IMPORTANT
Statements made mere generalizations
Norms of a culture change
Not all differences in patterns of communication can be explained by national cultures
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Fundamental cultural orientations
• How contexting and facesaving affect communication • How the individual is viewed in relation to the group • How time is perceived • How status is accorded • How decisions are made
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Conclusion: TIPS
• Develop a sense of cultural awareness. • Do away with ethnocentrism. • Learn to adapt. • Be more tolerant. • Listen carefully and empathise. • Look beyond the superficial. • Do not lapse into your own language while in the presence of others who do not speak it. • Take responsibility for the communication.
Cultural orientations
8
• Collectivist
Individual / group
• Monochronic-time cultures
– High emphasis on schedules, punctuality and promptness – Schedules take precedence over interpersonal relations
Source: Beamer’s & Varner’s Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace
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Clothing Food Behaviour
• Polychronic-time cultures
- Time viewed as more fluid and strict schedules not observed - Preset schedules are subordinate to interpersonal relations
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Corporate culture
• Can national culture completely explain this?
A Malaysian woman is a Senior Executive in an American multinational company based in Singapore. Educated in Malaysia and the UK, her manner of speaking is polite but straightforward.
• Ascribed by virtue of age, family background, profession
- Organizations more highly hierarchical - Extensive use of titles
ES2002 Business Communication: Intercultural Communication
ES2002 Business Communication: Intercultural Communication
Cultural orientations
9
Time
Time
• Accorded based on individual achievements
– Organizations less hierarchical – Titles used only when relevant to competence
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So, beware!
• Do not stereotype cultures
For example,
All Japanese are… Americans are… She is Malaysian. She must be…
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Contexting and face saving
• High context
– Low reliance on verbal communication – More reliance on context, nonverbal cues, implicit information shared – Indirect and rather vague
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ES2002 Business Communication: Intercultural Communication
Cultural orientations
Contexting and face saving
Individual / group
• Individualist
– The individual takes centre stage – Independence highly valued – A single person can earn credit / blame
• In a globalized world, corporate culture is usually hybrid • Staff are usually exposed to different cultural orientations • Lesson: be careful about making simplistic statements.
• Low context
- High reliance on verbal communication - Less reliance on nonverbal communication - Direct, precise, and explicit
High context – High face saving Low context – Low face saving
- The individual seen as part of the group - High degree of interdependence - Credit / blame goes to the group
ES2002 Business Communication: Intercultural Communication
• Physical space
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Different cultural groups
• • • • • • • National Ethnic Corporate Religious Gender Socio-economic Profession
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Cultural Orientations
Status
Status
Decision making
• Discussing points • Seeking group consensus • Consulting organisations in negotiations
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Cultural orientations
Decision making
Decision making in meetings
• A “meeting” is a cultural concept. • Formal/informal? Personal/professional? • Who decides? Top-level executives only or with consultations with all employees? • In many corporate meetings, gender relations are also prominent (e.g., male executives make decisions; female executives are the bosses; female participants do not have a voice)
Mole (1996)
ES2002 Business Communication: Intercultural Communication