Ingen diastitel

1
Project Organised Learning in a Cross-Cultural
Perspective
2 Collaboration in Interdisciplinary and
Cross-Cultural Groups
2
Gorm Simonsen M.Sc. in industrial
engineering Ph.D student in Working Environment
and Technological Development Currently teaching
in project work, engineering responsibilities,
working environment and learning processes.
3
Agenda 020911

• Learning objectives
• Experiences from previous POL-groups
• Short break
• Communication - model/group/supervision
• Short break
• Group life cycle
• Group exercise
• Summing up

4
Learning Objectives

• Students should be able to
• understand the communication process
• identify factors critical for effective
  communication
• understand the nature of groups
• identify factors critical for effective
  collaboration
• identify and implement procedures and tools for
  enhancing task efficiency

5
Student experiences with POL

• Leo Sigurdsson
• 10th semester EM-student
• Personal views and experiences
• pitfalls/dangers
• tools and procedures
• sharing knowledge within the group
• using the supervisors

6
Culture - a definition
- from ancient Greek kultura - to act upon
nature - coping with problems of nature for
survival Merriam-Webster ( www.m-w.com ) 5 a
the integrated pattern of human knowledge,
belief, and behavior that depends upon man's
capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge
to succeeding generations b the customary
beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a
racial, religious, or social group c the set of
shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices
that characterises a company or corporation
7
Communication - a definition
- from ancient Latin communis - common -
sharing, making commonly known Merriam-Webster
( www.m-w.com ) 2 a to convey knowledge of or
information about make known ltcommunicate a
storygt b to reveal by clear signs lthis fear
communicated itself to his friendsgtintransitive
senses2 to transmit information, thought, or
feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or
understood
8
Communication

• Talk - in order to be understood
• and
• listen - in order to understand

9
Communication-model
SENDER (A)
RECEIVER (B)
Expectations / needs Interests / intentions
Transmission of information Medium
Medium
Thoughts and ideas
Verba- lising
Thoughts and ideas
Processing
Intention / objectives Needs / interests
Reaction
Feedback
10
Disturbances at sender

• Intentions not well considered
• Conflict between needs and interests
• Lack of knowledge of media
• Verbalising-problems
• Speed
• Non-logical sequence
• Too much information
• Not adjusted to receiver
• Bad choice of medium

11
Disturbances at receiver

• Refusal of medium
• Selection among sensations (needs and interests)
• Perception of sensations (needs and interests)
• Processing to a meaningful whole
• Expectations
• Already known
• Pre-conceived opinion about sender
• Pre-conceived opinion about subject

12
Active listening
An actively listening person
Has eye contact Has open posture Is leaning
slightly forward Nods Uses encouraging words
Yes,No,I see,Hmmm Uses openers Tell
more,How would you etc. Is conscious of
receivers bodylanguage
13
Elements in bodylanguage

• eyes
• facial mimic
• gesture
• posture
• position
• dressing
• (paralanguage)

14
Perception
Interpretation of sensations - relative to
expectations, needs and interests
15
Stereotyping - perceptions and communication
patterns
Outsiders
Established
M
Worst
M
Best
Elias, Norbert and John L. Scotson The
Established and the Outsiders. London. 1972.
16
Student development
1. Ethic dualism - orthodoxy right or wrong 2.
Multiplicity - total relativism every person
his/her truth 3. Contextual relativism -
truth within a certain context 4.
Commitment in relativism - conscious choices
commitment responsibility self-realisation
Perry, W. Forms of intellectual and ethical
development in the college years. Holt, Rhinehart
Winston, New York, 1968.
17
Multi-cultural man (multi-cultural learner)
The multi-cultural identity is based on, not an
affiliation demanding membership of a certain
culture, but a certain conscious state which
continuously negotiates new ways of experiencing
and observing reality. To live on the edge of
ones culture or ego is truly not stagnation, but
rather moving back and forth with the intention
to create a third sphere beyond the settled
territories. A sphere where you can stand for a
while without feeling closely connected.
Hansen, F.T. Kunsten at navigere i kaos. I
KVL-kandidaters arbejdsmetoder og uddannelse i
vidensamfundet. Konferencerapport. KVL,
København, 1997.
18
Cross-cultural spans (cms)
Agrarian vs. Urban Physical vs. Intellectual
Re-active vs. Pro-active Tradition vs.
Modernisation Religion vs. Science vs.
Experience Natural Science vs. Social
Science Local vs. Regional vs. National vs.
International Teaching vs. Learning vs. Acting
vs. Changing
19
Cross-cultural dilemmas
Time punctuality vs. continuity past vs.
future Space distance vs. belonging Rules
predictability vs. responsibility perfection
vs. learning (failure) Causation reason vs.
magic Doing things right vs. doing right things
20
Types of meetings

• Information
• Instruction
• Consultation/negotiation
• Decision-making
• Problem-solving
• Exchange of ideas

Talk
Listen
21
Moderation of meetings
Ask
Listen

• Prepare

Summarize
Conclude
22
Communication - between group and supervisor How
will it be?
23
Types of supervision Translated from Olsen, Poul
Bitsch and Kaare Pedersen (1997)
Problemorienteret Projektarbejde en
værktøjsbog. Roskilde Universitetsforlag. P. 164.
24
Roleplay between supervisor and group . What
happens?
25
Expected types of supervision
26
Cross-cultural team dynamics affected by
personalities, levels of knowledge, experience,
status, motivation, attitudes, - the
organisation, and the task the same generic
needs to manage the team dynamics in national
teams - but the process is more complex issues
are to prepare thoroughly and use effective
procedures and tools to manage the the cultural
factors of the team
27
Phase 1 Start-up
Interactive synergy
Phase 2 First meeting
Phase 4 Closing stages
Phase 3 Mid-point
28
Interactive synergy reweaving the unique
threads of cultural difference into coherent
directions and ultimately a cloth. Participants
have to respect each others expertise and
different cultural backgrounds and create a
pattern of interaction that involves everyone.
(Davison p. 165) NOT A dominating
subgroup Polite stand-off One or two people
excluded
29
How do we achieve synergy ? What does it mean to
be culturally competent? Prepare in the
groups 3 characteristics of the culturally
competent team-member (eg. attitude,
communication) 3 characteristics of the
culturally competent team (eg. organisation,
goals, procedures)
30
The seven cultural factors 1. Different
cultural norms 2. Different levels of commitment
to norms 3. Language fluency 4. Different
expectations 5. Different leadership styles 6.
Different cultural status 7. Geographic spread 8.
Professional cultures
31
Your current stages in the group Phase
2 Starting up and getting to know each
other Phase 3Mid-phase - Keep reviewing what
you are doing and align it to the task (or
reviewing the process and the objectives) moment
s where the team is at a cross-road
possibilities and dangers.
Strategic moments
32
During the mid-phase Feed-back, checking up and
communicating Participation and involvement
needs to be carefully defined. Be careful of
strategic moments. Eg. by making detailed
observation or using video feed-back, and/or
process reviews. To prevent stagnation
communicate successes to each other and
supervisor Sponsors (supervisor) role
feed-back on project, eg. at the exam
33
Examples The honeymoon phase Dangers lack of
focus and transparency Procedures Clarifying
goals and objectives Tools structured rounds,
discussions, decisions and minutes The
integrative phase Dangers Lack of co-ordination
and transparency Procedures Develop quality
management Tools Constructive criticism (active
listening), supervision
34
Examples The Conflict phase Dangers Denial
and passivity Procedures Create overview Tools
Creativity, listening and giving face The
maturity phase Dangers Group-think Procedure
Quality review Tools evaluation and supervision
35
How will you identify strategic moments?
which phase you are in? group goals? which
procedures and tools to use? necessary
plans? time for evaluation? The goal is to
build up a sensitivity towards knowing the
groups status and building up a collective
toolbox. - through active experimentation and
learning.
36
Todays main points

• Students should be able to
• Understand the communication process
• identify factors critical for effective
  communication
• understand the nature of groups
• identify factors critical for effective
  collaboration
• identify and implement procedures and tools for
  enhancing task efficiency
• plan accordingly and act effectively

37
Homework
1. Discuss implications for the group conclude,
plan and act revise AC ? identify relevant
procedures and tools to be experimented with /
try out.
2. Discuss with supervisor.
3. Prepare for next lecture.
38
- and remember always The three Basic Rules for
Project Work and Collaboration
1. Write write write and write again
2. Transparency in the process
3. Evaluate process and products