CrossCultural Communications and ISO Standards

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Cross-Cultural Communications and ISO Standards

• Thomas L. Warren
• Technical Writing Program
• Oklahoma State University

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Overview

• Cross-cultural communication
• Definitions, Techniques, Problems
• ISO Standards
• Development, Communication
• Conclusions
• Questions

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I. Cross-Cultural Communication
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Cross-Cultural Communication Definition

• Found in two elements
• Objective Codified (written down) rules, laws,
  regulations, modes of behavior, etc.
• Subjective Not codified (cant find written down
  some place) attitudes toward education, for
  example

Adapted from Limaye and Victor.
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Cross-Cultural Communication Techniques

• Surface differences
• Time, date, money indicators
• Matters related to objective elements
• Detailed differences
• Responses to colors
• Matters related to subjective elements

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Compliance-Gaining

• Technique of persuasion
• Ranges from forceful (threats) to subtle
  (benefits/rewards to be gained)
• Changes behavior but not always cognition

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II. Standards
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ISO Standards History

• International Organization for Standardization
  (ISO)
• Acronym from Greek goddess Iso (means Equal)
• Earliest organization International Electrical
  Council founded in 1906

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ISO Standards History, cont.

• ISO organizing meeting in London in 1946
• Delegates From 25 Countries
• Focus Facilitate the International Coordination
  and Unification of Industrial Standards
• First ISO Standard Standard Reference
  Temperature for Industrial Length Measurement -
  1951

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ISO Standards History, cont.

• Purpose

To promote the development of standardization
and related activities in the world with a view
to facilitating the international exchange of
goods and services, and to develop cooperation in
the spheres of intellectual, scientific,
technological and economic activity.
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ISO Membership

• Representatives from National Standards bodies
  e.g. ANSI, BSI
• One body from each country
• Non-governmental organization
• Called P-Members

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ISO Membership, cont.

• Other membership categories
• O- Members (Observers)
• Currently 10 Members (TC 184/SC4)
• Liaison members
• Currently 56 Liaison Members (TC 184/SC4)

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SOURCE http//www.iso.org/iso/en/aboutiso/isostru
cture/isostr.html
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Committee Structure
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ISO Example

• Technical Committee 184, Subcommittee 4TC
  184/SC4 (ISO 10303STEP)
• Currently, 18 P-Members registered to ISO
  TC184/SC3

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P-Members of ISO TC 184/SC4

• Australia
• Canada
• China
• Czech Republic
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea, Rep. of

• Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Russia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States

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ISO Standards What is a Standard?

• Size 4 to 4,000 pages
• Specifications for goods and services
• Voluntary complianceintellectual, scientific,
  technological, economic

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ISO Standards Development

• Principles used
• Consensus Views of all interested parties taken
  into account
• Industry wide Global solutions to satisfy
  industries and customers worldwide
• Voluntary Voluntary involvement of all interests
  in the market-place

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ISO Standards Timeline
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ISO Standards Processes

• Working Group
• Formed of representatives from at least 5
  countries (P-Members)
• Typically, subject matter experts
• Purpose Develop different sections of proposed
  standard

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ISO Standards Processes, cont.

• Working Group, cont.
• Edit various internal drafts
• Cross-cultural communications plays a part
• Creating drafts
• Wording of drafts

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ISO Standards Authorities

• ISO manual Directives Part I Directives Part II
• Both now in 5th editions
• Concise Oxford Dictionary, 9th edition
• Technical Committees also may have authorities

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URL for TC184/SC4http//www.tc184-sc4.org/Go
to NECESSARY DOCUMENTS
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ISO Standards Directives

• Part I
• Purpose Procedures for technical work
• Covers ISO organization, stages of development,
  meetings, etc.

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ISO Standards Directives, cont.

• Part II
• Purpose Structuring and drafting
• Covers Drafting processes, style manual, etc.

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ISO Standards Directives, cont.

• Audience
• Authors and editors
• Working group leaders
• Can be supplemented by Technical Committees
• Develop within Technical Committees
• Approved by ISO-Geneva and P-Members

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ISO Standards Authorities, cont.

• Example TC 184/SC4
• Supplemental Directives (SC4 N1217)
• Checklists for quality control (QC N246, 247,
  248)
• Quality Manual (SC4 N1110)

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ISO Standards Supplemental Directives (SC4 N1217)

• Purpose Describe procedures for developing
  standards in the SC4 family
• Covers Areas in ISO Directives not immediately
  intuitive to authors and editors

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ISO Standards 3 Checklists used for Quality
Control

• Based on Supplemental Directives
• Convenors (QC N246)
• Project Leaders (QC N247)
• Internal (QC N248)

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ISO Standards Quality Manual (SC4 N1110)

• Purpose Guide authors and editors in producing
  standards of high and consistent quality
• Covers Responsibilities, quality system,
  controls, etc.

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Conclusion

• What can we say?
• Developing ISO Standards multi-cultural effort
• Cross-cultural communication vital part

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Conclusion, cont.

• Work gets done
• Because of strong controlling procedures
  Documenting and approval requirements
• Commitment to voluntary and consensus approaches

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Conclusion, cont.

• Why does the work get done?
• SPECULATION
• Objective elements imposed on people
• Subjective elements absorbed

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Conclusion, cont.

• MORE SPECULATION
• Standards developed following objective
  authorities
• Standards offer models for cross-cultural
  communication

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Resources Print

• Thomas L. Warren. Cross-Cultural Commnication
  Perspectives in Theory and Practice. Amityville,
  NY Baywood, 2006.
• The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English
  (9th Edition), D. Thompson (ed.), Clarendon
  Press, Oxford, 1995.

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Resources Print, cont.

• M. R. Limaye and D. A. Victor, Cross-Cultural
  business Communication Research State of the Art
  and Hypotheses for the 1990s, The Journal of
  Business Communication, 28, pp. 277-299, 1991.
• G. Marwell and D. R. Schmitt, Dimensions
  of Compliance-Gaining Strategies A Dimensional
  Analysis, Sociometry 30, pp. 360-361, 1967.

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Resources Web

• ISO www.iso.ch/infoe/aboutiso.html
• For documents mentioned, see Necessary Documents
• http//www.tc184-sc4.org/

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Contact Information

• Thomas L. Warren, Professor and Director
• Technical Writing Program
• Oklahoma State University
• Stillwater, OK 74078
• thomas.warren_at_okstate.edu
• http//fp.okstate.edu/twarren
• http//english.okstate.edu/techwriting

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Questions?