Cultural Diversity and Communication

Lecture 5

Overview• Diversity is a fact in today’s working world• It consists of people from different national

background• Eg a multi-ethnic/multi-cultural workforce

is dominating the American job market• Asian, Hispanic, Black, white, blond,

Indians, Japanese, Chinese etc• Intercultural communication is now a must

to provide the edge in competition

Intercultural communication• Culture is a shared, learned, symbolic system of values,

beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior -- an abstract "mental blueprint" or "mental code."

• Intercultural comm is the process of sending and receiving messages between people from different culture

• Model of intercultural communication• Step 1: Sender encodes the message using the

assumptions of his/her own culture• Step 2: Receiver decodes the message according to

the assumption of his/her own culture• Step 3: Meaning may be understood

The Nature of Culture• Whenever the word culture is used, the image that

flashes in the mind is: people from different backgrounds

• National cultures certainly exist as they play an important role in shaping the way people communicate.

• But, there are other dimensions of culture• For instance, within a nation, regional differences

can exert a powerful influence on communication• Race and ethnicity also influence communication• Age, customs, values, attitude also influence

culture

Cultural Differences in International Business

• With the dramatic increase in international trade and multinational corporations, the chances of interacting with people from different national backgrounds are greater than ever.

• The ability to work effectively with people from other countries is very important, as culture exerts influences on communication

• However, along with important differences, people from varied background also share many similarities

• Eg computer engineer from Singapore, Mexico, Italy and Vancouver would find plenty of interests and perspectives

Cultural Trait Influencing Communication

US Japan MexicoSocial Unit Individual Group Family

Attitude towards conflict

seeks Avoids Avoids

Decision making

Individualistic Consensus Authoritarian

Basis of authority

Competence Seniority Trust

Importance of time

High High Low

Some Examples of Culture in US, Japan and Other Cultures

IntroductionFirst, the order of introduction in the U.S is

the reverse of the Japanese way.

• In America generally elderly people are introduced first.

• In Japan young peple are introduced first.[This rule is the sort of manner in Japan, and

the people who do not follow his regulation are considered rude]

Self-introductionAmericans prefer the inductive method that brings out general

idea from concrete

Therefore they are apt to talk about their privacy first.

Japanese prefer a deductive method.

In other words, Japanese people are likely to talk about where they

belong to.

Departure Departures in the American and

the Japanese cultures depend on whether people are close or not.

• Americans just say "bye." Nevertheless if the conditions differ, this departure changes completely in America

• In contrast, unlike Americans, who just say "goodbye," generally Japanese make a shallow bow and look back two or three times with their waving hand.

• Due to the different farewell, every Japanese person who is in America is surprised when they get a hug from an American friend, and they feel Americans are emotional or sentimental.

• On the contrary, they feel empty and passionless when many Americans say "bye" and just walk away.

Verbal and Non-verbal greeting In addition the main reason for the

difference is that americans use verbal greetings and the japanese use nonverbal greetings.

AmericansGenerally Americans are apt to use the

verbal, so Americans always say "Hi" or "How are you?"

• Due to inexperience with this greeting, first, most Japanese people who come to America are confused whether they should respond or not.

• As a result, they think Americans are friendly, refreshing, or sociable

• Japanese

• However, Japanese people tend to use nonverbal language. Many Japanese just make a bow with a smile indicating respect

• Usually, young people have to make a deep bow for their superiors

• Consequently, every American who is in Japan feels uncomfortable at first because they are not used to Japanese customs.

• Chinese culture

History• China is believed to have the oldest continuous

civilization. China has over 4,000 years of verifiable history.

• Beijing is the capital of China and is the focal point for the country.

• The official language is standard Chinese but Most business people speak English.

• There are many dialects in China however there is only one written language.

• .

Chinese Culture• Appearance• Conservative suits for men with subtle colors are the

norm.•  Women should avoid high heels and short sleeved

blouses. • The Chinese frown on women who display too much.•  Subtle, neutral colors should be worn by both men and

women.•  Casual dress should be conservative as well. •  Men and women can wear jeans. • However, jeans are not acceptable for business

meetings.•  Revealing clothing for women is considered offensive to

Chinese businessmen.

Chinese Culture•  Do not use large hand movements. • The Chinese do not speak with their hands. • Your movements may be distracting to your host.•  Personal contact must be avoided at all cost.• It is highly inappropriate for a man to touch a woman in

public. •  To point do not use your index finger, use an open palm.•  Avoid acts that involve the mouth.•   Always arrive on time or early if you are the guest.•  Do not discuss business at meals.•  Do not start to eat or drink prior to the host.•  

Chinese Culture• As a cultural courtesy, you should taste all the dishes

you are offered. •  Do not drop the chopsticks it is considered bad luck.•  Do not eat all of your meal. • If you eat all of your meal, the Chinese will assume you

did not receive enough food and are still hungry.• The following gifts are associated with death and should

not be given:

• Clocks• Straw sandals• Handkerchiefs

Chinese Business Culture•   •  Bowing or nodding is the common greeting; however,

you may be offered a handshake. • Wait for the Chinese to offer their hand first.•  Applause is common when greeting a crowd; the same

is expected in return.•  Introductions are formal. Use formal titles. •  Often times Chinese will use a nickname to assist

Westerners.•  Being on time is vital in China. •  Appointments are a must for business. •  Contacts should be made prior to your trip. •  Bring several copies of all written documents for your

meetings. •  The decision making process is slow.

Chinese Business Culture• You should not expect to conclude your business swiftly. •  Many Chinese will want to consult with the stars or wait

for a lucky day before they make a decision. •  Present and receive cards with both hands. •  Never write on a business card or put it in your wallet or

pocket. • Carry a small card case.•  The most important member of your company or group

should lead important meetings.• Chinese value rank and status.•  Develop a working knowledge of Chinese culture. •  Allow the Chinese to leave a meeting first.

Canada Culture:

Introduction

• Canada has a population just less than 30 million people in a country twice the area of the United States.

• The heritage of Canada was French and English; however, significant immigration from Asia and Europe's non-French and English countries has broadened Canada's cultural richness.

Canadian CultureThe majority of Canadians, as well as citizens of other English speaking countries.

• Success is measure by personal achievement. Canadians tend to be self-confident and open to discussions on general topics;

• however, they hold their personal privacy off limits to all but the closest friends.

• It should be noted there is tension between the French province of Quebec and other Canadian provinces.

• Citizens of Quebec tend to be more private and reserved.

Business Culture in Canada• Men should wear a dark conservative business suit with

tie, especially in cities. Build a wardrobe based on classic lines (selecting suits with a traditional lapel width, and ties staying within a traditional width range).

• Conservative colors of navy and gray, and shirts in white and light blue.

•  Women should wear a conservative business suit or dress, especially in cities.

• Select your clothing with classic lines and colors in mind. Navy, gray, ivory, and white are the basics to work with..

•  Casual attire is appropriate when you are not working. • The weather and activity will dictate what you will be

wearing. • Build a casual wardrobe using the classic colors.

Canadian Business Culture• This will work for a sophisticated city meeting, or a more casual rural

meeting. •  Be punctual for meetings and appointments, as promptness is

valued. • In French areas, time is more relaxed. • However, you will be expected to arrive at the appointed time, even

if the French attending the meeting don't. •  Always maintain a reserved demeanor, and follow good rules of

etiquette. Traditions and gracious manners are part of the culture, even in more rural areas.

• If you travel to different cities or areas, pay attention to local customs.

• By being observant, you will respect the pace and nuances of each area.

Canadian Business Culture•  Do not eat while walking in public. • Plan your time so you can stop in a café or restaurant to

enjoy your snack. •  Gifts are not routinely given. If you do give a gift when

you arrive or when you are leaving, make it a modest one.

• A lavish gift, though accepted, would be frowned upon. • Gifts are given to celebrate finalizing a negotiation, a

contract, or a project. • Gifts for the office, a nice bottle of wine or liquor would

be appropriate.•  Taking a business associate to a nice meal or an

evening sporting event, play, or symphony is always a nice gesture.

Canadian Business Culture• Invitations to private homes are rare. • Occasionally, in the western provinces, you may be

invited to someone's home. • If you are invited, you may take candy, flowers, or liquor

to the host or hostess. •  Wait for your host to start a business conversation

during or following a meal. • Traditionally, business is not discussed during dinner;

however, this is slowly changing.•  Personal space and body movement or gestures differ

between the English and the French provinces and cities.

• In English areas, body movement is minimal, there is rarely touching other than handshakes, and personal space - how close someone stands - is about two feet.

• In French areas, people stand closer together, people will frequently touch, and gestures are more expressive.

Canadian Business Culture•  Use a firm handshake with good eye contact when meeting and leaving.

• Both French and English areas use and expect a firm handshake. •  Men will wait for a woman to extend her hand for a handshake.•  French Canadians will shake hands more frequently, even with a

subsequent encounter the same day. • Others may just nod or smile at a subsequent encounter on the

same day.•  Use a person's title if he or she has one. Otherwise, use Mr., Mrs.,

Miss and the surname. •  English is spoken in most of Canada. • French is spoken in Quebec, and some area of Nova Scotia and

New Brunswick•  French Canadians may use their first name when talking to you on

the telephone, but will generally use their full name when meeting you in person.

•  Be open and friendly in your conversation. • If you are naturally reserved in your behavior, you will appear

confident and credible.

Canadian Business Culture• If your natural tendency is large sweeping arm gestures,

restrain yourself when meeting and talking with Canadians - other than with French Canadians.

•  French Canadians stand closer and are more demonstrative when talking.

• Don't be boastful, and don't overstate your product or service's capabilities.

• You could implicate your company in a legal situation. •  If you are from the U. S., don't say, "we Americans",

inferring you are including your Canadian hosts or guests in your reference.

• Canada is a distinct country with its own wonderful history and culture.

Issues Dominating Inter-Cultural Communication

• Formality• Social customs• Style of dress• Time• Tolerance of conflict• Gender roles• Regional differences• Ethnicity• Attitude about talks• Attitude towards conflict• Non-verbal behaviours• Disabilities

Cultural Context

Low Context Culture (LCC)

• People rely more on verbal communication and less on non-verbal ones

• A lcc uses language primarily to express thoughts, feelings and ideas as clearly as logically as possible

• To low-context communicators, the meaning of the word is in the spoken

High Context Culture• Rely less on a verbal communication and more on non-

verbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning

• Hcc relies mostly on non-verbal cues to convey meaning, save face and maintain social harmony

• Communicators of this society infer meaning of a message from the context in which message is sent, non-verbal behaviour of the speaker, history of relationship, general social rule

• When delivering awkward message, hcc speakers often convey meaning through a context rather than plainly stated word to avoid upsetting their listeners

• In many Asian societies, maintaining harmony is important, so communicators avoid speaking directly if that would threaten another person dignity

Culture Clash/Culture Shock• Culture clash is the misunderstandings, and disagreements between

different cultures. • Culture shock is the emotional and behavioural reaction to living and

working in another culture.• Each person will experience culture shock differently based on his or her

personality.• Basically, there are four stages of culture shock: honeymoon, rejection,

adjustment and recovery. During the honeymoon you will be exposed to a new environment. Having so many things to do, you will be fascinated with the new images.

• One of the major causes of culture shock is being cut off from familiar cultural patterns. This stage is characterized by a person's inability to work effectively. Therefore, we must examine the intercultural adjustment phase.

Culture Shock• Culture shock is a typical reaction to difference• To get beyond the reactions of culture shock requires a

self-conscious effort to understand the reasonableness of other people’s way of life. Our own culture is thus:

• taken for granted, • invisible to us• Deeply emotionally felt, even when we do not realize it• Learned as moral claims• We typically assume people who behave differently are

wilfully immoral They think the same about us

Effects of Culture Shock• A sense of uprootedness• Feeling of disorientation• Not knowing what is going on• Behaviors and attitudes which were necessary

for obtaining goals in the culture we learned are no longer useful

• Familiar behaviors which marked a well-adjusted person in one's own culture are now seen as bad manners

• So many adjustments to be made that one becomes overwhelmed, frustrated, and angry

Effects of Culture Shock• Typical Pattern of Culture Shock • At first we think it is charming• Then we think it is evil• Then we think it is different• Typical Reactions to Culture Shock • ·We assume something is wrong with them, not with us• ·We over-value our own culture• We define our own culture in moral terms: Natural,

rational, civilized, polite• We under-value the new culture and see it in moral

terms: I.e., as immoral

Individualism and Collectivism• Members of individualistic cultures are inclined to put

their own interest and those of their immediate families ahead of social concerns

• They offer their members a great deal of freedom, as they believe that it helps in achieving success

• Collectivist culture have tight social framework in which members of a group feel primary loyalty towards one another and the group to which it belongs

• Eg Japan and most Asian societies are highly collective• For instance, employees sing company’s anthem• In collectivist societies, members are expected to believe

that welfare of the organisation is as important as their own

Communicating Across Diversity• Culture, race and gender have made others

experiences quite different what one has.• Some of the responsibility in building bridges

rest with management• Productive relationship among members of

different culture may be promoted through: • Learning about cultures, • Viewing diversity as an opportunity, • Talking about differences

Ethnocentrism

• It is the tendency to judge all other groups according to one’s own group’s standard and behaviour, hence, viewing the other group as inferior

• Overcoming• Acknowledge distinctions, avoid

assumptions, avoid passing judgement

Successful Inter Cultural communication

• Assume differences until similarity is proven• Take responsibility for effective communication• Avoid judgment• Show respect• Empathize• Tolerate ambiguity• Look the superficial • Be patient and persistent• Be flexible

Overcoming language barriers• Avoid idioms and slangs• Pay attention to local accents and pronunciation• Be aware of vocal variations• Respect preference of communication style• For foreign language, learn the language• Use a translator• Offer language training program

Overcoming Oral Intercultural Communication Barriers

• Speak slowly• Avoid use of slang• Encourage feedback from receiver• Do not interrupt when the person is speaking• Rephrase the sentence if necessary• Be patient and do not talk louder than the other

person• Adapt conversation style to other party

Overcoming written intercultural communication barriers

• Avoid abbreviations, acronyms or idioms• Be precise in choice of words• Construct simple and short sentences• Use short paragraph• Use transitional phrases to help reader

follow your line of thought

Examples of Slangs• Slang is the use of informal words and

expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's dialect or language   

Chill:  This can mean to calm down, for example, “Chill out, Dude.

Stinks:  When used as a slang term, this means "is bad."  For example: This exam stinks.” 

Cool:  This popular expression is used to describe something that is very good.

Organisational Culture• People with identical personal backgrounds can find

themselves in very different cultures, depending on the organisations to which they belong.

• Just like individuals, organisations have personalities.• Some are casual, energetic while others are formal,

slow-moving and serious• This is described as the organisational or corporate

culture• There is a shared set of rules about how to behave and

set of values about what is important.• Belonging to an organisational culture means choosing a

way of life

Organisational Culture• Cultures are not limited to large corporations• Every organisations has its own way of doing

business and treating peopleEg anyone who has worked for more than one

restaurant, attended more than one college will have a different way of delivering his duties, but adopting an organisational culture implies leaving aside all previous habits and behaviors and adopting the new one.

Organizational culture• Organizational culture is an idea in the field of Organizational

studies and management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization.

• It has been defined as "the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization.

• Corporate culture is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called "the character of an organization" since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. The values of a corporate culture influence the ethical standards within a corporation, as well as managerial behavior

Importance of Organisational Culture

• Failure to understand organisational culture leads to:• Lost customers, lowered productivity, bad publicity,

lowered morale and trust, lost customers and lost opportunity

• Understanding organisational helps to to:• Where and how long to work, shaping of emotional

climate, degree of cooperation opr competition, what kind of fun and how much fun is permitted, degree of privacy, ergonomics, dress code, type of interaction that is ethical, degree of interaction with other co-workers employees etc

Dimensions of Organisational Culture

• Sociality• Power distribution and job autonomy• Degree of structure• Achievement rewards• Opportunities for growth• Tolerance for risk and change• Conflict tolerance• Emotional support