Coping with cultural filters

1. Cultural Misconceptions People are basically like me Others lack my advantages Differences don’t really matter, they get ironed out No probs, I speak the ‘lingo’ Everyone can see how sincere I am They have to respect my knowledge We’re all interested in the bottom line

Areas of Misunderstandings The way men relate to women and vv The way people indicate ‘respect’ The cultural view of time and space The taboos The way business commitments are made Nonverbal cues Language and translation Dress How people handle ‘persuasion’ Religious and political influences on business Prejudices they may have against you.

Categories of Cultural Difference (1) Greetings Visiting private homes Public speaking Meetings Gestures Personal Appearance Attitudes (to nature, to expressing emotions etc

Categories of Cultural Difference (2) Language Religions Special holidays The family Dating and Marriage Social and economic levels Distribution of group

Categories of Cultural Difference (3) Work Diet Free time activities History and government Education Transportation and communication Health Land and climate Universal signals and nonverbal cues

Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1960s): Relation to human nature (good, bad, neutral, evil) Relation to nature and supernature (mastery over nature) Positioning in the flow of time (past, present, future) Relation with activity (being, becoming, doing) Relationships with others (lineality, individualism, collaterality)

Hall, Edward T (1976) Time Non-verbal Communication High-context; Low-context

Parsons, Talcott (early 1980s) Affectivity v Affective Neutrality Self-Orientation v Collective Orientation Universalism v Particularism Ascription v Achievement Specificity v Diffuseness

Hofstede, Geert (early 1980s) Individual v Collective (Identity) Masculine v Feminine (Gender related values) Risk Avoidance (Virtue) Power Distance (Hierarchy) Long-term orientation/Confucianism the 5 th dimension (Truth) NEW!!! Indulgence v restraint

Trompenaars, Alfons and Hampden- Turner, Charles (1980s) Universalism v Particularism Individualism v Communitarianism Affective v Neutral Specific (goal oriented) v Diffuse (relationship- oriented) Sequential time v Synchronic time Internal v External orientation (control) Achieved Status v Ascribed Status Equality v Hierarchy

Stewart and Benett 1991 Perception-based v Symbol-based Concrete v Theoretical Inductive v Deductive

Walker, Walker and Schmitz (2003) 4 levels of culture Individual, interpersonal Group, team Organisational Societal Cultural Orientations Model

Lewis, Richard (2000) mlhttp:// ml Multi-active (family, hierarchy, relationships, emotion …) Linear-active (facts, planning, products, laws, word-deed..) Reactive (intuition, courtesy, collective harmony, face…)

Beamer, Linda (2004) Individualist vs. collectivist Horizontal vs. hierarchical Form distrusted vs. form trusted Self in control vs. Other in control Learn from experience vs. from authority Rules-observant vs. rules-bending Communication direct vs. indirect Uncertainty-tolerant vs. uncertainty-averse

Dwyer (revising every year!) Low v high disclosure Low v high risk Low v high context Direct v indirect communication Low v high trust

What to do (1) Find out about the target culture Talk to people with experience Study the language

What to do (2) Remember those parameters! Think about how communication might be when the interlocutor is from : -A high-context or low-context culture -A specific or a diffuse culture -An affective or a neutral culture

Communicating: What to do (3) Avoid slang and idioms Slow down your speech Be an active listener Check for comprehension

Audience, audience audience Remember to focus on your audience Remember it is the audience who gives meaning to your message Design your messages and choose your format based on what you know about your audience

Writing Write or call? Translate or interpret? Low-context or high-context?

Your Assignment Present us with an analysis of underlying culturally-based parameters that determine communication in x country Present us with advice and strategies for how to communicate with x culture