong;

power is for personal profit; emphasis is

on the god of vengeance; hatreds go

deep and blood feuds abound; violence

is the means for compensation for hurt

and humiliation.

Generally, the citizenry is

psychologically healthy, and

mutual reciprocity is evident in

relationships; open to change;

low rate of crime and mental

illness

Generally, the citizenry tends to be

defensive, jealous; mass paranoia and

hostility; fears change and advocates

status quo; high rate of crime and mental

illness.

Q12: What is the difference between Monochronic and Polychronic?

Monochronic cultures like to do just one thing at a time. They value a certain orderlinessand sense of there being an appropriate time and place for everything. They do not

value interruptions. They like to concentrate on the job at hand and take time

commitments very seriously.

Polychronic cultures like to do multiple things at the same time. A manager's office in apolychronic culture typically has an open door, a ringing phone and a meeting all going

on at the same time. Though they can be easily distracted they also tend to manage

interruptions well with a willingness to change plans often and easily. People are their

main concern (particularly those closely related to them or their function) and they have

a tendency to build lifetime relationships. Issues such as promptness are firmly based on

the relationship rather than the task and objectives are more like desirable outcomes

than must do's.

Eg. Moqtada Khan the speech writer of Obama visiting Al Tayeb in his office.

Q13 What are the differences between particularism and universalism?

Universalism: ideas and practices can be applied everywhere. High

universalism countries: formal rules, close adhere to business contracts (e.g.,

Canada, U.S., Netherlands, Hong Kong). Example Coka Cola ads

everywhere in the world

Particularism: circumstances dictate how ideas and practices apply; high

particularism countries often modify contracts (e.g., China, South Korea). Eg.

Pharmaceutical made an ad on Arava medicine and were forced to change it

as Avaro to avoid cemetery.


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Question Fourteen - #14

What is the difference between Ethnocentric/Egocentric and Ethno-relative Stages?

Ethnocentric stages:Ethnocentrism assumes that "the worldview of one's own culture is central to all reality"

DENIAL of cultural difference:1. Isolation: I live isolated in my homogeneous group, and I am uninterested

in experiencing difference.2. Separation: I intentionally separate myself from cultural difference to protect my own

worldview.

DEFENSE against cultural difference:

The world is organized into "us and them." My own culture is obviously the best,1. Denigration: I denigrate other cultures.

2. Superiority: My culture is superior to other cultures

3. Reversal: My adopted culture is superior to my own original cultural. I went native.

MINIMIZATION of cultural difference:1. Physical Universalism: We humans have all the same physical characteristics:

We must eat, procreate, and die. These common biological features dictate behavior

that is basically recognizable across cultures.2. Transcendent Universalism: Whether we know it or not, deep down all humans share

basically the same universal values. I assume that elements of my own cultural

worldview are experienced as universal.Danger: cultural differences are often trivialized or romanticized.

Ethno relative stages:

Ethno relativism supposes that "cultures can only be understood relative to one another,

and that particular behavior can only be understood within a cultural context"

ACCEPTANCE of cultural difference:I recognize and accept the fact that my own culture is just one of a number of equally

complex worldviews. Therefore, I accept

1. Respect for Behavioral Difference: all behavior


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2. Respect for Value Difference: that all values and beliefs exist in a cultural context. I

am curious and respectful toward cultural difference.

ADAPTATION to cultural difference:1. Empathy: I have developed enough intercultural communication skills to be able to

adapt to difference and consciously shift, through empathy, into another perspective,

into another cultural frame of reference. I can also act in culturally appropriate ways in

the other culture.

2. Pluralism: I understand that difference must always be understood within the context

of the relevant culture. I have internalized more than one worldview.

INTEGRATION of cultural difference:1. Contextual Evaluation: I am able to manipulate multiple cultural frames of reference

in my evaluation of a situation. I am conscious of myself as a chooser of alternatives.2. Constructive Marginality: My identity is not primarily based on any one culture.

I am a constant creator of my own reality.


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Question 15 :What is the difference between Convergent and Divergent thinking?

Convergent thinking is evaluating the possible solutions to come up with the best

answer to the question at hand.

The convergent example may be driven by another issueperhaps my current car hasa problem and I only have a weekend to solve the problem.

Divergent thinking is a process involving the production of multiple answers based on what is

already known.

The divergent example may take more time to investigatebut you may discover an

option that is completely different than what the use has asked you to dolike start your

own company from home.

Conclusion

Convergent thinking leads to knowledge of a topic. Knowledge allows for divergent thinking on that topic to generate multiple answers. Convergent thinking enables one to choose the best solution from the multiple

answers.

Q 16: Define Power Distance and give examples

Power distance is the disparity between levels of power between members of organizations andinstitutions (like the family).

Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and

institutions accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. Power can be distributed

unequally among countries and also between individuals in a hierarchy.


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***Power Distance Index of Hofstede defines does not reflect an objective difference in

power distribution, but rather the way people perceive power differences.

Current situation in Egypt with the disparity between the rich and the poor, those who haveit all and those who have naught.

List of benchmarks

High synergy/low synergy; Collectivism x individualismUniversalism x particularism; Neutral x Affective

Monochromic x polychronic; Cultural assumptions

Zero-sum game; Variable sum game; win-win game

Leader game; System game; Alliance game

Adversary game; Utility vs. strategic game

Comfort zone game; Glass ceiling; Listeningship,

Body language;

Cultural Stereotyping; Framing;Perception;overgeneralization;Prejudice

overgeneralization

Cultural sensitivity: if you want to irk an Algerian be arrogant.

Saying final solution is not possible in Germany.

Low/high power distance

Piagets theory:

1. The sensory-motor stage2. The Preoperational stage3. Concrete operational4. Formal operational stage

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Cross Cutural Communications Q&A