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This lecture aims at fostering learning cross cultural training for international engineers, ingenieros por el mundo on linkedIn
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IMWE
Interna+onal Master in Water Engineering
Keys to succeed in a foreign culture
by Cris+na Vázquez-‐Herrero
Associate Professor at University of La Coruña, Spain cvazquezh@udc.es
“For a long *me the individual will understand what the na*onal is saying, but he is not always sure what the na*onal means”
Dr. Lalervo Oberg; Anthropologist
Foreword The author expresses her gra+tude towards engineers PE Eduardo Fernández de la Pradilla, Genaro Daroca and Jose Cordovilla, whose original debates and accurate remarks posted in ingenieros por el mundo (linkedIn) have inspired this lecture.
Purpose statement
• This lecture (2 hours) opens the Interna+onal Master in Water Engineering, that welcomes students from Germany and Spain.
• The purpose of these clases is to reflect on the interna+onal character of this master, and to promote a good understanding among its students and professors, given their different background and the exis+ng genera+on gap, which are likely to generate some kind of culture shock.
What is culture?
What is culture? • Culture is defined by Hofstede, as the collec6ve mental programming (so<ware of the mind) which dis6nguishes one group of people from another.
• Our own culture is defined by our values (learned in childhood), which are not visible. The external manifesta+on of our culture, its prac+ces, include rituals, heroes, and symbols (see next figure, according to Hofstede, 1991).
¿What is culture shock? • Culture shock is the subjec+ve feeling of distress, or helplessness and of hos+lity toward a new cultural environment, be it a new country or a new organiza+on (i.e. “in laws”).
• Culture shock usually happens several weeks or months aber we contact this new culture.
Examples: • These romans are crazy, debate ini+ated by Eduardo Fdez de la Pradilla at ingenieros por el mundo on linkedin
• “Qué bella es la nieve”, youtube
Phases of culture shock (Hofstede) • Euphoria (honeymoon) • Culture shock • Accultura+on • Adapta+on or flight!
Limbic system (emo+ons) frontal lobe (ra+onale)
How could we overcome culture shock?
§ Be self-‐aware of your personality and culture (i.e. use Culture GPS to evaluate your personal culture). Are you flex-‐humble or monumentalist? Are you ethnocentric?
§ Develop a posi+ve ahtude: cau+ous, humble and flexible: Master Yoda of Star Wars: May the force be with you!
§ Intensive study of local language and thorough observa+on of local culture.
§ Rule of 100 days: listen, watch, smile, be quiet § Develop a local I. Never judge the new culture and country. § Get in love with the country… (and) a local alien
How could we overcome culture shock?
§ Prac+ce sports regularly (so as to maintain high endorphin levels), socialize through sport apps, i.e. endomondo
§ Avoid resennul expatriates from your country § Expect and learn to iden+fy culture shock § Ask for help from local new friends and adapted expatriates
§ Be pa+ent and delay dras+c decisions for some weeks or months (so as frontal lobe to decide, instead of our limbic system)
Cross cultural training
• Working abroad and/or dealing with people from other cultures (i.e people from Germany and Spain) poses certain challenges that could be addressed through cross cultural training.
• Different cultures are based on different sobware of the mind: values, rituals, heroes and symbols, which condi+on the prac+ces of that par+cular culture.
• In these classes the differences among cultures will be scien+fically addressed.
Mul+culturality • Mul+culturality: development of several local I – It allows problem solving in mul+ple ways – Mul+cultural countries: USA, Canadá, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, + innova+ve!
– Expats’ children: third culture kids (specific issues)
Example: Barack Obama lived in Malaysia for 5 years, and volunteered in marginal Chicago!
Dimensions of culture • Dimensions of culture according to Hofstede Center
6th dimension: Indulgence versus Restraint Cultures and individuals can be represented by 6D vectors Example: (PDI,IDV,MAS,UAI,LTO,IVR)=(30,70,90,35,15,89) %
What is power distance index?
• Power distance is the emo+onal distance that separates subordinates from their bosses
• PDI stands for the extent to which the less powerful members of a society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.
• The use of Sie(usted) vs. Du(tú) is one sign of power distance between genera+ons, between social classes, and inside hierarchies. How do you address professors? Can you disagree with them? What PDI do you expect in your country?
Power distance index PDI
What is individualism? • When the interest of the group prevails over the interest of the individual, a society is collec+vist. In-‐groups (clans, families, organiza+ons) look aber the individual in exchange of loyalty. Iden+ty: We.
• When the interest of the individual prevails, a society is individualist. Iden+ty: I.
• Exclusionism: treat others depending on group affilia+on (in-‐group and outsiders)
• Universalism: treat others on the basis of who they are, disregarding group affilia+on
Individualism vs. collec+vism IDV
What means masculinity/feminity?
• Masculine cultures promote achievement, heroism, asser+veness and material reward for success.
• Asser+veness: confident and direct approach in claiming one's rights or puhng forward one's views (wordreference.com).
• Feminine cultures promote caring for others and quality of life, and modesty.
• Modesty: the quality or state of being modest, i.e. having or showing a moderate opinion of one's merits, importance, etc. (wordreference.com)
Masculinity vs. feminity MAS
What is uncertainty avoidance index?
• Uncertainty avoidance index is the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertainty and ambiguity and try to avoid such situa+ons. – High UAI: “What is different is dangerous” – Low UAI: “What is different is curious”
• Should we control the future or let it happen? • Ways to reduce uncertainty caused by nature are: – Technology (civil works, buildings, energy,...) – Law (norms and regula+ons) – Religion
What is uncertainty avoidance index?
• UAI relates to anxiety, stress, need for rules. Neuro+cism or anxiety is the state of being uneasy or worried about what may happen. Some cultures are more anxious than others. Anxious cultures tend to be expressive cultures. Average alcohol consump+on is high.
• Strong UAI cultures require a structured environment: everything must be predicted in advance. High UAI can present corrup+on & xenophoby.
• What UAI score do you expect for your country?
What is uncertainty avoidance index?
• Weaker UAI countries are good at inven+on: supplying new ideas
• Strong UAI countries are good at implementa+on: developing ideas into products, services
• Coopera+on between these two types of cultures is very produc+ve!!! A good understanding is key towards success
• How do you think Spain and Germany score, 0%-‐100% of UAI? Make an educated guess.
• How do we engineers score, as a culture?
Uncertainty avoidance index UAI
Long term orienta+on (LTO)
“The superior man goes through his life without any preconceived ac*on or any taboo. He merely decides for
the moment what is the right thing to do”
The second *me Duke Ching called Confucius to an audience, he again asked him. “What is the secret of
good government?” Confucius replied: “Good government consists in being sparing with resources”
K’ung-‐tzu (China, ≈500 B.C.)
What is long term orienta+on? • LTO stands for the extent of which a society shows a pragma+c future-‐oriented perspec+ve rather than a conven+onal historical or short-‐term point of view. LTO fosters virtues oriented towards future rewards-‐in par+cular, perseverance and thrib.
• Short Term orienta+on (STO) stands for the fostering of virtues related to the past and present: respect for tradi+on, preserva+on of face and fulfilling social obliga+ons.
• STO stresses on results/LTO stresses on virtue • What LTO score do you expect for your country?
Long term orienta+on, LTO
What is indulgence/restraint, IVR?
• Happiness or subjec+ve well being, SWB is defined • Indulgence stands for a tendency to allow rela+vely free gra+fica+on of desires related to enjoying life and having fun (loose society)
• Restraint stands for a tendency to regulate gra+fica+on through strict social rules (+ght society)
• Higher SWB in a country relates to fewer deaths for cardiovascular diseases
• What SWB score do you expect for your country?
Subjec+ve well being Source: University of Leicester
Hofstede Center h�p://geert-‐hofstede.com/mobile-‐apps.html
Prac+ce #1
• In slides 30 and 31 you will find the average culture dimensions’s scores of two countries. Can you guess which country is Spain and which country is Germany, and why?
• Remove the red rectangles from these pictures so as to iden+fy each country. What common features do these countries share, and what are the main differences? Is culture shock expected among their ci+zens, and related to which dimensions?
Country 2 Country 1
Comparison between both countries
Prac+ce 2 • In slide 33 alien #1’s culture is depicted. Alien #1 has recently remigrated to his/her own country, aber having lived some years abroad. Which of the na+onali+es, A, B, or C is the most likely for this alien? Why? Do you believe that people are representa+ve of their na+ve cultures’ average scores?
• Now remove the red rectangles from these slides. Considering the current na+onality of alien #1. Do you expect she will experience reverse culture shock aber coming back to her country? Why and how?
Alien #1
Country A
Country C Country B
Final remarks to debate • The existence of this lecture evidences the high UAI of this lecturer: that culture shock “should” be taught in a structured way is truly uncertainty avoidance!
• Do you think that intercultural differences should be addressed in school and college?
• Are professionals such as teachers, professors, doctors, policemen, engineers aware of the intercultural differences where you live?
• Do you believe in the future of the European Union, given the exis+ng differences among cultures?
Recommended books • Geert Hofstede et al. Cultures and Organiza+ons: Sobware of the Mind • Doing business report 2014, 2012 • Global Compe++veness report 2013-‐2014 • Spencer Johnson. Who moved my cheese? • Daniel Goleman. Emo+onal intelligence • Stephen R. Covey. The 7 Habits of Highly Effec+ve People • Jeffrey Sachs. Economics of a crowded planet • Muhammad Yunus. Crea+ng a world without poverty • Jack Welch. Winning • h�p://www.worldwide.edu/travel_planner/culture_shock.html • h�p://www.n�d.com.tr/images/faqanswers/a6.pdf • h�p://www.clearlycultural.com/geert-‐hofstede-‐cultural-‐dimensions/
Gross Domes+c Product (GDP) Map Interna+onal monetary fund
Transparency interna+onal A global coali+on against corrup+on
World literacy (United Na+ons)
• PISA report 2006: Spain 23, USA 24 • PISA report 2009: USA 17, Spain 34 ¿2012?
Personal security Source: United Na+ons
• USA: 2.3E6 personas en la cárcel, 1% de la población (HBR, Jan 12) • Centroamérica: gasto 10% presupuesto empresas en seguridad • España: uno de los países de mayor seguridad personal y familiar
Income inequality Gini coef.: equal=0, unequal=1
Freedom of expression
Distance to Top 10 in EU-‐27 Doing Business 2013
Unemployment, UE The economist, May 10th 2014
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