Presentationon

the Book Review onChapter Name: Intercultural

EncountersChapter No. 09

Prepared by: Jobayda Gulshan AraBook Name: Cultures and Organizations:

Software of the Mind

Author: Geert Hofstede & Gert Jan Hofstede

Intercultural Encounters

Intercultural encounter means an unexpected or hostile situation

An intercultural encounter can be an experience between people from different countries or it can be an experience between individuals from other cultural backgrounds in the same country

Intended Versus Unintended Intercultural Conflicts

Human history is composed of wars

Holy books of different religions genocide is considered as order of God

“what is different is dangerous” believed by many cultures.

war and peace represent intended conflicts.

Intended Versus Unintended Intercultural Conflicts

unintended conflicts that sometimes arise during intercultural encounters

Nobody wants unintended conflicts but all suffer from them

Avoiding unintended cultural conflicts - theme of this chapter

Countries & regions differ in more than their cultures

Figure: Sources of differences between countries and groups

History

Identity(to which group do

I belong?)LanguageReligionVisible

ValuesSoftware of the minds

Invisible

InstitutionsRules, Laws,

OrganizationsVisible

Culture Shock and Acculturation

Hofstede was given a acculturation curve have four phases

• Phase-1 : Euphoria

• Phase-2 : the Period of Cultural Shock

• Phase-3 : Acculturations

• Phase-4 : the Stable State

Culture shocks are environment specific

Ethnocentrism and Xenophilia

This psychological reactions have four phases: Phase-1 Curiosity: as like euphoria on the side of visitors. Phase-2 Ethnocentrism: hosts will evaluate the visitor by the

standards of their culture. Phase-3 Polycentrism: the recognition that different kinds of

people should be measured by different standards Phase-4 Xenophilia: believe of hosts people that in foreigner

culture everything is better.

Ethnocentrism and xenophilia both are unhealthy for intercultural co operations.

Language And Humor

Language differences contribute to cultural misinterpretations

Language belongs to the

1. surface level of culture and

2. vehicle of cultural transfer

Language and Humor

One will miss a lot of subtleties of a culture if he/she have no knowledge about the language of the culture

One of this subtleties is Humor

In intercultural encounters the experienced travelers knows that jokes and irony are taboo until one is absolutely sure of the other culture’s conception that what represent humor.

The Influence of Communication Technologies

Popular media suggest that communication technologies will make the world global village

The software of the mechanism can be globalized but the software of the minds that use them not\

Communication technology helps to increase the amount of information but does not increase the capacity to absorb this information

We process information according to our values

Intercultural Encounters in Schools

Most intercultural encounters two types: Between local teachers and foreign, migrant or

refugee students and Between expatriate teachers hired as foreign expert

or send as missionaries and local students

Intercultural problems can be based on institutional differences

Minorities, Migrants and Refugees

Minorities depends on hard fact like: distribution of population, economic situation of population groups and the intensity of their interrelations.

It also depends on cultural values and cultural practices.

In nearly all cases of migrants and refuges moved from a more traditional collectivist to a more individualist society.

The refugees and migrants called marginal people. The level of marginality is different generations and genders.

Intercultural Negotiations

National culture will affect negotiation process by several ways

Power distance will affect the degree of centralization of the control and decision making structure and the importance of the negotiators.

Collectivist will affect the need for stable relationships between the negotiators.

Masculinity will affect the need for ego-boosting behavior and the sympathy for the strong on the part of negotiators and their superiors. They have a tendency to resolve conflicts by a show of force.

Feminine cultures are more likely resolve conflicts by compromise and to strive for consensus.

Intercultural Negotiations

Effective intercultural negotiations demand :

an insight into the range of cultural values to be expected among partners from another countries

Language and communication skills Organization skills for planning and arranging

meeting and facilities Skills for handling external communications

Table: Competitive advantages of Different Cultural Profiles in International Competitions

Power distance(small)Acceptance of responsibility

Power Distance(Large)Discipline

Uncertainty Avoidance (weak)Basic Innovations

Uncertainty avoidance(strong)Precision

CollectivismEmployee Commitment

IndividualismManagement Mobility

FemininityPersonal ServiceAgricultureFood

MasculinityMass ProductionHeavy IndustryChemistry

Short Term OrientationFast adaptation

Long-Term OrientationDeveloping New Markets

Coordinating Multinationals:Structure should Follow Culture

The solution may be two types of structure: Matrix structure: Here every business unit have two

bosses. One coordinate particular type of business across all

countries. Other coordinate all business units in the particular

country. Patchwork Structure: follow the needs of markets and

business unit cultures.

Expanding Multinationals:International Mergers and other Ventures

International Expansion can be distinguished in five ways, in increasing order of cultural risk

I. The Greenfield Start

II. The International strategic Alliance

III. The Joint venture with a Foreign Partner

IV. The Foreign Acquisition

V. The Cross National Merger

International Politics and International Organizations

Political processes and difference in Power Distance, Uncertainty avoidance, Individualism-collectivism and Masculinity- femininity: Larger power distance: centralization, lack of cooperation

between citizen and authorities and more political violence. Strong Uncertainty avoidance: more rules and laws, more

government intervention in economy. Individualism: concern with human rights, market capitalism

and political democracy. Collectivism: group interests. Masculinity: economic growth and competition and belief in

technology. Femininity: Country welfare and world development

cooperation.

Economic development, Non development and development

cooperation

Intercultural encounters in the context of development cooperation will be productive if there is a two way Flow of Know-How: Technical know-how: from the donor to receiver. Cultural know how : about the context in which

the technical know how should be applied.

Learning Intercultural Communication The acquisition of intercultural communication abilities

passes through three phases:

a. Awareness: it is the recognition of one that, I carry a particular Mental Software because the way I was brought up and the other also carry a different one for equally good reasons.

b. Knowledge: It should follow awareness. If we interact with particular culture we have to learn about these cultures symbols, heroes and rituals but never share their values.

c. Skills: It is based on awareness and knowledge and also practice.

Intercultural communication training courses are two types: Expatriate briefings and awareness training.

Own view

Intercultural encounters is faced by both the visitors and host people. Visitors face cultural shock and host people face ethnocentrism and xenophilia. School teachers and students, minorities, migrants, intercultural organization face this encounters for intercultural co-operation. Economic development and politics and consumer behavior all are related to this experience. By awareness, knowledge and skills one may adopt other culture swiftly. The realization of our is, encounters are not actually an enormous problem because by the crisis situation one can learn better about a culture and made a way for cope with the encounters and interact with the culture effectively.

Thank You All