Transcript Cross-cultural Communication (Day-1)

Cross-cultural
Communication
(Day-1)
Prof. Djamaludin Ancok, Ph.D
Teaching Material at
University of Innsbruck
1
Why we learn cross-cultural
Communication?
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Globalization, where the boundaries between
countries have been less solid, the interaction of
people from one country to other is enhanced.
So many multi-national corporations whose
employees and managements consists of people of
from different cultures.
Composition of population in a country such as
USA for examples consists of many different ethnic
groups (European, African, Mexican, Chinese,
Indian, Pakistanis, and Arab)
Information Technology such as internet, and
cellular phone has been widely used for global
communications, and change the economic theme
into digital economy.
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US Workforce Demographics
Percent Entrants
2000-2010
Percent Departures
2000-2010
100.0
49.6
50.4
100.0
55.4
44.6
White Non-Hispanic
60.6
77.4
African-American
13.7
11.8
Hispanic
17.9
7.2
7.8
3.6
Total
Men
Women
Asian and Other Races
Source Kreitner & Knicki, 2004
Multinational Corporations
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Ford Motor Company
Produced in China & Europe and other countries
 Sell the car in more than 50 countries world- wide
 Engines comes to Kansas City from Cleveland,
(USA), Chihuahua (Mexico) and Cologne
(Germany), Sweden, Spain, and Britain.
 Air conditioning comes from France
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Volvo (Sweden national pride) owned partly by
Ford.
Mazda (Japanese Car) partly owned by Chrysler
(USA).
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The Impact of IT on Economy
New Economic Themes
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Knowledge
Digitalization
Virtualization
Molecularization
Integration /
Internetworking
Disintermediation
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Convergence
Innovation
Prosumption
Immediacy
Globalization
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Discordance
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Source: Don Tapscott, The Digital Economy,1996:
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New Economic Theme (1)
Knowledge
Economy.
There is a shift from brawn to brain. Knowledge becomes an
important element of product. The gap between consumers and
producers blurs.
Organization
Knowledge and work becomes the basis of value, revenue, and
profit. Knowledge is added throughout value chain.
Culture Impact:
People of different background should work together and
shared their knowledge
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New Economic Theme (2)
Digitalization
Economy
Human communication, delivery of government programs, execution
of health care, business transactions, exchange of funds, etc, become
based on ones and zeros.
Organization
Internal communication shifts from analog (memos, reports, meeting,
telephone calls, whiteboard drawings, blue prints, models, photoggraphs, designs, graphic arts, etc) to digital.
Culture Impact:
Frequent misunderstanding and misperception about the
written information.
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New Economic Theme (3)
Virtualization
Economy
Physical things can become virtual, changing the metabolism of the
economy, the types of institutions and relationships possible, and
the nature of economic activity itself.
Organization
Virtual corporations, teams, stockyards, government agencies,
jobs, etc .
Culture Impact
The interaction of people from different countries, different
Cultures that may lead to communication disconnect.
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New Economic Theme (4)
Molecularization
Economy
Replacement of the mass media, mass production, monolithic
government, by molecular media, production, governance, etc
Organization
End of command-and-control hierarchy, shifting to team-based,
molecular structures. Individual employees and work groups are
empowered or break free act and to create value
Culture Impacts
Not all culture can accept this type of organization,
In a paternalistic culture people wait for guidance from the boss.
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New Economic Theme (5)
Integration/Internetworking
Economy
The new economy is a networked economy with deep, rich interconnections within and between organizations and institutions. Wealth
creation, commerce, and social existence are based on an ubiquitous
public infostructure.
Organization
The new enterprise is an interworked enterprise. Achievable in the past
only through monolithic hierarchies, the new technology now enables
integration of modular, independent, organizational components an integrated network services
Culture Impact
Miscommunication in doing business may be at stake if
People do not understand their overseas partner culture.
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New Economic Theme (6)
Disintermediation
Economy
Elimination of intermediaries in economic activity including agents,
brokers, wholesalers, some retailers, broadcasters, record companies,
and anything that stands between producers and consumers.
Organization
Elimination of middle managers, internal agents, brokers, or anyone else
who act as boosters for the signals that pass for communications in the
preknowledge organization.
Culture Impacts
In the paternalistic culture, where people needs more directions from
their super-ordinate, this may cause confusion.
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New Economic Theme (7)
Convergence
Economy
Convergence of key economic sectors-computing, communications,
and content
Organization
Convergence of organizational structures responsible for the technologies of computing, communications, and content.
Culture impacts
People needs to be prepared for multi-tasks
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New Economic Theme (8)
Innovation
Economy
Innovation is the key driver of economic activity and business success.
Rather than traditional drivers of success such as access to raw
materials, productivity, scale, and the cost of labor, human imagination
becomes the main source of values.
Organization
Innovation is the key driver of successful products, marketing strategies,
management approaches, organizational changes. Old rules and
approaches fail quickly. The only sustainable advantage is
organizational learning
Culture Impacts
For a high power distance culture, the innovation would be
inhibited by seniority and waiting for the leader’s direction.
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New Economic Theme (9)
Prosumption
Economy
The gap between consumers and producers blurs in a number of ways. For example, consumers
become involved in the actual production process as their knowledge, information, and ideas
become part of the product specification process. Human collaboration on the Net becomes
a part of the international repository of knowledge.
Organization
Consumers of information and technology become producers. Human collaboration on the Net
becomes part of the corporate multimedia information resource. Users become designers,
creating new software applications themselves. Many responsibilities for technology purchasing
and implementation are dispersed.
Culture Impacts
In a collectivistic culture the intermingled of producers and customers would be easy since
people see them selves as a part of wider community. For the individualistic culture
The sharing ideas between consumers and producers needs more time to develop.
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New Economic Theme (10)
Immediacy
Economy
The new economy is a real-time economy. Commerce becomes electronic as
business transactions and communications occur at the speed of light rather
than of the post office.
Organization
The new enterprise is a -real-time enterprise- continuously and immediately
adjusting to changing business conditions. Product life cycles shorter.
Culture Impacts
In the culture where the value of time as a economic resource is less
appreciated, then the real time business may become a problem.
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New Economic Theme (11)
Globalization
Economy
Knowledge knows no boundaries. As knowledge becomes the key resource, there is
only a world economy, even though the individual organization operates in a national,
regional, or local setting. New economic and political regions and structures (such
as the AFTA, NAFTA) are leading to a decline in the importance of the nation-state
and increasing the interdependencies among countries.
Organization
The new enterprise enables time and space independence; it redefines time and space
for its employees and stakeholders. Work can be performed from a variety of
locations, including employees’ homes. The network becomes a resipotary for
the time-independent communications. Networks of business clusters cooperate
globally to achieve business objectives.
Culture Impacts
It is a must to understand other cultures if we want to succeed in doing business.
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New Economic Theme (12)
Discordance
Economy
Massive social contradictions are arising. New, highly paid employment versus the
inappropriateskills of laid-off workers. Gulfs are growing between haves and havesnots, knowers and know-nots, those with access to the I-Way and those without it.
Organization
Profound organizational contradictions are rising. For example, employees are told
to “work hard, create the corporation’s value, identify with the team and
the enterprise.
Culture Impacts
The company operation should care about the need of poor peoples in the
location where the company operates (corporate social responsibility)
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Source: Lane, H.W & DiStefano, J.J. International Management Behavior
Boston: PWS-KENT Publishing Co. 1992.
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Source: Verner, I & Bremer, L Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace,
New York: McGraw-Hiill , 2005
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Model of Cultural Assumption
and Organizational Structure
Source: Hoecklin, L. Managing Cultural Differences.
New York: Addison-Wesley Coy. 1995
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Barriers to Cross-Cultural
Communication
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Culture-- “All human beings are
captives of their culture”
Perception—The value & inhibitors of
“stereotypes”
Experience—variations in life
experiences inhibit communication
e.g. housing, religion, education
system, eating habits, foods, …
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Cross-Cultural Communication
Differences
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Language Usage
Verbal Communication Styles
Nonverbal Communication
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Culture misunderstanding may
create a high cost
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Two similar things may have a marked different
meanings:
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A case of Christmas crackers made in China, where the put a
picture of Panda with a swastika symbol and sell the product
in Canada.
A case of name card in between Australian and Balinese
business.
To avoid this problems:
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We should learn the culture of customers, business partners,
employees, and local government.
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Signs of Culture Shock
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Irritability, moodiness
Fluctuating appetite
Reduced sex drive
Disrupted sleep
Homesickness
Spending time alone
Avoiding the locals
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Reading all day
Boredom, low energy
Confusion, anxiety
Negativity, alienation
Depression
Physical illness
Stereotyping
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Two Type of cultures
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On Stage Culture:
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Behaviors and rituals that people show when they meet other
people (such as shake hand, bowing, kissing, the distance
while talking).
Back Stage Culture:
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The reasons behind a particular behavior. This is a belief
about something, for example. If you don’t give a businesscard in a business meeting (because you forget to bring one)
while your partner gives his or her card to you, it may mean
different thing. It can be insulted for a particular culture (e.g.
Balinese).
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Culture defined
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There are hundreds of definitions of culture.
One of those:
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Culture is the coherent, learned, shared view of a
group of people about life’s concerns that ranks
what is important, furnishes attitudes abut what
things are appropriate, and dictates behavior.
Iris Varner & Linda Beamer: Intercultural Communication
In the Global Workplace, New Yor: McGraw-Hill, 2005, p.5
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Culture Defined
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Tylor E. (1871). That complex whole which includes
knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs and any
other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society.
Herskovits M.J. (1948). The man-made part of the
human environment. Kroeber A.L. and Kluckhohn C.
(1952). Transmitted patterns of values, ideas and other
symbolic systems that shape behaviour.
van Maanen J. and Schein E.H. (1979). Values, beliefs and
expectations that members come to share.
Schwartz M.C. and Jordon D.K (1980). Pattern of beliefs
and expectations shared by members that produce
norms shaping behaviour.
Source: Hoecklin, L. Managing Cultural Differences.
New York: Addison-Wesley Coy. 1995
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Culture Defined
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Hofstede G.H. (1980). The collective programming of the
mind which distinguishes the members of one human
group from another.
Louis M. R. (1983). Three aspects: (1) some content
(meaning and interpretation) (2) peculiar to (3) a group.
Hall E. T. and Hall M.R. (1987). Primarily a system for
creating, sending, storing and processing information.
Harris PR. and Moran R. T. (1987). A distinctly human
capacity for adapting to circumstances and transmitting
this coping skill and knowledge to subsequent
generations.
Becker and Geer (1970). Set of common understandings
expressed in language.
Source: Hoecklin, L. Managing Cultural Differences.
New York: Addison-Wesley Coy. 1995
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Culture is coherent
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Coherent means compact & complete. There are
meanings of every culture expression. To
exchange a business-card in a business meeting
means you respects your business partner. If you
forget to bring yours and do not give in return,
your partner may be insulted.
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Culture is learned
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We are not born with Culture. We learn from
others (parent & community).
Nobody will be locked in one culture, if they
interact with other culture, they will learn new
culture.
Learning other culture is one factor among
others that lead to success in doing business.
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Culture is the view of a
Group of People
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Member of a society learn the culture from their
grandparents, parents, teachers, spiritual leaders, peers
and representatives of legal, political and educational
institutions. So they share what they learn, and they
share the expression of culture (symbol, language, other
artifacts) and they see them as valid
A Sultan of Brunei shopped in one wealthy store in
UK, and paid with a credit card. When he made a
purchase he was asked to show his ID Card, since he
did not bring ID Card, he showed the currency of
Brunei where his picture is there.
Up to here
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Three Things Culture Does
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What Culture does
Culture Ranks What is Important
 Culture Furnishes Attitude
 Culture Dictates How to Behave
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What Culture is not
Right or wrong
 Inherited
 About individual behavior
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Trompenarr, 1995
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Culture is Perceived as Stereotype
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Though a culture has similarities among nations, but
people mostly focus their attention to the extreme
differences.
Stereotyping is using extreme, exaggerated forms of
behavior.
Stereotype is a very limited view of the average
behavior in a certain environment.
A behavior of a person from a particular group, society,
or nations tend to be generalized to all members of the
group, society or nation.
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Source: Hoecklin, L. Managing Cultural Differences.
New York: Addison-Wesley Coy. 1995
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