1. Effective Communication
Culture
&
Effective Communication
Pamela Heatlie
Office of Institutional Equity
University of Michigan

2. Beginning Points Generalizations, not stereotypes Automatic pilot
Culture clash has emotional impact
Ethnocentrism - things are right or wrong viewed from the perspective of your culture
Differences, not better than and worse than

3. Culture is like an iceberg…
Cultural Artifacts
(e.g., fashion, popular culture)
Language and Verbal Symbols
Nonverbal Symbols
Symbolic Meanings
Cultural Norms
Cultural Values
Cultural Beliefs
Cultural Traditions
UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEEDS

4. American Culture Value individual freedom
Value achievement, hard work and action (and material results)
Value time
Value equality
Value privacy (but are open)
Value directness
Value informality
Future Oriented

5. Film Clip

7. Culture is like an iceberg…
Cultural Artifacts
(e.g., fashion, popular culture)
Language and Verbal Symbols
Nonverbal Symbols

16. Are you speaking English or are you speaking English?

18. Moving down the iceberg…
Cultural Artifacts
(e.g., fashion, popular culture)
Language and Verbal Symbols
Nonverbal Symbols
Symbolic Meanings
Cultural Norms
Cultural Values
Cultural Beliefs
Cultural Traditions
UNIVERSAL HUMAN NEEDS

19. Collectivism ↔ Individualism
Extended Family
Nuclear Family
Cooperation
Competition
Equal Distribution of Rewards
Individual Rewards
Group Belongingness
Individual Privacy
Confirming and Interdependent
Unique and Independent
Group Goals
Personal Goals
Group Oriented
Self-Oriented
Group Unity and Harmony
Individual Autonomy

20. Emphasis on Collectivism ↕ Emphasis on Individualism
China
Countries in the Middle East
Countries in South America
Ethiopia
Greece and Portugal
Finland
France
Scandanavian Countries
Australia
United States

21. High Context ↔ Low Context
High Orientation to In-Groups
Low In-Group/Out-Group Distinction
Relies Heavily on Nonverbal Communication
Relies More on Verbal Communication
Discussion Very Wide Ranging
Discussion More Task Focused
Emphasize Relationships and Processes
Emphasizes Practical Outcomes
Supportive Relationships Common
Individual Self-Reliance Common
Open and Flexible Time
Highly Organized Time

22. High Context ↕ Low Context
Japan
Countries in the Middle East
Greece
Spain
Italy
England
France
US/Canada
Scandinavian Countries
Germany

23. How loud do you talk?

24. Proxemics

25. To interrupt or to not interrupt

26. Achieved v. Ascribed Status

27. Time

28. Expressing Emotions

29. Touch

30. Symbolic Meaning

31. Eye Contact

32. The 8 Habits of Interculturally Competent Communicators
Be aware that what you understood may not be what was meant
Try not to assume sameness, especially when you share a language
What you think of as “normal behavior” maybe only be cultural
be aware that familiar behaviors may have different meanings
It’s okay not to feel good about “different” behavior, but try to understand where it comes from
Keep in mind that people from other cultures are not acting a certain way just to make you mad. Most people behave rationally; you just have to discover the rationale.
If you know that you’re going to be interacting with another culture, try to learn as much as you can about what makes up that culture’s iceberg.
Allow yourself (and others) to make mistakes

33. Questions?