MultiCult781

Communicating Multiculturally : 

Communicating Multiculturally

Cultural DifferencesIndividualism v. Collectivism: 

Cultural Differences Individualism v. Collectivism Determines how people live together, their values and how they communicate.

Slide4: 

Individualistic (U.S., Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, and Denmark) More remote and distant proximally Feel responsible for their own relationships & happiness More likely to be confrontational Express emotions more readily Dating, flirting, small talk, smiling are more important Blamed for loneliness & selfishness

Slide5: 

Collectivist Countries (Venezuela, Columbia, Pakistan, Peru, Taiwan,Thailand,Singapore, Chile, Hong Kong) Interdependent: play, work live, and sleep in closer proximity Compliance with norms is a primary value/personal or interpersonal happiness is secondary facilitate group cohesion, harmony, cooperation

The central Midwest and the mid-Atlantic states have the most individualistic political culture: 

The Southeast is the most traditionalistic and least individualistic The central Midwest and the mid-Atlantic states have the most individualistic political culture While the U.S. is the most individualistic country on earth, particular ethnic groups vary in their degree of individualism.

Cultures’ Reactions to Nonverbal Messages: 

Cultures’ Reactions to Nonverbal Messages Nodding head up and down U.S.: Agreement Eastern Europe: Disagreement; side-to-side movement indicates agreement. Eye contact U.S.: Interested, involved Asian and others: Disrespectful Forefinger and thumb forming circle U.S.: Okay Japan: Money France: Zero Brazil: Vulgarity Personal space U.S.: 2–3 feet (casual); 4–12 feet (business) Other countries: Much closer Time U.S.: Time is money; punctuality is expected. Mexico: Time is not perceived to have value; frequently late for appointments. Sole of shoe visible U.S.: Unimportant Arab countries: Insulting because the foot has touched unclean ground.

Slide8: 

Some cultures give words great importance--regardless of who, when, or where (low-context cultures--U.S., England and northern European countries). Context is less important - most information is explicitly spelled out. Other cultures interpret feelings and ideas without words (high-context cultures). Information is inferred from the context of the message. Cultural Communication: Low-context vs. High-context

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. Undisciplined (rather than informal). Too familiar (rather than friendly). Blunt and rude (rather than direct). Obsessed with time (rather than efficient). Interested in dollars over people (rather than profit-oriented). Driven (rather than dynamic). How are American’s Viewed versus how we want to be viewed?

Doing Business with 5 Cultures:: 

Doing Business with 5 Cultures: Venezuela Germany Jordan Kenya Japan

Venezuelan Culture Dictates: 

Venezuelan Culture Dictates Face-to-face communication Confrontations avoidance--saying “yes” when meaning “no” Conservatism, directness, and formality Sizing-up period Space of 8 inches Decision-making by top manager Family first

Slide13: 

Well-planned appointments Punctuality and sensitivity in meetings Vigorous hand shakes Directness, preciseness, and no disorder Being held to a contract if led to believe that one exists German Culture Dictates

Jordanian Culture Dictates: 

Jordanian Culture Dictates Business begins from a base of distrust Face-to-face channels preferred Appointments irregularly honored Angry reactions offensive Space of 10 inches Frequent touching Refreshments accepted

Jordanian Loyalties : 

Jordanian Loyalties Nuclear family Extended family Muslim-Arab friends Muslim-Arab community Country Non-Arab Muslims

Kenyan Culture Dictates: 

Kenyan Culture Dictates British and Indian practices followed but less conservative in Kenya Face-to-face meetings preferred Loyalty to the organization Punctuality Warmth to Westerners Group/family are more important than one

Japanese Culture Dictates: 

Japanese Culture Dictates Oral communication preference Thorough subject study High-context communication The word “yes” often means “no” Group-oriented system of decision making Compromise and conciliation over confrontation

Recommendations for Successful Multicultural Communication: 

Recommendations for Successful Multicultural Communication Study the country’s culture more than language Role-play greetings and nonverbal messages Prepare bi-lingual information Study the country’s history to become empathetic as to why foreigners conduct business/communications the way they do!

Slide19: 

Involves more than learning facts about other cultures. It requires learning to expect differences and having a positive attitude toward challenges and change.

Negative effects from diversity occur because:: 

Negative effects from diversity occur because: participants do not analyze their own language culture or the language of others to identify the source of conflict. unaddressed conflicts create tension that can hinder relationships conflicts may increase in number and intensity.

Positive Cultural Conflict results from the following steps:: 

Positive Cultural Conflict results from the following steps: 1. Analyze your own cultural perspectives 2. Know that the perspectives of others may be different from your own. 3. Realize that conflict rising from cultural differences can be positive - By examining the topic(s) of the conflict and the perspectives of those involved, a productive discourse can result!