Communicating Across Cultures

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Communicating Across Cultures1

Objectives
1. To understand people behavior in different culture.
2. To prevent misunderstanding as a result of conflicting culture.
3. To respect differences when dealing with different culture.
4. To communicate the right message in different culture

Contents
The Concept of Culture
a) Objective culture (big ‘C’) is made by humans…..art, theater, legal systems, economics, cooking, fashion
b) Subjective culture (little ‘c’) is language, behavior, patterns of thinking and values
*Much of subjective culture is hidden and only a little bit is on the surface.


Intercultural Encounters
•          Problems only come up when one encounters someone who is not from their own culture and there is no longer a shared assumption about the “right” way.
•          Intercultural communication is needed to judge others from a different point of view and not hold people from different cultures to the same expectation

Assumptions that are Often in Contrast between Cultures
•          Individualism contrasted with collectivism?
•          Direct communication contrasted with more indirect style
•          Change contrasted with tradition?
•          Materialism contrasted with spiritualism?
•          Informality contrasted with formality?
•          The concepts of face and harmony

Challenges of Communication across Cultures
•          Assuming similarities
•          Not anticipating differences
•          Misinterpreting non verbal signals
•          Stereotyping
•          Judging and evaluating
•          Stress

Different interpretation (cultural) on;
•       Nonverbal signaling – contrasting e.g. saying yes (nodding head)
•       Greeting rituals – e.g. shaking hand, bow, & kissing
•       Contrasting values and beliefs- e.g. color, showing respect.
•       Attitudes, ethnocentrism and stereotypes

Non Verbal Communication
•          Space bubbles – spacing yourself with others when in contact.
•          Tone of voice – lower or raising the volume of voice e.g Arab speaks louder, Malay speaks softly.
•          Touching and contact – sensitivity difference. e.g Japanese prefer to not have contact when meeting.
•          Gestures – facial and body movement indicate opposite meaning.

Beliefs and Assumptions
•          Culture is a learned way to see the world common to your group
•          We take our ways for granted as true and are often out of our awareness
•          What is obvious to you may not be obvious to others
•          People often perceive the same things differently

Perception & Cultures;
•          How do you perceive nature? 
•          How do you perceive gender roles?
•          How do you perceive time?
•          How do you perceive friendship?
*All these perceptions tell you about the lenses you use to see the world could be from perception.


•          Culture create a lens to shape your perceptions of what you see

Ethnocentrism and stereotyping in viewing others
a) Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one's own culture.[
•          Humans create cultures that determine “right” ways to do things
•          The “right” way to do things in one culture might be different in a different culture
•          There is no problem if one never leaves his or her own culture; everyone knows
b) Stereotype is a thought that can be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things.

High Context vs Low Context
a) High;
·       RELATIONAL, COLLECTIVIST ,INTUITIVE AND CONTEMPLATIVE
·       EMPHASIZE INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIP
·       DEVELOPING TRUST IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN BUSINESS TRANSACTION/ INDIRECT
·       LESS GOVERNED BY REASONS, MORE ON INTUITION AND FEELINGS
·       KNOWLEDGE IS IMPLICIT= HIDDEN,HABITS ,ASSUMPTION
Structure of relationship:
•       COMFORTABLE STANDING CLOSE TO EACH OTHER
•       INTERSECTING NETWORKS AND LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS,
•       STRONG BOUNDRIES,
•       RELATIONSHIP MORE IMPORTANT THAN TASK
•       OPEN TIME
•     Example of countries; ASIAN, SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST

b) Low;
·       LOGICAL,LINEAR, INDIVIDUALISTIC AND ACTION ORIENTED
·       EMPHASIZE ON INDIVIDUAL
·       USE PRECISE WORD TO BUILD TRUST /DIRECT COMMUNICATION
·       DISCUSSION IS BASED ON FACTS
·       KNOWLEDGE IS EXPLICIT=VISIBLE, TAUGHT
Structure of relationship:
•       NOT COMFORTABLE BEING TOO CLOSE
•       WIDE NETWORK,
•       SHORTER TERM,
•       COMPARTMENTALIZED RELATIONSHIP’
•       TASK IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RELATIONSHIP
•       CLOSED TIME
•     Example of countries; UNITED STATE OF AMERICA, EUROPEAN, ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRY


SMILING TO STRANGER IS NOT WELCOME IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES/CULTURES

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