4. 1. Avoid assumptions or jokes
2. Use symbols, diagrams, & pictures
3. Avoid using slang and idioms
4. Investigate their perception
5. Take differences into account
6. Use understandable language
7. Educate yourself
5. In oral communication: In written communication:
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Be careful with
pronunciation
• Simplify speech
• Make one point at a time
• Adapt tone of voice, style
and behavior to what is
culturally acceptable to
your audience
• Watch the other person for
misunderstanding and be
ready to provide feedback
• Use short, simple
sentences and short
paragraphs
• Number points for clarity
• Reflect your relationship
with the reader in your
choice of words
• Be very careful with
translation
• Avoid acronyms and
idiomatic expressions
- Bovee, C.L. & Thill, J.V. (2005)
6. Develop a sense
of cultural
awareness
Do away with
ethnocentrism
Learn to adapt
Be more
tolerant
Listen carefully
and empathize
Look beyond
the superficial
Take responsibility for the communication
9. Personal
Control over
Environment
Change
Time and its
Control
Equality/
Egalitarianism
Individualism
& Privacy
Self-Help
Competition &
Free Enterprise
Future
Orientation
Action/Work
Orientation
Informality
Directness,
Openness, &
Honesty
Practicality &
Efficiency
Materialism /
Acquisitiveness
Kohls’ “Values Americans Live By”
11. • Japanese woman are gentle
• Americans are very independent
• Chinese people use chopsticks to eat
• Girls are emotional
• Boys are good at sports
• China is a communist country
• French people love food
• Asians are good at memorizing things
• People from India are poor and dirty
• Mexicans are good landscapers
12.
13. Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3 Reason 4
It filters
information –
Confirms what
we already
know
Assumes every
one is the same
in a cultural
group
They are over-
simplified,
exaggerated,
and over-
generalized
They are
resistant to
change – Grow
stronger with
time
14. What is the
content?
2
What is the
source?
3
Why do I
believe it?
4
How much
contact do
I have?
5 Who is the target?1
16. Be conscious of nonverbal behavior
Be purposeful in use in non-verbals
Make sure non-verbals are not distracting
Match verbal & nonverbal communication
Adapt to the situation
Know your culture
When SENDING messages:
17. Pay attention to all aspects of non-verbals
Consider gender, culture, and individual
differences
Don’t automatically assume
Use perception checking
When RECEIVING messages:
19. References
Adler, N.J. (2008). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, 5th ed.
Eagan, MN: Thomson/South Western. Pg. 79
Barnlund, D.C. (1968). Interpersonal Communication: Survey and Studies.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Pgs. 536-537.
Bovee, C.L. & Thill, J.V. (2005). Business communication today. 8th edition.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall International, Inc.
Hofstede, G. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in
Work-Related Values, 2nd Ed. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
Kohls, L. R., (1986). The Values Americans Live By.
http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/pages/faculty/alee/extra/American_values.html
Samovar, L., Porter, R., McDaniel, E. Roy, C. (2013). Communication between
cultures. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Wadworth. Pg. 233.
Ting-Toomey, S. & Chung, L.C. (2005). Understanding Intercultural Communication.
Los Angeles: Roxbury. Pg. 93.
Varner, I. and Beamer, L. (1995). Intercultural communication in the global
workplace. USA: pg. 2.
Editor's Notes
Today we are going to learn about promoting positive Intercultural Communication in the Workplace. Intercultural communication refers to the effective communication between people/ workers/ clients of different cultural background. It also includes managing thought patterns and nonverbal communication. Since we have a workforce from varying cultures and countries, it is important that we learn about its advantages. At the end of this presentation, it is expected that you will understand the following:
What strategies and best practices to use in the workplace that enhance positive Intercultural Communication
What is cultural diversity in the workplace?
Why diversity in the workplace is important and advantageous
(continued…) At the end of this presentation, it is expected that you will understand the following:
4. What are Kohl’s 13 Values of American Culture and Hofstede’s 6 Value Dimensions?
5. What are unhealthy stereotypes and how to avoid them in the workplace
6. What are some effective nonverbal communication practices to use in the workplace when dealing with people of diverse cultural backgrounds?
These are some best practices that you should incorporate into your everyday interactions with co-workers of different cultural backgrounds:
1. Avoid assumptions and jokes which can be misunderstood
2. Use symbols, diagrams, and pictures when explaining complicated concepts or uncommon words
3. Avoid using slang and idioms, choosing words that will convey only the most specific denotative meaning
4. Investigate the other culture’s perception. It may be different than your own.
5. Take cultural and local differences into account. Again, they may be different and your message may be received differently than you think.
6. Make sure communication is in line with the audience; use understandable language. Use professional language. Don’t be condescending.
7. Find out about cultural facts, mannerisms, and beliefs. Create a mutual understanding to build trust and rapport.
Here are more best practices that you should incorporate. There are different strategies to use when having a face-to-face conversation or sending an email.
In oral communication:
Speak slowly and clearly
Be careful with pronunciation
Simplify speech
Make one point at a time
Adapt tone of voice, style and behavior to what is culturally acceptable to your audience
Watch the other person for misunderstanding and be ready to provide feedback
In written communication:
Use short, simple sentences and short paragraphs
Number points for clarity
Reflect your relationship with the reader in your choice of words
Be very careful with translation
Avoid acronyms and idiomatic expressions
In order to become an effective communicator in a global workplace, the following is a list of things to work towards (adapted from Bovee, Thill and Schatzman, (2005):
Develop a sense of cultural awareness. First of all, be aware of what it means to be from your own country. Then, learn all you possibly can about the culture of the people with whom you need to communicate.
Do away with ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to your own group’s standards, behaviors and customs and to see other groups as inferior by comparison. You have to give up your ethnocentricity in an intercultural communication context, because different cultures have different ways of behaving and interpreting behaviors so you must:
Recognize differences. Just because people do things differently from you, it does not mean that they are inefficient or stupid. Being different should not always be seen as negative.
Show respect for your counterparts.
Learn to adapt. Be flexible and ready to adapt or adjust your behavior, but do not overdo your adjustment as then you may be perceived as insincere. Just try to act in a way appropriate to the target culture, be yourself and show sincerity.
Be more tolerant. Because people of different cultures do things differently from one another, you must be tolerant of deviations from the norms - what you are used to in your own culture. Remember what may be the norm for you may not be the norm for other cultures.
Listen carefully and empathize. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes, consider his/her point of view and understand where he/she is coming from.
Look beyond the superficial. Do not get distracted by dress, appearance, or environmental discomforts.
Take responsibility for the communication. Do not assume it is the other person’s responsibility to make the communication work. As a party in the communication process, you also have to do your part to ensure effective communication.
Just like a groups of cogs aligned and working together in a machine, cultural diversity in the workplace provides strength, creativity, and drive to an organization. It also challenges individuals to respond to their diverse work environments effectively. Valuing individual and group cultural differences is critical to achieving organizational goals.
Understanding diversity in the workplace means:
Respecting, appreciating, and understanding the varying characteristics of individuals
Everyone is unique and no single person is a representative of a certain cultural group
Stereotypes and other racial biases/prejudices are damaging to a business. They should be avoided. We will cover more about stereotypes later in the presentation.
Understanding all of this will help in the overall success of the company.
Robert Kohl, Director of International Programs at San Francisco State University, listed 13 typical values that fit most Americans. The 13 values are very evident in the everyday operations of our company and in the behaviors of the people that work here.
1) Personal Control over the Environment. Most Americans find it impossible to accept that there are some things that lie beyond the power of humans to achieve. In the U.S., people hold a very strong sense that they can create their own success through hard work and dedication. The result of this belief is evident in my place of employment with managers and their employees constantly setting goals on a weekly, monthly, and annual basis in order to accomplish a certain outcome of success. Hard work is praised and usually rewarded monetarily through bonuses and salary increases.
2) Change. Change is linked to development, improvement, progress, and growth. Many cultures consider change as a disruptive force. Such societies value stability, tradition, and an ancient heritage—none of which are valued as much in the United States. Progress and innovation are important and many Americans are often looking for the next best thing. I think this is one of the reasons that the U.S. has been a good place for entrepreneurs with big ideas in the past. The company I work for started 35 years ago when the founder and CEO decided he could create a better product on his own – better than the company he was working for at the time. With hard work and some innovative changes, he built a company that is now the 4th largest in the country in this market.
3) Time and its Control. To a foreign visitor, Americans seem to be more concerned with getting things accomplished on time than they are with developing deep interpersonal relations. Schedules, for the American, are meant to be planned and then followed in detail. Time shouldn't be wasted. “Time is money” is just one of the several expressions used in American English about how to fill time with profitable activities. Some cultures attend an event until it comes to a natural end. Americans, particularly the managers at my company, attend an event such as a meeting, until the clock indicates that the meeting is over and they move on to the next thing. They try to stay as efficient and progressive as possible at the expense of interpersonal relationships
4) Equality/Egalitarianism. Many high-ranking foreign visitors to the U.S. are insulted by the way they are treated by service personnel (waiters in restaurants, clerks in stores, taxi drivers, etc). This is somewhat ironic. Although the U.S. has more than its share of problems with racism, homophobia, sexism, etc., the U.S. is a society that does not recognize hierarchies as much as other countries. Fairness is a core value that is very important. There are ranks of employees at my place of employment starting from the CEO all the way down to the new customer service representative, but there is a sense of unity and fairness when it comes to getting the job done. Everyone greats one another when passing each other in the hallways. Everyone, including the upper-management, is approachable and willing to collaborate with employees of lower rank.
5) Individualism and Privacy. Americans resist being thought of as representatives of a homogenous group. They join groups—many groups—but somehow believe they’re just a little different, just a little unique, just a little special, from other members of the same group. And they tend to leave groups as easily as they enter them. Some will express their opinions even if they disagree with the rest of the group. Having a unique idea or doing things differently is praised. Conformity is looked down upon. Because Americans value individualism, they also value their privacy. In the workplace, colleagues may appear cold or distant when they do not invite you for a coffee or out on the weekends. In reality, they might be respecting your privacy, something they consider extremely important.
6) Self-Help. Americans pride themselves in having climbed the difficult ladder of success to whatever level they have achieved—all by themselves. Robert Kohl noted that there are 100 words that begin with the word "self" as a prefix in the English dictionary. These include self-improvement, self-aware, self-conscious, etc. Americans believe that they can and will make themselves successful by working on their skills and abilities and by improving their knowledge. Many companies, including mine, are structured in a way that allows its employees to ‘climb the corporate ladder,’ seeking higher level positions over time through hard work. It is also interesting that I am creating an online Learning Management System with our training department. This will give our customers to the ability to self-train themselves online instead of our trainers needing to offer live classroom training sessions.
7) Competition and Free Enterprise. Americans value competition and have devised an economic system to go with it. They feel strongly that a highly competitive economy will bring out the best in its people and that society will progress most rapidly. There’s competition everywhere including education, athletics, business, art, and even hobbies. It is relatively easy to start a business as an entrepreneur in the United States. With the internet today, the barriers to entry have been lowered and this has only increased competition as anyone with an idea can compete with large corporations.
8) Future Orientation. Valuing the future and its promised improvements often means that Americans devalue that past and are, to a large extent, unconscious of the present. Even a happy present goes largely unnoticed because Americans have traditionally been hopeful that the future would bring even greater happiness. These days, parents start investing in their child's college savings funds before the child is even born. Kids are taught that they need to achieve high grades as young as elementary school because college is down the road. In a business, goals, quotas, and benchmarks are set in order to accomplish a certain level of success in the future. Company employees, including myself, dream of future retirement and use several methods such as planning, investing, saving, and working to make sure this comes true.
9) Action/Work Orientation. Americans routinely plan and schedule an extremely active day. Any relaxation must be limited in time, pre-planned, and aimed at recreating their ability to work harder and more productively once the recreation is over. Americans believe leisure activities should assume a relatively small portion of one’s total life. People think that it is sinful to waste one’s time, to sit around doing nothing, or just to daydream. It is common for American kids to take part in tons of different hobbies and after-school activities like sports, music, dance or drama. A typical work week in many professions goes beyond 40 hours. Many professionals become "work-aholics" and identify themselves based on their career or the company that they work for. At my place of employment, working overtime or working from home at night is encouraged, if it means getting a project done faster or on time.
10) Informality. Americans are one of the most informal and casual people in the world. If you come from a more formal society, you will likely find Americans to be extremely informal, and will probably feel that they are even disrespectful of those in authority. For example, American bosses often urge their employees to call them by their first names and even feel uncomfortable if they are called by the title "Mr." or "Mrs." At my place of work, everyone is on a first name basis, including the CEO and President. This informality that is so common in American culture is probably related to their sense of equality, fairness and belief in treating everyone the same way. Americans are also quite informal in the way they dress. In large U.S. cities, you might see Americans attending a famous play in blue jeans whereas in Europe, this might be unacceptable. Every Friday at my office is ‘Casual Friday.’ Employees are allowed to wear jeans, t-shirts, and tennis shoes to work, whereas on other days, only business attire is allowed.
11) Directness, Openness, and Honesty. Many cultures have developed subtle, sometimes highly ritualistic, ways of informing other people of unpleasant information. Americans, however, are likely to be completely honest in delivering their negative evaluations. In the United States, many Americans believe that it is important to communicate your point directly and openly. Getting direct feedback from colleagues or supervisors at my office is very common and expected. Meetings, whether they are formal or informal, are held on a daily basis in order to provide feedback to one another.
12) Practicality and Efficiency. Will it make any money? What can I gain from this activity? These are the kinds of questions that Americans ask in their practical pursuits. In American culture, there is sometimes a rejection of things that are "overly theoretical" and are not immediately applicable or useful. Academic fields like philosophy are not as valued as engineering. Social sciences like anthropology are looked at as being less valuable than a medical or law degree. Being objective and less emotional is encouraged when forming an opinion about something.
13) Materialism/Acquisitiveness. By any standard, Americans are materialistic. Americans would like to think that their material objects are the natural benefits of hard work and serious intent. This means that they value and collect more material objects than most people would ever dream of owning. People buy cars every two to three years. Kohl argued that Americans place a higher priority on acquiring material wealth than on building interpersonal relationships and bonds with other people. This is a more personal value than the others, so I cannot say for sure if most of the employees at my work are materialistic, but I do know that as my company has grown and has been more successful, they have purchased better computers and furniture for the office.
Our Company compared to Hofstede’s Six Dimensions of Culture
1) Power/Distance (PD). This refers to the degree of inequality that exists – and is accepted – among people with and without power. A high PD score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power, and that people understand "their place" in the system. Low PD means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals. The United States scores as a low Power/Distance country. In my company, supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals. We share in the decision making and are constantly relying on teamwork to get projects done.
2) Individualism (IDV). This refers to the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high IDV score indicates loose connections. In countries with a high IDV score there is a lack of interpersonal connection, and little sharing of responsibility beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low IDV score would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each other's well-being. America is a high IDV country. In my company there is a high valuation on people’s time and privacy. Managers acknowledge the accomplishments of their employees, don’t ask for too much personal information, and encourage debate and expression of each other’s own ideas.
3) Masculinity (MAS). This refers to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High MAS scores are found in countries where men are expected to be "tough," to be the provider, and to be assertive. If women work outside the home, they tend to have separate professions from men. Low MAS scores do not reverse the gender roles. In a low MAS society, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. In my company, women are considered capable to doing anything a man can do. Many of the leadership team are women. The company ensures it is not discriminatory in hiring based on gender.
4) Uncertainty/Avoidance Index (UAI). This relates to the degree of anxiety that society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High UAI-scoring nations try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective "truth." Low UAI scores indicate that the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules, and people are encouraged to discover their own truth. My company follows the low UAI score. There is an overall informal business attitude. More concern is placed upon long term strategies than what is happening on a daily basis. And, management does not impose a lot of rules or structure unnecessarily.
5) Long Term Orientation (LTO). This refers to how much society values long-standing – as opposed to short-term – traditions and values. In countries with a high LTO score, delivering on social obligations and avoiding "loss of face" are considered very important. People in the United States have low LTO scores. This suggests that you can pretty much expect anything in this culture in terms of creative expression and novel ideas. In my company, people are likely to be willing to help you execute the most innovative plans as long as they get to participate fully. People also do not hesitate to introduce necessary changes.
6) Indulgence vs Restraint (IND). This refers to a society that allows relatively free gratification of basic and natural human drives related to enjoying life and having fun. Restraint stands for a society that suppresses gratification of needs and regulates it by means of strict social norms. Americans are very indulgent and seem to always strive to have fun, especially when it comes to work. The management at my company are always trying to find ways to ‘lighten’ the mood in the office, by providing catered lunches on a weekly basis, having contests and give-away prizes at meetings, and encouraging others to socialize with one another during breaks.
Have you ever heard someone make these comments? Are these stereotypes? Are they positive or negative?
Japanese women are gentle.
Americans are very independent.
Chinese people use chopsticks to eat.
Girls are emotional.
Boys are good at sports.
China is a communist country.
French people love food.
Asians are good at memorizing things.
People from India are poor and dirty
Mexicans are good landscapers
N.J. Adler reminds us of the harmful effect stereotypes can have on intercultural communication: “Stereotypes become counterproductive when we place people in the wrong groups, when we incorrectly describe the group norm, when we evaluate the group rather than simply describing it, when we confuse the stereotype with the description of a particular individual, and when we fail to modify the stereotype based on our actual observations and experience” (Adler, 2008).
How does Stereotyping allow for Power Dominance?
Stereotyping allows for the formation of the in-group and out-group.
Such grouping outlines the two groups as binaries – opposites of each other.
This process is one of Otherization. That the dominant culture is the norm and “them”-the other cultures are different and therefore outsiders.
Otherization effects power as the dominant culture is more acceptable and differences are less accepted.
Let’s look at four additional reasons why stereotypes hamper intercultural communication.
First, stereotypes are a kind of filter; they only allow information that is consistent with information we may already know. They can filter out the truth too.
They assume that culture-specific information applies to every member of a particular cultural group – that all members have the same traits.
Stereotypes distort because they are based on half-truths and often-untrue premises and assumptions. They lead people to base their preparation, transmission, and reception of messages on false assumptions.
Because they are usually developed early in life and are repeated and reinforced, stereotypes tend to intensify with the passage of time (Samovar, 2013).
In order to avoid stereotypes in the workplace, we need to be asking ourselves the following:
Who is the target?
What is the content?
What is the source?
Why do I believe it?
How much actual contact do I have with the target of the stereotype?
Another method by Ting-Toomey and Chung is “to learn to distinguish between inflexible stereotyping and flexible stereotyping.”
Inflexible: you refuse to accept perceptions that run counter to the categorization.
Flexible: you are open to new information and evidence. You are aware of your own zone of discomfort.
Verbal & Nonverbal communication plays an important role in how people interact with one another. People are using around 35% verbal communication and 65% nonverbal communication in daily life.
“Many, and sometimes most, of the critical meanings generated in human encounters are elicited by touch, glance, vocal nuance, gestures, or facial expression with or without the aid of words. From the moment of recognition until the moment of separation, people observe each other with all their senses, hearing pause and intonation, attending to dress and carriage, observing glance and facial tension, as well as noting word choice and syntax. Out of the evaluation of kinetic, vocal, and verbal cues, decisions are made to argue or agree, to laugh or blush, to relax or resist, or to continue or cut off conversation” (Barnlund, 1968).
Provide information: Placing an index finger to your lips as an alternative to saying “Please be quiet.”
Regulating interaction: Raising your hand in class to signal you want to talk. To change the topic of a conversation, you can lean forward, point a finger, pause, or change the direction of your gaze.
To express or hide emotion and affection
Augment the verbal expression or feeling: While pointing in a certain direction you can say “The break room is over there.” The gesture and the words have similar meanings and reinforce one another.
To express power and control
To present an image
Identity can be created through use of makeup, manner of dress, jewelry, tattoos, and types of handshakes offered.
So here are some ways we can improve on our nonverbal skills in the office:
When sending messages:
Be conscious of nonverbal behavior
Be purposeful in use in non-verbals
Make sure non-verbals are not distracting
Match verbal & nonverbal communication
Adapt to the situation
Know your culture
When receiving messages:
Pay attention to all aspects of non-verbals
Consider gender, culture, and individual differences
Don’t automatically assume
Use perception checking
