Tugas Individu

Leadership Communication
Session 7: Diversity and Intercultural
Communication; Communicating Across Cultures
Ardimas Sasdi, M.Si., Dr.

Marsha Annisa Nandita

NIM: 19/452745/PEK/25697
Eksekutif A Angkatan 47A

Program Studi Magister Manajemen

Fakultas Ekonomika dan Bisnis
Universitas Gadjah Mada
Jakarta 2020
Lecture Summary: Diversity and Intercultural Communication

Caveats When Discussing Culture

A definition about communicating within and across “cultures” is that “culture is a fuzzy
set of attitudes, beliefs, behavioral conventions, and basic assumptions and values that are shared
by a group of people, and that influence each member’s behavior and his/her interpretations of
the ‘meaning’ of other people’s behaviour.
The Layers of Culture : (1) national, (2) regional, ethnic, religious, linguistic, (3) gender,
(4) generation, and (5) organization or corporate.

Establishing an Approach for Understanding Cultural Differences

When visiting another culture, we should always review such do’s and don’ts. One useful
cultural framework in a business or professional context was developed by Mary O’Hara-
Devereaux and Robert Johansen for their book Globalwork.
Seven variables are important to and applicable across all cultures: (1) context (high
context meaning more in the context and relationships and Low context where meaning is
primarily in the wods), (2) information flow( emphasis on how information is shared), (3) time
(focused on the past, the present, or the future), (4) language (first language learned and any
secondary languages in which individual is fluent), (5) power & equality (respectful of authority
and rituals, belief in hierarchies and titles), (6) collectivism & individualism (emphasis on “I” or
“we,” on the individual or on the group), and (7) spirituality (control and value in individual or
outside self)

Communicating When Encountering Cultural Differences

There are some of possible cultural differences we might encounter when working in a
diverse or multicultural environment, how the differences could affect behavior and
communication styles and how we should communicate to avoid problems or misunderstandings:
1. Context
 High-context cultures rely more extensively on interpersonal rela- tionships to
understand meaning and place less importance on verbal messages and more on
nonverbal, such as tone, gestures, and facial expressions and low-context cultures
depend on explicit verbal mes- sages and rely less on interpersonal relationships for
meaning in com- munication.
2. Information Flow
Information flow refers to “how” and “how fast” information is exchanged.
3. Time
Cultural frameworks as polychronic (believing that time is a state of being consisting
of many events occurring at once). Polychronic time is open-ended and flexible, and
people are more im- portant than promptness and schedules. The opposite cultural
view of time is called monochronic.
4. Languange
Language has been described as the “central influence on culture and one of the most
highly charged symbols of a culture or a nation. According to Edward T. Hall,
“Culture is language; language is culture.” We cannot separate language from
culture.
5. Power
Low Power Distance : (1) decentralization is popular , (2) subordinates expect to be
consulted, (3) ideal boss is a resourceful democrat, and (4) privileges and status
symbols are frowned upon.
High Power Distance : (1) centralization is popular, (2) subordinates expect to be told
what to do, (3) ideal boss is a benevolent autocrat, and (4) privileges and status
symbols for managers are expected and popular.
6. Collectivism & Individualism
The individualism versus collectivism cultural difference is included in another
popular framework for studying culture, that of Hofstede. Hofstede breaks the
cultural differences into power, uncertainty avoidance, individual/collective,
masculine/feminine, and long-term/ short-term orientation.
7. Spirituality & Tradition
 The Traditional/Secular-rational values dimension reflects the contrast between
societies in which religion is very important and those in which it is not. The
religion/tradition value is an important variable in determining behavior and how
individuals will communicate and interpret messages.

A Final Word on Connecting and Communicating across Cultures

To connect and communicate, we should adopt the following approaches to any cross-
cultural encounter, whether visiting another country, interacting in a new social medium, or
meeting someone in our own backyard: (1) be open and respectful, (2) know the social customs,
(3) learn as much about the culture, history, people, and even languages as reasonable, (4) obtain
pointers and feedback, (5) be patient, be flexible, and value the time needed to develop re-
lationships, (6) keep a sense of humor, and (7) keep language simple and avoid jargon.

Lecture Summary: Communicating Across Cultures

What is “Culture”

“Diversity” in the workplace comes from many sources: gender, race and ethnicity,
regional and national origin , social class, religion, age, sexual orientation, and physical ability.
We may not be aware of the most basic features of our own culture until we come into
contact with people who do things differently. We can categorize cultures as high-context or
low-context. High-context cultures is most of the information is inferred from the context of a
message; little is “spelled out.” (Japanese, Arabic, and Latin American), and Low-context
cultures is less important; most information is explicitly spelled out (German, Scandinavian).

How does culture affect business communication ?

Culture influences every single aspect of business communication: how to show

politeness and respect, how much information to give, how to motivate people, how loud to talk,
even what size paper to use. National and regional cultures also influenced by the organizational
culture and by personal culture, such as gender, race and ethnicity, social class, and so forth.
1. Values, Beliefs, and Practices
Values and beliefs, often unconscious, affect our response to people and situations.
Values and beliefs are influenced by religion. These differences in values, beliefs,
and practices lead to differences in what kinds of appeals motivate people.
2. Nonverbal Communication.
Nonverbal communication—communication that doesn’t use words—takes place all
the time. Body language, the size of an office, or how long someone keeps a visitor
waiting— all these communicate pleasure or anger, friendliness or distance, power
and status. Nonverbal signals can be misinterpreted just as easily as verbal symbols
(words). The facial expression she had interpreted as anger had not been intended to
convey anger at all. Misunderstandings are even more common in communication
across cultures.
3. Body Language
Open body positions include leaning forward with uncrossed arms and legs, with the
arms away from the body. Closed or defensive body positions include leaning back,
sometimes with both hands behind the head, arms and legs crossed or close together,
or hands in pockets.
4. Eye Contact
Eye contact as a sign of honesty. But in many cultures, dropped eyes are a sign of
appropriate deference to a superior.
5. Gestures
Gestures that mean approval in the United States may have very different meanings
in other countries. The circle formed with the thumb and first finger that means OK.
6. Space
Personal space is the distance someone wants between himself or herself and other
people in ordinary, nonintimate interchanges.
7. Touch
Some people shake hands in greeting but otherwise don’t like to be touched at all,
except by family members or lovers.
8. Spatial Arrangements
 In the United States, the size, placement, and privacy of one’s office connote status.
Large corner offices have the highest status. An individual office with a door that
closes connotes more status than a desk in a common area.
9. Writing to International Audiences.
When you write to international audiences, use titles, not first names. you may need
to modify style, structure, and strategy when you write to international readers.

There are so many different cultures! How can I know enough to communicate ?

The first step in understanding another culture is to realize that it may do things very
differently, and that the difference is not bad or inferior. If you plan to travel to a specific
country, or if you work with people from other cultures, read about that country or culture and
learn a little of the language.

Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate?

Baby Boomers and Millennials, sometimes called Generation Y or the Internet Gen-
eration, have made headlines in recent years, clashing over such issues as appropriate dress,
ethics, hierarchies, expectations, and responsiveness in the workplace. While some Millennials
shake their heads at Baby Boomers’ mandates that employ- ees start at entry-level jobs or work
well beyond 40 hours per week, some members of the older generation lament perceived
impertinence, poor communication skills, and what consultant Bruce Tulgan refers to as “self-
esteem on steroids.”

How can I make my documents bias-free?

Bias-free language is language that does not discriminate against people on the basis of
sex, physical condition, race, age, or any other category. Bias-free language is fair and friendly;
it complies with the law. It includes all readers; it helps to sustain goodwill
 Making Language Nonsexist means treats both sexes neutrally. Check to be sure your
writing is free from sexism in four areas: words and phrases, job titles, pronouns, and courtesy
titles.
1. Words and Phrases
Not every word containing man is sexist. For example, manager is not sexist. The
word comes from the Latin manus, meaning hand; it has nothing to do with
maleness
2. Job Titles
Use neutral titles which do not imply that a job is held only by men or only by
women
3. Pronouns
Business writing uses four ways to eliminate sexist generic pronouns: use plurals,
use second-person you, revise the sentence to omit the pronoun, and use pronoun
pairs
4. Making Language Nonracist and Nonagist
Language is nonracist and nonagist when it treats all races and ages fairly, avoiding
negative stereotypes of any group. Use these guidelines to check for bias in
documents you write or edit
5. Talking about People with Disabilities and Diseases
A disability is a physical, mental, sensory, or emotional impairment that interferes
with the major tasks of daily living
6. Choosing Bias-Free Photos and Illustrations
When you produce a document with photographs or illustrations, check the visuals
for possible bias. Do they show people of both sexes and all races? Is there a
sprinkling off.