Transcript Document

Multiculturalism
A Very Brief Introduction to
Engaging with People from
Other Cultures
In an ideal world…
 the
policemen would be English,
 the
car mechanics would be German,
 the
cooks would be French,
 the
innkeepers would be Swiss,
 and
the lovers would be Italian.
In a living hell…
 the
policemen would be German,
 the
car mechanics would be French,
 the
cooks would be English,
 the
innkeepers would be Italian,
 and
the lovers would be Swiss.
Multicultural Conflicts
People from different cultures have
different…
 ways
of viewing the world;
 ways of dressing;
 ways of expressing personality;
 ideas about what is good.
In Short, Don’t Be This Guy
http://www.aperfectworld.org/cartoons/flagdesecration.png
International Perceptions
of Americans

Europe & especially England: "Americans are stupid and
unsubtle. And they are fat and bad dressers."

Finland: "Americans always want to say your name: 'That's a nice
tie, Mikko. Hi Mikko, how are you Mikko?'"

Indian: "Americans are always in a hurry. Just watch the way they
walk down the street."

Kenyan: "Americans are distant. They are not really close to other
people -- even other Americans."

Turkey: "Once we were out in a rural area in the middle of
nowhere and saw an American come to a stop sign. Though he
could see in both directions for miles, and there was no traffic, he
still stopped!"
International Perceptions
of Americans

Colombia: "In the United States, they think that life is only work."

Indonesia: "In the United States everything has to be talked about
and analyzed. Even the littlest thing has to be 'Why, why, why?'."

Ethiopia: "The American is very explicit. He wants a 'yes' or 'no.' If
someone tries to speak figuratively, the American is confused."

Iran: "The first time my American professor told me 'I don't know, I
will have to look it up,' I was shocked. I asked myself, 'Why is he
teaching me?'"
Communication Breakdowns

Shaking hands


Men and women together
in a photo
Photo of a person in a
wheelchair

White dress

Woman wearing a green
beret

Crossing legs

Men holding hands

A clerk giving change

Taking a telephone
message

Emailing work group
members
Cultural Dimensions

High Context vs. Low Context

Monochronic vs. Polychronic

Future- vs. Present- vs. Past-Oriented

Quantity of Time

Power Distance

Individualism vs. Collectivism
High/Low Context

In a Low Context culture…
 information is fully spelled out;
 people depend on what is actually

said or written.
In a High Context culture…
 communicators
assume common knowledge and
views;
 information is implicit or communicated indirectly;
 it’s the listener’s responsibility to keep up their
knowledge base and remain plugged into informal
networks.
High/Low Context Problems

Low Context cultures…
 can seem offensively blunt;
 are not known for ability to tolerate
diversity.

High Context cultures…
 can
or understand
seem secretive, devious, and stingy with
information;
 are vulnerable to communication breakdowns from
assuming too much shared understanding.
What are some High Context cultures?
What are some Low Context cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Monochronic/Polychronic

In a Monochronic culture…
 people do just one thing at a time;
 there is a sense of appropriate times
everything;
 people do not value interruptions.

In a Polychronic culture…
and places for
 people do multiple things at the same
 workers don’t mind interruptions.
time;
What are some Monochronic cultures?
What are some Polychronic cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Future/Present/Past Oriented

Past-Oriented cultures…
 focus
on traditional values and ways of doing things;
 tend to be conservative in management.

Present-Oriented cultures…
 see
the past as passed and the future as uncertain;
 prefer short-term benefits.

Future-Oriented cultures…
 have
a great deal of optimism about the future;
 view management as a matter of planning, doing,
and controlling.
What are some Past-Oriented cultures?
What are some Future-Oriented cultures?
What are some Present-Oriented cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Quantity of Time

In a Time-Limited culture…
 time
is seen as a valuable resource;
 wasting time is insulting or a sign of power.

In a Time-Plentiful culture…
 time
appears endless or cyclical;
 people tend to rely on relationships for conducting
business.
What are some Time-Limited cultures?
What are some Time-Plentiful cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Power Distance

In a High Power-Distant culture…
 employees
bypassing superiors is seen as
insubordination;
 superiors do not interact as social equals with
subordinates.

In a Low Power-Distant culture…
 employees
bypassing supervisors is acceptable;
 superiors and subordinates interact socially as equals.
What are some High Power-Distant cultures?
What are some Low Power-Distant cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Individualism/Collectivism I

In an Individualist culture…
 individual
uniqueness and self-determination are
valued;
 showing initiative and working well independently is
admired.

In a Collectivist culture…
 people
are expected to identify with and work well in
groups;
 groups protect people in exchange for loyalty and
compliance.
Individualism/Collectivism II

The paradox:
 individualist
cultures tend to believe that there
universal values exist;
 collectivist cultures tend to accept that different
groups have different values.
What are some Individualist cultures?
What are some Collectivist cultures?
Where does your culture fit?
Real-World Problems I
You greet your Austrian client. This is the
eighth time you have met in person over
the last four months, and you have eaten
dinner together each time. He calls you
Herr Smith. (“Herr” is German for “Mr.”)

What is your impression? Why?
Real-World Problems II
A Japanese businessman wants to tell his
Norwegian client that he is uninterested in
a particular sale. So the Japanese man
says, "That will be very difficult." The
Norwegian eagerly asks how she can help.
The Japanese man is mystified.

What went wrong? Why?
Real-World Problems III
A Canadian meets with a high-ranking
official in Kuwait. The meeting is not held
in a closed office and is constantly
interrupted. The Canadian is annoyed and
wonders if he's being taken seriously.

What went wrong? Why?
Real-World Problems IV

A software engineer from Google visits the
Microsoft campus in Redmond, WA, for a
job interview and asks about Microsoft’s
personal research time policy. The
Microsoft interviewer is mystified.

What is the conflict, and where did it
come from?

Thanks to Kevin Garrison for providing the
original PowerPoint.