CHALLENGES FOR LEADERSHIP IN A MULTICULTURAL, GLOBAL SOCIETY

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CHALLENGES FOR LEADERSHIP IN A MULTICULTURAL,
GLOBAL SOCIETY

• Dr. Gary R. Weaver
• American University
• September 18, 2004

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WHY IS DIVERSITY IMPORTANT?

• Changing demographics
• Not just in urban areas
• Globalization

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The American CultureToday

• Not a Cultural Cookie Cutter or Melting Pot
• Patchwork Quilt
• Salad Bowl
• Mosaic or Tapestry

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Minorities in USA Today

• 12 African American
• 13 Hispanic
• 4 Asian and Pacific Islanders
• 1 American Indian

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ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTIONS

• Just get the right cookbook.
• By emphasizing differences, youre just stirring
  things up.
• As we interact, differences will become LESS
  important.

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• VALUABLE If we know their values we can explain
  their behavior.
• EVALUATE If their behavior is different than
  ours, we describe it SUBJECTIVELY and NEGATIVELY

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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

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CROSS-CULTURAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION IMPROVES
EFFECTIVENESS

• Communication
• Drop-out rates overseas
• Decreased culture-shock
• Critical incidents

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CONTRASTING VALUESTo 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

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Communication Styles
A
B
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Communication Styles
A
B
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Communication Styles
A
B
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Communication Styles
A
B
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Project Timeline
Stage One 0 - 6 Months
Stage Two 6 - 12 months
Stage Three 12 - 18 Months
Stage Four 18 - 24 months
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Project Timeline
Stage One 0 - 12 Months
Stage Two 12 - 18 Months
Stage Three 18 - 22 Months
Stage Four 22 -24 Months
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NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

• To Do people are verbally-oriented
• To Do people trust vision--writing
• To Be people are more non-verbally adept
• To Be people prefer face-to-face interaction

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THE VALUE OF CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING AND
COMMUNICATION

• Serving clients more effectively
• Creativity
• Awareness of cultureour own and others
• Self-awareness

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Other Resources

• Hall, Edward. Beyond Culture.
• Weaver, Gary R., ed. Culture, Communication and
  Conflict, 2nd edition. Boston, MAPearson
  Publishing, 2000.
• www.interculturalpress.com
• www.imi.american.edu