CHALLENGES FOR LEADERSHIP IN A MULTICULTURAL, GLOBAL SOCIETY Dr. Gary R. Weaver American University

WHY IS DIVERSITY IMPORTANT? Changing demographics Not just in urban areas “Globalization”

The American Culture Today Not a Cultural Cookie Cutter or Melting Pot Patchwork Quilt Salad Bowl Mosaic

Minorities in USA Today 12% African American 13% Hispanic 4% Asian and Pacific Islanders 1% American Indian

TO MORE EFFECTIVELY SERVE YOUR CLIENTS Conveying information Developing skills Overcoming barriers caused by differences Using differences to create synergy

TRAINING DOES IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS Drop-out rates overseas Decreased culture-shock Critical incidents

TRAITS THAT CORRELATE WITH FAILURE IN CROSS- CULTURAL INTERACTIONS Low tolerance to ambiguity or high uncertainty avoidance Overly task-oriented or high need for individual achievement Overly closed-minded and inflexible

What is “Culture?” culture - the way of life (values, beliefs and behaviors) of a people passed down from one generation to the next through learning

Generalization vs. Stereotype Cultural Generalization –Never applies to everyone in every situation –Only a first “guess” –Discard it when no longer accurate or useful Cultural Stereotype –Applies to everyone in every situation – no exceptions –Retained even when no longer accurate or useful

Culture is like an Iceberg. 6/7 th ’s of it is UNDER the water.

B EHAVIOR B ELIEFS V ALUES AND T HOUGHT P ATTERNS V ALUES AND T HOUGHT P ATTERNS

Erroneous Assumptions Just get the right “cookbook.” By emphasizing differences, you’re just stirring things up. As we interact, differences will become LESS important. It’s just a matter of communication. It’s just a matter of applying basic management principles. Conflict is the same in all cultures.

As we interact, differences will become LESS important. Leon Festinger –Theory of Cognitive Dissonance Muzafir Sherif –Development of a “Superordinate Goal”

Nature of Early Immigrants Religiously Persecuted - Fanatics Avoided Wars - “Draft Dodgers” “Criminals”

BASIC BELIEFS Extreme individualism Distrust of strong centralized authority

Dominant or Mainstream American Culture “Middle Class” Protestant Psychology of Abundance

CULTURAL CONTINUUMS To Do To Be Earned Status Individual Achievement Individual Action Equality Immediate family Self Reliance Independence Individual Competition Individualism Guilt Future Class Mobility Ascribed Status Affiliation Stability Inequality Extended Family Reliance on Others Interdependence Cooperation Collectivism Shame Past or Heritage Caste Rigidity

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

What Doesn’t Fit? Nice weather we’re having! Sunny, high in the 70s. Haven’t we met before?

What Doesn’t Fit? Nice weather we’re having! Haven’t we met before? High-Context - Relational - Associative To Be - Poets Sunny, high in the 70s. Low Context - Abstractive - Analytical To Do - Memo Writers/Lawyers

Communication Styles AB

AB

AB

AB

Project Timeline Stage One Months Stage Two months Stage Three Months Stage Four months

Project Timeline Stage One Months Stage Two Months Stage Three Months Stage Four Months

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION We send messages, not meaning To Do people tend to be verbally-oriented To Do people trust vision

Cross-Cultural Conflict

QUESTIONS: How do you know if it’s a conflict? Is it escalating or de-escalating? When do you resolve it? When it is beyond resolution? How do you resolve the conflict?

Other Resources Hall, Edward. Beyond Culture. Weaver, Gary R., ed. Culture, Communication and Conflict, 2nd edition. Boston, MA:Pearson Publishing,