Lecture FifteenChapter Nine

Intercultural Communication

COMMUNICATION AND DIVERSITY OF THE WORKPLACE

• PAST– Little verbal communication– Interpreter almost always available

• NOW– Great deal of communication– Tight time lines– Less supervision– Little support

What is Culture?

• Knowledge, Beliefs, Values, Customs, and Moral Attitudes of a Society in which one matures. A body of common understanding to help people know: What to Expect - What is Expected of Them.

INTERCULTURAL MYTHS

• GLOBAL VILLAGE– One Big Happy

Family

• UNIVERSALITY – All the same under

the skin

WAYS PEOPLE DIFFER

• HOFSTEDE– POWER DISTANCE– UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE– INDIVIDUALISM/COLLECTIVISM– MASCULINITY/FEMININTY

• HALL– HIGH CONTEXT– LOW CONTEXT

SECOND LANGUAGE

• BILINGUALISM AND BICULTURALISM– 2- 3 Month Assignment

Learn Language– Any Time Learn Culture

• Classic Mistakes– Chevrolet’s Nova - It

doesn’t go in Spanish– Pepsi’s “Come Alive

With Pepsi” German “Come Alive From the Grave.

NONVERBAL

• GREETINGS• DRESS• SPACE• TOUCH• POSTURE• GESTURES• TIME• FOOD• GIFTS• SEXISM

GOOD INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATOR

• NOT ETHNOCENTRIC• NONDEFENSIVE• CURIOUS• BRAVE• EMPATHETIC• UNDERSTANDING• PATIENT• INDUSTRIOUS• GENUINELY

PERSONABLE

Your Career

Roger ValineCEO

Vision Service Plan

• Rank 10th best place to work in USA by FORTUNE Magazine

General Discussions

• No typos on Resume

• Why you chose the path to the education you acquired (not in love with Big Schools)

• Why chose major

• Grade point and why it is where it is

Personal Attributes

• Good Values• Will person make the organization proud they are part of

it• Fit

– Would I like to spend 48 hours alone with this person fishing in a remote area

– Can they connect with customers and other employees

• Ask intelligent questions about company• Don’t discuss money and benefits until job offered

Change and Career Readiness

• behave like an entrepreneur• seek feedback on your performance

continually• set up your own mentoring systems• get comfortable with teamwork• take risks to gain experience and

learn new skills• be a problems solver• keep your life in balance

Job Searches• How will the job fit with the

things you consider important?• Are you making a contribution

to society with your work?• Is your work going to be

meaningful?• Does your work make a

difference in the lives of other people?

• Will you work in an organization that treats you with respect and dignity?

• Will you take pride in your work?• Will the people you work for and with

appreciate your talents?• Will you work for a manager who will allow

you to learn and grow?• Are you expected to work 70 hour weeks

and take on impossible work loads? If so can you live with it?