1. Managing Business and Professional Communication
Chapter Six: Managing Intercultural Communication in the Workplace
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How will you be affected by intercultural diversity in a future career???
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2008

3. Model of Intercultural Diversity
Perceived Culture-Group A
Perceived Culture-Group B
Perceived Differences
(Uncertainty, anxiety)
Model shows how perceived differences effect communication.
Functional: time, listening, friendship, honest communication
Create drive for harmony
Dysfunctional: stereotypes, ethnocentrism, avoidance, non-cooperation, hostility
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4. The Significance of Managing Cultural Diversity
Cultural diversity poses potential barriers
Impoverished intercultural communication is costly
The workplace is growing in cultural diversity
Culture: A set of beliefs, attitudes, customs, rules, activities, and communication patterns of an identifiable group of people
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5. A Need for Intercultural Communication in Organizations
Ethnocentrism
Prejudice
Intense
Symbolic
Tokenism
Arms-length
Stereotyping
Classifying in and out groups
Ethnocentrism: A sense of egotism and selfishness about one’s own culture whereby one’s own culture is elevated in importance above others.
Prejudice: Occurs when one acts towards another person with a preconception of their attitudes or behaviors in a way leading to bias, unfairness, intolerance, or injustice.
Intense: Treating certain groups as outcasts
Symbolic: Devaluation not because of a belief in inherent inferiority, but because the group is seen as blocking cultural goals
Tokenism: Small participation in activities appearing non-prejudicial as self-convincing proof of not being prejudiced.
Arms-length: Non-prejudicial actions in public, but warmth, friendship, and intimacy are withheld in private.
Stereotyping: Assumptions that are made about an individual or a group of people – often made on limited data and limited exposure to groups
Classifying In and Out groups: People seek people like themselves (in-groups) and distance themselves from dissimilar people by categorizing others (out-groups)
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6. A Need for Intercultural Communication in Organizations
Communication style expectations
Culturally diverse conflict styles
Cultural values
Languages and code
Interaction rituals
Failure to recognize gendered culture
Cultural values: Long abiding judgments of good and bad which a culture considers worthwhile and important
Languages and code: Even if two people share a language, the thought processes behind the words may not be the same
Failure to recognize gendered culture: Gender and international culture differences influence communication expectations in some social situations
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7. A Need for Intercultural Communication in Organizations
Will two cultures have different communication expectations?
How do you understand different styles in a business transaction?
How can you stop barriers, eliminate discrimination, and accept cultural diversity?
Arabs: expect friendship and warmth, socializing and getting to know each other, often expect gifts to be exchanged
American: expect to get things done quickly – time is money, less socializing and get to the point, creating long term relationships less important
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8. Strategies for Promoting Cultural Diversity
Strategies of Unity
Search for common ground
Adapting to low and high context cultures
Adapting to group and individual cultures
Adapting to task and people priorities
Adapting to cultural hierarchy
Adjust linearity
Understand nonverbal interaction in culture
Avoid hasty impression formation
Common ground: emphasize similarities
Adapting to low or high context cultures:
Low context cultures rely on codes of explicit information – organizations thrive best when everyone knows as much as possible relevant to that person’s role
High context cultures provide little overt information
Adapting to group and individual cultures: individualism versus collectivism
Adapting to task and people priorities: Are the cultures focused on the job or on the relationships
Adapting to cultural hierarchy: The social distance – power distance – that people maintain
Adjust linearity: Be aware of how linear styles (moving in a straight line from one point to another point) can be considered abrupt to a culture accustomed to working around a point until a later time in the conversation
Understand nonverbal interaction in culture: Nonverbal behavior is culture specific. Awareness of what behaviors mean in a given context is a must.
Avoid hasty impression formation: Be aware of how you reduce anxiety in culturally diverse contexts. Be aware of attribution.
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9. Strategies for Managing Cultural Diversity
Engage strategies of cultural adaptation.
Culture shock
Symptoms include: expressions of loneliness, irritability, statements of great fear or depression, avoidance of communication
Reasons are many and may include: low self-esteem, inadequate preparation, non-supportive network
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10. Stages of Cultural Adaptation
Stages of culture shock
Stage one: Feeling good!
Stage two: Disappointment
Fight
Flight
Filter
Stage three: Everything is OK 1 3
Stage one: The honeymoon stage
Stage two: Utopia turns to paradise lost
1. Fight
2. Flight
3. Filter
Stage three: Life returns to normal 2
Time
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11. Strategies for Managing Cultural Adaptation
Understand how culture shock is normal
Develop interpersonal networks of trust and sharing of problems
Try new things at times
Use a mentor or coach
Study the new culture
Practice stress reduction techniques
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