Intercultural Communication ICHEC 2013 Marie-Thérèse Claes Ph.D.

Agenda 1. Key components of culture 2. Organisational culture 3. Intercultural effectiveness and people skills 4. Global people management

The Key Components of Culture Language Time Space Communication style

Culture as an iceberg explicit manners, customs, language, history tacit Values, vision of the world, presumptions, way of thinking 1/9 8/9

values rituals heroes symbols practices Culture: onion-diagram

Symbols

Heroes

Rituals

Levels of cultural programming personality culture human nature univer sal specific to group specific to individual inherited learned inherited and learned

The key components of culture 1. Language 2. Time 3. Space 4. Context of the communication 5. Cognitive styles 6. Basic cultural Values and Frameworks dimension models

Language Structure: adapted to social environment Vocabulary: adapted to natural environment

Benjamin Lee Whorf: language shapes and structures our world-view and our behaviour. - Linguistic determinism - Linguistic relativity Language

Cooking terms in English and Japanese

Language Meaning Connotation Usage: politeness, formality

Formal vs informal business cultures Status difference Showing respect: titles, dress code Customer is king (god in Japan) Hierarchies, power, respect Status equality

Status Age Gender Organisational rank Buyer or seller Family background Level of education Knowledge of ‘high culture’

INFORMAL CULTURES Australia USA Canada New Zealand Denmark, Norway, Iceland FORMAL CULTURES Most of Europe and Asia The Mediterrenean Region and the Arab World Latin America

Language Connotation: positive, negative  Control  Perfume  Ageing

Cosmetics in Japan % Share Perfume & Eau de cologne 0.6%* Hair care 31.3 Skin care 39.1 Make-up preparations 25.4 Cosmetics for special purposes 3.6 *West: 30-40% (Cosmetics production by category in 2000, Japan Cosmetics Industry Association) Largest share Japan: skin care West : make up

Meanings of marriage USAJapan France

Meanings of marriage USA Love Understanding Partnership Trust Respect Japan France

Meanings of marriage USA Love Understanding Partnership Trust Respect Japan Trust Compromise Restrictions Obligations The end of life France

Meanings of marriage USA Love Understanding Partnership Trust Respect Japan Trust Compromise Restrictions Obligations The end of life France Love Passion Fulfilment Sexuality Reciprocity

1962 : the first Chevrolet Nova Language in Marketing

Chevrolet Caribe Chevrolet Caribe Convertible Sedan

How do people see time? Monochrony vs polychrony Past, present, future Short and long term orientation

Monochrony - Polychony Polychronic  simultaneous activities  circular  renewable  relationships  interruptions  exchanging  punctuality relative  lack of patience Monochronic  one thing at the time  linear use  scarce resource  programme, ‘ money ’  do not disturb  property defined  punctuality extreme  slow, systematic

Polychronic  Mediterranean countries  Latin countries  Arab countries Monochronic  German speaking countries  Scandinavian countries  Anglo-Saxon countries

Time to buy a stamp with paper money in 31 large cities (Levine en Norenzayan 1999) Germany13 sec Zwitserland17 sec Japan19 sec Sweden19 sec Netherlands24 sec United States37 sec Indonesia40 sec China40 sec Kenia42 sec Mexico70 sec

Turn-Taking A B

A B ABAB

A B ABAB ABAB

Space Territoriality  attachment  private / public sphere Proxemics  personal bio-sphere Space as a symbol of power

Proximity

HIGH CONTACT CULTURES The Arab World and Mediterranean Region Latin Europe and Latin America VARIABLE CONTACT Eastern Europe North America Australia LOW CONTACT CULTURES Most of Asia UK and Northern Europe

Juan Carlos & Garcia Marquez

INTENSE EYE CONTACT The Arab World and the Mediterranean Region Latin Europeans and Latin Americans FIRM Northern Europe and North America MODERATE Korea and Thailand INDIRECT EYE CONTACT Most of Asia

American and Asian

The language of business Formal vs informal Nonverbal business behaviour Direct vs indirect communication

Context of Communication High context, implicit cultures  information interiorised  nonverbal cues  intuition  silence  ambiguity  indirect  oral Low context, explicit cultures  information explicit  words, specific  logic  language, precision  transparency  direct  written

High / Low Context Communications HIGH-CONTEXT: “Yes” means “yes,”“maybe,”“I see,”“No”… LOW-CONTEXT: “Yes” means “yes”

Implicit - Explicit

Direct vs indirect language Harmony and face  interpersonal relations  avoid embarassing, offending  careful and indirect  high context ‘the inscrutable Oriental ’  hide negative emotions Clarity  say what they mean  mean what they say  frank and direct  low context

Nonverbal communication Proxemics: use of space Chronemics: use of time Kinesics: body movements  facial expressions  gestures  posture

Nonverbal behaviour Verbal communication: words and meaning Paraverbal: volume, tone, silence, overlap Nonverbal communication: body language

Ambiguous gestures Use of left hand Showing the sole of your shoe Fist in palm Index finger pointing Index finger beckoning

Expressive vs reserved cultures Expressive  loud  facial expression  hand gestures Reserved  soft spoken  smile  minute gestures

VERY EXPRESSIVE CULTURES The Mediterranean Region Latin Europe Latin America VARIABLY EXPRESSIVE USA and Canada Australia and New Zealand Eastern Europe South Asia, Africa RESERVED CULTURES East and Southeast Asia Nordic and Germanic Europe

Intonation Latin Asian Anglo

In intercultural communication, what matters is not what you show, but how it is seen, and not what you say but how you are heard

Reasoning Non-Western Latin Anglo- Saxon

Deductive - Inductive Deductive generalists Concepts Inductive specialists Facts and figures

Information Processing INDUCTIVE (conclusion-oriented): Result DEDUCTIVE (process-oriented): Result HOLISTIC (non-causal): Result What is a transcultural leader? What is the role of culture?