Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FM - Cross Cultural Communications
FM - Cross Cultural Communications
Wednesday 12 July
Bangkok, Thailand
Session 11
Introduction to the Day and Cross
Cultural Quiz
OBJECTIVE PREPARATION
To introduce participants to Cross Cultural Communication. • Room set up and equipment in place for the day.
• Seating could be small groups seated at round tables
The session will start with a review of the journey so far and (maximum 6-8 persons per table)
a reminder of how the various leadership skills and activities
of the workshop fit together. This session will include some
opening remarks followed by an introduction to cross cultural PROCESS
communication and its significance generally as a leadership
skills module for young leaders. Participants will be This introductory session is mainly for fun. The idea is to
encouraged to participate in a quiz designed to raise cultural introduce the topic of culture through a quiz that: 1)
issues. In small groups and in plenary, participants will share participants will enjoy and that 2) illustrates how culture
their own experiences of cultural difference. plays a role in a wide variety of situations. There is no
purpose to this session other than for participants to enjoy
themselves with these questions. Emphasize this point to the
TIME SCHEDULE audience so they don’t become too serious during the quiz.
08:30 Session 11 Explain the purpose of the exercise, to have fun and introduce
09:00 Session 11 (contin.) the topic of culture in a very general way.
09:30 Session 12
09:45 Session 13 Go through each question of the quiz, reading the question
10 :30 Coffee Break out loud and calling on different participants to answer. See
below for answers and commentary to give along with each
question/answer.
GOALS FOR THE SESSION
Sometimes participants who come from a country featured in
• To start the day off with something that immediately a question will say that your answer is not correct. In
engages the audience. question 2, for example, Brazilians sometimes say that pulling
• To show how culture plays a part in a wide variety of on the earlobe doesn’t mean anything in Brazil or means
situations. something different from what you say. If this happens, don’t
argue with the person; just say that “some Brazilians” once
told you this was true. Or you can explain that what is true in
MATERIALS REQUIRED one part of the country may not be true everywhere. Then
quickly move on.
• Session Workbook for participants
• LCD Projector, screen
Highest __________________ A. He does not intend to do it, but he does not want to be
Lowest __________________ rude.
B. He intends to do it, but he does not want to sound
Explain that this is taken from Transparency International’s irreligious.
semi-annual survey where they ask people in 59 countries:
Do you trust other people? (among other questions). Highest B. Could also be A. depending, but explain that in Arabic,
(most trusting) is Norway. Least trusting is Brazil. The survey when you speak in the future tense you must say “Nsh’allah”
results for all 59 countries is attached in the slide set which means “Perhaps” or “God willing.” This does not mean
following the quiz questions. you are not sure of what you intend to do, only that you’re
not sure of everything that may happen in the future because
2. If a Brazilian pulls her earlobe when someone else it is ultimately in God’s hands.
is talking, this means:
A. Nothing; it’s just coincidence. 7. You have been invited to a Mexican family’s home
B. Her earlobe is itching. for dinner, and you arrive one hour after the time they
C. She approves of what the person is saying. said to come. You are:
Brazilians from around Rio de Janeiro say it means 3. A. Late, and you should apologize.
B. On time.
3. If a Chinese person says your suggestion is ‘good’, C. Very early; most of the family isn’t even home yet.
they mean:
B or C, but definitely not A. Mexicans are very flexible when
A. It is really good. it comes to being on time for social engagements.
B. They are not sure.
C. It is not good. 8. A Senegalese guest in your house burps loudly after
dinner. Does this mean:
Make the point that the Chinese (and Japanese) are very
polite when giving negative feedback. And their comment A. She has indigestion.
often sounds like positive feedback. Answer can be B or C. B. She appreciated the food; or
C. She wants more wine.
4. The percentage of Indian workers who said they
preferred very close supervision on the job was: B according to LEAD’s colleagues in Senegal.
85%. Ask participants if this would be true in their country. A. Go and brush your teeth;
B. Her nose must have been itching, or;
5. You’re traveling on a train in India. The Indian C. She is pointing to herself.
woman next to you offers you a drink from her water
bottle. You should: C. Japanese women in particular when referring to
themselves in a conversation, touch their noses (rather than
A. Refuse politely. indicating to their chest with their hands as in European
B. Take a small sip and hand the bottle back. culture).
C. Pour some water into your mouth without touching the
bottle to your lips.
FACILITATOR NOTES
Speakers may not speak loud enough when telling their story
to the entire audience. Make sure they speak up.
Session 12
What is Culture?
OBJECTIVE PREPARATION
To familiarise participants with the concept of ‘culture’. • Seating could be small groups seated at round tables
(maximum 6-8 persons per table)
This session will focus on the concept of culture and examine
visible and invisible aspects of behaviour. Visual diagrams as
well as discussion will help the group explore some of these PROCESS
concepts.
. This session is a short lecture which defines culture for the
purposes of the workshop and establishes the crucial link
TIME SCHEDULE between behavior and values, beliefs, and assumptions. This
is probably the most important 15 minutes of the entire 2-
09:30 Session 12 day workshop, and it is essential the trainer practice the main
09:45 Session 13 points of this lecture (see steps below) several times before
10:30 Coffee Break doing this session.
11:00 Session 14
While you don’t need to explain this unless you are asked,
the definitions we will use for values, beliefs, and
GOALS FOR THE SESSION assumptions are as follows:
• To introduce and define the concept of culture as it will • Values: the basis on which people decide and judge what
be used in this workshop. is right and good, and wrong and bad, in their society.
• To explain the link between the visible aspects of culture • Beliefs: what people think of as true or real in their
(personal behavior and the invisible, unconscious aspects society
(values, beliefs, assumptions). • Assumptions: deep-seated, completely subconscious
instincts about the nature of reality.
MATERIALS REQUIRED Try not to get into a discussion of these terms at this point. If
people ask, then by all means give a very brief definition as
• Session Workbook for participants above and then explain that in later exercises we will be
• LCD Projector, screen dealing with each of these in much more detail.
Session 13
Matching Values to Behaviour
• To illustrate with examples the link between values and After everyone has finished, go through each item and solicit
behavior. answers from the group. (See Answer Key below for the
suggested “right” answers.)
MATERIALS REQUIRED At the very end, ask the group what the purpose of this
exercise was. If they can’t remember, show slide ‘What is
• Session Workbook for participants Culture?’ again and repeat the question. When they have
• LCD Projector, screen answered correctly (to show the relationship between values
• Hand out. and behavior), then ask one final question: Why is it
important to understand this relationship? (Answer: To show
that people with different values are bound to behave
PROCESS differently, and this is basically what it means to be from
another culture.)
Introduce the exercise by explaining that this is a simple
activity to demonstrate the link between values and behavior ANSWER KEY:
(refer again to slide ‘What is Culture?’). The sequence of numbers down the right hand side should
be as follows: 8,6,2,9,1,5,4,3,7
Session 14
Culture in Context
To understand culture and cultural behaviour in the context of • Session Workbook for participants
universal and personal behaviour. • LCD Projector, screen
• Hand out.
This session will feature a short presentation to place culture
and cultural behaviour in the context of universal (human
nature) and personal (individual) behaviour. This will be PROCESS
followed by a short activity to practice making distinctions
between the three categories of behaviour introduced in the This short lecture places culture and cultural behavior in the
previous session. context of universal behavior (human nature) and personal
(individual) behavior. It is important that participants
understand that not everything people do is based on culture,
TIME SCHEDULE even though that is more or less the exclusive focus of this
workshop. The real point here is that although we are going
10:30 Coffee Break to be focusing on culture for these two days—and especially
11:00 Session 14 on cultural differences—there are ways that everyone is alike
11:20 Session 15 (human nature), as well as ways no two people are alike,
12:00 Session 16 even people from the same culture (individual differences).
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Free time and field visit Like the earlier lecture in Session 12, it is very important for
the trainer to carefully review and practice explaining the
points given in the steps below so that he/she can deliver
GOALS FOR THE SESSION this lecture smoothly.
• To put cultural behavior into the context of universal and Display the slide and make the opening point that although
personal behavior. culture is our focus here today (indicate culture box), culture
• To make the point that although there are many is not the only type of behavior or the only influence on
differences on the level of culture, there are many similarities behavior.
on the level of human nature.
• To make the point that although there are many There are ways that we are all alike, no matter what culture
similarities on the level of culture (i.e., people from the same we are from (indicate universal box). This is what we call
culture are alike in many ways), there will be differences on human nature. Bring up slide ‘Understanding Culture’ and
the personal level. explain that this means that some of these values, beliefs,
assumptions (point to these words in one triangle) will be
Session 15
Intercultural Skills and Cultural
Assumptions
OBJECTIVE MATERIALS REQUIRED
To identify the most important intercultural communication • Session Workbook for participants
skills and to explore five key concepts in the intercultural • LCD Projector, screen
field. • Flip chart and markers
• Hand outs
This session focuses on exploring an entry point to looking at
culture in different contexts. Key concepts in the intercultural
field will be introduced, and participants will be asked to PREPARATION
identify their views and attitudes towards them.
Draw up on the wall (using two pieces of flipchart paper), the
five continuum relating to the five cultural assumptions (see
TIME SCHEDULE slide ‘Cultural Assumptions’). Make sure each continuum is
labeled and numbered. Keep it covered till it is needed.
11:20 Session 15
12:00 Session 16
13:00 Lunch PROCESS
14:00 Free time and field visit
The Intercultural Skills exercise makes the important point
that the place to begin in looking at other cultures is with
GOALS FOR THE SESSION one’s own culture. This point is a natural link to the activity
which immediately follows.
• To stimulate discussion about why being aware of one’s
own culture is important when looking at other cultures. Explain that the purpose of the exercise is to identify what a
• To introduce five key concepts in the field of intercultural group of 50 intercultural experts agreed was the most
communication. important single quality or characteristic for dealing
• To ask participants to identify their own culture’s point of effectively with people from another culture. And then to
view on these five concepts. discuss why the experts might have selected this quality.
Point out that the participants may not necessarily agree with
the experts, but they may find their choice interesting.
When all groups are finished, call the session back to order With regard to the cultural assumptions exercise, some
and solicit each group’s mark for each continuum by asking people may point out that their country is too culturally
for their number. At the place on the line that corresponds to diverse and they cannot generalize about the entire
their number (on an overhead or flipchart), write an population. You can then ask them to select one of the larger
abbreviation for that country. If the group from Vietnam, for subcultures in their country or the dominant culture, if there
example, says their number for the first continuum is “4,” is one, and try to generalize about that. If they are still
then write V (for Vietnam) at position number 4 on the first reluctant, ask them to pick a group they do feel comfortable
continuum. Do this for all groups for all five continuums. If generalizing about. At the same time you should point out
you have many participants from the same country and have that this exercise deals in very general categories, and that
divided them into several groups, then average the numbers different subcultures in a country may actually have the same
of all the various groups to arrive at a single number for that view when it comes to matters that are this fundamental. In
country. any case, you don’t want too many different subgroups in the
room or it takes too long to record everyone’s mark.
If you have a multi-cultural group and you have numbers on
both sides of some or all of the continuums (see below if you
do not have numbers of opposite sides), ask the group what
this means. They should answer that it means there are
significant differences between the cultures. Then ask them
what it means if someone on one side of the chart has to
work with someone on the other side. They should answer
that it means there is a lot of possibility for
misunderstanding, misinterpretation, even conflict. Then ask
them if they think people choose to be on different sides of
the chart. They will say “No,” of course, and then you can
make the point that similarly people don’t choose to
misunderstand or misinterpret each other; it just happens
naturally. In other words, cultural misunderstandings are no
one’s fault; no one is to blame. Culture is to blame, and
people can’t help it if they come from different cultures.
If all the participants in your group are from the same culture,
or they are from different cultures but all of these cultures
are on the same side of the continuum, then ask people to
imagine they have to work with someone who is on the
opposite side (or to remember a time when they did work
with someone like that), then continue as in above.
Session 16
Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences
and Applying the Model
OBJECTIVE • To enable participants to work with the Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity and apply it in a “real” situation.
To explore our own attitudes towards cultural differences and
to apply Milton Bennett’s developmental model of
Intercultural Sensitivity. MATERIALS REQUIRED
In the afternoon, participants will go on a field visit into town This exercise continues our exploration of the five cultural
and see a market and some cultures sights of interest. concepts introduced in the previous session. In that session,
we presented the concepts and asked participants to identify
their culture’s position on/attitude toward each. In this
TIME SCHEDULE exercise, we try to imagine how people on opposite sides of
the continuums, people who see the world very differently,
12:00 Session 16 view the typical attitudes and behaviors of each other. In
13:00 Lunch short we look at how culture affects our judgments of other
14:00 Free time and field visit people.
Ask participants if they think they have ever been judged in The last slide of the day ‘Wrap Up’ is designed to get the
any of the ways described in this exercise by people from a participants in plenary to discuss and reflect the key points
different culture (especially a donor country). Ask for from today’s session, and if they wish, to make some notes
volunteers to answer this question. Can they see now where in the Learning Journal.
this judgment came from? Finally ask participants how they
think these judgments affect the relationships between There are plenty of reading materials and resources included
people from different cultures who must work together. in the slide set and participants manual that can be utilized if
participants are interested in following up on reading in this
LEARNING JOURNAL ACTIVITY: area.
Following the Judgments section of this session, move to the
next slide ‘Learning Journal Activity’. Ask the participants to
take out their learning journals and to ‘think about the
discussion and record some reflections on one or two of the
areas that are most interesting for you to think further about’.
Ask them ‘How can your thoughts translate into actions in
your workplace or other situation?’
Resources
SESSION 13:
SESSION 14:
Culture in Context
SESSION 15:
Intercultural Skills
Cultural Assumptions
SESSION 16:
VALUES BEHAVIORS
Note that something that is personal could also be done by other people
in the same culture, but it would only be considered cultural if it were
done by most people from that culture.
15. ____ Wearing white mourning robes for 30 days after the death of your mother.
16. ____ Disliking having to wear mourning clothes for 30 days after the death of your
mother.
_____ To be persistent.
_____ To be flexible.
_____ To be non-judgmental.
Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manage. SIETAR International, Washington D.C.
CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS
1 2 3 4 ___ 5
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
The locus of control is internal; The locus of control is external;
fate has little or no importance; fate plays a major role; people
there are few givens in life, few believe they have limited control
things that can’t be changed and over their destiny/external
must just be accepted; where events; many things in life must
there’s a will, there’s a way; one be accepted/can’t be changed;
makes one’s own luck; success/lack of success is partly
unhappiness is one’s own fault; a result of good/bad fortune;
people tend to be more people tend to be realistic/
optimistic; life is what I do fatalistic; life is what happens to
me.
CONCEPT OF SELF
INDIVIDUALIST COLLECTIVIST
Self is the smallest unit of survival; The primary group, usually the
looking out for one’s self protects others; family, is the smallest unit of
personal fulfillment is the greatest good; survival; looking out for others
independence and self-reliance are protects one’s self; group
highly valued; children are taught to harmony is the greatest good;
stand on their own two feet; workers children are taught to depend on
don’t mind individual recognition; one’s others, who in turn can always
identity is personal and individual, not depend on them; employees
primarily a function of one’s membership don’t like to stand out; they
or role in a group; self-worth is a function prefer group/team recognition;
of what you have accomplished or “done identity is mainly a function of
with” your life one’s membership/role in a
primary group; self-worth is
measured by how well you get
along with/are regarded by
others.
CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD
POWER DISTANCE
LOW HIGH
More democratic management style; More authoritarian; power is
power is less jealously guarded; centralized; deference to
manager shares authority with authority; managers hold on to
subordinates; subordinates take power, not much delegation of
initiative and are not overly authority; subordinates do not
deferential to managers; take initiative and wait for explicit
subordinates do not like to be instructions; decisions made at
micromanaged; decision making is the top; one does not openly
more consultative; OK to say no disagree with/say no to the boss;
to/disagree with the boss; manager/ rank has its privileges; manager/
subordinate relations are more subordinate relations are more
informal; rank has fewer privileges. formal.
MONOCHRONIC POLYCHRONIC
People are more casual about time;
Time is a limited commodity and
there is always more time;
must be used carefully; people
deadlines and schedules are
are very conscious of time; it’s
approximations and can easily be
important to be on time and for
adjusted/changed; you’re never
things to start on time; to be late
really late and things start when
or to keep people waiting is rude;
they start; people may do several
schedules and deadlines are
things simultaneously and can’t
sacred and not easily changed;
really be interrupted (interruptions
people do things one at a time;
are life); time is bent to meet the
interruptions are bad; the needs
needs of people.
of people are subservient to the
demands of time.
BENIGN SKEPTICAL
People are inherently good; they People are not inherently good
should be trusted until they prove or bad, but you should never
otherwise; they can normally be trust other people without a
counted on to be fair and play by good reason; people generally
the rules; on the whole people do cannot be counted on to be fair
not try to take advantage of each or play by the rules; people will
other; you can usually take take advantage of you if given a
. people at their word; people chance; you have to protect
believe that one person’s yourself; you can’t take people
success does not have to be at at their word; people believe
someone else’s expense one person can only get ahead
(concept of the unlimited good). at someone else’s expense
(concept of the limited good).
Different people react in different ways to people from other cultures. The range of possible reactions to
cultural difference has been summarised by Dr. Milton Bennett in his Developmental Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity. Based on concepts from cognitive psychology and constructivism, Bennett
identifies six stages of intercultural sensitivity, ranging from extreme ethnocentrism on the one hand to
mature ethnorelativism on the other.
Understanding the mindset of people in the various stages—their typical attitudes toward and reactions
to cultural difference—can be very useful to the participants in their respective jobs. In this exercise, we
will first examine Bennett’s model, summarised below, and then apply it in two LEAD-like critical
incidents. (In the formulation presented below, Bennett’s six stages have been reduced to five by
combining his Adaptation [stage 5] and Integration [stage 6] into one.)
ETHNOCENTRISM
1. DENIAL
• Extreme ethnocentrism.
• Very limited exposure to/contact with people not like oneself (either by choice or by default).
• People can only see the familiar; no real framework even for noticing cultural differences (even
when confronted with them).
• Their reaction to “difference” (if they do perceive it) is usually either embarrassment or studious
politeness.
• “Benign” stereotypes (all Africans are good hunters; all Europeans are rich; all Asians are good
business people).
• The Other is not considered a threat as it is not consciously acknowledged.
• The Other is an aberration (not its own category, but a deviant version of the only category, i.e.,
us).
• People may erect physical, social or psychological barriers to separate themselves from the
Other.
• There may be some negativity toward the Other, but it is usually subconscious and not overt.
• There is very little hostility, as the Other is not consciously recognised.
2. DEFENSE
3. MINIMIZATION
ETHNORELATIVISM
4. ACCEPTANCE
5. ADAPTATION / INTEGRATION
• People have the ability to identify fully with another culture (biculturalism).
• People can readily see the world through the eyes of others and imagine how they are seen by
others.
• Empathy (I feel what you feel) replaces sympathy (I know how you must feel), which is more
characteristic of the acceptance stage.
• People consciously adopt behaviors from other cultures.
• The internalisation of/ability to operate from two or more frames of reference.
• A respect for difference means a respect for oneself.
You work with a colleague who has not had any international experience and very
limited exposure at home to people from a different cultural background. Your
organisation has a grant to work on a deforestation project with a rural indigenous group
in a remote region, and your colleague is consistently frustrated by the “backward”
behaviour of various members of the indigenous group. He doesn’t understand why it is
not enough, for example, to just “explain to these people” that cutting trees for firewood
is shortsighted and will eventually cause the erosion of their cropland, which will result in
them having to move to the city.
You can also see that when this colleague interacts one-on-one with indigenous group
members, he offends them with his somewhat impatient, very proud manner. When the
indigenous group members ask questions at meetings, for example, he acts frustrated,
answers somewhat abruptly, and uses words and talks about concepts that common or
lay people at the meeting do not understand. You can see that the indigenous group
members do not trust him—that they think he does not understand their situation—and
now you are worried that their reactions to this man may be hurting the success of this
project.
Discuss these two questions with your group: What can you do to help this colleague get
beyond this stage and generally improve his relationship with the indigenous group? Is
there anything you can do or say to the indigenous group members to help the situation?
Cross-Cultural Communication
Day 3
Slide 2
181
Slide 3
S E S S I O N 11
Introduction to the
Day, CCC Quiz,
Participant Stories
Cross-Cultural Communication
Slide 4
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Highest__________
Lowest__________
182
Slide 5
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Luiz Carlos
Ros Filho
LEAD Fellow,
Brazil
Slide 6
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Wei Zhao
LEAD Fellow
China
183
Slide 7
Cross-Cultural Quiz
4. The percentage of Indian workers who said they preferred very close
supervision on the job was:
A. 25 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 65 percent
D. 85 percent
Sujatha
Byravan
LEAD Fellow
India
Slide 8
Cross-Cultural Quiz
5. You are travelling on a train in India when an Indian woman offers you a
drink from her water bottle. You should:
A. Politely refuse,
C. Drink in such a way that your mouth never touches the lip of the
bottle.
184
Slide 9
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Amjad Zafar
Khan
ICT Manager
LEAD Pakistan
Slide 10
Cross-Cultural Quiz
7. You have been invited to a Mexican family’s home for dinner, and
you arrive one hour after the time they said to come. You are:
A. Late—and you should apologize.
B. On time.
C. Very early;
Boris Gregorio
most of the family
Graizbord Ed
isn’t even home yet.
National
Programme
Director
LEAD Mexico
185
Slide 11
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Awa Faly Ba
LEAD Fellow
Francophone Africa
Slide 12
Cross-Cultural Quiz
Yumiko
Umehara
LEAD
Fellow
Japan
186
Slide 13
Cross-Cultural Quiz
10. The percent of Arab executives who rated employee loyalty as more
important than efficiency was:
A. One quarter
B. One third
C. One half
D. Two thirds
Mireille Atallah
LEAD Fellow
Europe
Slide 14
Cross-Cultural Quiz
11. If a Nigerian from the north of the country raises his clenched fist
to you, what does he mean:
A. He is from the ANPP (the opposition political party)
B. He intends to hit you
C. He is showing you respect and reverence
Abiodun
Shonubi
Academic
Coordinator
LEAD Nigeria
187
Slide 15
Cross-Cultural Quiz
12. In the following cities, try to guess how many times in one hour
a typical couple in a café touches each other:
San Juan, PR ______ times
Paris ______ times
London ______ times
Slide 16
188
Slide 17
Slide 18
Our Stories
189
Slide 19
S E S S I O N 12
What is Culture?
Cross-Cultural Communication
Slide 20
WHAT IS CULTURE?
The things
people say
and do
Behaviour
Values
Beliefs
Assumptions
190
Slide 21
Understanding
Culture
Behaviour Behaviour
Values Values
Beliefs Beliefs
Assumptions Assumptions
Slide 22
S E S S I O N 13
Matching Values to
Behaviour
Cross-Cultural Communication
191
Slide 23
Slide 24
192
Slide 25
S E S S I O N 14
Culture in Context
Cross-Cultural Communication
Slide 26
TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR
193
Slide 27
Slide 28
194
Slide 29
S E S S I O N 15
Cross-Cultural Communication
Slide 30
Intercultural Skills
___ To be persistent
___ To learn from interacting
___ To be flexible
___ To be aware of one’s limitations
___ To listen and observe
___ To tolerate ambiguity
___ To respect the other culture
___ To be aware of one’s own culture
___ To avoid stereotyping
___ To be nonjudgmental
___ To be able to communicate
195
Slide 31
Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manager, SIETAR International, Washington, D.C.
Slide 32
WHAT IS CULTURE?
The things
people say
and do
Behaviour
Values
Beliefs
Assumptions
196
Slide 33
Cultural Assumptions
Slide 34
Internal:
♦ fate has little importance
♦ there are few things that can’t be changed
♦ where there’s a will, there’s a way
♦ life is what I make of it
External:
♦ fate plays a major role
♦ people have limited control over destiny/external events
♦ success is partly a result of good fortune
♦ life is what happens to me
197
Slide 35
Concept of Self
Individualist:
♦ self is the smallest unit of survival
♦ personal fulfilment is the greatest good
♦ independence and self reliance is highly valued
Collectivist:
♦ the family unit is the smallest unit of survival
♦ looking out for others protects one’s self
♦ group harmony is the greatest good
♦ identity is mainly a function of one’s membership / role in a
primary group
Slide 36
Power Distance
Low:
♦ more democratic management style
♦ power is less jealously guarded
♦ subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to
managers
High:
♦ more authoritarian
♦ power is centralised
♦ deference to authority
♦ managers hold on to power
198
Slide 37
Monochronic:
♦ time is a limited commodity and must be used carefully
♦ people are very conscious of time
♦ schedules and deadlines are sacred
Polychronic:
♦ people are more casual about time
♦ deadlines and schedules are approximations and can be
easily adjusted and changed
♦ people may do several things simultaneously and can’t
really be interrupted
Slide 38
Benign:
♦ people are inherently good
♦ people should be trusted unless they prove otherwise
♦ one person’s success doesn’t have to come at someone
else’s expense
Skeptical:
♦ people are not inherently good or bad
♦ never trust anyone without a good reason
♦ people can not be counted on to be fair
♦ one person’s success comes at the expense of someone
else
199
Slide 39
Cultural Assumptions
1 2 3 4 5
Slide 40
a
Br kist
si
l
ga
ia
Se a
ne
N A
bi
s
Pa
ne
S
us
do
i
K
Z
U
R
U
In
1 2 3 4 5
200
Slide 41
a
bi
In dia n
m
In ista
Pa ia
a
Z a
Se bia
l
si
ga
N /Z
Br eria
ne
us
k
U zil
m
SA
ne
K
Za
R
a
do
ig
U
1 2 3 4 5
Slide 42
si l
us a
er a
a
Za azil
R neg
ig bi
ia
K
Z
N m
N
Br
Se
1 2 3 4 5
201
Slide 43
an
er il st
ig raz aki
B P
a
l
ga
do ia
si
a
In mb
ne
In a
ne
si
a
i
SA
di
us
K
Z
Za
Se
U
N
U
1 2 3 N 4 5
Slide 44
si
eg
ne
en
do
a
In ria
/S
bi
Br ia
Za il
In
SA
a
az
e
m
s
di
Z
ig
us
K
N
U
U
N
R
1 2 3 4 5
202
Slide 45
Slide 46
S E S S I O N 16
Cross-Cultural Communication
203
Slide 47
JUDGMENTS
Slide 48
JUDGMENTS
204
Slide 49
Slide 50
205
Slide 51
Slide 52
206
Slide 53
4. Acceptance
3. Minimization
2. Defense
Slide 54
Case Study:
In small groups, take 20 minutes to familiarise yourself with the
case study given and to discuss the issues raised within it with
other members of your group. Consider how the Milton
Bennett developmental model can be applied to your scenario.
207
Slide 55
Wrap Up
Slide 56
208
Slide 57
References, Resources
Slide 58
Cross-Cultural Communication
209
Slide 59
References, Resources
♦ Barker, A 2000. Improve Your Communication Skills. Kogan Page, London.
♦ Carbaugh, D, Ed. 1990. Cultural communication and intercultural contact. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.
♦ Cross-Cultural Library
http://sistergoldenhair.com/uponarrival/library.html
♦ 2003. Cross-Cultural Management and NGO Capacity Building , International NGO Training and
Research Centre (INTRAC), Oxford.
http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/PraxisNotes_en.html
♦ Gardenswartz, L, & Rowe, A 1998. Managing diversity: A complete desk reference and planning
guide. New York: McGraw Hill.
Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International
Slide 60
References, Resources
♦ GreenCOM 2001. Human Nature (6):2. (Online 25 June, 2003).
http://www.greencom.org/greencom/pdf/hn-v6n2-eng.pdf
♦ Hofstede, G. 1996. Cultures and Organisations: Software or the Mind – Intercultural Cooperation
and its Importance for Survival. McGraw-Hill, NY.
♦ Rotter, J 1966. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcements,
Psychological Monographs, 80, Whole No. 609.
210
Slide 61
References, Resources
♦ Storti, C 1994. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference.
Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.
♦ Storti, C 2003. ‘Cross-cultural Communication and Awareness’ in: Crossing Water Thresholds:
Future Challenges of Managing a Threatened Global Resource, Guadalajara, Mexico 30 April – 10
May, 2003. Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) International, London.
♦ 2004. Training Across Cultures – A Handbook for Trainers and Facilitators Working Around the
World. LEAD International, London.
http://www.lead.org/Publications/default.cfm?target=Publications
211
212