13 Chapter 12: Intercultural Communication
Chapter 12 Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Define and identify the effects of ethnocentrism.
- Identify common cultural characteristics.
- Compare divergent cultural characteristics.
- Practice speaking in culturally aware and inclusive ways.
- Recognize microaggressions and their influence on organizational climate
Priming the Mind:
Beginning of class pre-write or pre-discussion questions
12.1 How often and where do you interact with those you consider culturally different than yourself? How do you feel about those interactions?
12.2 What is effective intercultural communication? What could you do to become a better intercultural communicator?
12.3 What is culture? How can you identify a culture?
12.4 Identify a country in which you would like to study or work. How similar do you think the culture is there to your own dominant culture?
12.5 What is a microaggression?
12.1 Intercultural Communication
The Importance of Intercultural Communication
- Globalized world: Communication links communities across cultures and borders.
- Diverse workforce: Businesses must navigate diverse talent pools and cultural backgrounds.
- Cross-cultural interactions: Business communication extends beyond national boundaries.
- Cultural understanding: Understanding cultural differences is essential for effective communication.
Key Concepts
- Culture: Shared beliefs, attitudes, values, and traditions that influence communication.
- Intercultural communication: Exchange of information between individuals from different cultures.
- Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures based on one’s own cultural standards.
- Cultural components: Source, receiver, message, channel, feedback, context, environment, and interference.
- Individual cultures: We are each a unique combination of cultural influences.
Challenges and Opportunities
- Overcoming ethnocentrism: Developing an open and tolerant mindset.
- Learning from diverse perspectives: Embracing different cultural viewpoints.
- Adapting to cultural differences: Understanding and adapting to varying communication styles and expectations.
- Building relationships across cultures: Fostering trust and understanding through effective communication.
12.2 How to Understand Intercultural Communication
Importance of Intercultural Communication: Hall’s Contributions
Edward T. Hall is a pioneer in the field of intercultural communication. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding individual perspectives and cultural dynamics.
Hall’s Contributions:
- Focus on interactions: Emphasizes the importance of studying individual interactions rather than generalizing about cultures.
- Local perspective: Highlights the significance of understanding local cultural nuances.
- Partial knowledge: Acknowledges that it’s possible to learn and understand aspects of a culture without having a complete understanding.
- Cultural rules: Identifies underlying cultural rules and patterns that guide behavior.
- Value of experience: Emphasizes the importance of personal experience in understanding cultures.
- Perspective differences: Recognizes that cultural perspectives can vary significantly.
- Applications for business: Demonstrates the practical applications of intercultural communication in international business.
- Interdisciplinary approach: Integrates various academic disciplines to study intercultural communication.
Challenges and Considerations:
- Stereotyping: Oversimplifying cultural groups can lead to misunderstandings and prejudice.
- Assumptions of similarity: Assuming that people from different cultures are fundamentally similar can overlook important differences.
- Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures based on one’s own cultural standards can hinder effective communication.
Key Takeaway
To effectively communicate across cultures, it is essential to avoid stereotyping, understand individual perspectives, and embrace a global mindset. Hall’s contributions provide valuable insights for navigating the complexities of intercultural communication.
Activity
People sometimes assume that learning about other cultures is unnecessary if we simply treat others as we would like to be treated. To test this assumption, have students try answering the following questions:
- When receiving a gift from a friend, should you open it immediately, or wait to open it in private?
- When grocery shopping, should you touch fruits and vegetables to evaluate their freshness?
- In a conversation with your instructor or your supervisor at work, should you maintain direct eye contact?
With their answers written down, explore how the answers might be answered in various cultures:
- In Chile, it is good manners to open a gift immediately and express delight and thanks. But in Japan, it is a traditional custom to not open a gift in the giver’s presence.
- In the United States, shoppers typically touch, hold, and even smell fruits and vegetables before buying them. But in northern Europe, this is strongly frowned upon.
- In mainstream North American culture, people are expected to look directly at each other when having a conversation. However, a cultural norm for many Native Americans involves keeping one’s eyes lowered as a sign of respect when speaking to an instructor or supervisor.
- No one can be expected to learn all the “dos and don’ts” of the world’s myriad cultures; instead, the key is to keep an open mind, be sensitive to other cultures, and remember that the way you’d like to be treated is not necessarily the way others would appreciate.
Have students consider what the differences among answers can teach us about ethnocentrism and intercultural communication.
12.3 Common Cultural Characteristics
Cultural Formation
- Shared experiences: Individuals who share common experiences form groups and develop distinct cultures.
- Cultural evolution: Cultures evolve over time as members join and leave.
Cultural Characteristics
- Rites of initiation: Rituals that mark the transition from outsider to full member.
- Common history and traditions: Shared experiences and stories that shape cultural identity.
- Common values and principles: Core beliefs and guiding principles that are shared by members.
- Common purpose and mission: A shared sense of purpose and direction.
- Common symbols, (space) boundaries, status, language, and rituals: Elements that define the culture and its members.
12.4 Divergent Cultural Characteristics
Individualism vs. Collectivism
- Individualistic cultures: Value individual freedom, personal independence, and personal achievement.
- Examples: United States, Western Europe
- Collectivist cultures: Focus on the needs of the group, community, or nation.
- Examples: Asia, South America
Explicit-Rule vs. Implicit-Rule Cultures
- Explicit-rule cultures: Rules are clearly communicated and understood.
- Examples: United States, Germany
- Implicit-rule cultures: Rules are understood and communicated nonverbally.
- Examples: Many Asian and Latin American cultures
Uncertainty-Accepting vs. Uncertainty-Rejecting Cultures
- Uncertainty-accepting cultures: Tolerant of uncertainty and ambiguity.
- Examples: United States, Britain
- Uncertainty-rejecting cultures: Resistant to change and reluctant to take risks.
- Examples: Arab world, many Asian cultures
- Uncertainty reduction theory:
- Initial uncertainty: There is a high level of uncertainty at the beginning of an interaction.
- Increased verbal communication: As people get to know each other, their verbal communication increases, leading to a decrease in uncertainty.
- Increased nonverbal communication: Nonverbal communication also plays a role in reducing uncertainty.
- Information-seeking behavior: People actively seek information to reduce uncertainty.
- Decreased uncertainty: As uncertainty decreases, the communication interaction becomes more personal and intimate.
- Increased reciprocity: When uncertainty is high, people are more likely to reciprocate each other’s behavior.
- Similarity and uncertainty: Similarities between people decrease uncertainty, while differences increase it.
- Liking and uncertainty: Higher levels of uncertainty are associated with a decrease in liking the other person, while reductions in uncertainty are associated with liking the other person more
Time Orientation
- Monochronic time-oriented cultures: Consider one thing at a time and value punctuality.
- Examples: United States, Germany, Switzerland
- Polychronic time-oriented cultures: Schedule many things at once and consider time in a more fluid sense.
- Examples: Greece, Italy, Chile, Saudi Arabia
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Orientation
- Short-term orientation: Values immediate results and rewards.
- Examples: United States, many Western cultures
- Long-term orientation: Values persistence, thrift, and a focus on long-term goals.
- Examples: Many Asian cultures, Native American cultures
Masculine vs. Feminine Orientation
- Masculine cultures: Value assertiveness, competition, and achievement.
- Examples: United States, Japan
- Feminine cultures: Value modesty, caring, and quality of life.
- Examples: Sweden, Denmark
Direct vs. Indirect Communication
- Direct cultures: Communicate directly and to the point.
- Examples: United States, Germany
- Indirect cultures: Communicate indirectly and avoid confrontation.
- Examples: Many Asian and Latin American cultures
Materialism vs. Relationships
- Materialistic cultures: Place emphasis on external goods and services.
- Examples: United States, Japan
- Relationship-oriented cultures: Value people and relationships more than material objects.
- Examples: Many Scandinavian cultures
Low-Power vs. High-Power Distance
- Low-power distance cultures: People relate to one another more as equals.
- Examples: United States, Austria
- High-power distance cultures: People accept inequality and hierarchy.
- Examples: India, Mexico
Key Takeaways
- Cultural differences can significantly impact communication and interactions between people from different cultures.
- Understanding these differences can help improve intercultural communication and avoid misunderstandings.
- It is important to be aware of your own cultural biases and to be open-minded towards other cultures.
Activity
Have students identify a country other than the US and/or their home country in which they would like to study or work. Have them research the country and find three interesting business communication norms one would encounter there and share them with the class.
12.5 Understanding Microaggressions to Improve Organizational Climate
Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional, verbal, behavioral, or environmental slights that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative viewpoints towards marginalized groups. They are a form of aversive racism that can be difficult to recognize and address.
Common Microaggressions
- “Where are you really from?” This question implies that the person is not truly American.
- “I don’t see color. I treat everyone equally.” This statement invalidates the experiences of people of color who face discrimination.
- “Why would I hire a woman if she is just going to get pregnant?” This comment perpetuates gender stereotypes and discrimination.
- “You’re being too sensitive. Not everything is about race.” This statement dismisses the experiences of people of color who face racism.
Effects of Microaggressions
- Psychological harm: Microaggressions can cause anxiety, depression, diminished confidence, and feelings of helplessness.
- Negative workplace impact: Microaggressions can lead to disengagement, turnover, low productivity, and a poor workplace climate.
Types of Microaggressions
- Microassaults: Overt, deliberate, and conscious acts of discrimination.
- Microinsults: Insensitive, rude, or demean an individual’s identity or heritage.
- Microinvalidations: Exclude, negate, or nullify an individual’s thoughts or feelings.
Responding to Microaggressions
As a perpetrator:
- Recognize that dismissive attitudes are harmful.
- Engage in self-reflection and identify your biases.
- Seek feedback from others.
- Avoid making assumptions and labeling individuals.
- Participate in diversity and inclusion training.
- Take responsibility for your actions and apologize.
As a target or ally:
- Remember that the microaggressor may not be aware of their offense.
- Speak to the microaggressor privately or in front of others.
- Describe the incident objectively and state your feelings.
- Be direct in your communication.
- Be open to the perpetrator’s perspective.
By understanding microaggressions and addressing them, we can create more inclusive and welcoming environments.
Activity
Provide students with scenarios where they overhear microaggressions in the workplace. Have them consider in small groups how they might confront the microaggression offenders to improve the workplace climate.
