Fm - Cross Cultural Communications

Schedule Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Wednesday 12 July Bangkok, Thailand

EVENT

CONTENT

08:30

Session 11 Introduction to the Day and Cross-Cultural Quiz

Opening remarks and introduction to cross-cultural communication. A questionnaire will be used to raise some cultural issues and begin the session.

09:00

Session 11 (cont) Participants’ Stories

Participants will share experiences of cultural difference in a small group exercise.

09:30

Session 12 What is Culture?

A short lecture will introduce the concept of cultures, and examine visible and invisible aspects of behaviour.

09:45

Session 13 Matching Values to Behaviour

An exercise to show the links between values and behaviour.

10.30

Coffee/tea break

11:00

Session 14 Culture in Context

This is a short lecture to place culture and cultural behaviour in the context of universal behaviour (human nature) and personal (individual) behaviour. This will be followed by a short activity to practice making distinctions between the three categories of behaviour introduced in the previous session.

11:20

Session 15 Intercultural Skills and Cultural Assumptions

This exercise explores an entry point to looking at culture. Key concepts in the intercultural field will be introduced, and participants will be asked to identify their views/attitudes towards them.

TIME

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Schedule Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Wednesday 12 July continued Bangkok, Thailand

EVENT

CONTENT

FACILITATOR/CHAIR

12:00

Session 16 – Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences and Applying the Model

Based on Milton Bennett’s model, this session will present and examine the stages people go through in developing an awareness of and sensitivity towards cultural difference. The Bennett model will be applied through a group exercise that will explore the implications of working with a different or clashing set of values

G. Martin Mehers G. Bedi

13:00

Lunch

14:00

Free Time

Participants will have free time.

15:00

Field Visit

A bus trip to town, a market and some cultural sights of interest is available.

TIME

Free evening

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

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 (maximum 6-8 persons per table)

The session will start with a review of the journey so far and 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 communication and its significance generally as a leadership skills module for young leaders. Participants will be encouraged to participate in a quiz designed to raise cultural issues. In small groups and in plenary, participants will share their own experiences of cultural difference.

TIME SCHEDULE 08:30 09:00 09:30 09:45 10 :30

Session 11 Session 11 (contin.) Session 12 Session 13 Coffee Break

PROCESS This introductory session is mainly for fun. The idea is to introduce the topic of culture through a quiz that: 1) participants will enjoy and that 2) illustrates how culture 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 audience so they don’t become too serious during the quiz. Explain the purpose of the exercise, to have fun and introduce the topic of culture in a very general way. Go through each question of the quiz, reading the question 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 • To start the day off with something that immediately engages the audience. • To show how culture plays a part in a wide variety of situations.

MATERIALS REQUIRED • •

Sometimes participants who come from a country featured in a question will say that your answer is not correct. In question 2, for example, Brazilians sometimes say that pulling on the earlobe doesn’t mean anything in Brazil or means 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 one part of the country may not be true everywhere. Then quickly move on.

Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen

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CROSS-CULTURAL QUIZ ANSWERS 1. People in 59 countries were asked: “In general, do you usually trust other people?” Try to name the country which ranked highest (most trusting) and lowest (least trusting): Highest Lowest

__________________ __________________

Explain that this is taken from Transparency International’s semi-annual survey where they ask people in 59 countries: Do you trust other people? (among other questions). Highest (most trusting) is Norway. Least trusting is Brazil. The survey results for all 59 countries is attached in the slide set following the quiz questions. 2. If a Brazilian pulls her earlobe when someone else is talking, this means:

If you touch the bottle to your lips, this is considered “jutha” or pollution, and the woman may be offended. Indians in your workshop may deny this, but it is traditionally very true. 6. If a Pakistani says he will do something “God willing,” this means: A. He does not intend to do it, but he does not want to be rude. B. He intends to do it, but he does not want to sound irreligious. B. Could also be A. depending, but explain that in Arabic, when you speak in the future tense you must say “Nsh’allah” which means “Perhaps” or “God willing.” This does not mean 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 it is ultimately in God’s hands.

A. Nothing; it’s just coincidence. B. Her earlobe is itching. C. She approves of what the person is saying.

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:

Brazilians from around Rio de Janeiro say it means 3.

A. Late, and you should apologize. B. On time. C. Very early; most of the family isn’t even home yet.

3. If a Chinese person says your suggestion is ‘good’, they mean:

B or C, but definitely not A. Mexicans are very flexible when it comes to being on time for social engagements.

A. It is really good. 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 often sounds like positive feedback. Answer can be B or C.

A. She has indigestion. 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.

A. 25 percent B. 50 percent

9. A Japanese lady touches her nose frequently while you are talking to her. This means:

C. 65 percent D. 85 percent

85%. Ask participants if this would be true in their country. 5. You’re traveling on a train in India. The Indian woman next to you offers you a drink from her water bottle. You should: A. Refuse politely. B. Take a small sip and hand the bottle back. C. Pour some water into your mouth without touching the bottle to your lips.

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A. Go and brush your teeth; B. Her nose must have been itching, or; C. She is pointing to herself. C. Japanese women in particular when referring to themselves in a conversation, touch their noses (rather than indicating to their chest with their hands as in European culture).

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10. The percent of Arab executives who rated employee loyalty as more important than efficiency was:

Ranking in the trust survey where respondents were asked whether or not they trusted people in general.

A. One quarter B. One third

1. Brazil 2. Peru 3. Philippines 4. Puerto Rico 5. Turkey 6. Colombia 7. Venezuela 8. Slovenia 9. Poland 10. Argentina 11. Romania 12. South Africa 13. Pakistan 14. Nigeria 15. Bangladesh 16. Azerbaijan 17. Chile 18. Slovakia 19. Estonia 20. Portugal 21. Moldova 22. France 23. Georgia 24. Croatia 25. Dominican Republic 26. Hungary 27. Russia 28. Armenia 29. E. Germany 30. Latvia

C. One half D. Two thirds

D. Two thirds. 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 (opposition political party) B. He intends to hit you. C. He is showing you respect and reverence. C. In the North of the country, this gesture indicates respect to elders in particular. 12. In the following cities, try to guess how many times in one hour a typical couple in a cafe touches each other: San Juan Paris London

_____ _____ _____

San Juan: 180 Paris: 110

London: O

Additional Question: What percentage of the world’s population is relationship oriented (vs task oriented)? 95% relationship – 5% task 70% relationship – 30 % task 25% relationship – 75% task Resource: The overwhelming majority of people – maybe 95% of the world’s population –are relationship-oriented (e.g. Eastern Europeans, and the inhabitants of Mediterranean, LatinAmericans, Asian and Arab countries). The other 5% of the world’s population are task- or issue-oriented (Germanics, Nordics and Anglo-Saxons) (Storti, 2003).

31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59.

Mexico Spain Bulgaria South Korea Czech Republic Serbia Ukraine Austria Belgium Italy United States India Australia Switzerland Taiwan W. Germany Great Britain No. Ireland Iceland Japan Ireland Finland New Zealand China Canada Netherlands Sweden Denmark Norway

Participant Stories This part of Session 11 gets participants thinking about their own cross-cultural experiences, usually humorous or embarrassing ones. It also gets them talking to each other. The trainer does not have to say much here, except to introduce the session, using the words on the slide. Explain the purpose of the session, using the slide. Explain that each participant at each table should tell a personal cross-cultural story, taking no longer than 5 minutes. After each person has told his/her story, the table should vote on the “best” story that will later be told to the whole audience. Tell the tables to begin and explain that they have 30 minutes (or 5 minutes per participant) to complete the exercise.

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After 30 minutes, call the session to order and ask the participant with the “best” story from each table to retell his/her story to the entire group.

FACILITATOR NOTES Speakers may not speak loud enough when telling their story to the entire audience. Make sure they speak up.

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

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 concepts. .

TIME SCHEDULE 09:30 09:45 10:30 11:00

Session 12 Session 13 Coffee Break Session 14

GOALS FOR THE SESSION

PROCESS This session is a short lecture which defines culture for the purposes of the workshop and establishes the crucial link between behavior and values, beliefs, and assumptions. This is probably the most important 15 minutes of the entire 2day workshop, and it is essential the trainer practice the main points of this lecture (see steps below) several times before doing this session. While you don’t need to explain this unless you are asked, the definitions we will use for values, beliefs, and assumptions are as follows:

• To introduce and define the concept of culture as it will be used in this workshop. • To explain the link between the visible aspects of culture (personal behavior and the invisible, unconscious aspects (values, beliefs, assumptions).

• Values: the basis on which people decide and judge what is right and good, and wrong and bad, in their society. • Beliefs: what people think of as true or real in their society • 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 above and then explain that in later exercises we will be dealing with each of these in much more detail.

• •

Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen

Bring up slide (What is Culture?) and make the point that there are many definitions of culture and we are choosing a very general one for our purposes today. Then add that we are not talking about Capital “C’ Culture, as in literature,

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painting, music etc., though they are products/manifestations of culture. We are talking about culture in a wider sense as “a way of life” for a particular group of people, which includes their behaviors and characteristic values, beliefs, and assumptions. Finally, make the point that culture does not always equate with nationality, that most nations (countries) have more than one culture, although most nations do have a dominant culture and then several subcultures. (Be sure to make this point so you can later make the point about making cultural generalizations.) Pointing to the same slide, explain the relationship between what is above the line (behavior) and what is below the line (values, beliefs, assumptions) in the triangle. Begin by saying that what we have to deal with in everyday life is behavior, the things people say and do. We don’t really deal with a person’s culture, but their actions. Then point out that our whole point here today is that the things people say and do are not accidental or somehow invented. They are, rather, to a large extent determined by the things below the line in the diagram: values, beliefs, assumptions. Depending on these things (point below the line) people will say and do certain things (point above the line), and almost never do other things, things that are against (point below the line again) or not consistent with what we know they value and believe in. Now show next slide. When you deal with someone from another culture (indicate the triangle on the right), you are dealing with someone from another triangle, and to the extent that that person’s values, beliefs, assumptions (point below the line of the triangle to the right) are different from yours (point below the line of the triangle on the left), then

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that person’s behavior (point above the line of the right triangle) must be different from yours (point above the line on the left triangle). But remember: this person’s behavior (point above the line of the right triangle) makes perfect sense (point below) to him or her, just like your behavior (point above the line on left triangle) makes perfect sense (point below) to you. Then make what is in many ways the central point of the whole workshop (so practice this statement!): When you’re dealing with someone from another culture and that person does something that makes absolutely no sense to you, it is almost guaranteed that it makes perfect sense to him/her. Most people simply do not do things they think are crazy. They do things YOU think are crazy, and you do things THEY think are crazy, but most of us don’t think the things WE do are crazy—because they are not. To us. This does not mean you have to like or accept or even permit the various things people from other cultures do, but you should try to understand where these behaviors (point above the line) come from (point below the line). When you realize, for example, that something a person from another culture did that offended or frustrated you is not an offensive/frustrating action in that person’s culture, then you will probably not get so upset. You may still find the behavior offensive, but now you understand that that person did not believe it was offensive and did not intend to offend you. This is why it is so important to understand about the invisible aspects of culture—the things below the line in the triangle—so we can better understand why people behave the way they do.

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 13 Matching Values to Behaviour

OBJECTIVE To demonstrate and understand the link between values and behaviour. Participants will undertake an interactive exercise showing the links between values and behaviour and discuss their own examples.

TIME SCHEDULE 09:45 10:30 11:00 11:20

Session 13 Coffee Break Session 14 Session 15

GOAL FOR THE SESSION

Explain (these instructions are also on the handout enclosed in the Resource section at the end of Day 3) that there is a list of values down the left hand side of this page and a list of behaviors down the right hand side. For each value on the left there is a behavior somewhere on the right that is a “good match” for this value, something you can easily imagine that a person who held this value would actually do or say. Do the first value, “Being direct,” as an example, pointing out that someone who felt it was important to be direct in his/her communication would think it was OK to “Disagree openly with someone at a meeting.” Give the group a few minutes to complete the rest of the items. Be sure to explain that for one or two of the values there may be more than one match in the behavior column, but participants should try to find just one match for every value.

• To illustrate with examples the link between values and behavior.

After everyone has finished, go through each item and solicit 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 Culture?’ again and repeat the question. When they have answered correctly (to show the relationship between values 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 differently, and this is basically what it means to be from another culture.)

• • •

Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen Hand out.

PROCESS Introduce the exercise by explaining that this is a simple activity to demonstrate the link between values and behavior (refer again to slide ‘What is Culture?’).

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ANSWER KEY: The sequence of numbers down the right hand side should be as follows: 8,6,2,9,1,5,4,3,7

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FACILITATOR NOTES The only potential problem here (alluded to above) is if people give a different match for a value than the “right” answer given in the answer key. You can go ahead and accept this answer as long as the person can give a good explanation for it. Even then, be sure to give the answer from the answer key.

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 14 Culture in Context

OBJECTIVE

MATERIALS REQUIRED

To understand culture and cultural behaviour in the context of universal and personal behaviour.

• • •

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 followed by a short activity to practice making distinctions between the three categories of behaviour introduced in the previous session.

TIME SCHEDULE 10:30 11:00 11:20 12:00 13:00 14:00

Coffee Break Session 14 Session 15 Session 16 Lunch Free time and field visit

GOALS FOR THE SESSION • To put cultural behavior into the context of universal and personal behavior. • To make the point that although there are many differences on the level of culture, there are many similarities on the level of human nature. • To make the point that although there are many similarities on the level of culture (i.e., people from the same culture are alike in many ways), there will be differences on the personal level.

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Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen Hand out.

PROCESS This short lecture places culture and cultural behavior in the 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, even though that is more or less the exclusive focus of this workshop. The real point here is that although we are going to be focusing on culture for these two days—and especially on cultural differences—there are ways that everyone is alike (human nature), as well as ways no two people are alike, even people from the same culture (individual differences). 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 this lecture smoothly. Display the slide and make the opening point that although culture is our focus here today (indicate culture box), culture is not the only type of behavior or the only influence on behavior. There are ways that we are all alike, no matter what culture we are from (indicate universal box). This is what we call human nature. Bring up slide ‘Understanding Culture’ and explain that this means that some of these values, beliefs, assumptions (point to these words in one triangle) will be

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the same as some of these (point to other triangle), and therefore, some of these behaviors (top of one triangle) will be the same as some of these (top of other triangle). Then say that it has been estimated that close to 50% of all values/beliefs/assumptions, hence all behaviors, are universal, the same from culture to culture. This means that when you deal with someone from another culture not EVERYTHING about that person is going to be different from you; maybe only half. Furthermore, the more similar that culture is to yours, the higher percentage of similarities (the 50% universal plus a certain percentage of cultural similarity). In other words, don’t despair and think that whenever you deal with someone from another culture, everything is going to be different. Cross-cultural interaction is more difficult than same culture interaction, but not 100% more difficult. Now explain that while there are ways that we are all alike (Universal), there are other ways that we are like some people, those from our culture (point to Cultural box) and not like other people, those from other cultures. Briefly say that this box will of course be the focus of most of this workshop. Now point to the box on the extreme right (Personal) and explain that there are also ways that none of us is like anyone else, including people from our own culture (indicate Cultural box) and the rest of the human race (indicate Universal box)—because each of us is also an individual. Then explain that because of these individual differences, anything we say about culture in this workshop will always have to be a generalization. And that people should remember this. Then make it very clear that we can’t talk about culture, about millions of people, without making these general statements. And while individual differences necessarily limit the validity of general cultural statements, these statements are nevertheless very useful as long as we remember that they are general. Then explain to participants that they don’t have to believe you on this point but ask them to suspend their disbelief or doubts for now and see what happens when we get to the exercises in the rest of this workshop. The ‘Culture in Context’ hand out activity (referring to ‘universal, cultural or personal’) allows participants to practice making distinctions between the three categories of behavior introduced in the previous lecture and thereby solidify their understanding of the differences.

Go over the instructions as they are given on the handout. Do the first item, “Sleeping with a bedroom window open,” together with the group. Then ask them to complete the exercise individually. Review the answers with the whole group, asking different people to give their response. There will be some disagreement with some items; one person may say something is cultural while another person may say it is universal or even personal. You can allows these disagreements—the discussion is in many ways the whole point of the activity—but be sure to require people to give the logic or rationale for their choice. See Answer Key below for what the “right” answers. ANSWER KEY: 1. P 2. U (though the animal might differ) 3. C 4. C 5. C 6. U 7. C

8. P 9. U 10. C 11. P 12. C 13. U 14. U

Remember: Something that is cultural is also going to be personal, in the sense that many persons in that culture will do this thing. But in this quiz an answer is only personal if most people in a culture would not do that thing.

FACILITATOR NOTES As suggested above, some participants react to making general cultural statements; they think it is stereotyping or oversimplifying to the extent that it is not valuable. Do not argue with these people if they make these points; there is, after all, some truth to what they are saying. Just politely acknowledge their observations and invite them to try a few of the upcoming exercises and see if they find them useful. Regarding stereotyping: you can point out that this is simply the use of categories for storing information—something the mind must do to make sense of otherwise random input— and so long as we do not try to force any one individual into a category, it can be illuminating. Don’t use this statement unless you have to; you begin to sound defensive.

Briefly introduce the purpose of the exercise: to give participants a chance to practice thinking about the differences between universal, cultural, and personal behaviors.

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 15 Intercultural Skills and Cultural Assumptions OBJECTIVE

MATERIALS REQUIRED

To identify the most important intercultural communication skills and to explore five key concepts in the intercultural field.

• • • •

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 identify their views and attitudes towards them.

TIME SCHEDULE 11:20 12:00 13:00 14:00

Session 15 Session 16 Lunch Free time and field visit

GOALS FOR THE SESSION • To stimulate discussion about why being aware of one’s own culture is important when looking at other cultures. • To introduce five key concepts in the field of intercultural communication. • To ask participants to identify their own culture’s point of view on these five concepts.

Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen Flip chart and markers Hand outs

PREPARATION Draw up on the wall (using two pieces of flipchart paper), the five continuum relating to the five cultural assumptions (see slide ‘Cultural Assumptions’). Make sure each continuum is labeled and numbered. Keep it covered till it is needed.

PROCESS The Intercultural Skills exercise makes the important point that the place to begin in looking at other cultures is with one’s own culture. This point is a natural link to the activity which immediately follows. Explain that the purpose of the exercise is to identify what a group of 50 intercultural experts agreed was the most important single quality or characteristic for dealing effectively with people from another culture. And then to 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. Ask participants to rank / arrange the 11 qualities according to what they personally feel (not trying to decide what the experts said). Put a “1” next to the quality that is most important, “2” next to the second most important etc.

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Then ask various people what they selected as number “1.” As people give “wrong” answers (which the first few answers usually are), simply say that many people also select this quality, but it’s not what the experts said. And then ask for someone else’s “1.” As you do this, keep repeating that of course each of these qualities is very important, and you can make a very good rationale for most of them, but that it is interesting what the experts said. And then ask for another answer. When someone finally gives the same answer the experts gave, congratulate that person and then ask him/her why they made that selection. Then ask if anyone else also made that same selection and ask those people why they selected that as “1.” Then supplement the above answers as necessary with these two observations: • The important thing to determine in looking at another culture is how that culture is different from your own because it is cultural differences that cause problems. But before you can make this kind of comparison, you first have to know what your own culture is like in order to have a point of reference. Once you see that your culture has these values/beliefs/assumptions, then you can examine the other cultures beliefs/values/assumptions and note the differences. • Then make the additional point (which leads into to the next exercise) that it is very difficult to see one’s own culture because we take it for granted. Like a fish takes water for granted and is never really aware of water, we take culture for granted and may not be aware of it. Only when we go to another country (or work with people in our own country who come from a different culture) do we begin to “see” our own culture. ANSWER KEY: The rank order of these 11 skills, as given by the experts, was: 11, 3,8,10,7,9,2,1,5,4,6 The second part of this session deals with cultural assumptions. We will introduce five fundamental concepts in the field of intercultural communication, concepts which correspond to five key dimensions of the human experience. These concepts, which will be referred to as assumptions so as to correspond to the terminology used in the What Is Culture? lecture, are the starting point, the ultimate explanation for, a great deal of human behavior. If you want to understand why people behave the way they do, then the place to start is in knowing what their culture assumes about these nine dimensions.

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Introduce the session making the points under above. As part of this introduction, show slide ‘What is Culture?’ and indicate that we are now going to be looking at the deepest, most fundamental level of culture (point to the word Assumptions), which means we will be looking at the place where a lot of behavior (point to the top of the triangle) ultimately begins. Then bring up slide ‘Cultural Assumptions’ and say we are going to be looking at five assumptions today. Then explain what these continuums are, that you have described the opposite extremes of each assumption/concept on the opposite side of each of these lines. Explain that every culture has a point of view/a way of thinking about or reacting to each of these concepts and that a culture’s view will be on one side or the other side of each continuum. Tell participants that you are going to divide them into groups according to the country they come from and that in their group they must read the two descriptions (right side and left side) and decide which description they think is true in general for their culture (not for the participants personally). If individuals in the group do not agree on their culture’s outlook on a particular assumption, they should discuss their differences until they can come to some kind of consensus. Once the group comes to an agreement, they should put a tick mark on that side of the continuum where the explanation most accurately describes their culture’s point of view. Explain that you would like the location of this tick mark to be described with a number—1 thru 5—and that this number corresponds to a specific location along the continuum (indicate the numbers on the first continuum on the handout). Explain that: Position number 1 corresponds to extreme left and should be used if the group decides that the explanation on the left is exactly true for their culture. Position number 2 corresponds to left side, halfway to the middle, and should be used if the group decides that the explanation on the left is somewhat but not exactly true for their culture. Position number 3 corresponds to the middle and should be used if the group decides that their culture is halfway between the two extremes. Position number 4 corresponds to the right side, halfway to the right edge, and should be used if the group decides that the explanation on the right is somewhat but not exactly true for their culture. Position number 5 corresponds to the extreme right side and should be used if the group decides that the explanation on the right is exactly true for their culture.

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Divide the group up according to the countries the participants come from. If there is only one person from a particular country, then that person works alone. If there are many people from the same country, put them in groups of 6-10. (If everyone is from the same country, you may want to divide people up by “subcultures”: geographic regions, ethnic groups, tribes—but be careful if any of these are sensitive designations). Give the groups about 15 minutes to read and make their decisions for each continuum.

FACILITATOR NOTES

When all groups are finished, call the session back to order and solicit each group’s mark for each continuum by asking for their number. At the place on the line that corresponds to their number (on an overhead or flipchart), write an abbreviation for that country. If the group from Vietnam, for example, says their number for the first continuum is “4,” then write V (for Vietnam) at position number 4 on the first continuum. Do this for all groups for all five continuums. If you have many participants from the same country and have divided them into several groups, then average the numbers of all the various groups to arrive at a single number for that country.

With regard to the cultural assumptions exercise, some people may point out that their country is too culturally diverse and they cannot generalize about the entire population. You can then ask them to select one of the larger subcultures in their country or the dominant culture, if there is one, and try to generalize about that. If they are still reluctant, ask them to pick a group they do feel comfortable generalizing about. At the same time you should point out that this exercise deals in very general categories, and that different subcultures in a country may actually have the same view when it comes to matters that are this fundamental. In any case, you don’t want too many different subgroups in the room or it takes too long to record everyone’s mark.

As suggested above, some people may not think the expert’s choice—being aware of one’s own culture—is the most important. They often say, for example, that being able to communicate or respecting the other culture are much more important. Don’t argue with them; just say that all the qualities are very important but it’s interesting to see how these experts think.

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.

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Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 16 Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences and Applying the Model OBJECTIVE To explore our own attitudes towards cultural differences and to apply Milton Bennett’s developmental model of Intercultural Sensitivity.

• To enable participants to work with the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and apply it in a “real” situation.

MATERIALS REQUIRED

Based on Milton Bennett’s Development Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, this session will present and examine the stages people go through in developing an awareness of, and sensitivity towards, cultural difference. The Bennett model will be applied through a group exercise that will explore the implications of working with a different or clashing set of values.

• • • •

In the afternoon, participants will go on a field visit into town and see a market and some cultures sights of interest.

This exercise continues our exploration of the five cultural 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 exercise, we try to imagine how people on opposite sides of the continuums, people who see the world very differently, view the typical attitudes and behaviors of each other. In short we look at how culture affects our judgments of other people.

TIME SCHEDULE 12:00 13:00 14:00

Session 16 Lunch Free time and field visit

GOALS FOR THE SESSION • To illustrate how cultural assumptions determine our expectations of other people. • To illustrate how cultural assumptions influence our judgments. • To show how people from different cultures naturally tend to judge each other negatively or critically, that what is different is usually perceived as negative. • To help participants become more familiar with the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity.

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L

Session Workbook for participants LCD Projector, screen Flip chart and markers Hand outs

PROCESS

Bring up slide called ‘Judgments’ and say ‘magine that you are on one side of a particular cultural continuum, that you see the world from that perspective. How would you judge or react to - What would you think of?—the typical, characteristic behaviors and attitudes of people on the opposite side? In general, how would the actions/views of these people come across to you?’ Then explain that we want to look at how people on opposite sides of a particular continuum look at or regard each other. Bring up the next slide ‘Judgments’. Divide the participants into four groups. Explain that you are now going to ask each

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group to imagine that they come from a culture on the left side of the first continuum (make sure you explain that for this exercise it doesn’t matter where participants actually put their mark), and they are working with people who come from the right side. For eg. ask them to think of some adjectives to describe how Internalists (in the case of the first continuum) would judge the typical attitudes, worldview of Externalists. Give an example: Say that from the point of view of Internalists, Externalists often seem very passive or without any ambition. Allocate one example to each of the groups (see the examples circled on the slide) Call the session to order and solicit the answers from the various groups, going through each continuum one at a time. If the adjectives/judgments are mostly negative, as they tend to be, ask the group why they think this is. Point out, if no one says this, that most people tend to judge people who are not like them negatively, not neutrally and very seldom positively. This is because if I think what I do is normal or right, then someone who does the opposite of what I do must be abnormal and wrong. Once again point out that people do not choose or try to be on opposite sides of these continuums, but often they are. Ask participants if they think they have ever been judged in any of the ways described in this exercise by people from a different culture (especially a donor country). Ask for volunteers to answer this question. Can they see now where this judgment came from? Finally ask participants how they think these judgments affect the relationships between people from different cultures who must work together. LEARNING JOURNAL ACTIVITY: 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?’

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Bring up the next slide ‘Attitudes toward cultural difference’. Give out the hand out explaining the stages to the Milton Bennett model. Talk through each stage referring to the slides. Explain that there are many models that have been developed, this is just one such model that we felt was useful to help us understand the process in becoming more effective cross cultural communicators. (They don’t necessarily need to agree with the model but perhaps try to see in what ways it can be useful). This session asks participants to think in more detail about the Bennett model and to apply it in a real situation (give out the hand out). In this situation, the task is getting the participants to think about how you can get someone to move further ahead in the model toward a more ethnorelative perspective. Divide participants into small groups and give them 20 minutes to read the hand out and discuss the two questions. After 20 minutes, call the session to order and ask participants to describe their answers to the two questions. Then ask them if they themselves have moved through the stages of Milton Bennett’s model. If so, what enabled them to change? The last slide of the day ‘Wrap Up’ is designed to get the participants in plenary to discuss and reflect the key points from today’s session, and if they wish, to make some notes in the Learning Journal. There are plenty of reading materials and resources included in the slide set and participants manual that can be utilized if participants are interested in following up on reading in this area.

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L

Facilitator’s Notes Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Resources

SESSION 13: Matching Values to Behaviour

SESSION 14: Culture in Context

SESSION 15: Intercultural Skills Cultural Assumptions

SESSION 16: The Milton Bennett Model Applying the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

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MATCHING VALUES AND BEHAVIORS

VALUES

BEHAVIORS

1. Being direct

____ Use of understatement.

2. Centrality of family

____ Asking people to call you by your first name.

3. Fatalism

____ Taking off from work to attend the funeral of an aunt.

4. Saving face

____ Not helping the person next to you on an exam.

5. Respect for age

____ Disagreeing openly with someone at a meeting.

6. Informality

____ Not laying off an older worker whose performance is weak.

7. Deference to authority

____ At a meeting, agreeing with a suggestion you think is wrong.

8. Being indirect

____ Accepting without question that. something cannot be changed.

9. Self-reliance

____ Asking the boss’ opinion on something you’re the expert on.

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UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL For each of the sixteen items below, write a U, C, or P in the blank depending on whether you think the behavior is (U) niversal—common to all cultures and people (C) ultural—specific to a particular group or culture (P) ersonal—unique to a particular individual within a culture 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.

1.

____

Sleeping with a bedroom window open.

2.

____

Running from a dangerous animal.

3.

____

Considering snakes to be "evil."

4.

____

Men opening doors for women.

5.

____

Respecting older people.

6.

____

Learning one’s mother tongue.

7.

____

Speaking Arabic.

8.

____

Speaking Arabic as a foreign language.

9.

____

Eating regularly.

10.

____

Eating with a knife, fork, and spoon.

11.

____

Liking the novels of Vikram Seth.

12.

____

Calling a waiter with a hissing sound.

13.

____

Regretting being the cause of an accident.

14.

____

Feeling sad at the death of your mother.

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.

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INTERCULTURAL SKILLS

Rank order the following items in terms of their importance to dealing successfully with people from other cultures. Then compare your ranking with that of 50 intercultural specialists.

_____ To be persistent.

_____ To learn from interacting.

_____ To be flexible.

_____ To be aware of one's own 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 non-judgmental.

_____ To be able to communicate.

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Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manage. SIETAR International, Washington D.C.

CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS THE LOCUS OF CONTROL 1 INTERNAL

2

3

The locus of control is internal; fate has little or no importance; there are few givens in life, few things that can’t be changed and must just be accepted; where there’s a will, there’s a way; one makes one’s own luck; unhappiness is one’s own fault; people tend to be more optimistic; life is what I do

CONCEPT OF SELF INDIVIDUALIST

___

5 EXTERNAL

The locus of control is external; fate plays a major role; people believe they have limited control over their destiny/external events; many things in life must be accepted/can’t be changed; success/lack of success is partly a result of good/bad fortune; people tend to be realistic/ fatalistic; life is what happens to me.

COLLECTIVIST

Self is the smallest unit of survival; looking out for one’s self protects others; personal fulfillment is the greatest good; independence and self-reliance are highly valued; children are taught to stand on their own two feet; workers don’t mind individual recognition; one’s identity is personal and individual, not primarily a function of one’s membership or role in a group; self-worth is a function of what you have accomplished or “done with” your life

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The primary group, usually the family, is the smallest unit of survival; looking out for others protects one’s self; group harmony is the greatest good; children are taught to depend on others, who in turn can always depend on them; employees don’t like to stand out; they prefer group/team recognition; identity is mainly a function of one’s membership/role in a primary group; self-worth is measured by how well you get along with/are regarded by others.

POWER DISTANCE LOW

HIGH

More democratic management style; power is less jealously guarded; manager shares authority with subordinates; subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to managers; subordinates do not like to be micromanaged; decision making is more consultative; OK to say no to/disagree with the boss; manager/ subordinate relations are more informal; rank has fewer privileges.

More authoritarian; power is centralized; deference to authority; managers hold on to power, not much delegation of authority; subordinates do not take initiative and wait for explicit instructions; decisions made at the top; one does not openly disagree with/say no to the boss; rank has its privileges; manager/ subordinate relations are more formal.

OF TIME & PEOPLE MONOCHRONIC

POLYCHRONIC

Time is a limited commodity and must be used carefully; people are very conscious of time; it’s important to be on time and for things to start on time; to be late or to keep people waiting is rude; schedules and deadlines are sacred and not easily changed; people do things one at a time; interruptions are bad; the needs of people are subservient to the demands of time. CAPACITY 2015 ASIA

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People are more casual about time; there is always more time; deadlines and schedules are approximations and can easily be adjusted/changed; you’re never really late and things start when they start; people may do several things simultaneously and can’t really be interrupted (interruptions are life); time is bent to meet the needs of people.

VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

BENIGN

SKEPTICAL

People are inherently good; they should be trusted until they prove otherwise; they can normally be counted on to be fair and play by the rules; on the whole people do not try to take advantage of each other; you can usually take . people at their word; people believe that one person’s success does not have to be at someone else’s expense (concept of the unlimited good).

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People are not inherently good or bad, but you should never trust other people without a good reason; people generally cannot be counted on to be fair or play by the rules; people will take advantage of you if given a chance; you have to protect yourself; you can’t take people at their word; people believe one person can only get ahead at someone else’s expense (concept of the limited good).

ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE 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 • • • • • • • • •

The Other is acknowledged but seen as a threat. My culture is the only good one. There is active resistance to/defense against those who are different. There is open hostility, negativity toward the Other, the Other is denigrated and criticised. The undesirable characteristics of the Other are emphasised. The Other—“Them”—is inferior to a superior “Us.” There should be minimal contact with the Other; contact only exacerbates tension. People tend to over-value their own culture. People of the other cultures don’t know any better (or they would be like us).

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•

This stage can sometimes include “reversal,” denigrating one’s own culture and uncritically (and without any real understanding) embracing another.

3. MINIMIZATION • • • • • • • •

Cultural differences are acknowledged but are not considered negative. Differences are perceived as minimal and are trivialised. Differences are superficial, “quaint,” but not fundamental. We are different in some ways but alike in the ways that really count. Preference for emphasising/focusing on underlying human similarities rather than external cultural differences. Less judgmental, evaluative than the denial stage, but still essentially dismissive of the importance/reality of culture. “You just have to be yourself and people will understand.” Some acceptance of differences in behavior (though they’re not really significant) but not of differences in values or assumptions.

ETHNORELATIVISM 4. ACCEPTANCE • • • • • • • • •

Cultural differences are acknowledged and respected. The basic integrity/viability of other worldviews is accepted (and they are not seen as merely an earlier stage of a more evolved worldview, i.e. our own). There is minimal judgment/evaluation of cultural differences; they are just part of the human condition. Cultural differences are interesting (not threatening) and can be positive and enjoyable. People can see that their own worldview/culture is just one of many. Acceptance is not necessarily agreement; the Other can still be judged negatively but not ethnocentrically. People may still wish others didn’t behave in a particular way, but they accept that they have to. One is aware of the fact that one sees others through one’s own cultural lens (but one is not yet able to consistently see others from the Other’s point of view). One is still very “conscious” of culture.

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.

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APPLYING THE MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY 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?

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Slide 1

Regional Leadership Training Workshop Cross-Cultural Communication

Day 3

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 2

Outline of the Day Session 11: Introduction to the Day, CCC Quiz, Participant Stories Session 12: What is Culture? Session 13: Matching Values to Behaviour Coffee break Session 14: Culture in Context Session 15: Intercultural Skills and Cultural Assumptions Session 16: Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences and Applying the Model Lunch Free Time and Field Visit Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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Slide 3

S E S S I O N 11

Introduction to the Day, CCC Quiz, Participant Stories Cross-Cultural Communication

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 4

Cross-Cultural Quiz 1.

People in 59 countries were asked: “In general, do you trust other people?” Try to name the country in which most respondents said ‘yes’, and the country in which most said ‘no’ Highest__________ Lowest__________

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Slide 5

Cross-Cultural Quiz 2.

If a Brazilian pulls his earlobe when eating, he means: A. The food is too spicy for him. B. His earlobe is itching. C. He likes what he is eating.

Luiz Carlos Ros Filho LEAD Fellow, Brazil

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 6

Cross-Cultural Quiz 3.

If a Chinese person says your suggestion is ‘good’, they mean: A. It is really good; B. They are not sure; C. It is not good.

Wei Zhao LEAD Fellow China

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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

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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, B. Take a short sip and hand the bottle back, C. Drink in such a way that your mouth never touches the lip of the bottle.

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Slide 9

Cross-Cultural Quiz 6. If a Pakistani says he will do something “God willing,” he means: A. He does not intend to do it but does not want to be rude. B. He fully intends to do it but doesn’t want to sound irreligious.

Amjad Zafar Khan ICT Manager LEAD Pakistan

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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; most of the family

Boris Gregorio Graizbord Ed

isn’t even home yet. National Programme Director LEAD Mexico Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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Slide 11

Cross-Cultural Quiz 8.

A Senegalese guest in your house burps loudly after dinner. Does this mean: A. B. C.

She has indigestion; She appreciated the food; or She wants more wine.

Awa Faly Ba LEAD Fellow Francophone Africa

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 12

Cross-Cultural Quiz 9. A Japanese lady touches her nose frequently while you are talking to her. This means: A. Go and brush your teeth; B. Her nose must have been itching; or C. She is pointing to herself. Yumiko Umehara LEAD Fellow Japan

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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

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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

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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

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Slide 16

Country Rankings in the Trust Survey Conducted by Transparency International 1. Brazil 2. Peru 3. Philippines 4. Puerto Rico 5. Turkey 6. Colombia 7. Venezuela 8. Slovenia 9. Poland 10. Argentina 11. Romania 12. South Africa 13. Pakistan 14. Nigeria 15. Bangladesh 16. Azerbaijan 17. Chile 18. Slovakia

19. Estonia 20. Portugal 21. Moldova 22. France 23. Georgia 24. Croatia 25. Dom. Republic 26. Hungary 27. Russia 28. Armenia 29. E. Germany 30. Latvia 31. Mexico 32. Spain 33. Bulgaria 34. South Korea 35. Czech Rep. 36. Serbia 37. Ukraine Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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38. Austria 39. Belgium 40. Italy 41. United States 42. India 43. Australia 44. Switzerland 45. Taiwan 46. W. Germany 47. Great Britain 48. No.Ireland 49. Iceland 50. Japan 51. Ireland 52. Finland 53. New Zealand 54. China 55. Canada 56. Netherlands

57. Sweden 58. Denmark 59. Norway

Slide 17

From Your Experience… Try to recall a memorable cross-cultural moment/incident from your own experience

• a misunderstanding • a misinterpretation • a cultural mistake • a funny story • any situation which illustrates how you were personally affected by a cultural difference

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 18

Our Stories ♦Tell your story in your group, pick one or two that you will share in the plenary. ♦You have 15 minutes. ♦Discussion: What do we notice about the stories that we have told?

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Slide 19

S E S S I O N 12

What is Culture?

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 20

WHAT IS CULTURE? The things people say and do

Behaviour

Values Beliefs Assumptions

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Slide 21

Understanding Culture Behaviour

Behaviour

Values Beliefs Assumptions

Values Beliefs Assumptions

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Slide 22

S E S S I O N 13

Matching Values to Behaviour

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 23

Matching Values to Behaviours

Most of the things most people do are the result of either something they believe in or something they hold dear. In other words, most behaviour is neither arbitrary nor spontaneous; rather it ‘makes sense’ given that person’s values or beliefs. In the following exercise, match the values to the corresponding behaviour.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 24

Matching Values to Behaviours Values

Behaviours

1. Being direct 2. Centrality of family 3. Fatalism 4. Saving face

_ Use of understatement _ Asking people to call you by your first name _ Taking off from work to attend the funeral of an aunt _ Not helping the person next to you on an exam

5. Respect for age

_ Disagreeing openly with someone at a meeting

6. Informality

_Not laying off an older worker whose performance is weak _At a meeting, agreeing with a suggestion you think is wrong _ Accepting without question that something cannot be changed _ Asking the boss’ opinion on something you’re the expert on

7. Deference to authority 8. Being indirect 9. Self-reliance

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Slide 25

S E S S I O N 14

Culture in Context

Cross-Cultural Communication

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 26

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR

UNIVERSAL

CULTURAL

Eating

Eating from your own plate

PERSONAL

Eating in front of the television

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Slide 27

UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL For each of the sixteen items on your handout, write a U, C, or P in the blank depending on whether you think the behaviour is (U) niversal—common to all cultures and people (C) ultural—specific to a particular group or culture (P) ersonal—unique to a particular individual within a culture 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.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 28

UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL 1.____ Sleeping with a bedroom window open. 2. ____ Running from a dangerous animal. 3. ____ Considering snakes to be "evil." 4. ____ Men opening doors for women. 5. ____ Respecting older people. 6. ____ Learning one’s mother tongue. 7. ____ Speaking Arabic. 8. ____ Speaking Arabic as a foreign language. 9. ____ Eating regularly. 10. ___ Eating with a knife, fork, and spoon. 11.___ Liking the novels of Vikram Seth. 12. ___ Calling a waiter with a hissing sound. 13. ___ Regretting being the cause of an accident. 14. ___ Feeling sad at the death of your mother. Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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Slide 29

S E S S I O N 15

Intercultural Skills and Cultural Assumptions

Cross-Cultural Communication

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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

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Slide 31

Intercultural Skills – Experts’ Opinions _ 1 __ To be aware of one’s own culture _ 2 __ To respect the other culture _ 3 __ To learn from interacting _ 4 __ To be nonjudgmental _ 5 __ To avoid stereotyping _ 6 __ To be able to communicate _ 7 __ To listen and observe _ 8 __ To be flexible _ 9 __ To tolerate ambiguity _10__ To be aware of one’s limitations _11__ To be persistent Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manager, SIETAR International, Washington, D.C.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 32

WHAT IS CULTURE? The things people say and do

Behaviour

Values Beliefs

Assumptions

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Slide 33

Cultural Assumptions • We will look at 5 fundamental concepts in the field of intercultural communication corresponding with various dimensions of the human experience

• The Locus of Control • Concept of Self • Power Distance • Of Time and People • View of Human Nature

(Sources: Gardenswartz & Rowe, Hall, Hofstede, Rotter) Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 34

The Locus of Control 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

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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 Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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 Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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Slide 37

Of Time and People 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 Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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View of Human Nature 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 Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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Cultural Assumptions INTERNAL

EXTERNAL

Locus of Control

INDIVIDUALIST

Concept of Self

LOW Power distance

Power Distance

COLLECTIVIST

HIGH Power distance

View of Time and People

MONOCHRONIC

BENIGN

POLYCHRONIC

SKEPTICAL

View of Human Nature

1

2

3

4

5

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Slide 40

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from LEAD

2

3 Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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EXTERNAL

Pa Br kist a a N zil n i Za ge / I m ria nd ia bi Se a ne ga l In do ne si a

ia R us s

1

Locus of Control

U S N A Z U K

INTERNAL

4

5

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Cultural Assumptions – Examples from LEAD

N

2

3

R

ig Br eria a U zil K N /Z Z a m

SA U

1

COLLECTIVIST

us s Pa ia k In ista In dia n do ne si a Za m Se bia ne ga l

Concept of Self

bi a

INDIVIDUALIST

4

5

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Cultural Assumptions – Examples from LEAD

Power Distance

HIGH

1

2

3

4

Br Za azil N m ig bi er a ia

Se R neg us a si l a

K U

N

U

Z

SA

In In Pa do dia k i ne s t si an a

LOW

5

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Cultural Assumptions – Examples from LEAD

2

N

R us

si a

1

POLYCHRONIC

B P ig raz aki er il st an i In a di a Se ne ga l Za In mb do ia ne si a

Of Time & People

U K N Z

U

SA

MONOCHRONIC

3

4

5

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Cultural Assumptions – Examples from LEAD

2

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4

In do ne si a

us s Br ia az Za il m bi a

R

N

1

SKEPTICAL

N ig e In ria di a

View of Human Nature

Z U K /S en eg U SA al

BENIGN

5

Slide 45

Cultural Assumptions – discussion questions ♦ How easy did you find it to identify a position on each continuum that reflected your national culture? ♦ What does it mean if someone on one side of the continuum has to work with someone on the other side? ♦ Do people choose to be on different sides of the continuum? ♦ Have you ever worked with someone from a different position on a continuum? ♦ Can you give an example of where different cultural positions have caused confusion or misunderstandings?

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Slide 46

S E S S I O N 16

Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences and Applying the Model Cross-Cultural Communication

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JUDGMENTS

Imagine you are one side of a particular continuum, that you see the world from that perspective. How would you judge or react to the typical characteristic behaviours and attitudes of people on the opposite side? In general, how would the actions and views of these people come across to you?

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JUDGMENTS Internalists on Externalists Individualists on Collectivists

Collectivists on Individualists

Low Power Distance on High

High Power Distance on Low

Benign on Skeptical Monochronic on Polychronic

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Externalists on Internalists

Skeptical on Benign Polychronic on Monochronic

Slide 49

Learning Journal Activity 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. How can your thoughts translate into actions in your workplace or other situation?

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ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

•

The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity was created by Dr Milton Bennett in 1986. Dr Bennett is the co-founder of the Intercultural Communication Institute and director of the Intercultural Development Research Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA.

•

The model shows a progression of stages people may go through in developing intercultural competency

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ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

1. Denial - no recognition of cultural differences. 2. Defense - recognition of some differences, but viewed as negative. 3. Minimisation - lack of awareness about projection of own cultural values. Views own values as superior.

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ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

4. Acceptance – shifts perspectives to understand that the same ‘ordinary’ behaviour can have different meanings in different cultures. 5. Adaptation / Integration – can evaluate other’s behaviour from their time frame of reference and can adapt behaviour to fit the norms of a different culture. Can shift frame of reference and also deal with resulting identity issues.

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ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

5. Adaptation / Integration …

Ethno-relativism

4. Acceptance 3. Minimization 2. Defense 1. Denial ……………………….

Ethno-centrism

Source: Bennett, M J 1986. ‘A developmental approach to training for intercultural sensitivity’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10 (2), pp. 179-95. Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 54

Applying the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

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. How could you encourage someone to move further ahead in the model towards a more ethno-relativist perspective.

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Slide 55

Wrap Up

In plenary, participants will discuss and reflect upon the key points from today’s session.

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Slide 56

Learning Partner Lunch Have lunch with your Learning Partner for a conversation: ♦What are some new thoughts you have had during the day? ♦ How is your learning journey progressing – check in with your Learning Partner about where you are and where you wish to go in the next two days.

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Slide 57

References, Resources

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Slide 58

References and Resources

Cross-Cultural Communication

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References, Resources ♦ Barker, A 2000. Improve Your Communication Skills. Kogan Page, London. ♦ Bennett, M J 1986. A developmental approach to training intercultural sensitivity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10(2), 179-196. ♦ Brake, T 2002. Managing Globally. Dorling Kindersley, 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 ♦ Du Praw, M and Axner, M 1999. Working on Common Cross-cultural Communication Challenges, Online Article, Topsfield Foundation and Marci Reaven. ♦ Gardenswartz, L, & Rowe, A 1998. Managing diversity: A complete desk reference and planning guide. New York: McGraw Hill. Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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References, Resources ♦ GreenCOM 2001. Human Nature (6):2. (Online 25 June, 2003). http://www.greencom.org/greencom/pdf/hn-v6n2-eng.pdf ♦ Hall, E T and Mildred, R 1990. Understanding Cultural Differences.Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. ♦ Hill, R 1996. Us & Them. Europublications, Brussels. ♦ Hofstede, G 1980. Culture’s Consequences. Sage Publications, London. ♦ Hofstede, G. 1996. Cultures and Organisations: Software or the Mind – Intercultural Cooperation and its Importance for Survival. McGraw-Hill, NY. ♦ INTRAC Resources: http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/PraxisNotes_en.html http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/docs/PraxisNote1-CrossCulturalManagement.pdf http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/docs/PraxisNote8-Multi-CulturalIceberg.pdf. ♦ Multicultural Toolkit: http://www.awesomelibrary.org/multiculturaltoolkit.html ♦ Rotter, J 1966. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcements, Psychological Monographs, 80, Whole No. 609. ♦ Storti, C 1990. The Art of Crossing Cultures.Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

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References, Resources ♦ Storti, C 1994. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference.

Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. ♦ Storti, C 1999. Figuring Foreigners Out. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. ♦ Storti, C 1994. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME. ♦ Storti, C 1999. Figuring Foreigners Out. 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 ♦ Winters, E 2003. ‘International Technical Communication’, SIG STC in Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences. (Online 25 June, 2003) http://www.stcsig.org/itc/articles/0304-fund_cult_diff.pdf

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