KISS, BOW OR SHAKE HANDS? Dr Alan Fyall – Module 2

Lecture Content  Protocols  Hofstede’s Dimensions  Preparing for Change  Theory and Practice  Questions

e/cultural_etiquette.htm world-factbook/index.html Protocols

Business Protocols in the USA In groups of 4-5, discuss what you consider to be the 5 most important protocols for international business men and women coming to the USA for the first time to conduct business generally and to conduct business in Florida (or a State that you are particularly familiar with) more specifically.

Business Protocols in the USA  USA  Research specific area  Contractual language  Travel insurance  Tipping (core salary)  Need for car rental  Electricals  Formal handshakes  Public transport  NYC – cash economy  Attitude  Florida  Climate  Public transport  Timing / space  Tolls (coins)  Everything set price  Business casual  GPS

Business Protocols in the USA  USA  Florida

Business Protocols  Formal versus informal  Superiority versus inferiority  Use of first names and comparability of titles  Pronunciation of names  Clothing  Use of hands

Business Protocols  Food and beverage  Personal and eye contact  Sense of identity  Dining in or out  Presentation of business cards  Importance of age and rank

Business Protocols  Use of colloquialisms and analogies to sport  Jargon and buzzwords  Basic words that have cognates in other languages  Avoid demonstration of vocabulary prowess  Provincial versus national

Business Protocols  Ascertain level of understanding early on  Use of visual aids  Command of metric system  Always conclude with summary of key points

Based on quantitative research into cultural differences, Regularly updated and regularly cited (see Hofstede’s Dimensions

Power Distance Hofstede (2001) - power distance refers to the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally.

Power Distance  A country that is high in power distance country is highly hierarchical, and obedience and deference are shown towards those in a powerful position.  In a country that is low in power distance, the emotional distance between employer and employee/ lecturer and student is quite small.

Individualism/Collectivism Hofstede (2001) - the fundamental dimension on which societies differ the most is between the individual and the collective;

Individualism/Collectivism  Individualism stands for a society in which ties between individuals are loose; everyone is expected to look after themselves and their immediate family only;  Collectivism stands for a society in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in- groups, which throughout their lifetime continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.

Individualism/Collectivism  Collectivist cultures are the most common  The most individualist country in the world is…?

Masculinity/Femininity  People in masculine cultures value assertiveness, ambition and competitiveness (Hofstede 2001).  In feminine cultures, people value nurturance and modesty (Gudykunst 1998), and assertive behaviour and attempts at excelling are ridiculed (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005).

Masculinity/Femininity Members of feminine cultures are motivated by a desire to blend in whereas those from masculine cultures such as the UK or the US will try to make themselves visible and will compete openly with each other (Hofstede 2001).

Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty avoidance - the extent to which members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations (Hofstede 2001).

Uncertainty Avoidance  People from countries which are high in UA shun ambiguous situations and show a need for structure in organisations, institutions and relationships to make events interpretable and predictable.  People from countries low in UA display an openness to change, risk and diversity.

Long-Term Orientation  Societies with a short-term orientation generally have a strong concern with establishing the absolute truth. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results.  In societies with a long-term orientation, people believe that truth depends very much on situation, context and time. They show an ability to adapt traditions to changed conditions, a strong propensity to save and invest, thriftiness, and perseverance in achieving results.

China

United States

UK

Germany

Brazil

The Arab World  The Muslim faith plays a significant role in the people’s lives.  Large Power Distance (PDI) (80) and Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI) (68) are predominant.  Highly rule-oriented, large inequalities of power and wealth.  Leaders have virtually ultimate power and authority.  A low level of tolerance for uncertainty - the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse.

Is Globalisation Diminishing Difference?  There is evidence of some change in individual countries, BUT cultural divergence will remain, and differences may in fact be increasing.  A growth in individualism among countries that have become richer is pointed out.  and instead of diminishing power distance, the process of globalisation is acting to widen the power gap. (Hofstede 2001)

Need for Awareness of Difficulties Event managers must be sensitive to possible stress faced by: 1. Their staff working abroad; 2. International visitors on home ground (may be delegates, spectators, support staff, collaborators etc).

Impact of Culture Hofstede’s dimensions of culture apply to:  Dynamics of relationships  Consumer behavior  Service style  Catering  Communication style  Advertising

Questions  What would you do to alleviate the stress of outgoing staff or incoming visitors?  How would you prepare yourself for difference?

Preparing for Change

Preparedness for Change  Being prepared for change refers to being psychologically ready;  This involves acquiring knowledge about the new culture in advance (Kim 2001).  Staff training on cultural issues?  Visitor information on the new culture?

Signposting  Adequate information given to visitors on arrival  To enable them to feel secure; to ease feelings of disorientation.

Theory and Practice

Example of Integrating Theory and Practice Given that cultural values and practices are ingrained (REF), it is likely that some stress will be experienced by most visitors to a new culture (REF). This is likely to be higher among those from a culture high in Uncertainty Avoidance who have a low tolerance for change (REF). The following steps will be taken to alleviate stress in international visitors to our event ….:

Example of Integrating Theory and Practice The fact that countries have differing scores in Power Distance means that communication styles will vary among nationalities (REF). We will prepare our staff working abroad to be inter-culturally competent through diversity training.

Example of Integrating Theory and Practice Attitudes towards food can be dictated by religion and culture (REF). We will accommodate our visitors’ preferences by:

References  Hofstede, G. (2001)Culture’s consequences Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations across Nations. London, Sage  Hofstede, G. (2002) Dimensions do not exist: a reply to Brian McSweeney. Human Relations, 55, 11.  Hofstede, G. (2010)  Hofstede, G. and Hofstede, G. J Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind, 3rd Edition New York, McGraw-Hill.  Kim, Y.Y. (2001) Becoming intercultural: an integrative theory of communication and cross-cultural adaptation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

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