Mannes, Mariska

Cultural Distance
Getting messages across in a multi-cultural workplace
Presenter Mariska Mannes
We all have the capacity to communicate with other people, however unlike ourselves they might be, and learn to understand them (Hofstede, Pederson & Hofstede, 2002). Although we have the capacity, the amount of cultural apprehension we experience, or lack of willingness to interact with a person from a different culture may, prevent us from understanding and/or communicating with her/him. Increasingly, workplaces in New Zealand are becoming multicultural and New Zealand and migrant co-workers need to communicate in order to work effectively. However, if migrant workers use a different communication style from those of the host culture, does the host culture adjust its communication style to facilitate understanding or do they use their own style and expect migrant workers to understand? The rapid growth and resulting attention to relationship development and employee engagement can have a significant impact on the need to develop an integrated communication strategy. It is even more important in todays workplace where the ability to effectively communicate with a diverse range of employees and customers determines the success of the organisation. Failure to effectively communicate in cross cultural relationships, whether with ones employees or customers, can hinder relationship development, thus diminishing value delivery and competitiveness. Although diversity and cross cultural communication is often talked about, one rarely comes across a meaningful insight into what communication managers are supposed to do. Few organisations have a cross cultural manager, but most have a communication manager. In saying that almost all managers are expected to function and communicate effectively as a cross cultural manager. As the communications manager you now have an additional role of learning how culture affects organisational communication and how you can integrate different cultural values and communication styles to ensure effective communication within your organisation.
IC Summit 2007. Cultural Distance getting messages across in a multicultural workplace 2007 Deliquo Communication Ltd
Intro
Perception / Interpretation Culture Intercultural Communication Model Cultural Dimensions Intercultural Communication Strategy Overcoming cross cultural challenges
We all work and communicate within our own cultural conditioning, what we call our reality or normality. This means when we employ or interact with people from cultures different to our own that those people will also be working within their cultural conditioning, reality. The challenge is understanding each others realities. This can be done but only if you are prepared to do so. To do so you need an open mind and must appreciate that you are trying to understand concepts and communicate in a reality that is often totally unfamiliar to you. Therein lays the challenge. Cross cultural communication breakdowns occur because of our perception, interpretation, values, stereotypes, cultural dimensions, communication styles and behaviours to name but a few. What is accepted and normal in one culture might confuse or cause misunderstanding in another. Understanding differences in communication styles and values is key to minimising cross cultural communication barriers when interacting with people of different cultures. To create a good working environment, organisations need to accommodate diverse groups, their differing contributions, expectations and needs, and the success of this depends on both policy makers and employees at all levels.
Communicating across cultures

Communication includes any behaviour another person perceives and interprets: it is your understanding of what I mean. Perception is the way in which we select organise and evaluate stimuli from the external environment to provide meaningful experience. Interpretation is the process of making sense out of our perceptions.
Cross cultural communication confronts us with our limited ability to perceive, interpret and evaluate people and situations. Our culturally based perspectives render everything relative and slightly uncertain. Working with people from a different culture to your own is equivalent to knowing the words without knowing the music or knowing the music without knowing the dance. Furthermore, we sometimes know the words but find the other person is playing a different, or in our mind, the wrong tune to go with the words. Our natural tendencies lead us back to our prior experience, our default options becomes the familiarity of our own culture thus precluding our accurate understanding of others cultures (Alder, 2002). Perception refers to the process by which individuals interpret the messages received from their senses and thereby give meaning to their environment. Research suggests our environment presents us with more information than we can effectively deal with and therefore we screen out much of what is presented to us. Culture acts as a filter in this screening process and influences what and how we perceive things. We also tend to have better recall of information that is inconsistent with our culturally based expectations but will filter out this information if it is incompatible with our views, thus misperceiving a persons behaviour or communication (Thomas 2002). Interpretation occurs when an individual gives meaning to observations and their relationships; it is the process of making sense out of our perceptions. Interpretation organises our experiences to guide our behaviour. Based on our experience, we make assumptions about what we perceive so we will not have to rediscover meanings each time we encounter similar situations. In saying this, if we interpret a situation inaccurately it is likely we will continue to interpret it in this way (Thomas 2002). Because people of different cultures are bought up in different environments they perceive and interpret situations differently, and in a way consistent to what is familiar to them, thus situations are easily misinterpreted.
What do you see?
Depending on the environment we are bought up in to how we perceive and interpret situations. This picture alone will be interpreted in many different ways. The challenge of communicating across cultures is for both the sender and receiver to give the same meaning to the message, that is, they interpret it in the same way. To assist effective communication within an organisational context it is important to minimise any misunderstanding that might exist by ensuring messages are clear. By this I mean, that as far as probable, the message can only mean one thing. If any ambiguity exists it should be explained. For example, this picture could carry a caption which would explain what was happening. However, even this does not ensure it will be interpreted correctly when communicating across cultures - it could also depend on the tone, who sent it, how much information is given all cultural conditionings will impact on interpretation. The more different the cultural factors the more likely misunderstandings will occur. Possible Interpretations:
Prayer before a meal. People thinking hard to solve a problem. Difficult conversation. A meeting about to begin. A family that has just received a sad letter. A meeting. Two women on the left are talking on the side about a mobile phone. The person on the left just bought some bread and is offering a piece to everybody. People looking for a solution to some problem. The guy on the left is hiding the important
evidence and showing something unimportant to the others.

The man in the middle presides over the debate. One guy is not involved. A religious ritual.
Hofstede, Pedersen & Hofstede (2002)
Culture
Culture consists of shared mental programs that condition individuals responses to their environment (Hofstede, 1980)
Specific to individual
Personality
Intended and learned
Specific to groups
Culture
Learned
Universal
Human Nature
Biological
Culture is basically a programming of the mind. As we grow we are taught to do things in a certain way, think in a certain way, we are taught what is right and wrong and how to behave and what is acceptable behaviour in different situations. We learn what is important and what to value; all of this makes up our culture. Culture is not just a set of surface behaviours it is deeply embedded in us, consequently, it takes time to adjust when faced with a new code of behaviours and expectations. Human Nature is considered the deepest level and is based on common biological reactions such as hunger, sexual drive, territoriality, and nurturing of the young something all human races have in common. Because of human nature there are many behaviours and understandings that all people share, even though they come from a different culture. Culture is based on the common experiences that we share with a particular group of people. Cultural values, attitudes and behaviour give us something in common with a definable group of others but not with all of them. Personality is considered the shallowest level and is based on the specific genetic make-up and personal experiences that make each of us an unique individual. For example we may be extroverted or introverted, aggressive or submissive, emotional or stable. Because of personality, there are many behaviours and understandings that will be quite different between different people even though they come from the same culture. (Thomas & Inkson, 2003) The greater the difference between the senders and receiver's cultures, the greater is the chance for misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication. Whereas communication is a process, CULTURE is the structure through which the communication is formulated and interpreted (Chaney, 2004). Thus we need to understand and be knowledgeable about the cultural constructs that affect effective communication.
Cross cultural Communication Process

Noise
Noise Noise Noise
Noise
Cultural Field Cultural Field
Sender
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Noise
Noise
Noise
Noise
Noise
Thomas (2003)
When people from different cultures come together to interact their messages are guided by and reflect their basic value orientations and cultural norms (Neuliep, 2003). Therefore, in order to communicate effectively in a culturally diverse business environment it is essential to become knowledgeable about the cultural factors that affect the communication process. Cultural differences threaten the communication process because they reduce the availability of codes and conventions that are shared by the sender and the receiver. The cultural field (above) represents culturally based elements in the senders and in the receivers background, such as their language, education, and cultural values. It is these cultural fields that create the codes used in encoding and decoding and cultural conventions that affect the communication process (Thomas & Inkson 2003). These fields are often referred to as cultural noise. When encoding, decoding and interpreting it is this cultural noise that acts as a filter through which all messages, both verbal and nonverbal, passes, therefore, all cross cultural exchanges are to a greater or lesser extent charged with ethnocentrism. That is we have a tendency to judge others, and their communication according to the codes and standards set by our own culture. Cultural noise includes, but is not limited to, stereotyping, language, nonverbal communication, cultural value dimensions (power distance, individualism vs collectivism, time, uncertainty avoidance/tolerance, masculinity vs femininity, universalism vs particularism), high and low context communication, time orientation, cultural apprehension, and evaluating behaviour from ones own point of view.
Stereotyping
Pictures in our heads A cognitive representation of a group of people that does not allow for individual difference and influence ones feeling about that group
In cross cultural encounters there are several filters that can prevent us from accurately understanding what others are trying to communicate, and that can prevent others from accurately understanding what we are trying to communicate. Our tendency to interpret and evaluate behaviour before we understand it and our willingness to stereotype groups of people prevents us from interpreting behaviour accurately (Hofstede, Pederson & Hofstede, 2002). Stereotyping involves a form of categorising that organises our experience and guides our behaviour toward various groups within society (Adler, 2002). Stereotypes, like other forms of categorisation, can be negative or positive. Positive stereotyping is when the stereotype is consciously held, descriptive rather than evaluative accurate and is modified based on further observations. Negative stereotyping occurs when we place people in the wrong category, when the group is incorrectly described and there is no allowance for individual difference, and when we fail to modify the stereotype based on observations (Mannes, 2006). Impact on communication If inaccurate stereotypes are firmly held, they lead to inaccurate predictors of others behaviour, misunderstanding and decreased effectiveness in communication. It is important to be aware that when we do stereotype people we act towards them in a manner that reinforces our belief in the attributed stereotypical behaviour, thus not allowing the adjustment of the held belief. For example if we believe that most Asian people cannot speak English and that they cannot understand you; you might adjust your communication when communicating with them or avoid them altogether. Either way the communication process is compromised.
Individualism vs Collectivism
Individuals are concerned about consequences of action for themselves, not others Collectivists primarily view themselves as members of groups
Pacific Island New Zealand South Africa Great Britain
Asian
Collectivist
Maori
Indian
Individualist
People from individualistic cultures are most concerned about the consequences of action for themselves. They prefer activities conducted on ones own or in relatively private interactions with friends. Decisions are made by the individual according to the judgment s/he makes as to what is appropriate and the individual rewards that will accrue. People from collectivist cultures primarily view themselves as members of groups and collectives rather than as autonomous individuals. They are concerned about the effects of actions of their groups. Activities are likely to be taken in groups and on a more public basis. Decisions are made on a consensus or consultative basis and the effects of the decision on everyone in the group are taken into account (Thomas & Inskson, 2003). Impact on communication Individualist organisations tend to specify individual positions, have detailed job descriptions, listing duties and responsibilities, whereas collectivist specify people by the group, describe tasks, responsibilities and reporting relationships in collective terms. Award and recognition - individualists prefer to be rewarded on the basis of their own contributions. Collectivists like to be rewarded on the basis of equal shares for all contributing to the group. The changing work environment has caused employees and employers to shift their emphasis from building long term relationships to negotiating short term transactions. Those from individual cultures tend to view jobs as short term transactions, whereas those from collectivist cultures see them as long term relationships. Individualists generally assert their own rights, ideas and resist group pressure, whereas collectivists are more influenced by the context and the ideas of the other people involved. The way working relationships are organised individualist value speaking up, sharing and debating points of view vs collectivists who's expectation is for harmonious discussion in which goals take precedence over personal egos. Collectivist may not be willing to highlight any issues that might upset the harmony for the group, which might mean issues go unresolved.
Uncertainty Avoidance
The degree to which members of a culture feel threatened by unpredictable, uncertain or unknown situations
Pacific Island
New Zealand South Africa
High Uncertainty
Low Uncertainty
Communicating with a person from another culture can be uncomfortable because such situations are filled with uncertainty and unpredictability. When uncertainty is high anxiety is high, and communication can be difficult or awkward, therefore, reducing this uncertainty will facilitate effective and successful communication. Research has found, however, that the tolerance for or level of uncertainty a person experiences is learned through cultural socialisation. Uncertainty can be defined as the degree to which members of a particular culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations (Hofstede, 1980). Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance sense that uncertainty in life is a continuous threat that must be fought, are guided by the belief that what is different is dangerous. High uncertainty cultures evade ambiguity in most situations and look for structure in their business, organisations, home life and relationships. Conversely, low uncertainty cultures see uncertainty as a normal part of life and each day is accepted as it comes. People are comfortable with ambiguity and guided by the belief that what is different is curious. Uncertainty levels can be measured by the extent to which the culture emphasizes focusing on ways to reduce uncertainty and create stability for example, having clear written rules and procedures or strong norms to guide action. Formal organisational procedures may be much more necessary in high uncertainty cultures (Thomas & Inkson, 2003). Impact on communication High uncertainty leaders will structure the work of their subordinates, possibly through bureaucracy, and will make decisions to enhance stability. High uncertainty employees are likely to avoid any ambiguous situations. People from high uncertainty cultures expect all procedures to be clearly defined and their roles and tasks clearly defined and would, for the most, expect oneway communication (downward). High uncertainty is often paired with high power distance and if this is so employees would also expect formal lines of communication, have clear lines of power and authority and the CEOs/managers word becomes law.
India Great Britain China
Asian
Maori
Power Distance
The extent to which members of a culture except and accept that power is unequally distributed
Pacific Island South Africa Great Britain New Zealand
Asian
Indian
Maori
100
50
High Power Distance
Low Power Distance
Power distance refers to how a society feels about hierarchy and inequality of status (Hofstede 1980). New Zealand society prides itself on being egalitarian and view power as something that should be distributed equally. Conversely high power distance cultures, such as India, Pacific Islands and most Asian cultures unequal distribution of power is expected and acknowledged socially (Mannes, 2006). Important to working and communicating effectively in a multicultural organisation is understanding where relevant migrant cultures are positioned on the power distance continuum compared with NZ. Knowing this is useful in assisting us to understand the working environment in terms of the dependence relationships between employees and management. In low power distance cultures there is limited dependence of employees on managers and there is a preference for consultation. In high power distance cultures employees are seen as afraid to disagree with their manager and managers are seen as autocratic or paternalistic. High power distance employees tend to look to their superiors for guidance and are often proud to show dedication and loyalty to their superiors and are therefore reluctant to provide any feedback that might impact negatively upon that relationship. This makes it challenging to collect valid results when conducting surveys or questionnaires. Impact on communication When we assume others environments are similar to our own we behave accordingly and assume all people think and feel the way we do. When we behave according to our own norms we communicate with others using our communication style, not being aware that this may confuse, show disrespect, or create misunderstandings. High power distance employees prefer to know exactly what is expected of them, are bought up to be obedient and without these structures, are likely to feel lost or uncertain, thus feeling they do not belong and therefore not contributing to the organisation. High power distance depends on hierarchy and distinct levels of power and with this comes rules of communication engagement - who can speak to whom, thus it becomes difficult to talk to colleagues on an equal level. High power distant is mostly downward communication.
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Context
High context meaning is gleaned from the physical, social, and psychological contexts Low context meaning is encoded in the verbal code, words are trusted
Pacific Island New Zealand Great Britain South Africa
Maori
100
Asia
50
India
High Context
Low Context
Cultures differ on the continuum regarding indirect and direct communication of messages and, because culture is interwoven with communication , distinct patterns of communication emerge. Hall (1959) explains that when it becomes apparent to people of different cultures that they are not understanding one another, each tends to blame those foreigners for their stupidity, deceit or craziness. However, first impressions are often wrong because neither person has had the opportunity to reveal her/himself in such a short period of time. High context communication is a communication style in which most of the information is either in the physical context or internalised in the person, while very little is coded in the explicit , transmitted part of the message (indirect). Conversely low context communication is just the opposite the mass of the information is vested in the explicit code (direct). Our communication systems are so ingrained that we find it difficult to decode anothers system which does not use the same code as our own and, for any kind of interaction, communication contextualisation becomes a social and interpersonal obligation that depends to high degree on shared knowledge (ScheuLottgen & Herandez-Campoy, 1989). High context communication is often associated with collectivist cultures, low context with individualists. Circular or indirect communication works well for collectivist cultures as the relationship and harmony is important, whilst a linear and direct style works well for individualistic cultures as they strive to present themselves as an individual and often misunderstandings arise because one is listening for an explicit point and the other is listening for the point that is implicit in the message.
Impact on communication High context communicators perceive low contexters as rude or abrupt and not concerned about building a relationship. Low context communicators perceive high contexters as ambiguous, having something to hide or beating around the bush and are not in a position to attend to meaning through context, therefore not receiving and/or understanding the complete message. Low context communicators can be perceived as confrontational, highly threatening or unsettling and likely to lead to loss of face, or embarrassment for high context communicators. High contextes are perceived as having trouble communicating main ideas when writing memos or reports and when making oral presentations. Perceived as not giving true feelings at meetings and saying what they think the boss wants to hear, thus perceived as irresponsible.
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The English Language

Since there is no time like the present he thought it was time to present the present. When shot at the dove dove into the bushes. After a number of injections my jaw got number. The farm was used to produce produce.
Why make it difficult, the English language is already difficult! From the above examples we can see how easy it would be for a non native English speaker to get confused, especially if translating the words literally with limited vocabulary. In written communication pay attention to selecting words that are clear and explicit and leave minimal chance of misunderstanding. For example the first point could be made clearer by taking out redundant words and using more specific words that avoid confusion It was time to present the gift. He presented the gift. After a few injections my jaw got number. The farm grew produce. The farm was used to grow produce. The dove plummeted into the bushes. Can you imagine the term fire drill translated literally. An international student, when asked in an exam, to explain a fire drill wrote about this.
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New Zealand Language

In plain English what would this mean? My cuz whos a cockie out in the wop-wops packed a sad after his chippie he had working on his bach shot through with his old Sheila.
a) b) Theres been a murder involving a famous dead German composer and Sheila is suspected. A relation who is a farmer in a remote area is aggrieved because his wife has run off with the builder who had been working on his holiday home. It is a trick question as that is plain English.
c)
A: Theres been a murder involving a famous dead German composer and Sheila is suspected. B: A relation who is a farmer in a remote area is aggrieved because his wife has run off with the builder who had been working on his holiday home. C: It is a trick question as that is plain English. Tragic though, eh? Its bloody hard to find a good builder. Ref: NZ Herald, The Dinkum Kiwi Test, Saturday 1 September (2007)
This example shows the use of slang. Most languages have non standard forms and usage, such as slang or jargon which makes the understanding process more difficult. The above example is a specialised form of New Zealand slang, and can enhance communications for the members of the group with which they are associated but can be almost unintelligible for the non-group members, that is, people of a different culture. Other language considerations - language as a social structure - To function effectively in a crosscultural communication situation, it is important to understand not only the formal structure of the language but also how it is used in certain social situations. We all have a large repertoire of language styles and formality of language that we adopt depending on the situation. For example, the language New Zealand teenagers use with their peers is often quite different from that they would use with teachers or even their parents. In our native language we have a fairly sophisticated grasp of the style and expectations, however cultural rules about style and formality vary.
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Accepting and Responding to Praise
Larry Feign, 1985
Diagram: Response to praise 1985 Larry Feign Even the way we accept and respond to praise differs across cultures making it difficult to reward or recognise employees. Cultural differences exist regarding how frequently praise is used, what is praised, and how people respond. For example, American people are likely to praise physical appearance, whereas Arabs and Japanese are more likely to praise skill and work. Response to praise also varies across cultures, for example in China, where modesty is a virtue, praise can cause embarrassment and they tend to deflect praise, conversely we, like most western countries, are likely to politely accept it (Thomas, 2002).
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Low power distance Individualism Low context Local language Cultural Field Cultural Field
stereotyping
High context
Sender
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Low Uncertainty
English Collectivism
stereotyping
High power distance High Uncertainty
All cultural norms, beliefs, and values contribute to noise in the communication process. The process of translating meanings into words, that is, into symbols, and back again into meanings is based on a persons cultural background and differs accordingly for each person. The greater the difference between the senders and receivers backgrounds the greater difference in the meanings they attach to particular words and behaviours. For example: PARTICIPATE, AND THAT'S AN ORDER! Harry is the leader of an advertising agency account team. The team's task is to develop advertising campaigns for a manufactur-ing company's range of power lawnmowers. The four members of the team are all from different cultural backgrounds. And they seem to be at odds with each other. Harry, an American, has strong ideas about what the campaign should be like; he talks about it a lot, and tries to persuade his three colleagues. But despite his strong views, Harry recognizes the value of diversify, of different ideas. He makes it clear to his colleagues that he welcomes alternative ideas. He would be delighted if someone were to come up with a campaign idea that was better than his. Harry says frequently, "Two heads are better than one, and four heads are better than two." His three team members eye each other cautiously. So far the only person who has responded to Harry's invitation is Ingrid, a recent immigrant from Germany. And Ingrid has ideas about the lawnmower campaign that are not only different from Harry's but also diametrically opposed. Furthermore she has had twenty years' experience in the industry back in Germany and believes she has forgotten more about advertising than Harry has ever learned. She is not about to back down on her ideas. She too talks, frequently and forcefully, about the new campaign. Harry doesn't agree with her, and argues back, loudly. But after all he did say he valued alternatives. The other two members of the team keep a low profile. Jose, who is of Latin American background, can't stand Ingrid. How dare she talk to the boss like that! Has she no respect for authority? It's not so much that Jose doesn't agree with Ingrid's ideas - in fact secretly he thinks they are quite good - it's the rude and aggressive way she presents them that he objects to, her contemptuous way of treating Harry as if she were equal to him, if not higher. Jose would rather cut his arm off than encourage Ingrid by supporting her ideas. So he sides quietly with Harry and wishes Ingrid would go away. As for Taiwanese Ming, she too keeps quiet. Harry says he wants her opinions and ideas, but she doesn't think he means it. If he does, why does he argue so aggressively with Ingrid? If you really want to hear what other people think, Ming believes, you should behave as if you respect them. Listening to Harry and Ingrid makes Ming sad. These people are talented but completely egocentric. Ming be-lieves good decisions are made through patient reflection, the re-spectful exchange of ideas, and the protection of the harmony of the group that will, after all, have to work together to implement the final decision. She wishes she knew how to implement this method with Harry and Ingrid. In the meantime, she puts forward her views when Harry asks her, but so timidly that Harry wonders if Ming herself believes what she is saying (Thomas & Inskson, 2003).
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Developing an Intercultural Strategy

Assessment of Intercultural Communication Assessment of Cultural Capacity and/or Understanding Resource Commitment to Communication Strategy
Assessment of Appropriateness of Relationship Communications
Assessing Relationship Goals Evaluation of Changes in Dependence and Trust Ongoing Assessment / Auditing of Communication Strategies
For effective cross cultural communication across the organisation, the communication strategy must take into consideration not only the macrocultural and organisational cultural influences on both the sender and receiver of the message but also the relationship linkage and specific communication goal. The more complex the communication environment, resulting from the levels of similarities and differences between macrocultures and organisational cultures, the more attention to ensuring effective communication strategies are used by the sender of the message. The above diagram shows the types of process needed to employ an appropriate intercultural communication strategy and the following explains each step starting from the top. 1) Assessment of the level of cross cultural communication competency within the organisation must be objectively assessed, examining both the experience level, as well as the success of the organisation. This assessment is based on the set of abilities and accumulated knowledge primarily based on developing meaningful and effective cross cultural communication. Given the nature of the complexity of the communication environment, the developed skill set for adjusting each element of the communication strategy (direction, frequency, modality and content) becomes critical. Those with little prior experience in highly complex communication environments must rely more on two directional, frequent, personalised and low content communications in order to minimize misunderstanding and maximize effectiveness. 2) The cultural capacity of intercultural communication is the ability of the organisation to classify past intercultural experiences into meaningful categories. By doing this, the initiators strategy can be used in comparable situations, providing some degree of economies of scale. The frequency of communication between staff of different cultures can accelerate the rate of adaptation of communication strategies, thereby increasing the strategys effectiveness and efficiency. 3) Having taken measure of successful intercultural communication and to improve communication linkages and relationships additional resources (time, training, expertise, adaptation, communication) will be needed. The commitment of resources to specific functional areas of cross cultural communication should not only be considered relating to one specific relationship, but relating to the effective impact on organisational communication.
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Developing an Intercultural Strategy

Assessment of Intercultural Communication Assessment of Cultural Capacity and/or Understanding Resource Commitment to Communication Strategy
Assessment of Appropriateness of Relationship Communications
Assessing Relationship Goals Evaluation of Changes in Dependence and Trust Ongoing Assessment / Auditing of Communication Strategies
4) Relationship communications need to be monitored on an ongoing basis to determine their appropriateness for their intended target. For example, does the communication strategy being employed operate most effectively internally or externally; between different departments; in certain macrocultural environments? Ongoing monitoring will identify any areas that need to be improved or modified. 5) The communication strategy not only has to be evaluated relative to the various types of relationship partners and macrocultural differences but also to the relationship goals. Not all relationships are similar in terms of their intended goal and the type of relationship will vary by factors such as cultural setting or competitive environment. Therefore, managing the communication strategy should include a means to modify communication efforts that are dependant upon differences in communication targets. 6) Communication strategies can be, and frequently are, influenced by the level of interaction and the resulting level of trust between staff that is developed over time. The communication strategy should be aligned with existing trust and modified to changes in the trust level. In new cross cultural relationships trust can be built through information sharing, social interaction and relationship building. One of the main goals of communication strategies should be directed at building trust and to overcome the inherent motives to distrust due to cross cultural misunderstandings. 7) Given the complexity of establishing effective cross cultural communication strategies it is imperative to monitor and audit the strategy on an ongoing basis. Communication strategies that are cross cultural in nature are extremely complex strategies and need to be developed for different departments yet should maintain consistency and coherence across the organisation.
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Three Rs
Recognize cultural differences Respect for cultural difference Reconcile cultural differences
Recognise cultural difference Because culture does interfere in the communication process and interaction it is important that we do not minimise differences - why because we are different! Some might argue because of globalization of business and TV networks cultural differences are converging and disappearing. For example, we see McDonalds, Coke, Microsoft, Lexus cars etc all around the world. However, be warned, these are only the artifacts that we observe. To see the cultural differences we need to go deeper, and while we instantly recognise these explicit cultural differences, we may not recognise implicit cultural difference. Culture is about meaning, about what meaning is given to things, actions and behaviours. Respect for cultural difference Different cultural orientations and views of the world are not right or wrong they are just different. It is very easy to be judgmental and distrust those who give different meaning to their world from the meaning you give to yours. Respecting these differences and accepting the right of others to interpret the world in the way they have chosen is sometimes difficult but is easier when we recognise that all cultural differences are in ourselves. Reconciling cultural differences A significant body of evidence shows that through reconciling differences effective business can be created. Identify and define behaviours that vary across the different cultures within the organisation. This approach will show management how to guide the people side of reconciling any kind of values. By integrating these differences and behaviours this enables effective interaction with those of contrasting value systems. It reveals a propensity to share understanding of the others position in the expectation of reciprocity and requires a new way of thinking (Trompenaars & Woolliams, 2003).
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The Positives
Diversity permits increased creativity People think differently thus more and better ideas are generated Great opportunity to learn our way is not the only way and a different way can sometimes be a better way More effective and productive teams
The positives of diversity can only work if the channels are open, the minds are open, and the people are willing.
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Your Vehicle
What vehicles do you use to get your message out there? Your vehicle needs to include tolerance, acceptance, inclusion and respect. Internal communications is about getting the message through to everyone.
It is important to understand how different staff receive messages. Understanding cultural values and unique communication styles will enable you to frame or re-fame your messages in a way in which all can understand. Using plain English is beneficial, not only for staff from another culture, but also helps minimise misunderstandings generally. Finally assume differences until you find the similarities. Learn about your own culture and that of others and promote values of acceptance and diversity.
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References
Adler, N., (2002) International Dimensions of organisational behaviour 4th ed., Canada, South Western Thomson Learning Chaney, L. & Martin J., (2004). Intercultural business communication 3rd ed., New Jersey, Person Prentice-Hall Harvey, M.G. & Griffith, D.A., (2002). Developing effective intercultural relationships the importance of communication strategies, Thunderbird International Business Review, Vol. 44(4) pp 455-476, July August 2002 Mannes, M., (2006). Communicating across cultures in a New Zealand workplace an investigation of attitudes, policies and practices at Excell, Auckland, Thesis Massey University Neuliep, J.M., (2003). Intercultural communication 2nd ed., New York, Houghton Mifflin Company Thomas, D.C. & Inskson, K., (2003), Cultural intelligence, San Francisco, BerrettKoehler Publishers Inc. Thomas, D., (2002). Essentials if International Management a cross cultural perspective, London, Sage Publications Trompenaars, F. & Woolliams, P., (2003). Business across cultures, England, Capstone Publishing Ltd
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Cultural Distance

Getting messages across in a multi-cultural workplace

Presenter Mariska Mannes

Communicating across cultures

What do you see?

evidence and showing something unimportant to the others.

Hofstede, Pedersen & Hofstede (2002)

Intended and learned

Cross cultural Communication Process

New Zealand South Africa

India Great Britain China

High Power Distance

Low Power Distance

The English Language

New Zealand Language

Accepting and Responding to Praise

Larry Feign, 1985

High power distance High Uncertainty

Developing an Intercultural Strategy

Developing an Intercultural Strategy

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