Transcript culture, updated, 07.10.2008

Intercultural Communication
TOPIC 1
Intercultural Communication and Culture
PREPARED BY: Khou Sam Ath (Master Candidate in English)
UPDATED
:25th February, 2012
TOPIC OUTLINE:
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WHY study intercultural communication?
DEFINE what is intercultural communication?
SOME definitions related to Culture.
The meaning of Culture.
WHAT is Culture?
Cultural diversity.
Affects of Culture on Management Approaches.
Values in Culture.
Differences between U.S & Japanese Cultural Values.
Priorities of Cultural Values.
Affects of Culture on Intercultural Communication.
Theories of Culture – Hall, Hofstede & Trompennars.
Stereotyping from Cultural extremes.
WHY STUDY INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION?
1. Learning about other people & their cultures.
2. Technology – for example, internet, SMS have
revolutionized the human communication.
3. Demography – the changing demographic characteristics
globally has contributed to heterogeneity & diversity in
culture.
4. Globalization – the trend toward globalization has
resulted in one world market & this means doing business
with different cultures different from our own.
5. Self-awareness – by studying intercultural
communication, it raises the awareness of our own
cultural identity & background.
WHAT IS INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION?
 Hall, E. T. (1959) defined intercultural
communication as communication
between persons of different cultures.
For examples, between a Cambodian &
a Malaysian &/or between Vietnamese
and an American.
 Intercultural business communication is
defined as communication within &
between businesses that involves people
from more than one culture.
SOME DEFINITIONS:
1. Cross-cultural or multicultural management managing a workforce diversity by understanding
& being sensitive to different cultures.
2. Intra-cultural communication - communication
between and among members of the same culture.
3. Stereotypes - perceptions about certain groups of
people or nationalities.
4. Melting pot – this means a socio-cultural
assimilation of people of different backgrounds &
nationalities.
SOME DEFINITIONS - CONTINUE
5. Enculturation - this is the socialization process
you go through to adapt to your society. When
you grow up in one culture, you learn one way
of classifying, coding, prioritizing, and justifying
reality. Cultural information that you are willing
to share with outsiders is considered front-stage
culture, while cultural information that is
concealed from outsiders is considered backstage
culture.
6. Acculturation - this is the process of adjusting
& adapting to a new and different culture.
The Meaning of Culture
CULTURE
all the shared products
of human groups
Material Culture (explicit artifacts)
Non material Culture (implicit)
physical objects that people
create and use
abstract human creations
Examples
Examples
automobiles, books,
buildings, clothing,
computers, and cooking
beliefs, family patterns, ideas,
language, political and
economic systems, and rules
A MODEL OF CULTURE
Explicit artifacts and
products of the society
Norms and values
that guide the society
Implicit, basic
assumptions that guide
people’s behavior
5 Components of culture
Technology
Symbols
Language
Norms
Values
WHAT IS CULTURE?
 Culture is defined as acquired knowledge that
people use to interpret experience and generate
social behavior. This knowledge forms values,
creates attitudes, and influences behavior.
 The accepted characteristics of culture are:
1. Learned
2. Shared.
3. Patterned.
4. Adaptive.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
1. There are many ways of examining cultural
differences & their impact on intercultural
communication.
2. Culture can affect technology transfer, managerial
attitudes, managerial ideology, & even businessgovernment relations.
3. More importantly, culture affects how people think
& behave.
4. For example: in the US, the cultural value is
freedom, in Japan, it is belonging, & in the Arab
countries, it is family security & in Cambodia, it is
the importance of family.
AFFECTS OF CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT
APPROACHES
1. Centralized vs. decentralized decision making – in
some societies, top managers make all important
organizational decisions. In others, these
decisions are diffused throughout the enterprise,
& middle-and lower-level managers actively
participate in, & make, key decisions.
2. Safety vs. risk – in some societies, organizational
decision makers are risk-averse & have great
difficulty with conditions of uncertainty. In
others, risk taking is encouraged, & decision
making under uncertainty is common.
AFFECTS OF CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT APPROACHES - CONTINUE
3. Individual vs. group rewards – in some
countries, personnel who do outstanding
work are given individual rewards in the
form of bonuses & commissions. In others,
cultural norms require group rewards, &
individual rewards are frowned on.
4. Informal vs. formal procedures – in some
societies, much is accomplished through
informal means. In others, formal
procedures are set forth, & followed
rigidly.
AFFECTS OF CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT APPROACHES - CONTINUE
5. High vs. low organizational loyalty – in
some societies, people identify very
strongly with their organization or
employer. In others, people identify with
their occupational group, such as
engineer or mechanic.
6. Cooperation vs. competition – some
societies encourage cooperation between
their people. Others encourage
competition between their people.
AFFECTS OF CULTURE ON MANAGEMENT APPROACHES - CONTINUE
7. Short-term vs. long-term horizons – some
cultures focus most heavily on short term
horizons, such as short-range goals of
profit & efficiency. Others are more
interested in long-range goals such as
market share & technology development.
8. Stability vs. innovation – the culture of
some countries encourages stability &
resistance to change. The culture of others
puts high value on innovation & change.
VALUES IN CULTURE
1. A major dimension in the study of culture
is values.
2. Values are basic convictions that people
have regarding what is right & wrong,
good & bad, important, & unimportant.
These values are learned from the culture
in which the individual is reared, & they
help to direct the person’s behavior.
3. Differences in cultural values often result
in varying management practices.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN U.S. & JAPANESE CULTURAL VALUES
U.S. Cultural Values
Japanese Cultural Values
 Individuals can influence the
future. (when there is a will, there
is way).
 Individuals should be realistic in
their aspirations.
 We must work to accomplish our
objectives.
 A primary obligation is to the
organization.
 Employees can be removed if they
do not perform well.
 Company information should be
available to anyone who needs it
within the organization.
 Competition stimulates high
performance.
 Lifetime employment is widely
accepted.
 Formal authority, obedience, &
conformance to hierarchic
position are very important.
 Group orientation, cooperation,
conformity, & compromise are
important.
 Organizational personnel often
are rewarded based on seniority,
not merit.
 Paternalism, often measured by a
manager’s involvement in both
personal & off-the-job problems
of subordinates.
PRIORITIES OF CULTURAL VALUES
UNITED
STATES
1. Freedom
2. Independence
3. Self-reliance
4. Equality
5. Individualism
6. Competition
7. Efficiency
8. Time
9. Directness
10. Openness
JAPAN
1. Belonging
2. Group
harmony
3. Collectiveness
4. Age/seniority
5. Group
consensus
6. Cooperation
7. Quality
8. Patience
9. Indirectness
10. Go-between
ARAB COUNTRIES
1. Family security
2. Family harmony
3. Parental
guidance
4. Age
5. Authority
6. Compromise
7. Devotion
8. Patience
9. Indirectness
10. Hospitality
AFFECTS OF CULTURE ON
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
1. A major challenge of doing business
internationally is to adapt effectively to
different cultures.
2. Such adaptation requires an
understanding of cultural diversity,
perceptions, stereotypes, and values.
3. Cultures and sub-cultures in different
countries have an effect on crosscultural communication.
THEORIES ON CULTURES
1. Edward Hall’s High and Low
Context Cultures.
2. Geert Hofstede’s Cultural
Dimensions.
3. Fons Trompenaars’ Cultural
Dimensions.
1: EDWARD HALL’S HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES
 HIGH CONTEXT CULTURES
1. Adopt a less direct form of communication:
 kinesic (what is not being said may have the same
degree of importance as what is being said.)
 implicit, and more detailed information is transmitted
through a continuous and imprecise, sometimes
through non-verbal format.
 depends on extensive informal networks across
various sectors of the society and this includes family,
friends, associates & even clients.
 as relationships are close and personal, information
flows freely & people are kept well informed about
the people who are important in their lives.
1: EDWARD HALL’S HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES - CONTINUE
2. Time orientation
 look at time as more flexible
 they tend to be more polychronic –
allowing many things to happen
simultaneously with no particular end
in sight.
 more accommodating to time change.
Examples of high-context cultures
includes: Cambodia, Malaysia,
Burma.
1: EDWARD HALL’S HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES - CONTINUE
 LOW CONTEXT CULTURES
1. Adopt a more direct form of
communication:
 what is said is what is meant: “mean what
you say, say what you mean”.
 information is often conveyed in a direct
manner, specific to the point.
 people tend to compartmentalize their
lives and relationships and permit little
“interference” or “extraneous”
relationships to the task at hand.
1: EDWARD HALL’S HIGH & LOW CONTEXT CULTURES - CONTINUE
2. Time orientation
 regard time as a straight line - linear and sequential
events, days, years or the rotation of the seasons.
 time is monochronic - tightly compartmentalized and
schedules are followed closely.
 tasks and communications are dealt with sequentially.
These cues are important and customers are served one
at a time.
 adhere closely to schedules and time tables in order to
meet deadlines.
 the emphasis on task and compartmentalized
relationships requires a tight agenda in order to acquire
information from various sources. Examples of low
context cultures include: America, UK, Australia.
2: GEERT HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
1. Power distance - extent to which less
powerful members of organizations
accept the unequal power distribution.
2. Uncertainty avoidance - extent to which
people feel threatened by ambiguous
situations and have created beliefs and
institutions that try to avoid these.
3. Individualism - tendency of people to
look after themselves and their
immediate family only.
2: GEERT HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
4. Collectivism - tendency of people to
belong to groups or collectives and to
look after each other in exchange for
loyalty.
5. Masculinity - culture in which the
dominant values are success, money,
and things.
6. Femininity - dominant values are
caring for others and quality of life.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS
 His research produced five cultural dimensions that
are based on relationship orientations and attitudes
toward both time and the environment.
1. Universalism vs. Particularism
 Universalism - belief that ideas and practices can be
applied everywhere in the world without
modification. Focus on formal rules and rely on
business contacts.
 Particularism - belief that circumstances dictate
how ideas and practices should be applied and
something cannot be done the same everywhere.
Focus on relationships, working things out to suit
the parties.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
2. Individualism vs. Communitarianism
 Individualism - people regard
themselves as individuals. Rely
on individuals to make decisions.
 Communitarianism - people
regard themselves as part of a
group. Seek consultation &
mutual consent before making
decisions.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
3. Neutral vs. Emotional
 Neutral - culture in which
emotions are held in check. People
try not to show their feelings
 Emotional - culture in which
emotions are expressed openly
and naturally. People smile, talk
loudly, greet each other with
enthusiasm.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
4. Specific vs. Diffuse
 Specific - culture in which individuals have a large
public space they readily share with others and a
small private space they guard closely and share
with only close friends and associates.
 People often are open and extroverted.
 Work and private life are separate.
 Diffuse - culture in which both public and private
space are similar in size and individuals guard their
public space carefully, because entry into public
space affords entry into private space as well.
 People often appear indirect and introverted, and
work and private life often are closely linked.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
5. Achievement vs. Ascription
 Achievement - culture in which
people are accorded status based on
how well they perform their
functions.
 Ascription - culture in which status is
attributed based on who or what a
person is. For example, status may be
accorded on the basis of age, gender,
or social connections.
3: FONS TROMPENAARS CULTURAL DIMENSIONS - CONTINUE
 Approach towards time and the environment:
1. TIME
 Sequential approach to time - people do one thing
at a time, keep appointments strictly, follow plans
strictly.
 Synchronous approach to time - people do more
than one thing at a time, appointments are
approximate.
2. ENVIRONMENT
 Inner-directed - people believe in controlling
environmental outcomes.
 Outer-directed - people believe in allowing things
to take their natural course.
Stereotyping from the Cultural Extremes
How Americans see the
French
• arrogant
• flamboyant
• hierarchical
• emotional
French Culture
How French see
Americans
• naive
• aggressive
• unprincipled
• workaholic
U.S. Culture
REFERENCES :
1.
Linda Beamer and Iris Varner (2001), Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace, Second edition
McGraw-Hill, Singapore. [ Read chapter 1, pages 1 to 29 ].
2.
Geert Hofstede and Gert Jan Hofstede (2005), Cultures and Organizations, Software of the Mind, 2nd edition,
McGraw-Hill, USA. [Read chapters 1 and 2, in NU Library.]
3.
Fons Trompennars and Peter Woolliams (2003), Business Across Cultures, Capstone Publishing Limited,
England. [Read chapters 1, 2, & 3, in NU Library.]
4.
Farid Elashmawi and Philip R. Harris (1994), Multicultural Management, New Skills for Global Success, S.Abdul
Majeed & Co, KL. [ Read chapter 1, pages 1 to 20, in NU Library].
REVIEW QUESTIONS :
1. Explain what is culture and what is intercultural communication?
2. How does culture affects our attitudes?
3. Why do you need to bother with culture?
4. Is culture fixed? Explain your reasons.
5. How does culture affects communication in intercultural business?
6. Explain how culture will effect the cost of doing business in a foreign country?
7. Explain what is cross cultural literacy?
8. Explain how culture effect the workplace?
9. Explain how can culture can help a global firm to gain competitive advantage?
10. What are the determinants of culture?
11. Explain Hofstede and Trompennar dimensions of culture that affect intercultural communication.
12. How would the understanding of intercultural communication helps a manager in his or her work?