Module 10.13 - Who Speaks to Different Cultures For You?

Module Introduction

            Within any organization, some employees are better trained and equipped to deal with foreign cultures than others. This becomes important when you decide to expand or grow into a foreign market because you will need people who know how to talk, how to do project/programme purpose, and how to get along with the people there. Sometimes, however, you have no one in-house, and you have to start looking outside of the organizational structure. This could require going to consultants from or in that country, or finding organizations or representatives there to “partner” with. The key element here is not so much what you do, or even how you do it, but how it is seen in that foreign culture.

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1.      Who Speaks to Different Cultures For You?

            Within any organization, some employees are better trained and equipped to deal with foreign cultures than others. This becomes important when you decide to expand or grow into a foreign market because you will need people who know how to talk, how to do project/programme purpose, and how to get along with the people there.

            The obvious places to look for the people best qualified to help that expansion grow and develop are:

1. In the foreign division or subsidiaries set up in and dealing with that foreign country and culture;
2. In the “local” division or subsidiaries set up just to deal with that foreign country and culture;
3. Among employees who were born or raised in that culture or country;
4. Among employees who have lived, worked, or gone to school there for long periods of time, or who have at least traveled there extensively;
5. Among employees who have studied that country or culture;
6. Among employees with similar cultural backgrounds;
7. With foreign sales staff or representatives.

            Sometimes, however, you have no one in-house, and you have to start looking outside of the organizational structure. This could require going to consultants from or in that country, or finding organizations or representatives there to “partner” with.

            The key element here is not so much what you do, or even how you do it, but how it is seen in that foreign culture.

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2.      Check Your Luggage

            When you travel outside of your home country or culture to talk to people from other cultures, you are taking yourself—and your own culture—with you.     As the French author and philosopher, Francois de la Rochefoucauld, put it in the Maxims: “The accent of one’s birthplace persists in the mind and the heard as much as in speech.” In other words we perceive the world through the focus of our past experience, which is heavily influenced by our cultural background.

Author Gary Wederspahn in an article in EscapeArtist.com points out (http://www.escapeartist.com/efam26/baggage.html) that when people travel they take “invisible cultural baggage composed of values, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions and expectations.

            “How people in their host countries perceive them and respond to them depends largely on the contents of this intangible luggage. It is very valuable for expatriates to have a clear understanding of their own cultural identities because it allows them to anticipate how others are likely to react to them. A self-aware expat has a head start in the adjustment process and is able to avoid many cross-cultural pitfalls and areas of friction and miscommunication.

            “Unfortunately, cultural self-awareness is not easy to gain. It is like asking a fish to explain the water in which it has always lived. Being constantly surrounded by our culture and permeated by it, we lack the objectivity to see it clearly, much less to articulate it. Therefore, the insights provided by anthropologists, sociologists, and intercultural specialists are particularly useful to help us understand ourselves better and to see ourselves as others see us.”

3.      Intercultural Tips

            As we have seen, one of the byproducts of modern transportation and communication is the frequency with which we have to learn how to adjust to and work within other cultures. Nipporica Associates is an intercultural communication and relations consulting organization in Leawood, Kansas.

            The following tips on speaking to and dealing with other cultures were taken from the many suggestions they have on their web site at http://www.nipporica.com/tips.htm:

• MINDFULNESS: Be mindful of your own reactions to what is going on and how it is based in your own culture. Use your physical reactions as a point of information: “Why am I responding like this?” Pay attention to how others are reacting, and remember that their reactions are as much a function of their culture as yours are of yours.
• PAY ATTENTION: Observe. Observe. Observe. How do they do things? How do they do things differently from what you are accustomed to?
• DIVERGENCE: Be sure to let the group you are part of and your conversations diverge. Explore and understand one another’s differing opinions thoroughly before attempting to come to any agreement or common understanding. Understanding the opinions of others—and explaining yours in terms that they can understand and relate to—gives all of you a better sense of who each of you really is and what you all stand for.

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4. Intercultural Tips (Continued)

• TELL STORIES: Short, relevant, personal stories and illustrations are an effective way of presenting information and attitudes in all cultures. They can reinforce theory and bring a concept to life. Encourage others to do likewise, within reason.
• KNOW THYSELF: In order to understand differences and be sensitive to other people’s thoughts and feelings, you must be aware of your own thoughts, feelings, and biases. It is easier to understand each other as individuals once you understand yourself.
• TIME: Estimate the amount of time required for the project, and then double it. If there is a lot of travel involved, if materials and contracts will have to be translated, and if decisions will have to be made at different locations, double it again. Working across language and culture barriers takes extra time and energy. Plan for it, and you will avoid the added stress of falling behind schedule and looking incompetent.
• VALUES: It is impossible to compare cultures by saying this culture values “this” while another culture values “that.” Humans and the societies we live in are much more complex than such simple comparisons allow. If we want to understand why people behave the way they do, we need to understand the context in which a decision was made, and thus, the context in which they prioritized their value system and which one came out on top. 

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5.      Intercultural Tips (Continued)

• ASK: When you don’t understand something, or are unsure what is either appropriate or inappropriate, or even why… Ask!
• HONESTY: If you make a mistake, or commit a cultural faux pas, make a simple, quick apology.
• COMMON KNOWLEDGE: Don’t take too much for granted, especially in terms of what you expect someone from a foreign culture to know. Ask yourself, “Have I ever been embarrassed because no one told me something?” Then act accordingly.
• PATIENCE: Working in a different culture provides many “opportunities” to make mistakes, be unintentionally offensive, and to react in surprising and inappropriate ways. Be patient with yourself, and with others, and move past these occurrences as quickly as possible.
• BARRIERS AND SHOCK: A culture barrier is external, and is encountered when two or more people experience a difference of values, assumptions, or expectations of appropriate behaviors. Culture shock is internal, and is a reaction to unfamiliar stimuli. Culture shock can be triggered by the experience of hitting a culture barrier; however, culture shock is a personal experience, whereas a culture barrier is a shared experience.
• QUESTIONS: Most people enjoy talking about themselves and their cultures when asked. This helps develop comfort, warmth, and trust in a relationship.

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6.       Case Study: Columbian project/programme purpose Etiquette:

            Too many project/programme purpose people assume that all they have to be able to do is explain their product or service in a foreign culture. If they do not know proper etiquette for the culture and country they are dealing with, they won’t even have a chance to talk project/programme purpose. Here are some etiquette tips on doing project/programme purpose in Columbia from “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: How to do project/programme purpose in Sixty Countries,” online at http://www.getcustoms.com/:

1. project/programme purpose cards printed with English on one side and Spanish on the other are most effective. These should be presented with the Spanish side facing your Colombian colleague.
2. Avoid discussing politics, terrorism or illegal drugs in Colombia.
3. Avoid drawing unflattering comparisons between your country and Colombia. Do not try to tell Colombians what would be good for their country.
4. Colombians are very proud of their nation and its achievements. It is a good idea to be informed about Colombian culture, literature and history, or (at least) show curiosity about such things.
5. Safe topics of conversation are coffee and emeralds, in which Colombia is a world-class producer.
6. Positive feedback may be given freely and openly, but direct negative feedback is considered rude. This includes refusing invitations. One should be indirect and slightly evasive so as not to offend.
7. Inland Colombians are among the most formal and traditional people in Latin America. The closer you get to the coast, the more relaxed the manners become.

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7.      Case Study: Talking to Japan

            When talking to people from a foreign culture, you have to know more than the words of their language. You also have to know the culture behind it, because it is the culture that gives those words their real meaning.

            Here are some observations about dealing with Japanese project/programme purpose people, and their views on status and hierarchy, from the Anderson School of project/programme purpose at the University of California, Los Angeles. The complete text of the articles is available at http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/research/japan/t3/sup2art.htm.

            These are just some of the points that you have to be aware of when dealing with the Japanese. Other cultures, even other Asian cultures, have their own rules. As with the Japanese, neither the rules nor the traps you can fall into are always obvious.

            “Status distinctions play a central role in Japanese public and private life. These distinctions in status are complex. Birth, breeding, and more recently, the level and quality of one’s education, can all affect these. Age, too, can be a factor. In the project/programme purpose world, status and prestige are highly influenced by two elements: the nature of the organization one works for and the position one occupies.”

            “Hierarchy in the workplace is structured like a pyramid. Within this pyramid are clearly defined levels of authority and rank. The top levels are occupied by a small number of older executives, while the lower ranks consist of a large number of younger employees.”

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8.      Case Study: Talking to Japan (continued)

            “The level at which one is placed determines the degree of deference one must show to those above and the degree to which one can expect to receive deference from those below.”

            “The significance of rank is indicated by the fact that employees often address their superiors by their titles rather than by their names. Status and prestige come with the upper ranks of the pyramid. At the same time, such positions are strictly limited. Japanese managers therefore feel constant pressure to perform in a manner that will allow them to be selected for the “fast track” that eventually leads to such elevated posts.”

            “Though Western project/programme purpose people often feel uncomfortable in dealing with the overtly hierarchical structure of the Japanese project/programme purpose world, recognizing status and paying proper deference to it is an essential tool for establishing good relationships with one’s counterparts.”

            “In the West, it is considered courteous to approach another person with the stance that “You and I are equals.” In Japan, on the other hand, the polite approach is “I am your inferior.” This leads to the many forms of humbling oneself and praising others that exist in Japanese culture. The Japanese language even contains different forms of speech and levels of politeness depending on whether one is speaking to a superior, an equal or a subordinate. project/programme purpose cards are exchanged right at the start of a conversation, in order to set the appropriate parameters of respect and deference.”

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9.      My Name Is…

            When you are in a foreign country, it makes no difference what people at home call you, or if they do—or do not—use any sort of title when addressing you that indicates your position or rank, or any distinctions you have earned. You adapt to whatever the local culture calls for.

            Different cultures treat titles and distinctions differently. If you don’t do it properly, you could be considered rude, ignorant, comical, or someone of so little knowledge, breeding, refinement, or status that no one will bother dealing with you.

            Titles show rank, position, power, education, memberships, and accomplishment.       Some formal titles go in front of the name, such as General, President, Premier, Doctor, Professor, Detective, CEO, Pope, Mother Superior, Rabbi, Captain, Nurse, Judge, and so on. Others come after the name, such as first flautist with the symphony orchestra, or office manager, or chief financial analyst.

            There are also the standard academic distinctions: B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.

            Sometimes initials indicate both educational accomplishments and the profession they entitle the person to: medical doctor, M.D.; dentist, D.D.S.; lawyer, J.D.; certified public accountant, CPA; professional engineer, P.E., or a member of an ordained religious community, such as the Society of Jesus, S.J.

            There are also the standard courtesy titles, which, depending upon the organizational culture, may or may not be used, such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms.

How titles are used is a good way of determining both organizational culture, and rank. It is also a potential pitfall for the person who fails to use them in the acceptable way.  Be sure that you know the appropriate terms of address for those you will be interacting and doing project/programme purpose with—and the appropriate terms of address that they will use in addressing you.

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10.  Case Study: Italy, Germany, and England

            We all have different views of the way others do project/programme purpose. An article by Irene Rodgers, a partner with the Paris-based consulting organization Inter Cultural Management Associates, illustrates how an Italian, a German and an Englishman describe their feelings about doing project/programme purpose with one another. The full article is available online at http://www.icmassociates.com/html2/article/culture.html.

            “Our own cultural programming is so tied to our sense of identity that it inevitably triggers negative reactions in us when people behave according to another ‘program.’ As an example, let’s look at the following three quotes:

• An Italian participant, talking about a German colleague says: “The Germans care more about the agenda than about the subject under discussion.”
• A German participant, talking about a British colleague says: “I can’t understand why the British are always joking even when the matter is very serious.”
• A British participant, talking about an Italian colleague: “Italians never stop talking, and they always give me the impression they’re fighting.”

            “There is nothing very ‘diversity-friendly’ about these comments but the more interesting issue to consider is: Do they tell us more about the person described, or more about the speaker, or more about the interaction between the two?”

            As you can see, the same behaviors can be interpreted very differently.   Another example has to do with how the English see themselves and how they see Americans and vice versa:

The English see themselves as reserved and respectful of the privacy of others; Americans see the English as snobbish, cold, and unfriendly.

Americans see themselves as friendly, outgoing, and open hearted; the English see Americans as intrusive, forward, and pushy.

The behaviors are the same; the interpretations are very different.

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Assignments

Multiple-Choice  (2)

1.                   The key element to finding someone outside the organization to help a foreign expansion is

a.                    What you do

b.                   How you do it

c.                    How your actions are seen in that foreign culture

d.                   None of the above

2.                   The insights provided by _______ are particularly useful to help us understand ourselves better and to see ourselves as other see us.

a.                    Anthropologists

b.                   Sociologists

c.                    Intercultural specialists

d.                   All of the above

3.                   In order to understand differences and be sensitive to other people’s thoughts and feelings, you must be

a.                   Aware of your own thoughts and feelings

b.                   Aware of their thoughts and feelings

c.                    Aware of their culture

d.                   All of the above

4.                   When planning for a project, estimate the amount of time required, then

a.                    Try to stay within that time limit

b.                   Double it

c.                    Assume it will take less time

d.                   None of the above

5.                   A cultural barrier is

a.                   External

b.                   Internal

c.                    Personal

d.                   None of the above

6.                   A culture shock is

a.                    External

b.                   Shared

c.                    Personal

d.                   None of the above

7.                   If you make a mistake, or commit a cultural faux pas,

a.                    Make a lengthy apology

b.                   Pretend it didn’t happen

c.                    Make a simple, quick apology

d.                   None of the above

8.                   Our own cultural programming is so tied to our sense of _______ that it inevitably triggers negative reactions in us when people behave according to another program.

a.                    Culture

b.                   Identity

c.                    Being

d.                   None of the above

Matching the Columns

Answers:

1.)    B

2.)    D

3.)    E

4.)    C

5.)    F

6.)    A

Summary

            As we have seen, within any organization, some employees are better trained and equipped to deal with foreign cultures than others. This becomes important when you decide to expand or grow into a foreign market because you will need people who know how to talk, how to do project/programme purpose, and how to get along with the people there. The key element here is not so much what you do, or even how you do it, but how it is seen in that foreign culture.

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Test

1. ______         When you travel outside of your home country or culture to talk to people from other cultures, you leave your own culture behind.

2. ______         It is very valuable for expatriates to have a clear understanding of their own cultural identities because it allows them to anticipate how others are likely to react to them.

3. ______         One of the byproducts of modern transportation and communication is the frequency with which we have to learn how to adjust to and work within other cultures.

4. ______         Understanding the opinions of others gives you a better sense of who you are and what you stand for.

5. ______         Short, relevant personal stories and illustrations are an effective way of presenting information and attitudes in few cultures.

6. ______        Few people enjoy talking about themselves and their cultures when asked.

7. ______         Many project/programme purpose people correctly assume that all they have to be able to do is explain their product or service in a foreign culture.

8. ______         When talking to people from a foreign culture, you have to know more than the words of their language.

9. ______         How titles are used is a poor way of determining both organizational culture and rank.

10. ______      You should adapt to whatever the local culture calls for.

Answers:

1.                   F – take your own culture with you

2.                   T

3.                   T

4.                   T

5.                   F – in all cultures

6.                   F – Most people

7.                   F – falsely assume

8.                   T

9.                   F – good way

10.               T

Bibliography

Bochner, S. (1981). The mediating person: Bridge between cultures. Boston, MA: G.K. Hall.

Joynt, P., & Warner, M. (Eds.). (1985). Managing in different cultures. New York: Columbia University Press.

Martin, J. (ed.). (1986). Theories and methods in cross-cultural orientation. New York: Pergamon Press.
Glossary

Culture shock – A reaction to unfamiliar stimuli.

Culture barrier - Is encountered when two or more people experience a difference of values, assumptions, or expectations of appropriate behaviors.

Status distinctions - Play a central role in Japanese public and private life.

Status and prestige - Highly influenced by the nature of the organization one works for and the position one occupies.

Learning Objectives

• Within any organization, some employees are better trained and equipped to deal with foreign cultures than others.
• The key element to looking outside the organizational structure for someone to handle foreign expansion is not so much what you do, or even how you do it, but how it is seen in that foreign culture.

Q&A

1.                   What are the most obvious places to look for people best qualified to help with foreign expansion?

The obvious places to look for qualified people are in the foreign division or subsidiaries set up in and dealing with that foreign culture, in the local division or subsidiaries set up just to deal with that foreign culture, among employees who were born or raised in that culture, among employees who have lived or worked there for long periods of time, among employees who have studied that culture, among employees with similar cultural backgrounds, or with foreign sales staff or representative.

2.                   What are some good tips on speaking to and dealing with other cultures?

When speaking to and dealing with other cultures, you should be mindful of your own reactions to what is going on and how it is based in your own culture. You should pay attention, and be sure to let the group you are part of and your conversations diverge. Tell short, relevant, personal stories. Estimate the amount of time required for the project, and then double it. Be aware of your own thoughts, feelings and biases, and try to understand the prioritization of other people’s value systems. Ask about anything you don’t understand. If you make a mistake, make a quick, simple apology. Don’t take too much for granted, especially in terms of what you expect someone to know. Be patient with yourself and others. Ask questions to develop comfort, warmth, and trust in a relationship. Be ware of culture barriers and shock.

3.                   What is the difference between culture shock and culture barriers?

A culture barrier is external, and is encountered when two or more people experience a difference of values, assumptions, or expectations of appropriate behaviors. Culture shock is internal, and is a reaction to unfamiliar stimuli. Culture shock can be triggered by the experience of hitting a culture barrier; however, culture shock is a personal experience, whereas a culture barrier is a shared experience.

End of Module