Transcript Welcoming International Guests

Hosting International Guests and Staff:
Cultural Opportunities and Challenges
Kathi Kiernan, Trapp Family Lodge
Tony Clark, Blueberry Hill Inn
Catherine DeLeo, Lyndon State College
Susan Sussman, Senator Patrick Leahy’s Office
November 29, 2007
Burlington, Vermont
Session Goals
Discussion of nuances of international traveler
expectations;
 Sharing of Culture-general/specific cross-cultural
training tips of multi-cultural workers;
 New knowledge for enabling dialog for effective
mutual understanding of company goals;
 Information concerning current Visa process
 Related references and resources

Intros
참 # of international
visitors last year?
참 # of international
workers?
참 Discuss 1 major
concern or challenge
you face as a host
AND as employer
OTTI Stats
++’05 US captures 6.1 % of the 8.8 million
int’l travelers (rank 3rd behind Fr and Ger)
++Int’l visits to US up 15% in August 2007
+ spending exceeds $10 billion for August
(OTTI11/20/2007);
- US Market share down 35% since ’92
- Loss of 27 million travellers to US
’05 VT Economic Impact
Benchmark Study
-13.4 million person trips to Vermont
44% = international visits (not CAN)
- Reps 4.2 nights/trip (.3 million)
- 1.1% all visitor nights
Meeting expectations …
The Iceberg Analogy
observable = above the waterline
imagined/assumed = beneath the sea
there’s a relationship between what lies
above and below the waterline;
Cultural Competence
Culture General
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Human Nature: What is the character of
human nature?
Relationships: How do people establish
relationships?
Nature: What is the relationship of people to
nature?
Time: Where is the temporal focus of life?
Activity: How do people live their lives?
In the
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Time, change, future
Individualism,
diversity
Compete, compromise
Past
Equality,
egalitarianism
“live to work”
….
Present
Future
Cultural World Map: Bird’s Eye View
Legal Code Moral Code Religious Code Moral-Legal Mix
Multicultural Playing Field LLC, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Cultural World Map: Bird’s Eye View
Legal Code Moral Code Religious Code Moral-Legal Mix
Multicultural Playing Field LLC, 2007. All Rights Reserved.
Hofstede’s Dimension of Culture
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1. Power distance - extent to which people accept social
hierarchies and the power gaps they create.
2. Individualism versus collectivism - orientation to
personal or group achievements.
3. Masculinity versus femininity - the degree to which a
culture does or does not separate traditional gender roles.
4. Uncertainty avoidance - the degree to which a culture
is uncomfortable with ambiguity and seeks certainty.
5. Long-term time orientation - a culture's orientation to
Confuciann, Christian, Islamic views.
– Link Cultures and Oranizations – Geert Hofstede
Cross-cultural consideration
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Global insight… The world in which we are born
is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not
failed attempts at being like us. They are unique
manifestations of the human spirit…
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Breaking stereotypes…. We don’t see things as
they are; we see things as we are…
(www.worldpeacepassport)
Cultural Competence
Culture Specific (5 orientations)
Cognitive Styles: How We Organize and Process
Information
Negotiation Strategies: What We Accept as
Evidence
Value Systems: The Basis for Behavior Behavior
Locus of Decision-making
Sources of Anxiety Reduction
Issues of Equality/Inequality
International staff
Survey info from resorts
Background info on host
countries
Kwintessential
Hofstede
Effect of Intercultural Sensitivity on Employee
Performance

Employees with high intercultural sensitivity
scored significantly (p < .05) higher on measures
of service attentiveness, revenue contribution,
interpersonal skills, job satisfaction, and social
satisfaction as they relate to cross-cultural
encounters. There was no significant difference in
scores for motivation-to-work, job tenure, and
primary rewards (compensation, recognition, etc.).
Cross-Cultural Service Encounters in the Hospitality Industry and the Effect of Intercultural Sensitivity on Employee Performance
Verbal Communication Styles
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Repartee
Ritual Conversation
Argument/Verbal Duel
Self-Disclosure
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ask plenty of open questions being with who, what, why,
where, how;
-really listen to the answers;
-probe for more information by
asking closed questions - yes/no
type;
-acknowledge the other person's
position;
-answer their concerns calmly
and reasonably
Speaking
Non-verbal communication
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Distance
Eye contact
Facial expressions
Hands
Language, euphemisms, slang,
provincialism
Humor
Cross Cultural Abacus
Japanese game show
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http://www.japanesetranslator.co.uk/portfoli
o/question_of_sport/
Intercultural Knowledge and
Understanding
Cultural competence is knowing what I don't know
and learning to understand what other's
expectations are
(Deborah Dagit, Silicon Graphic's Director of Diversity)
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ability to deal with complexity
ability to switch between cultural paradigms
listening for understanding; enhancing questions,
responding skills essential to demonstrate
understanding."
Intercultural Management Skills
Communication Skill – misunderstanding-free of company goals
u builds good working relationships across cultures?
u avoids offending people; nurtures assets (cultural capital)?
Creates a culture of learning, balancing inquiry and advocacy
Know where to find resources
Ubonto – thinking through the eyes of the other
u Is cultural stereotyping or cultural generalization harmful, or helpful?
u Why do some cultures always seem to want to rush in to things?
u Why do some nationalities seem to take forever to agree anything?
u Why do I sometimes get the answer "Yes", when they really mean "No"?
u How can I best influence/relate to someone from another culture?
u How can we improve the effectiveness of our business as we face increasing
"global" challenges, which require international co-operation?
u When is it not "culture" and when is culture used as an excuse?
Key Attributes
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Intercultural awareness
– Empathy, interest, curiosity
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Flexibility
Capitalizing on similarities and differences
Patience
References & Resources
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Attached separately