Intercultural Communication Week 1 Power Point

8/3/2019 Intercultural Communication Week 1 Power Point

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International/InterculturalCommunication in the Global

Workplace

Business 100 Fall 2011Class #1


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Walt Disney Stated:

Of all of our inventions for mass

communication, pictures still speak the

most universally understood language.


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Culture and Organizations

While pictures may speak the mostuniversally understood language:

The workplace needs effective written andverbal communication.

The workplace needs efficient written and

verbal communication. Workers need to understand their duties

and responsibilities.


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Culture and Organizations

Culture plays an important role inefficient and effective organizational

communication. Norms + Values + Beliefs = Culture


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Cultural Norms

Accepted behaviors within a culture

The explicit or implicit rules that a group

uses for appropriate and inappropriatebehaviors

The customary rules of behavior that

coordinate our interactions with others


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Cultural Norms

For Example:

Americans maintain fairly direct eye

contact when conversing with others. Asians tend to avert their eyes as a sign of

politeness and respect.


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Cultural Norms

What happens when these culturalnorms are violated?

As Americans, how do you react whensomeone does not look you in the eyeswhen speaking to you?

How do you react when a stranger talks toyou in an elevator?

How do you react when a stranger invadesyour personal space?


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Cultural Values

Within a community or society, valuesare the commonly accepted standards

of what is: acceptable or unacceptable,

important or unimportant,

right or wrong, workable or unworkable.


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Cultural Values

Further, values can be defined as:

learned,

relatively enduring,

emotionally charged and

moral conceptualizations that assist us in

making decisions.


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Cultural Values

For Example:

Consider the value you and/or our society

places on the idea of The Wilderness. What is your personal value judgment

regarding the wilderness?

Does our culture share the same values

regarding the wilderness as you do?


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Cultural Values

Is it:

Wilderness is the antithesis of civilization?

Wilderness is a land of no use?

Wilderness is where the birds fly free andthe beauty of the flowers glows with the

colors of the rainbow? Wilderness is the frontier we settled as we

moved west?

Are there other alternatives?


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Cultural Values

Summary:

Norms are rules for behavior in specific

situations. Values identify what we each believe is

good or evil.


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Cultural Values

Remember:

There are no right or wrong answers to

questions of values. However, individuals are likely to strongly

hold these ideals and use them in theirdecision making.

Both in social and in business decisions


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Cultural Beliefs

A system of shared ideals which guidebehaviors.

Freedom

Equal Justice under Law

Hard work will be rewarded


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Cultural Beliefs

What are other shared beliefs in ourculture?

What are shared beliefs about work inour culture?


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Ethnocentrism

is the tendency to look at the worldprimarily from the perspective of one's

own culture is the belief that one's culture is the

most important and/or that some or all

aspects of its culture are superior tothose of other groups


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Cultural Relativism

is the belief that the concepts andvalues of one culture cannot be fully

translated into, or fully understood in,other cultures.

is the belief that a specific cultural

artifact (e.g. a ritual) can only beunderstood through an understanding ofthe culture of which it is a part.


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Culture and Business

Culture plays an important role ineffective organizational communication.

Leaders and Managers also mustunderstand that different backgrounds andcultures may disagree with the messagebeing disseminated.

This disagreement will likely have anegative impact on the workplace.


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How is this knowledge acquired?

Learned from experience

Passed down from one generation toanother

Shared among members of the group or

community


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For Example: The Handshake

In the U.S. Firm

In Asia Gentle (except Koreawhere firm)

In the U.K. Soft

In France Light and quick oftenrepeated during theinteraction


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Priorities of Different Cultures

US Japan Arab WorldFreedom Belonging Family Security

Independence Group Harmony Family Harmony

Self-Reliance Collectiveness Parents as Guide

Equality Age/Seniority Age

Individualism Consensus Authority


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Priorities of Different Cultures

Using these priorities as a guide:

How will workers from one of these cultures interactwith co-workers from another culture?

How will workers from one of these cultures interactwith a manager/leader from another culture?


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As stated above, culture plays animportant role in effective organizational

communication. Norms + Values + Beliefs = Culture

Leaders and Managers must understand

that different backgrounds and culturesmay change the way that the message isunderstood.


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Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions

"Culture is more often a source ofconflict than of synergy. Cultural

differences are a nuisance at best andoften a disaster."


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Hofstedes model gives insights into our

own and other cultures.

Effective cross-cultural communicationrequires being aware of culturaldifferences because what may be

considered perfectly acceptable andnatural in one country, can be confusingor even offensive in another.


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All the levels in communication areaffected by cultural dimensions:

Verbals (words and language itself)

Non verbals (body language, gestures)

In international negotiations:

Communication style, expectation, issueranking and goals will change according tothe negotiators countries of origin.


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Hofstede found that there are 5dimensions of cultural variability:

Uncertainty Avoidance

Power Distance

Masculinity-Femininity

Individualism-Collectivism Short- versus Long-term Orientation


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Uncertainty Avoidance The extent to which a culture feels

threatened by ambiguous, uncertain

situations and tries to avoid them byestablishing more structure


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Uncertainty Avoidance High positive scores on the uncertainty

avoidance index indicate low tolerance

for ambiguity. These cultures prefer to avoid

uncertainty and dissent as a cultural

value and desire consensus. As a result, HIGH uncertainty avoidance

cultures prefer formal rules.


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Uncertainty Avoidance Low scores indicate:

a high tolerance for uncertainty and

ambiguity,

a belief in accepting and encouragingdissenting views among members,

interest in taking risks, trying new things. Thus, cultures that ranked low feel

much more comfortable with the

unknown.


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Uncertainty Avoidance Some of the common traits found in

countries that score low on the

uncertainty avoidance scale include: a country with a young history (USA),

a population that is very diverse due to

waves of immigration, businesses that embrace risk,

encouragement for innovation and pushingboundaries.


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High UA Low UA

Greece 112 Hong Kong 29

Portugal 104 Sweden 29

Guatemala 101 Denmark 23

Uruguay 100 Jamaica 13

Belgium 94 Singapore 8


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Dealing with Uncertainty Avoidance:

You need more information in order to be

successful in completing a task at work. Do you:

ask your supervisor?

ask a co-worker? Observe others and wing-it?

not ask anyone and hope that your intuition iscorrect?


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Power Distance

The degree to which a culture believes:

how institutional and organizational power

should be distributed (equally or unequally) how the decisions of the power holders

should be viewed (challenged or accepted)


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Power Distance

People in high power distance culturesare much more comfortable with a

larger status differential than low powerdistance cultures.


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Power Distance

Predictors of Power Distance:

Climate: measured by geographical

latitude. Cultures in high-latitude climate(moderate or cold climates) tend to havelow PDI scores. Cultures that have tropicalclimate tend to have high PDI scores.

Population: Generally, the greater thenumber of people within the culture, thegreater the power distance is likely to be.


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Power Distance

Predictors of Power Distance: Distribution of Wealth: The more unequally the

wealth is distributed within a culture, the greaterthe culture's power distance.


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Power Distance

High PD Low PD

Malaysia 104 Ireland 28

Guatemala 95 New Zealand 22

Panama 95 Denmark 18

Philippines 94 Israel 13

Mexico 81 Austria 11


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Power Distance

Dealing with Power Distance:

You need to talk with your supervisor at

work about a task. Do you:

make an appointment and wait to hear back?

go to your supervisors office and knock on thedoor and ask to talk?

strategically run into your supervisor in the

hallway and ask your question at that time?


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A Masculine culture values behaviorssuch as:

Assertiveness

Achievement

Acquisition of wealth


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A Feminine culture values:

Caring for others

Social support systems

Quality of life

Equality between male and female and

less prescriptive role behaviors associatedwith each gender


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Most Masc Most Fem

Japan 95 Costa Rica 21

Hungary 88 Denmark 16

Austria 79 Netherlands 14

Venezuela 73 Norway 8

Italy 70 Sweden 5


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Dealing with Masculinity Femininity:

Your immediate supervisor is Swedish (you

are American) and there is a conflict in theoffice.

Should you expect your supervisor toengage in:

compromise?

collaboration?

competition?


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Individualism-Collectivism

The degree to which a culture relies on andhas allegiance to the self or the group


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Predictors:

Economic development

Wealthy cultures tend to be individualistic, whereas poorcultures tend to be collectivistic.

Climate

Cultures in colder climate tend to be individualistic,whereas cultures in warmer climates tend to be

collectivistic.


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Hofstede found a strong negative correlationbetween a culture's scores on the power

distance index and its scores on theindividualism-collectivism index. High PowerDistant cultures tend to be collectivistic,whereas low Power Distance cultures tend to

be individualistic.


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Collectivistic cultures tend to:

be group-oriented;

impose a large psychological distance between in-group and out-group members;

expect in-group members to have unquestioningloyalty to their group;

find its members using avoidance, intermediaries,or other face-saving techniques in conflictsituations.


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Individualists cultures tend to:

be perceived as not having a large psychological

distance between in-group and out-groupmembers,

value self-expression among individuals,

speak out as a means of resolving problems,

use confrontational strategies when dealing withinterpersonal problems.


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High Individuals High Collective

United States 91 Columbia 13

Australia 90 Venezuela 12

United Kingdom 89 Panama 11

Netherlands 80 Ecuador 8

New Zealand 79 Guatemala 6


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Dealing with Individualism-Collectivism:

You have been working very hard to

complete a task at work. The success ofyour work will not only positively impactyou but also your entire work group.

Do you:

want the rewards for yourself?

want the rewards to be shared with your entiregroup?


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Short/Long-term Orientation

The degree to which a society does or doesnot value long-term commitments and respect

for tradition. Long-term traditions andcommitments hamper institutional change.


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Long-Term Orientation:

Persistence

Ordering relationships by status and observingthis order

Thrift

Having a sense of shame


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Short-Term Orientation:

Personal steadiness and stability

Protecting your face Respect for tradition

Reciprocation of greetings, favors and gifts


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High Long term Low Long term

China 118 Norway 20

Hong Kong 96 Philippines 19

Taiwan 87 Ghana 16

Japan 80 Nigeria 16

South Korea 75 Sierra Leone 16


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Dealing with Short- vs. Long-termOrientation:

You own a tire store on Kingston Pike.With all the new roofs being installedthroughout Knoxville due to the spring hailstorm, stray roofing nails are puncturingtires and as a result, your business isbooming.


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Dealing with Short- vs. Long-termOrientation:

Do you: Expand your store?

Hire new full-time help?

Hire new part-time help?

Put the money aside for when the demand fornew tires returns to normal?


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Culture and Management

Examples of how culture andmanagement intersect:

Centralized vs. Decentralized decisionmaking

Safety vs. risk

Individual vs. Group rewards Informal vs. Formal procedures


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Culture and Management

Examples of how culture andmanagement intersect:

High vs. Low organizational loyalty Cooperation vs. Competition

Short-term vs. Long-term horizons

Stability vs. Innovation

Documents

Intercultural Communication Week 1 Power Point