Effective Communication in a Culturally Diverse Workplace

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Effective Communication in a Culturally Diverse
Workplace

• Dr. Linda Beamer
• California State University,
• Los Angeles

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Understanding Unfamiliar Cultures

• Using a culture-general approach
• Values orientation
• Behavior comparison
• Overcoming Bias and Stereotypes
• the threat of the unknown
• the comfort of the familiar

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Communicating with Strangers

• We operate on our own cultural assumptions
• range of what is normal is culturally based
• expectations may be limited
• Discomfort occurs when we encounter the
  unfamiliar and unexpected
• nonverbal communication differs
• level of personal disclosure differs
• formality/informality of language
• Typical responses

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Dimensions of Culture

• Individualist vs. collectivist
• Horizontal vs. hierarchical
• Form distrusted vs. form trusted
• Self in control vs. Other in control
• Learn from experience vs. from authority
• Rules-observant vs. rules-bending
• Communication direct vs. indirect
• Uncertainty-tolerant vs. uncertainty-averse

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Individualist vs. Collectivist

• Individualist cultures
• Value independence for each individual
• Decision-making about ones own affairs is left
  to the individual
• Accomplishments are credited to the individual
• Milestones in reaching ones goals are important
• Overcoming obstacles on ones own is valued

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• Collectivist cultures
• Value the group as the basic unit, and the
  individual as a fraction of a whole
• Membership in the group is important
• Membership means decision making is done by the
  collective
• Membership means accomplishments are collective

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Horizontal vs. Hierarchical

• Hierarchical cultures
• value status and rank
• those at the top are not challenged or questioned
• those at the top are responsible for outcomes
• those at the top often have a responsibility for
  nurturing those below

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• Horizontal cultures
• have fewer ladders
• shared responsibility
• many contributors to the decision-making
• (Isnt this collectivist? No, because)
• input is considered valid when it comes from many
  sources throughout an organization
• flatter structure equalizes individual
  responsibility and opportunity

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Form Trusted vs. Suspect

• When form is trusted
• the rules of correct behavior are known to all
• Risk of making a faux pas is slight
• Social errors can make the group as well as the
  individual look untrustworthy, immature
• Personal and group face can be protected
• Comfort level is high for those who know the rules

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• Where form is suspect
• Lack of authenticity is disparaged
• Phoniness must be revealed and rejected
• if individuals can present themselves by their
  own words and deeds, being authentically who you
  say you are is important
• rules of behavior can camouflage the actual
  person
• False representation may be admired when
  it succeeds

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Self in Control vs. Other in Control

• When the self is in control of events
• the self also is responsible for outcomes
• planning carefully becomes important to avoid
  unplanned results
• strategy and strategic thinking results
• tactics to achieve strategies are valued
• freedom is closely related to control
• control is closely related to independence and
  achievement

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• When the Other is in control
• Fate, Destiny, the Will of God explains outcomes
• Striving against the controlling power is folly
• piety may be valued
• spiritual and spirit-filled world view
• freedom results from letting go of control
• lack of order would result if the larger other
  were not taking charge

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Learning from experience vs.authority

• Learning from experience means
• It isnt true or learned until it is lived
• obstacles are turned into learning opportunities
• experiences can be viewed as successes
• Older persons have experienced more, and
  therefore are more learned
• Experiences that dont teach something are wasted
  opportunities
• Hands-on learning is the most valuable kind

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• Learning from authorities means
• Teachers, authors, religious leaders, lecturers,
  etc. are the source of learning
• One learns by mastering their wisdom
• Personal experience is only fragmentary compared
  to the collected wisdom
• One learns by becoming aware of and storing
  mentally the insights of others

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Rules-observant vs. Rules-bending

• Rules-observant cultures
• Believe it is good for people to follow laws
• equally expected of all
• keeps people from exploiting others
• View law breakers as negative
• Trust the law to ensure equality of opportunity,
  in spite of flawed implementation

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• Rules-bending cultures
• Expect to be able to make exceptions
• when status issues arise
• when inequalities of need are apparent
• for the sake of relationships
• See laws as inevitably impossible to apply in
  ways that ensure the good
• See their own ability to get around rules as a
  positively valued skill

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Direct vs. Indirect Communication

• Direct communication means
• putting the main message up front
• preferring words that are unadorned,
  straightforward, and dynamic
• valuing the truth/facts over politeness
• calling people on their waffling or
  contradictions or ambiguity
• using bullets and point form
• avoiding contextual details

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• Indirect communication means
• delaying main messages until after details and
  explanations
• tolerating and enjoying ambiguity in word choice
• preserving and nurturing the relationship with
  others
• valuing the pleasant exchange more than objective
  truth
• relying heavily on context to communicate
  important meanings

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Uncertainty tolerant vs. averse

• Tolerating uncertainty means
• less concerned about taking personal risks
• acceptance of challenges in new situations
• failure is not necessarily a huge disaster
• willingness to live without all the answers
• often responsibility lies with other and not
  with individual
• planning is not viewed as the cure-all for
  preventing problems

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• Aversion to uncertainty means
• tendency to plan in order to minimize the unknown
• tendency to play by the rules in work issues,
  especially regarding promotion
• desire to have clear lines of authority and
  responsibility in the workplace
• fear of failure
• fear of being in a risky situation where the
  outcome is unpredictable

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Asian Cultures

• Individualist collectivist
• Horizontal hierarchical
• Form distrusted trusted
• Self control Other control

• Learn from experience authority
• Rules-observant rules-bending
• Communication direct indirect
• Uncertainty-tolerant
  uncertainty-averse

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Euro -American Culture

• Individualist collectivist
• Horizontal hierarchical
• Form distrusted trusted
• Self control Other control

• Learn from experience authority
• Rules-observant rules-bending
• Communication direct indirect
• Uncertainty-tolerant
  uncertainty-averse

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African American Culture

• Individualist collectivist
• Horizontal hierarchical
• Form distrusted trusted
• Self control Other control

• Learn from experience authority
• Rules-observant rules-bending
• Communication direct indirect
• Uncertainty-tolerant
  uncertainty-averse

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Latino Cultures

• Individualist collectivist
• Horizontal hierarchical
• Form distrusted trusted
• Self control Other control

• Learn from experience authority
• Rules-observant rules-bending
• Communication direct indirect
• Uncertainty-tolerant
  uncertainty-averse

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Clusters of Cultures
Individualist
Collectivist
Asian
Latino
Euro American
African American
German/British
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Horizontal
Hierarchical
Latino
Asian
German/British
Euro American
African American
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Form distrusted
Form trusted
Asian
Latino
German/British
Euro American
African American
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Self in control
Other in control
Asian
Latino
German/British
Euro American
African American
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Learn from Experience Learn from
Authorities
Asian
Latino
German/British
Euro American
African American
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Rules Bending Rules Observant
Asian
Latino
German/British
Euro American
African American
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Communication Direct Communication
Indirect
Asian
Latino
Euro American
German/British
African American
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Uncertainty-averse
Uncertainty-tolerant
Asian
Latino
Euro American
German/British
African American
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What it Means for Communicating at Work

• African American workplace
• Asian student
• Communication problems likely to occur about
  communication style, status, future

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• Asian workplace
• Latino student
• Communication problems will occur less often key
  values are similarly oriented

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• Latino workplace
• African American student
• Communication problems likely about style of
  communicating, future, status and learning

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• Euro American workplace
• Latino student
• Communication problems likely to occur about
  many cultural values, communication style

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What We Can Do

• Become aware of the differences in values that
  constitute cultural dimensions
• Discern different communication styles and the
  concerns that generate them
• Understand your own cultural priorities and
  therefore your own probable biases
• Keep your communication clear, and aid your
  messages with graphics