Communicating Across Cultures A Challenge for International Managers

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Communicating Across CulturesA Challenge for
International Managers

• Ni Luh Ramaswati Purnawan, M.Comn
• Paper presented at International Seminar on
• Harmonization of Tourism Development
• Denpasar, 27 April 2010

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• Tourism 2020 Vision
• international arrivals are expected to reach
  nearly 1.6 billion by the year 2020,
• the top three receiving regions will be
• 1. Europe (717 million tourists),
• 2. East Asia and the Pacific (397 million)
• 3. the Americas (282 million),
• followed by Africa, the Middle East and South
  Asia
• (WTO, 2010)

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Aspect of international tourism

• cross-border movement of consumers and staff
  (managers)

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Challenges

• effective communication at work is crucial and
  often difficult (Guirdham, 2005)
• to understand the new pattern of culture that
  might be different from their own value system
  and habits.

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• Communication can be everywhere, but it is not
  everywhere the same,
• It is strongly cultural embedded
• Culture still seems like a luxury item to
  most managersIn fact, culture pervades and
  radiates meaning into every aspect of the
  enterprise ((Trompenaars 1993 cited by
  Guirdham, 2005)

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Cultural differences

• culture is function as the way people solve
  their problems and challenges presented to them
  over the years
• (Trompenaar, 2008)

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• the bottom of the iceberg is the foundation for
  what we can see at the top. If we understand the
  underlying causes of why people behave the way
  they do, we are a little more likely to be able
  to anticipate how they may act or react in a
  variety of situation (Peterson, 2004)

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• High / Low context communication
• Not always verbalized explicitly, include
  non-verbal communication, Indirect, start with
  the context, circling toward the main point
• Verbalized explicitly, Direct, clear structure,
  Start with the main point, then moves to details
• Monochronic / Polychronic
• Doing one thing at a time, Task-oriented, Time is
  linear make plan and take deadlines
• Doing many things at the same time,
  Relationship-orientation, Time is spatial
  deadlines an time schedule can be kept, if
  possible
• Personal Space
• Large personal space
• Smaller personal space
• (Hall Halls Cultural Differences)

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Hofstedes Value Orientation

• Power Distance
• Low power distance, Less hierarchy better
• High power distance, More hierarchy better
• Femininity / Masculinity
• Femininity Fewer gender-specific roles,
• Masculinity More gender-specific roles,
  Achievement, ambition, acquisition of material
  good
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Low uncertainty avoidance Dislike rules,Less
  formality
• High uncertainty avoidance, More extensive rules,
  More formality
• Long-term / Short-term Orientation
• Short-term orientatio Prefer quick results
• Long-term orientation Value perseverance and
  tenacity
• Individual / Collectivism

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Cultural Learning

• State 1 Self Awareness
• Step 2 Cross-Cultural Understanding and
• Knowledge
• Step 3 Adapting Business Skills

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Dealing with DifferencesSuccessful
International Managers

• Social competence
• Openness to other ways of thinking
• Cultural adaptation
• Professional excellence
• Language skills
• Flexibility
• Ability to manage/work in a team

• Self-reliance/independence
• Mobility
• Ability to deal with stress
• Adaptability of the family
• Patience
• sensitivity

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• Thank You