Cross-Cultural Communication Lecture Overheads (Fall 2012) PDF

Lecture Overheads: Communicating Across Cultures Communication for Managers 15.279 Fall 2012 1  Effective cross-cultural communication means Being able to recognize cultural variables Understanding how those variables infl...

Lecture Overheads: Communicating Across Cultures Communication for Managers 15.279 Fall 2012 1  Effective cross-cultural communication means Being able to recognize cultural variables Understanding how those variables influence business Maximizing that knowledge to minimize misunderstanding 2 The underlying premise Differences in communication styles and norms arise from and are reflected in cultural beliefs, values, and experiences. Communication for Managers 3  What is culture? Concrete expressions: dress code, architecture, food, language, transportation, Artifacts: working hours, business meetings, political system, legal system; “Culture with a big C”: language, art, music social events, rituals, jargon Recognized behaviors: Explicit beliefs and values: social rituals and taboos roles and duties Visible Underlying assumptions: unconscious perceptions, thoughts, feelings Invisible Cultural forms: nature of time and space Reactions to common human problems and questions 4  But a caveat: We need to talk about and in stereotypes. Communication for Managers 5  Stereotypes and necessary generalizations Generalization Distributions U.S. Japan Central tendency of the distribution of population Japanese U.S. Deviants Deviants Individualism Collectivisim Image by MIT OpenCourseWare. From: Milton Bennett, Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. Selected Readings. Communication for Managers 6 Ways in which cultures vary Perceptions of time Perceptions of space Individualism versus collectivism High context versus low context Importance of hierarchy Importance and rigidity of gender roles Nature of change Nature of authority Humans’ relationship to the natural world Communication for Managers 7  Three cultural characteristics that impact professional communication Collectivistic Individualistic High Context Low Context More Less Hierarchical 8 Hierarchical  Communication variables: verbal Rate, volume, rhythm, intonation of speech Use of – Silence – Interruptions – Pauses – Questions – Laughter – Anecdotes Who dominates the conversation? – Rules for topic shifting and turn taking – Tolerance for simultaneous speech Forms of interaction – Ritual – Repartee – Argument – Self disclosure And, of course, content: What can and can’t be discussed with whom under what conditions? 9 Communication variables: nonverbal Proxemics (perception and use of space) Kinesics (facial expressions, gestures, etc.) Chronemics (perception and use of time) Paralanguage Use of silence Eye contact Clothing and physical appearance NOTE: When the nonverbal conflicts with the verbal, the nonverbal “wins.” 10 Communication variables: communication styles Linear: Goes from point A Contextual: Moves in a more to point B circular fashion Direct: Indirect: Discusses problems openly Uses third parties to discuss face to face problems Expresses feelings relatively Suggest rather than state openly individual feelings Questions answered with Often questions answered “yes” or “no” ambiguously Face saving not very much of Face saving a high priority a concern From: Milton Bennett, “Intercultural Communication: A Current Perspective,” in Basic Concepts of Intercultural Communication. Selected Readings. 11  Differences in Men’s and Women’s Communication Styles Men Women World Competition; key role Relationships; key role View as provider nurturer Purpose A series of negotiations A series of negotiations for status & indepen- for closeness & consensus dence Questions Request for info./tactic Request for info./tactic to gain control to keep talk flowing Content “Report talk” “Rapport talk” Communication for Managers 12  More differences Men Women Topics Defined narrowly; Defined gradually; shifted abruptly relate to last speaker Inter- “Verbal sparring” “Cooperative overlapping” ruptions Use of Take Take space relatively relatively open stance closed stance Photograph courtesy of Ben Gilman (left) and Ed Yourdon (right) on Flickr. Communication for Managers 13  How cultural differences can impact teams Team members may differ in: – their perception of the team’s objectives – the way they communicate – how they view leadership – work habits – their manner of interacting with members of the opposite sex – their level of formality with other team members – their willingness to socialize with other team members Communication for Managers 14  How cultural differences can impact professional interactions Either completing a task or building a relationship takes precedence Either the written word or the spoken word is more trusted Persuasion is based on facts or on the reputation of the individual Meetings are for exploring an issue or for demonstrating agreement Communication for Managers 15  General guidelines for working cross-culturally Don’t assume different is wrong, odd, or counterproductive Listen and observe Be curious Try to discuss differences but be respectful if other team members are not comfortable discussing them Push your own comfort level Communication for Managers 16 MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu 15.279 Management Communication for Undergraduates Fall 2012 For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.