Culture and communication

1
Culture and communication

• Culture and communication are inseparable,
  because culture not only dictates who talks to
  whom, about what, and how the communication
  proceeds, it also helps to determine how people
  encode messages, the meanings they have for
  messages, and the conditions and circumstances
  under which various messages may or may not be
  sent, noticed, or interpreted. In fact, our
  entire repertory of communicative behaviors is
  dependent largely on the culture in which we have
  been raised. Culture, consequently, is the
  foundation of communication. And when cultures
  vary, communication practices also vary. (Samovar
  et al, 198124).

2
Communication Barriers

• A. Language Barriers
• 1. Fallacy of English as a universal language.
• 2. The problem of translationBig Bus. Blunders
• B. Cultural Barriers
• -Appropriacy Who/to whom/what/how/when/where
• C. Perceptual Barriers
• 1. Perception is selective
• 2. Perceptual patterns are learned.
• 3. Perception is culturally determined.
• 4. Perception tends to remain constant.
• We therefore see things that do not exist and
  do not see things that do exist.
• D. Nonverbal communication
• E. Lack of cultural self-awareness

3
CC communication in an organizational context

• A. Social composition-Citibank
• B. Organization structure
• -number of levels /hierarchy
• -organizational complexity
• -specialization/division of labor
• -Complexity number of product lines
• C. Goal orientation
• D. Formalization
• -Number of reports is more necessarily better?
• -Can be informative but also frustrating.
• E. Shared experience
• -generally more personal contact---better
  communication

4
Achieving cross-cultural communication
effectiveness

• A. Provide cultural training
• -about other cultures
• -about our own culture
• B. Provide language training
• C Improve feedback systems
• -within organizations
• -structure
• -processes
• -new technologies
• D. Increase flexibility and cooperation
• E. Focus on individual attitudes and skill
  building

5
What do I do if they do not speak my language?

• A. Verbal behavior
• 1. Clear, slow speech 2. Repetition
  3. Simple sentences
• 4. Active words
• B. Nonverbal behavior
• 1. Visual restatements 2. Gestures
  3. Demonstration
• 4. Pauses 5. Summaries
• C. Accurate interpretation
• 1. Silence 2. Intelligence 3. Differences
• D. Comprehension
• 1. Understanding (assume they dont) 2. Checking
  comprehension
• D. Design
• 1. Breaks 2. Small modules
  3. Longer time frame
• E. Motivation
• 1. Encouragement 2. Drawing out 3.
  Reinforcement
• from Adler, N.J. (1997) International Dimensions
  of Organizational Behavior Cincinnati
  Southwestern. P. 97.

6
Cross cultural communication effectiveness

• 1. Correct balance between task and relational
  behavior.
• 2. Minimize self-oriented behaviors.
• 3. The capacity to be non-judgmental.
• 4. The tolerance for ambiguity.
• 5. The display of respect.
• 6. Personalizing knowledge and perceptions.
• 7. Displaying empathy.
• 8. Taking turns
• From Ruben, Brent. Guidelines for
  cross-cultural communication effectiveness. Group
  and Organization Studies, December 1977, 2(4)
  470-479.
• .

7
Cultural Noise in the Communication Process

• Attribution problems due to cultural variables in
  the communication process
• 1. Attitudes--e.g. the problem of stereotyping
• 2. Social organization
• 3. Thought patterns
• 4. Roles
• 5. Language
• 6. Nonverbal communication
• -