Multi Cultural Communication Skills

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Multi Cultural Communication Skills
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HOFSTEDES HERMES STUDY

• Dr. Geert Hofstede undertook a massive research
  project starting in 1966 involving a major
  multinational corporation identified only by the
  pseudonym HERMES. In the course of this project,
  some 116,000 questionnaires were completed by
  HERMES employees at all levels (unskilled workers
  to top managers) located in 50 developed and less
  developed nations.

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CULTURE
"Culture as the collective programming of the
mind which distinguishes the members of one human
group from another"
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Four key elements, or "dimensions", of culture

• Power distance
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Individualism v. Collectivism
• Masculinity v Femininity
• Long or short term orientation

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Power Distance Index (PDI)
It focuses on the degree of equality, or
inequality, between people in the country's
society. A High Power Distance ranking indicates
that inequalities of power and wealth have been
allowed to grow within the society. A Low Power
Distance ranking indicates the society
de-emphasizes the differences between citizen's
power and wealth.
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Individualism (IDV)
It focuses on the degree the society reinforces
individual or collective, achievement and
interpersonal relationships. A High
Individualism ranking indicates that
individuality and individual rights are paramount
within the society. A Low Individualism ranking
typifies societies of a more collectivist nature
with close ties between individuals.
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Masculinity (MAS)
It focuses on the degree the society reinforces,
or does not reinforce, the traditional masculine
work role model of male achievement, control, and
power. A High Masculinity ranking indicates the
country experiences a high degree of gender
differentiation. A Low Masculinity ranking
indicates the country has a low level of
differentiation and discrimination between
genders.
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Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
It focuses on the level of tolerance for
uncertainty and ambiguity within the society -
i.e. unstructured situations. A High Uncertainty
Avoidance ranking indicates the country has a low
tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. A Low
Uncertainty Avoidance ranking indicates the
country has less concern about ambiguity and
uncertainty and has more tolerance for a variety
of opinions.
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Long-Term Orientation (LTO)
It focuses on the degree the society embraces, or
does not embrace, long-term devotion to
traditional, forward thinking values. A High
Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the
country prescribes to the values of long-term
commitments and respect for tradition. A Low
Long-Term Orientation ranking indicates the
country does not reinforce the concept of
long-term, traditional orientation.
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Achieving Communication Effectiveness

• Improve Feedback System
• Language Training
• Cultural Training
• Increasing Flexibility Cooperation

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Communication Barriers

• Verbal
• Language
• Cultural
• Perceptual
• Selecting topic
• Silence
• Interruptions
• Humor
• Structure

• Non-Verbal
• Kinesics
• Oculesics
• Proxemics
• Chronemics
• Mono
• Poly
• Appearance Posture
• Chromatics

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An Example of Body Language North American Space
Zones
Public
Intimate
Personal
Social
15 14 13 12 11 10
9 8 7 6 5
4 3 2 1 0
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Australia

• Australians generally prefer direct eye contact.
• Australians tend to be enthusiastic
  conversationalists and debaters.
• The best policy, however, is to wait for your
  Australian companions to bring up these two
  subjects
• Australians find arguments and opinionated
  conversation entertaining

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Australia (Contd.)

• Topics which are currently controversial in
  Australia include migration.
• Sport is a common topic of conversation
• Australians like to criticize themselves, but
  they are not receptive to criticism from others.
• Don't boast about yourself or your company's
  accomplishments.
• Australians try not to draw too much attention to
  their academic qualifications or personal
  achievements.

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FRANCE

• Give opinions only on subjects that you are
  knowledgeable about.
• Studying French history, politics, and other
  aspects of the culture will be an advantage for
  you in conversation.
• It is extremely bad manners to ask about his
  political leanings

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FRANCE (Contd.)

• Do not criticize Napoleon,
• Refrain from using the standard U.S. conversation
  opener, 'What do you do?'
• Avoid making personal inquiries in the course of
  a conversation, especially during first
  introductions.

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RUSSIA

• Visitors should try to speak in a calm, moderate,
  tone of voice at all times.
• Russian will be delighted if you make the effort
  to speak even a few sentences of their language.
• There is a great deal of reliance on nonverbal
  communication.
• When a Russian touches another person during
  conversation, it is usually a sign of confidence.

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RUSSIA (Contd.)

• Russians are enthusiastic about discussing
  politics and the challenges of living in Russia.
• Bringing up the subject of Russian culture and
  history can be an appreciated gesture.
• Don't be surprised if they start to talk about
  the history of your country.
• Approach compliments with caution, since they may
  cause Russians to feel a sense of misplaced
  obligation.
• There is tremendous affection for children in
  this culture

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UNITED KINGDOM

• Most Britons are reserved by nature
• You should not be offended if people outside the
  'Home Counties' of southeast England address you
  in apparently familiar or overly affectionate
  terms such as dear or love
• For the most part, the British speak in low,
  moderate, measured tones without raising the
  voice or gesticulating wildly for emphasis.

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UNITED KINGDOM (Contd.)

• Make an effort to speak in complete sentences
• Should not interrupt someone
• Britons, however, are proud of their culture and
  heritage and this should be respected not mocked.
  
• A major difficulty in effective communication can
  be the British liking for self-deprecation,

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USA

• Be aware that many Americans speak only English.
• They may speak fast or very loudly
• Many Americans adopt sports terms in their
  business speech
• Americans often ask, What do you do? to start a
  conversation.

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USA (Contd.)

• Americans like being with people who have a sense
  of humour. Self-deprecating humour, however,
  usually goes over well.
• Refrain from asking women if they are married.
• Compliments are exchanged frequently and are
  popular conversation starters.
• Golf is a popular sport, especially among
  businesspeople. It is often a venue for business
  discussions and deals.

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Skills and Best Practices Steps to Become a
Global Manager

• Global Perspective Focus on global business
• Cultural Responsiveness Become familiar with
  many cultures
• Appreciate Understand Cultural Synergies Learn
  multicultural dynamics (Objective, Comm. Style,)
• Cultural Adaptability Live and work effectively
  in different cultures
• Cross-Cultural Communication Daily
  cross-cultural interaction
• Acquire Broad Foreign Experience Series of
  foreign career assignments

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CULTURAL FLUENCY (Dr. Linda Beamer)

• Acknowledging cultural diversity
• Organising information according to stereotype
• Asking questions to challenge stereotype
• Analyzing communication episodes
• Generating fluent messages from other cultures