Intercultural Communication Script

Terms used in the script: -analytical frame -assumptions -beliefs (personal/shared) -body language -context (high/low) -connotation -cultural behaviour -communication pattern -C culture -c culture -culture dimensions -culture general approach (culture specific approach) -culture iceberg -culture shock (reverse shock) -deductive (stereotyping) -dimensions (of culture) -direct communication style -discourse -diversity -ethnocentric approach (perception/interpretation) -etiquette -feminine culture (masculine culture) -indirect communication style -individualist culture (collectivist culture) -inductive (stereotyping) -.intercultural communication -interpersonal communication -generalisation -linear style -mindset -mirroring -monochronicity -mono-cultural communication -non-verbal behaviour -polychronicity -patterns of beliefs (learned/ shared) -power distance -ritual -stereotype (positive/negative) -values I. Introduction

Intercultural communication or cross-culture communication started as a subject long before the subject got its name. Travellers described not only the nature of the distant countries they visited but also people, political systems, religious beliefs and everyday life Marco Polo Vasco da Gama Afanasij Nikitin German specialist invited by Peter I of Russia Are just a couple of those who left not only descriptions of flora and fauna of the countries they visited but also gave us descriptions of the culture of the population, their looks, habits, pastime and religious rituals. http://www.google.de/search?q=vlkertafel&hl=de&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&s a=X&ei=pTkiUL-BE87JswbAzoHoB As you can see from the example above, the knowledge of the travellers was collected, categorised and offered to businessmen in a concise form as their preparation for the first contacts with an unknown culture These descriptions always take a perspective of a home country culture of the narrator and their historic environment. Thus all these descriptions are judgemental and emotional. This is something though that can hardly be avoided on the level of private observation. Each of us looks at the world through our personal culture lens. It is what we now call mental programming. The biggest part of it is human nature which forms the basis. of our decision making and everyday behaviour. It is universal and inherited. Culture programming is group specific and learned. This programming starts with our first days of life and is environmental and picked up from the group surrounding us by mirroring. Our language, everyday habits, daily routine, eating habits and notions of good and bad formed in the first years of life and later applied within our peer groups are the main part of our group programming and what we can summarise for analysis as c culture. .Personality programming is specific to each particular individual and inherited as well as learned. Personal food preferences, likes, dislikes and interests in the fields of everyday life as well as being left handed, myopic or afraid of heights are in part due to our inherited features and in part due to the close peer group behaviour. During the WW II and especially after it the cultural awareness grew considerably with the development of communication technology, transport means and tourism development as well as internationalisation of production and distribution of commercial goods. Mass media transported transatlantic cultural influence to Europe which led not only to the cultural export of American values but also to growing local cultural awareness. On the other hand it became obvious that international cooperation is only possible if partners not only share a language of communication, but also the notions behind the words used and the hidden meaning of the messages. The first cultural analyses were based on fragmentary data of ethnographic, historic, linguistic and psychological research and concentrated on perceived culture manifestations such as -symbols: words, gestures, pictures, objects of particular meaning

-heroes: persons alive or dead, real or imaginary who possess chasracteristics that are praised in a given culture -rituals: collective activities, technically superfluous to reaching desired ends which are considered socially essential within culture -practices: the three above are manifested in practices.

II. Definitions of some terms. Before we go any further, let us look at the definitions of our main terms. Culture: http://varenne.tc.columbia.edu/hv/clt/and/culture_def.html The variety of the definitions and different terms and elements employed in them it is obvious that the term itself is not only difficult to describe but impossible to define the boundaries of.. The same is true about the term communication. http://solocommunication.blogspot.de/2009/10/various-definitions-of-communication.html. http://www.cicsworld.org/blogs/vkmalhotra/2009/10/theory_of_human_communication_1.html As you can see from the introduction into the theory of human communication, the term itself is subdivided into many categories. Littlejohns statement Communication is difficult to define., is only too true . From the communication theory we know that for effective communication we need: -a sender -a receiver -a message with its variables- a medium available for both a sender and a receiver. - various channel filters If one of these malfunctions, our communication will fail. These are some other factors though which make communication an even more complex process. According to different sources 60%-90% of communication is non-verbal. III. Body language The elements of the non-verbal communication are: -kinesis -proxemics -posture -haptics -oculesics -chronemics -olfactics -vocalics -locomotion -adornment -silence -sound symbols

Kinesis can be further split into body movements, gestures, eye movement and a general facial expression. Body language is considered one of the key issues of the interpersonal communication. It is perceived subconsciously and thus can different interpretations cause irritation without any apparent cause. Some nations have a reputation for expressive body language other nations are known to show no emotions and keep a neutral facial expression. Proximics is one of the most irritating factors in body language, if done wrong. As a self-experiment: -Try standing very close to people you are talking to, then try to stand far away from them. -Talking to someone try to touch them from time to time. -Talking to someone avoid looking at them when you talk. Look at the spot above their right shoulder. Thus the communication process becomes even more complex to analyse. One of the most important contributions into this analysis was made by Desmond Morris. Here is the link to his documentary: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3323021761394989726 In it D Morris analyses the variety of aspects of our body language and its suitability to the given situation in a given culture. Body language as a key factor in the communication especially during the first encounter with your communication counterpart is often underestimated. The polite and appropriate behaviour of your home country may not be what is expected in the host The aspects which are crucial for the initial communication, such as greeting, are illustrated in some detail. IV.Signs, symbols and signals.

Look at the illustration above and the two illustrations below. Do you understand all of them? Which are the signs, symbols and which of these are signals? The examples of signs, symbols and signals are nearly always clear but the definitions of the terms are very close and interdependent.

We could say that a sign is a pictogram or an artefact belonging to a system of the pictograms or artefacts which can be recognised in their interrelation. The generally known example of a sign is a letter of any alphabet. A symbol is a sign denoting a complex notion, e.g. a cross can function as a sign of Christian belief. A signal is a sign of a functional nature directing our actions, as for example in motorway code. Signals and many symbols tend to be of international nature and have to be understood by people of different cultures. Thus they are inclusive. Signs may be exclusive, as for example a letter or , which are familiar to those who can read Russian, but are not necessarily known to the non-Russian speakers. The signals and signs in the international airports, harbours, hotels and railway stations tend to be inclusive. They have to be understood by people of different cultures. Signs, signals and symbols could sometimes be one and the same. A sign in one culture can function as a symbol or a signal in other cultures. The borderline between the terms is blurred and it is especially obvious in the cultural value of different colours. The symbolic meaning of colours in Christian paintings used to be the guideline for reading them in times when the majority of the population was illiterate. The same colours have different meaning and are associated with different figures/events/phenomena in other cultures. Black as a mourning colour became widely known in Europe by the 19th century and was to some degree a result of industrial development when death and mourning which were a part of everyday life became good business and department stores carried articles associated with family losses. Before that white and even purple were a sign of mourning and in some courts and mourning colour was sometimes announced for each case of death.

V. Language and its position in cultural analysis. Language takes a special part in any culture, being not only means of communication, but also an instrument in creating works of art and vehicle of knowledge accumulation and propagation. This instrument is flexible, continually changing and reflecting the needs of a given culture. For a long time psychologists and linguists were of an opinion that language forms our thinking processes and today again we have a lot of discussions along this line. Lera Boroditsky shows us the complexity of the information items each utterance of a given language provides the receiver with and how different this information tends to be depending on the language used. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467304575383131592767868.html All those using more than one language in their daily communication know the phenomenon. Some notions are easier uttered and formulated in one or the other language and there is a mental list of untranslatables in each language. http://betterthanenglish.com/ http://cubimension.net/blog/?p=931 https://www.google.de/search?q=untranslatable+words&ie=utf-8&oe=utf8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:de:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb . For those who know Russian. This is a small list of Russian untranslatables. List of Russian Words that are difficult to render in English / / /

c/

/ /

c /

There is a general belief that the untranslatable words reflect the notions typical and frequently used in the given culture. Think of untranslatable German words and make a list. Can you put the words into different categories? Cultural connotation was often mentioned as a factor influencing communication between native and non-native speakers of one and the same language. A word which in one language is neutral or positive translated into another language may become derogative, rude or may contain a sexual innuendo. Symbolic value of the words for colours and numbers may be different in different languages, too. White wedding a positive picture in many European cultures would be seen as a symbol of death in many other cultures. The cultural value of the words for 13 and 4 is another well-known example of a different cultural value of the word which in case of Chinese word for 4 is based on sound similarity. Cultural images, quotations or half-quotations, allusions form another hurdle in understanding. Using light blue as a synonym of gay in Russian is, in fact, based on a song from a popular cartoon. But language is not only words. Grammar and morphology are also the meaning carriers and some languages convey more information grammatically than the other do. Languages are dynamic systems developing in contact with other languages and with cultural environment. They either thrive or die depending on the number of active users. http://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/2008/12/17/endangered-languages-list-10-languagesfacing-extinction/ For the language to survive it does not only need to have enough active users, but should also be flexible enough to accommodate the social, economic and cultural changes. Much research has concentrated in the field of language analysis, but one of the most important aspects of language analysis is language etiquette and taboos. These are the obvious reflection of the language functions of a given culture. Some of the aspects of language use become obvious when two speakers use one language, one of them as a native speaker and one as a second language user. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13545386

The article points out the basic differences in language etiquette of the two countries. Small talk is thought not important, empty, time waste in Germany and is seen as tuning in, checking the day form, creating rapport in Britain. Please, thank you, sorry, pardon often repeated have other functions in everyday life, too. They may signal turn taking in conversation, being too close to another person or a request. Thus language etiquette has multiple functions in its cultural environment.

VI. Cultural adjustment When we emerge into a new culture we are confronted with a number of factors which are different from those in our home culture, sometimes unexpected, sometimes anticipated, sometimes annoying, but always present. Depending on our aim in culture our reactions would be different depending on our role in the new culture. Tourist reactions would be different from professional. The phenomenon of culture shock has been described in many ways and offers itself for interesting works of art from Asterix cartoons to Outsourced film. http://www.google.de/search?q=culture+shock+curve&hl=de&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&sourc e=univ&sa=X&ei=fW4zULqRBILWtAb504CIAQ&ved=0CFAQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=844 With the first description of culture iceberg the perception of culture learning changed. http://www.google.de/search?q=culture+iceberg&hl=de&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=un iv&sa=X&ei=IyUqUOqrMaX24QTYh4DIBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CFEQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=844 Let us look at one of the curves in more detail:

What was originally perceived as culture adjustment U curve is now called culture adjustment W-curve. Practically everyone describing the phenomenon has agreed that reverse/re-entry shock is as strong and definitely more unexpected. Those experiencing it have two critical phases which decide if one stays in a culture or leaves it. The curve itself is definitely more complex than a simple W. Minor culture shocks constantly happen but become less prominent the more one develops compensation strategies. The symptoms of culture shock may vary from feeling of being out of place, uneasy, insecure to insomnia, chronic tiredness, loss of appetite or eating to compensate for being unhappy, physical disorders.

One of the popular compensation strategies is developing cultural cocoon of compatriots in the same foreign culture with whom one can be in touch with the home culture and discuss confrontations with the surrounding culture. Cocooning may lead to cultural isolation or culture negation.

VII. Edward T Hall Edward T Hall took up the notion making it not only visibly appealing but also explaining the components of it. The notion of culture iceberg was known in cultural studies since late 50iesearly 60ies but it was only seen as an illustration of the point that culture consists of obvious and hidden elements.

ceberg Analogy

Hall made the whole notion of deep culture more comprehensible by explaining the elements not relayed or discussed in C culture descriptions

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**http://region10.acui.org/region/10/conference/2011/presentations/Hall%27s%20Iceberg%20 Model%20handout.pdf Halls interpretation of the notion points out the important components of culture learning. Only acting within the culture one can perceive the elements that underline the society As anthropologist, Edward T Hall analysed the key cultural factors from the point of view of the interaction within the given society. One of the most important dimensions he formulated is context: He was the first to talk about high and low context:

Factor

High-context culture Many covert and implicit messages, with use of metaphor and reading between the lines.

Low-context culture Many overt and explicit messages that are simple and clear.

Overtness of messages

Locus of control Inner locus of control and Outer locus of control and attribution for personal acceptance for and blame of others for failure failure failure Much nonverbal Use of non-verbal communication communication Expression of reaction Cohesion and separation of groups Reserved, inward reactions More focus on verbal communication than body language Visible, external, outward reaction

Strong diistinction Flexible and open between ingroup and grouping patterns, outgroup. Strong sense of changing as needed family. Strong people bonds with affiliation to family and community Fragile bonds between people with little sense of loyalty.

People bonds

Level of commitment to relationships

High commitment to long- Low commitment to term relationships. relationship. Task more Relationship more important than important than task. relationships.

Time is highly Flexibility of time Time is open and flexible. organized. Process is more important Product is more than product important than process 11

Time was another dimension Hall formulated the differences in. Monochronic time or M-time is basically doing one thing at a time, acting on schedules and plans, what we call time management. Incidentally there is a tendency for monochromic people to be low-context. Polychronic people tend to value human interaction over time and things material. It is not as important to get things done as long as they get done at all. Meeting and interacting with people is much more important. There is a tendency for polychromic people to be high context.

Factor Actions Focus Attention to time Priority Respect for property Timeliness

Monochronic action do one thing at a time Concentrate on the job at hand Think about when things must be achieved Put the job first Seldom borrow or lend things Emphasize promptness

Polychronic action do many things at once Are easily distracted Think about what will be achieved Put relationships first Borrow and lend things often and easily base promptness relationship factors

Space is another dimension Edward T Hall discussed. He called it proxemics. The concern with space is general for all people irregardless of their culture. Personal body space in a queue, parking space, office space, your space at home,- we need it and feel irritated and threatened by those who encroach into it. Different cultures though have different needs in space. Japanese needs less space than Canadian which causes irritation for both sides when they communicate. So high territoriality is a need to mark your personal territory and feel possessive about it. Low territoriality is sharing territory and ownership with ease. People of low territoriality tend to be high context. Australian Aboriginal people say that they belong to land rather than land belongs to them Information and the ways it is treated in cultures is the fourth dimension described by Hall. Cultures with slow flow of information plan information carefully and structure it. They would tend to portion information, not to give more than absolutely necessary. They tend to be monochronous, low context cultures. Cultures with fast flow of information think that themore quickly the information is spread, the better it is for all. They tend to be polychromous, high context cultures. The dimensions defined by Edward T Hall were the beginning of the systematic analysis and classification of the culture clusters. One of the next most important contributions came from the psychologist trying to analyse and classify thousands of the interviews conducted within the same organisation in 40 countries of the world.

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VIII.Gert Hofstede The most important question Hofstede was trying to find the answer to was how can we understand the cultural differences of those we work with. In the 70ies when Hofstede introduced the method of data collection by means of interviews and .data analysis it quickly became a standard in the field. Originally there were four dimensions identified by Hofstede, later the fifth was added, which is how we know the model now.. The result analysis is based of the 0 to 100 scale. The higher the score, the more is the dimension present in the society.

1. Power Distance Index (PDI) extent to which inequalities of power and wealth are commonly accepted

2. Individuality Index (individuality versus collectivism - IDV) extent to which individual interests prevail over the interests of a group

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3. Masculinity Index (masculinity versus femininity - MAS)

4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) extent to which people feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations

5. Long-Term Orientation versus Short-Term Orientation (LTO)

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The five dimensions formulated by Hofstede have dominated the intercultural studies field for a long time. There has been some serious criticism though, some points of which are relevant: - interviews were conducted in an artificial surrounding of one organisation. This may lead to misinterpretation due to the organisational culture and organisational values. - many countries were never or only lately included into the corpus and there are not enough data about them - dimensions are to Eurocentric, not taking into consideration values relevant to other cultural regions. See also:

<geert-hofstede.international-business-center.com.>
IX Fons Trompenaars Trompenaars is a Dutch consultant in the field of cross-cultural communication. He grew up between two cultures, speaking French and Dutch and later at work with Shell in nine countries. 1. Universalism Versus Particular (Rules Versus Relationships)ism Characteristics Universalism People place a high importance on laws, rules, values, and obligations. They try to deal fairly with people based on these rules, but rules come before relationships. Strategies Help people understand how their work ties into their values and beliefs. Provide clear instructions, processes, and procedures. Keep promises and be consistent. Give people time to make decisions. Use an objective process to make decisions yourself, and explain your decisions if

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others are involved. Particularism People believe that each circumstance, and each relationship, dictates the rules that they live by. Their response to a situation may change, based on what's happening in the moment, and who's involved. Give people autonomy to make their own decisions. Respect others' needs when you make decisions. Be flexible in how you make decisions. Take time to build relationships and get to know people so that you can better understand their needs. Highlight important rules and policies that need to be followed.

Typical universalist cultures include the U.S., Canada, the U.K, the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland. Typical particularistic cultures include Russia, Latin-America, and China. 2. Individualism Versus Communitarianism (The Individual Versus The Group) Characteristics Individualism People believe in personal freedom and achievement. They believe that you make your own decisions, and that you must take care of yourself. Strategies Praise and reward individual performance. Give people autonomy to make their own decisions and to use their initiative. Link people's needs with those of the group or organization. Allow people to be creative and to learn from their mistakes. Praise and reward group performance. Don't praise individuals publically. Allow people to involve others in decision making. Avoid showing favoritism.

Communitarianism People believe that the group is more important than the individual. The group provides help and safety, in exchange for loyalty. The group always comes before the individual.

Typical individualist cultures include the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Australia, and Switzerland.

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Typical communitarian cultures include countries in Latin-America, Africa, and Japan. 3. Specific Versus Diffuse (How Far People Get Involved) Characteristics Specific People keep work and personal lives separate. As a result, they believe that relationships don't have much of an impact on work objectives, and, although good relationships are important, they believe that people can work together without having a good relationship. People see an overlap between their work and personal life. They believe that good relationships are vital to meeting business objectives, and that their relationships with others will be the same, whether they are at work or meeting socially. People spend time outside work hours with colleagues and clients. Strategies Be direct and to the point. Focus on people's objectives before you focus on strengthening relationships. Provide clear instructions, processes, and procedures. Allow people to keep their work and home lives separate. Focus on building a good relationship before you focus on business objectives. Find out as much as you can about the people that you work with and the organizations that you do business with. Be prepared to discuss business on social occasions, and to have personal discussions at work. Try to avoid turning down invitations to social functions.

Diffuse

Typical specific cultures include the U.S., the U.K., Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, and the Netherlands. Typical diffuse cultures include Argentina, Spain, Russia, India, and China. 4. Neutral Versus Emotional (How People Express Emotions) Characteristics Neutral People make a great effort to control their emotions. Reason influences their actions far more than their feelings. People don't reveal what they're thinking or how they're feeling. Strategies Manage your emotions effectively. Watch that your body language doesn't convey negative emotions. "Stick to the point" in meetings and interactions. Watch people's reactions carefully, as they may be

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reluctant to show their true emotions. Emotional People want to find ways to express their emotions, even spontaneously, at work. In these cultures, it's welcome and accepted to show emotion. Open up to people to build trust and rapport. Use emotion to communicate your objectives. Learn to manage conflict effectively, before it becomes personal. Use positive body language. Have a positive attitude.

Typical neutral cultures include the U.K., Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, and Germany. Typical emotional cultures include Poland, Italy, France, Spain, and countries in Latin-America. 5. Achievement Versus Ascription (How People View Status) Characteristics Achievement People believe that you are what you do, and they base your worth accordingly. These cultures value performance, no matter who you are. People believe that you should be valued for who you are. Power, title, and position matter in these cultures, and these roles define behavior. Strategies Reward and recognize good performance appropriately. Use titles only when relevant. Be a good role model. Use titles, especially when these clarify people's status in an organization. Show respect to people in authority, especially when challenging decisions. Don't "show up" people in authority. Don't let your authority prevent you from performing well in your role.

Ascription

Typical achievement cultures include the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Scandinavia. Typical ascription cultures include France, Italy, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. 6. Sequential Time Versus Synchronous Time (How People Manage Time) Characteristics Strategies

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Sequential Time

People like events to happen in order. They place a high value on punctuality, planning (and sticking to your plans), and staying on schedule. In this culture, "time is money," and people don't appreciate it when their schedule is thrown off.

Focus on one activity or project at a time. Be punctual. Keep to deadlines. Set clear deadlines.

Synchronous Time People see the past, present, and future as interwoven periods. They often work on several projects at once, and view plans and commitments as flexible.

Be flexible in how you approach work. Allow people to be flexible on tasks and projects, where possible. Highlight the importance of punctuality and deadlines if these are key to meeting objectives.

Typical sequential-time cultures include China, Russia, and Mexico. Typical synchronous-time cultures include Japan, Canada, Norway, the U.K., and the U.S. 7. Internal Direction Versus Outer Direction (How People Relate to Their Environment) Characteristics Internal Direction (This also known as having an internal locus of control.) People believe that they can control nature or their environment to achieve goals. This includes how they work with teams and within organizations. Strategies Allow people to develop their skills and take control of their learning. Set clear objectives that people agree with. Be open about conflict and disagreement, and allow people to engage in constructive conflict. Provide people with the right resources to do their jobs effectively. Give people direction and regular feedback, so that they know how their actions are affecting their environment. Reassure people that they're doing a good job. Manage conflict quickly and quietly. Do whatever you can to boost people's confidence.

Outer Direction (This also known as having an external locus of control.)

People believe that nature, or their environment, controls them; they must work with their environment to achieve goals. At work or in relationships, they focus their actions on others, and they avoid conflict where possible. People often need reassurance that they're doing a good job.

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Balance negative and positive feedback. Encourage people to take responsibility for their work.

Typical internal-direction cultures include Israel, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. There are quite a number of articles comparing Hofstedes and Trompenaarss culture dimensions and classifications. See:

<www.slideshare.net/.../hofstede-and-trompenaars.>..
X Other voices in intercultural studies: Shalom Schwartz His theory of types of values on which countries can be compared supported by data from 49 nations is structured around three polar dimensions: - conservatism vs intellectual and Affective autonomy --hierarchy vs egalitarianism - mastery vs harmony see:

<psychology.huji.ac.il/en/?cmd=Faculty>
William B. Gudykusnst Developed a theory of anxiety/uncertainty management as an attempt to describe what makes up effective communication. The centre of the theory is being a stranger in a strange culture:

<ecoggins.hubpages.com/.../AnxietyUncertainty>
Xiaodong Dai Chinese cultural values have been studied very unsufficiently and only in the recent years we have heard Chinese voices in the intercultural theory development. Xiaodong Dai in his paper summarise the development of the intercultural thought in China:

<ebookbrowse.com/dai-xiaodong-ic-theory-in-ch.>

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