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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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Culture and Business
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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Culture and Business
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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Culture and Business
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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Culture and Business
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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Culture and Business
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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Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions
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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Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions
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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Geert Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions
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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Uncertainty Avoidance
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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Uncertainty Avoidance
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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Masculinity-Femininity
A Masculine culture values behaviorssuch as:
Assertiveness
Achievement
Acquisition of wealth
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Masculinity-Femininity
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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Masculinity-Femininity
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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Masculinity-Femininity
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Individualism-Collectivism
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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Short/Long-term Orientation
Long-Term Orientation:
Persistence
Ordering relationships by status and observingthis order
Thrift
Having a sense of shame
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Short/Long-term Orientation
Short-Term Orientation:
Personal steadiness and stability
Protecting your face Respect for tradition
Reciprocation of greetings, favors and gifts
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Short/Long-term Orientation
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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Short/Long-term Orientation
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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Short/Long-term Orientation
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