Schedule

Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Wednesday 12 July
Bangkok, Thailand

TIME EVENT CONTENT FACILITATOR/CHAIR

08:30 Session 11 - Opening remarks and introduction to cross-cultural
Introduction to the Day and communication.
Cross-Cultural Quiz A questionnaire will be used to raise some cultural issues
and begin the session.
09:00 Session 11 (cont) - Participants will share experiences of cultural difference
Participants’ Stories in a small group exercise.
09:30 Session 12 - A short lecture will introduce the concept of cultures, and
What is Culture? examine visible and invisible aspects of behaviour.
09:45 Session 13 - An exercise to show the links between values and
Matching Values to behaviour.
Behaviour
10.30 Coffee/tea break
11:00 Session 14 - This is a short lecture to place culture and cultural
Culture in Context behaviour in the context of universal behaviour (human
nature) and personal (individual) behaviour. This will be
followed by a short activity to practice making
distinctions between the three categories of behaviour
introduced in the previous session.
11:20 Session 15 - This exercise explores an entry point to looking at
Intercultural Skills and culture. Key concepts in the intercultural field will be
Cultural Assumptions introduced, and participants will be asked to identify
their views/attitudes towards them.

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 Schedule
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Wednesday 12 July continued

Bangkok, Thailand

TIME EVENT CONTENT FACILITATOR/CHAIR

12:00 Session 16 – Based on Milton Bennett’s model, this session will G. Martin Mehers
Attitudes Towards Cultural present and examine the stages people go through in G. Bedi
Differences and Applying developing an awareness of and sensitivity towards
the Model cultural difference.
The Bennett model will be applied through a group
exercise that will explore the implications of working
with a different or clashing set of values
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Free Time Participants will have free time.
15:00 Field Visit A bus trip to town, a market and some cultural sights of
interest is available.
Free evening

148 FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L

 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 11
Introduction to the Day and Cross
Cultural Quiz
OBJECTIVE PREPARATION

To introduce participants to Cross Cultural Communication.
The session will start with a review of the journey so far and
a reminder of how the various leadership skills and activities
of the workshop fit together. This session will include some
opening remarks followed by an introduction to cross cultural
communication and its significance generally as a leadership
skills module for young leaders. Participants will be
encouraged to participate in a quiz designed to raise cultural
issues. In small groups and in plenary, participants will share
their own experiences of cultural difference.
TIME SCHEDULE
• Room set up and equipment in place for the day.
• Seating could be small groups seated at round tables
(maximum 6-8 persons per table)
PROCESS
This introductory session is mainly for fun. The idea is to
introduce the topic of culture through a quiz that: 1)
participants will enjoy and that 2) illustrates how culture
plays a role in a wide variety of situations. There is no
purpose to this session other than for participants to enjoy
themselves with these questions. Emphasize this point to the
audience so they don’t become too serious during the quiz.

08:30 Session 11 Explain the purpose of the exercise, to have fun and introduce
09:00 Session 11 (contin.) the topic of culture in a very general way.
09:30 Session 12
09:45 Session 13 Go through each question of the quiz, reading the question
10 :30 Coffee Break out loud and calling on different participants to answer. See
below for answers and commentary to give along with each
question/answer.
GOALS FOR THE SESSION
Sometimes participants who come from a country featured in
• To start the day off with something that immediately a question will say that your answer is not correct. In
engages the audience. question 2, for example, Brazilians sometimes say that pulling
• To show how culture plays a part in a wide variety of on the earlobe doesn’t mean anything in Brazil or means
situations. something different from what you say. If this happens, don’t
argue with the person; just say that “some Brazilians” once
told you this was true. Or you can explain that what is true in
MATERIALS REQUIRED one part of the country may not be true everywhere. Then
quickly move on.
• Session Workbook for participants
• LCD Projector, screen

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 149

CROSS-CULTURAL QUIZ ANSWERS
1. People in 59 countries were asked: “In general, do
you usually trust other people?” Try to name the
country which ranked highest (most trusting) and
lowest (least trusting):
Highest __________________
Lowest __________________
Explain that this is taken from Transparency International’s
semi-annual survey where they ask people in 59 countries:
Do you trust other people? (among other questions). Highest
(most trusting) is Norway. Least trusting is Brazil. The survey
results for all 59 countries is attached in the slide set
following the quiz questions.
2. If a Brazilian pulls her earlobe when someone else
is talking, this means:
A. Nothing; it’s just coincidence.
B. Her earlobe is itching.
C. She approves of what the person is saying.
Brazilians from around Rio de Janeiro say it means 3.
3. If a Chinese person says your suggestion is ‘good’,
they mean:
A. It is really good.
B. They are not sure.
C. It is not good.
Make the point that the Chinese (and Japanese) are very
polite when giving negative feedback. And their comment
often sounds like positive feedback. Answer can be B or C.
4. The percentage of Indian workers who said they
preferred very close supervision on the job was:
A. 25 percent C. 65 percent
B. 50 percent D. 85 percent
85%. Ask participants if this would be true in their country.
5. You’re traveling on a train in India. The Indian
woman next to you offers you a drink from her water
bottle. You should:
A. Refuse politely.
B. Take a small sip and hand the bottle back.
C. Pour some water into your mouth without touching the
bottle to your lips.
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If you touch the bottle to your lips, this is considered “jutha”
or pollution, and the woman may be offended. Indians in
your workshop may deny this, but it is traditionally very true.
6. If a Pakistani says he will do something “God
willing,” this means:
A. He does not intend to do it, but he does not want to be
rude.
B. He intends to do it, but he does not want to sound
irreligious.
B. Could also be A. depending, but explain that in Arabic,
when you speak in the future tense you must say “Nsh’allah”
which means “Perhaps” or “God willing.” This does not mean
you are not sure of what you intend to do, only that you’re
not sure of everything that may happen in the future because
it is ultimately in God’s hands.
7. You have been invited to a Mexican family’s home
for dinner, and you arrive one hour after the time they
said to come. You are:
A. Late, and you should apologize.
B. On time.
C. Very early; most of the family isn’t even home yet.
B or C, but definitely not A. Mexicans are very flexible when
it comes to being on time for social engagements.
8. A Senegalese guest in your house burps loudly after
dinner. Does this mean:
A. She has indigestion.
B. She appreciated the food; or
C. She wants more wine.
B according to LEAD’s colleagues in Senegal.
9. A Japanese lady touches her nose frequently while
you are talking to her. This means:
A. Go and brush your teeth;
B. Her nose must have been itching, or;
C. She is pointing to herself.
C. Japanese women in particular when referring to
themselves in a conversation, touch their noses (rather than
indicating to their chest with their hands as in European
culture).
FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L
10. The percent of Arab executives who rated employee Ranking in the trust survey where respondents were
loyalty as more important than efficiency was: asked whether or not they trusted people in general.

A. One quarter C. One half 1. Brazil 31. Mexico

B. One third D. Two thirds 2. Peru 32. Spain
3. Philippines 33. Bulgaria
D. Two thirds. 4. Puerto Rico 34. South Korea
5. Turkey 35. Czech Republic
11. If a Nigerian from the North of the country raises his 6. Colombia 36. Serbia
clenched fist to you, what does he mean: 7. Venezuela 37. Ukraine
8. Slovenia 38. Austria
A. He is from the ANPP (opposition political party) 9. Poland 39. Belgium
B. He intends to hit you. 10. Argentina 40. Italy
C. He is showing you respect and reverence. 11. Romania 41. United States
12. South Africa 42. India
C. In the North of the country, this gesture indicates respect 13. Pakistan 43. Australia
to elders in particular. 14. Nigeria 44. Switzerland
15. Bangladesh 45. Taiwan
12. In the following cities, try to guess how many times 16. Azerbaijan 46. W. Germany
in one hour a typical couple in a cafe touches each 17. Chile 47. Great Britain
other: 18. Slovakia 48. No. Ireland
19. Estonia 49. Iceland
San Juan _____ 20. Portugal 50. Japan
Paris _____ 21. Moldova 51. Ireland
London _____ 22. France 52. Finland
23. Georgia 53. New Zealand
San Juan: 180 Paris: 110 London: O 24. Croatia 54. China
25. Dominican Republic 55. Canada
Additional Question: 26. Hungary 56. Netherlands
What percentage of the world’s population is 27. Russia 57. Sweden
relationship oriented (vs task oriented)? 28. Armenia 58. Denmark
95% relationship – 5% task 29. E. Germany 59. Norway
70% relationship – 30 % task 30. Latvia
25% relationship – 75% task

Resource: Participant Stories

The overwhelming majority of people – maybe 95% of the
world’s population –are relationship-oriented (e.g. Eastern
Europeans, and the inhabitants of Mediterranean, Latin-
Americans, Asian and Arab countries). The other 5% of the
world’s population are task- or issue-oriented (Germanics,
Nordics and Anglo-Saxons) (Storti, 2003).
This part of Session 11 gets participants thinking about their
own cross-cultural experiences, usually humorous or
embarrassing ones. It also gets them talking to each other.
The trainer does not have to say much here, except to
introduce the session, using the words on the slide.

Explain the purpose of the session, using the slide.

Explain that each participant at each table should tell a

personal cross-cultural story, taking no longer than 5 minutes.
After each person has told his/her story, the table should
vote on the “best” story that will later be told to the whole
audience.

Tell the tables to begin and explain that they have 30

minutes (or 5 minutes per participant) to complete the
exercise.

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 151

After 30 minutes, call the session to order and ask the
participant with the “best” story from each table to retell
his/her story to the entire group.

FACILITATOR NOTES

Speakers may not speak loud enough when telling their story
to the entire audience. Make sure they speak up.

152 FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L

 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 12
What is Culture?

OBJECTIVE PREPARATION

To familiarise participants with the concept of ‘culture’. • Seating could be small groups seated at round tables
(maximum 6-8 persons per table)
This session will focus on the concept of culture and examine
visible and invisible aspects of behaviour. Visual diagrams as
well as discussion will help the group explore some of these PROCESS
concepts.
. This session is a short lecture which defines culture for the
purposes of the workshop and establishes the crucial link
TIME SCHEDULE between behavior and values, beliefs, and assumptions. This
is probably the most important 15 minutes of the entire 2-
09:30 Session 12 day workshop, and it is essential the trainer practice the main
09:45 Session 13 points of this lecture (see steps below) several times before
10:30 Coffee Break doing this session.
11:00 Session 14
While you don’t need to explain this unless you are asked,
the definitions we will use for values, beliefs, and
GOALS FOR THE SESSION assumptions are as follows:

• To introduce and define the concept of culture as it will
be used in this workshop.
• To explain the link between the visible aspects of culture
(personal behavior and the invisible, unconscious aspects
(values, beliefs, assumptions).
• Values: the basis on which people decide and judge what
is right and good, and wrong and bad, in their society.
• Beliefs: what people think of as true or real in their
society
• Assumptions: deep-seated, completely subconscious
instincts about the nature of reality.

MATERIALS REQUIRED Try not to get into a discussion of these terms at this point. If
people ask, then by all means give a very brief definition as
• Session Workbook for participants above and then explain that in later exercises we will be
• LCD Projector, screen dealing with each of these in much more detail.

Bring up slide (What is Culture?) and make the point that

there are many definitions of culture and we are choosing a
very general one for our purposes today. Then add that we
are not talking about Capital “C’ Culture, as in literature,

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 153

painting, music etc., though they are products/manifestations
of culture. We are talking about culture in a wider sense as “a
way of life” for a particular group of people, which includes
their behaviors and characteristic values, beliefs, and
assumptions. Finally, make the point that culture does not
always equate with nationality, that most nations (countries)
have more than one culture, although most nations do have
a dominant culture and then several subcultures. (Be sure to
make this point so you can later make the point about
making cultural generalizations.)
Pointing to the same slide, explain the relationship between
what is above the line (behavior) and what is below the line
(values, beliefs, assumptions) in the triangle. Begin by saying
that what we have to deal with in everyday life is behavior,
the things people say and do. We don’t really deal with a
person’s culture, but their actions. Then point out that our
whole point here today is that the things people say and do
are not accidental or somehow invented. They are, rather, to
a large extent determined by the things below the line in the
diagram: values, beliefs, assumptions. Depending on these
things (point below the line) people will say and do certain
things (point above the line), and almost never do other
things, things that are against (point below the line again) or
not consistent with what we know they value and believe in.
Now show next slide. When you deal with someone from
another culture (indicate the triangle on the right), you are
dealing with someone from another triangle, and to the
extent that that person’s values, beliefs, assumptions (point
below the line of the triangle to the right) are different from
yours (point below the line of the triangle on the left), then
154
that person’s behavior (point above the line of the right
triangle) must be different from yours (point above the line
on the left triangle). But remember: this person’s behavior
(point above the line of the right triangle) makes perfect
sense (point below) to him or her, just like your behavior
(point above the line on left triangle) makes perfect sense
(point below) to you. Then make what is in many ways the
central point of the whole workshop (so practice this
statement!): When you’re dealing with someone from
another culture and that person does something that makes
absolutely no sense to you, it is almost guaranteed that it
makes perfect sense to him/her. Most people simply do not
do things they think are crazy. They do things YOU think are
crazy, and you do things THEY think are crazy, but most of us
don’t think the things WE do are crazy—because they are not.
To us.
This does not mean you have to like or accept or even permit
the various things people from other cultures do, but you
should try to understand where these behaviors (point above
the line) come from (point below the line). When you realize,
for example, that something a person from another culture
did that offended or frustrated you is not an
offensive/frustrating action in that person’s culture, then you
will probably not get so upset. You may still find the behavior
offensive, but now you understand that that person did not
believe it was offensive and did not intend to offend you.
This is why it is so important to understand about the
invisible aspects of culture—the things below the line in the
triangle—so we can better understand why people behave
the way they do.
FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L
 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 13
Matching Values to Behaviour

OBJECTIVE Explain (these instructions are also on the handout enclosed

To demonstrate and understand the link between values and
behaviour.
Participants will undertake an interactive exercise showing
the links between values and behaviour and discuss their
own examples.
in the Resource section at the end of Day 3) that there is a
list of values down the left hand side of this page and a list
of behaviors down the right hand side. For each value on the
left there is a behavior somewhere on the right that is a
“good match” for this value, something you can easily
imagine that a person who held this value would actually do
or say.

Do the first value, “Being direct,” as an example, pointing out

TIME SCHEDULE that someone who felt it was important to be direct in
his/her communication would think it was OK to “Disagree
09:45 Session 13 openly with someone at a meeting.”
10:30 Coffee Break
11:00 Session 14 Give the group a few minutes to complete the rest of the
11:20 Session 15 items. Be sure to explain that for one or two of the values
there may be more than one match in the behavior column,
but participants should try to find just one match for every
GOAL FOR THE SESSION value.

• To illustrate with examples the link between values and After everyone has finished, go through each item and solicit
behavior. answers from the group. (See Answer Key below for the
suggested “right” answers.)

MATERIALS REQUIRED At the very end, ask the group what the purpose of this
exercise was. If they can’t remember, show slide ‘What is
• Session Workbook for participants Culture?’ again and repeat the question. When they have
• LCD Projector, screen answered correctly (to show the relationship between values
• Hand out. and behavior), then ask one final question: Why is it
important to understand this relationship? (Answer: To show
that people with different values are bound to behave
PROCESS differently, and this is basically what it means to be from
another culture.)
Introduce the exercise by explaining that this is a simple
activity to demonstrate the link between values and behavior ANSWER KEY:
(refer again to slide ‘What is Culture?’). The sequence of numbers down the right hand side should
be as follows: 8,6,2,9,1,5,4,3,7

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 155

FACILITATOR NOTES

The only potential problem here (alluded to above) is if

people give a different match for a value than the “right”
answer given in the answer key. You can go ahead and
accept this answer as long as the person can give a good
explanation for it. Even then, be sure to give the answer from
the answer key.

156 FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L

 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 14
Culture in Context

OBJECTIVE MATERIALS REQUIRED

To understand culture and cultural behaviour in the context of • Session Workbook for participants
universal and personal behaviour. • LCD Projector, screen
• Hand out.
This session will feature a short presentation to place culture
and cultural behaviour in the context of universal (human
nature) and personal (individual) behaviour. This will be PROCESS
followed by a short activity to practice making distinctions
between the three categories of behaviour introduced in the This short lecture places culture and cultural behavior in the
previous session. context of universal behavior (human nature) and personal
(individual) behavior. It is important that participants
understand that not everything people do is based on culture,
TIME SCHEDULE even though that is more or less the exclusive focus of this
workshop. The real point here is that although we are going
10:30 Coffee Break to be focusing on culture for these two days—and especially
11:00 Session 14 on cultural differences—there are ways that everyone is alike
11:20 Session 15 (human nature), as well as ways no two people are alike,
12:00 Session 16 even people from the same culture (individual differences).
13:00 Lunch
14:00 Free time and field visit Like the earlier lecture in Session 12, it is very important for
the trainer to carefully review and practice explaining the
points given in the steps below so that he/she can deliver
GOALS FOR THE SESSION this lecture smoothly.

• To put cultural behavior into the context of universal and
personal behavior.
• To make the point that although there are many
differences on the level of culture, there are many similarities
on the level of human nature.
• To make the point that although there are many
similarities on the level of culture (i.e., people from the same
culture are alike in many ways), there will be differences on
the personal level.
Display the slide and make the opening point that although
culture is our focus here today (indicate culture box), culture
is not the only type of behavior or the only influence on
behavior.
There are ways that we are all alike, no matter what culture
we are from (indicate universal box). This is what we call
human nature. Bring up slide ‘Understanding Culture’ and
explain that this means that some of these values, beliefs,
assumptions (point to these words in one triangle) will be

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 157

the same as some of these (point to other triangle), and
therefore, some of these behaviors (top of one triangle) will
be the same as some of these (top of other triangle). Then
say that it has been estimated that close to 50% of all
values/beliefs/assumptions, hence all behaviors, are
universal, the same from culture to culture. This means that
when you deal with someone from another culture not
EVERYTHING about that person is going to be different from
you; maybe only half. Furthermore, the more similar that
culture is to yours, the higher percentage of similarities (the
50% universal plus a certain percentage of cultural similarity).
In other words, don’t despair and think that whenever you
deal with someone from another culture, everything is going
to be different. Cross-cultural interaction is more difficult than
same culture interaction, but not 100% more difficult.
Now explain that while there are ways that we are all alike
(Universal), there are other ways that we are like some
people, those from our culture (point to Cultural box) and not
like other people, those from other cultures. Briefly say that
this box will of course be the focus of most of this workshop.
Now point to the box on the extreme right (Personal) and
explain that there are also ways that none of us is like
anyone else, including people from our own culture (indicate
Cultural box) and the rest of the human race (indicate
Universal box)—because each of us is also an individual.
Then explain that because of these individual differences,
anything we say about culture in this workshop will always
have to be a generalization. And that people should
remember this.
Then make it very clear that we can’t talk about culture,
about millions of people, without making these general
statements. And while individual differences necessarily limit
the validity of general cultural statements, these statements
are nevertheless very useful as long as we remember that
they are general. Then explain to participants that they don’t
have to believe you on this point but ask them to suspend
their disbelief or doubts for now and see what happens when
we get to the exercises in the rest of this workshop.
The ‘Culture in Context’ hand out activity (referring to
‘universal, cultural or personal’) allows participants to practice
making distinctions between the three categories of behavior
introduced in the previous lecture and thereby solidify their
understanding of the differences.
Briefly introduce the purpose of the exercise: to give
participants a chance to practice thinking about the
differences between universal, cultural, and personal
behaviors.
158
Go over the instructions as they are given on the handout. Do
the first item, “Sleeping with a bedroom window open,”
together with the group. Then ask them to complete the
exercise individually.
Review the answers with the whole group, asking different
people to give their response. There will be some
disagreement with some items; one person may say
something is cultural while another person may say it is
universal or even personal. You can allows these
disagreements—the discussion is in many ways the whole
point of the activity—but be sure to require people to give
the logic or rationale for their choice. See Answer Key below
for what the “right” answers.
ANSWER KEY:
1. P 8. P
2. U (though the animal might differ) 9. U
3. C 10. C
4. C 11. P
5. C 12. C
6. U 13. U
7. C 14. U
Remember: Something that is cultural is also going to be
personal, in the sense that many persons in that culture will
do this thing. But in this quiz an answer is only personal if
most people in a culture would not do that thing.
FACILITATOR NOTES
As suggested above, some participants react to making
general cultural statements; they think it is stereotyping or
oversimplifying to the extent that it is not valuable. Do not
argue with these people if they make these points; there is,
after all, some truth to what they are saying. Just politely
acknowledge their observations and invite them to try a few
of the upcoming exercises and see if they find them useful.
Regarding stereotyping: you can point out that this is simply
the use of categories for storing information—something the
mind must do to make sense of otherwise random input—
and so long as we do not try to force any one individual into
a category, it can be illuminating. Don’t use this statement
unless you have to; you begin to sound defensive.
FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L
 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 15
Intercultural Skills and Cultural
Assumptions
OBJECTIVE MATERIALS REQUIRED

To identify the most important intercultural communication • Session Workbook for participants
skills and to explore five key concepts in the intercultural • LCD Projector, screen
field. • Flip chart and markers
• Hand outs
This session focuses on exploring an entry point to looking at
culture in different contexts. Key concepts in the intercultural
field will be introduced, and participants will be asked to PREPARATION
identify their views and attitudes towards them.
Draw up on the wall (using two pieces of flipchart paper), the
five continuum relating to the five cultural assumptions (see
TIME SCHEDULE slide ‘Cultural Assumptions’). Make sure each continuum is
labeled and numbered. Keep it covered till it is needed.
11:20 Session 15
12:00 Session 16
13:00 Lunch PROCESS
14:00 Free time and field visit
The Intercultural Skills exercise makes the important point
that the place to begin in looking at other cultures is with
GOALS FOR THE SESSION one’s own culture. This point is a natural link to the activity
which immediately follows.
• To stimulate discussion about why being aware of one’s
own culture is important when looking at other cultures. Explain that the purpose of the exercise is to identify what a
• To introduce five key concepts in the field of intercultural group of 50 intercultural experts agreed was the most
communication. important single quality or characteristic for dealing
• To ask participants to identify their own culture’s point of effectively with people from another culture. And then to
view on these five concepts. discuss why the experts might have selected this quality.
Point out that the participants may not necessarily agree with
the experts, but they may find their choice interesting.

Ask participants to rank / arrange the 11 qualities according

to what they personally feel (not trying to decide what the
experts said). Put a “1” next to the quality that is most
important, “2” next to the second most important etc.

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 159

Then ask various people what they selected as number “1.”
As people give “wrong” answers (which the first few answers
usually are), simply say that many people also select this
quality, but it’s not what the experts said. And then ask for
someone else’s “1.” As you do this, keep repeating that of
course each of these qualities is very important, and you can
make a very good rationale for most of them, but that it is
interesting what the experts said. And then ask for another
answer.
When someone finally gives the same answer the experts
gave, congratulate that person and then ask him/her why
they made that selection. Then ask if anyone else also made
that same selection and ask those people why they selected
that as “1.”
Then supplement the above answers as necessary with these
two observations:
• The important thing to determine in looking at another
culture is how that culture is different from your own because
it is cultural differences that cause problems. But before you
can make this kind of comparison, you first have to know
what your own culture is like in order to have a point of
reference. Once you see that your culture has these
values/beliefs/assumptions, then you can examine the other
cultures beliefs/values/assumptions and note the differences.
• Then make the additional point (which leads into to the
next exercise) that it is very difficult to see one’s own culture
because we take it for granted. Like a fish takes water for
granted and is never really aware of water, we take culture
for granted and may not be aware of it. Only when we go to
another country (or work with people in our own country
who come from a different culture) do we begin to “see” our
own culture.
ANSWER KEY:
The rank order of these 11 skills, as given by the experts,
was: 11, 3,8,10,7,9,2,1,5,4,6
The second part of this session deals with cultural
assumptions. We will introduce five fundamental concepts in
the field of intercultural communication, concepts which
correspond to five key dimensions of the human experience.
These concepts, which will be referred to as assumptions so
as to correspond to the terminology used in the What Is
Culture? lecture, are the starting point, the ultimate
explanation for, a great deal of human behavior. If you want
to understand why people behave the way they do, then the
place to start is in knowing what their culture assumes about
these nine dimensions.
160
Introduce the session making the points under above. As part
of this introduction, show slide ‘What is Culture?’ and indicate
that we are now going to be looking at the deepest, most
fundamental level of culture (point to the word Assumptions),
which means we will be looking at the place where a lot of
behavior (point to the top of the triangle) ultimately begins.
Then bring up slide ‘Cultural Assumptions’ and say we are
going to be looking at five assumptions today. Then explain
what these continuums are, that you have described the
opposite extremes of each assumption/concept on the
opposite side of each of these lines. Explain that every culture
has a point of view/a way of thinking about or reacting to
each of these concepts and that a culture’s view will be on
one side or the other side of each continuum. Tell participants
that you are going to divide them into groups according to
the country they come from and that in their group they
must read the two descriptions (right side and left side) and
decide which description they think is true in general for their
culture (not for the participants personally). If individuals in
the group do not agree on their culture’s outlook on a
particular assumption, they should discuss their differences
until they can come to some kind of consensus.
Once the group comes to an agreement, they should put a
tick mark on that side of the continuum where the
explanation most accurately describes their culture’s point of
view. Explain that you would like the location of this tick
mark to be described with a number—1 thru 5—and that this
number corresponds to a specific location along the
continuum (indicate the numbers on the first continuum on
the handout). Explain that:
Position number 1 corresponds to extreme left and should be
used if the group decides that the explanation on the left is
exactly true for their culture.
Position number 2 corresponds to left side, halfway to the
middle, and should be used if the group decides that the
explanation on the left is somewhat but not exactly true for
their culture.
Position number 3 corresponds to the middle and should be
used if the group decides that their culture is halfway
between the two extremes.
Position number 4 corresponds to the right side, halfway to
the right edge, and should be used if the group decides that
the explanation on the right is somewhat but not exactly true
for their culture.
Position number 5 corresponds to the extreme right side and
should be used if the group decides that the explanation on
the right is exactly true for their culture.
FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L
Divide the group up according to the countries the
participants come from. If there is only one person from a
particular country, then that person works alone. If there are
many people from the same country, put them in groups of
6-10. (If everyone is from the same country, you may want to
divide people up by “subcultures”: geographic regions, ethnic
groups, tribes—but be careful if any of these are sensitive
designations). Give the groups about 15 minutes to read and
make their decisions for each continuum.
FACILITATOR NOTES
As suggested above, some people may not think the expert’s
choice—being aware of one’s own culture—is the most
important. They often say, for example, that being able to
communicate or respecting the other culture are much more
important. Don’t argue with them; just say that all the
qualities are very important but it’s interesting to see how
these experts think.

When all groups are finished, call the session back to order With regard to the cultural assumptions exercise, some
and solicit each group’s mark for each continuum by asking people may point out that their country is too culturally
for their number. At the place on the line that corresponds to diverse and they cannot generalize about the entire
their number (on an overhead or flipchart), write an population. You can then ask them to select one of the larger
abbreviation for that country. If the group from Vietnam, for subcultures in their country or the dominant culture, if there
example, says their number for the first continuum is “4,” is one, and try to generalize about that. If they are still
then write V (for Vietnam) at position number 4 on the first reluctant, ask them to pick a group they do feel comfortable
continuum. Do this for all groups for all five continuums. If generalizing about. At the same time you should point out
you have many participants from the same country and have that this exercise deals in very general categories, and that
divided them into several groups, then average the numbers different subcultures in a country may actually have the same
of all the various groups to arrive at a single number for that view when it comes to matters that are this fundamental. In
country. any case, you don’t want too many different subgroups in the
room or it takes too long to record everyone’s mark.
If you have a multi-cultural group and you have numbers on
both sides of some or all of the continuums (see below if you
do not have numbers of opposite sides), ask the group what
this means. They should answer that it means there are
significant differences between the cultures. Then ask them
what it means if someone on one side of the chart has to
work with someone on the other side. They should answer
that it means there is a lot of possibility for
misunderstanding, misinterpretation, even conflict. Then ask
them if they think people choose to be on different sides of
the chart. They will say “No,” of course, and then you can
make the point that similarly people don’t choose to
misunderstand or misinterpret each other; it just happens
naturally. In other words, cultural misunderstandings are no
one’s fault; no one is to blame. Culture is to blame, and
people can’t help it if they come from different cultures.

If all the participants in your group are from the same culture,
or they are from different cultures but all of these cultures
are on the same side of the continuum, then ask people to
imagine they have to work with someone who is on the
opposite side (or to remember a time when they did work
with someone like that), then continue as in above.

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 161

 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Session 16
Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences
and Applying the Model
OBJECTIVE • To enable participants to work with the Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity and apply it in a “real” situation.
To explore our own attitudes towards cultural differences and
to apply Milton Bennett’s developmental model of
Intercultural Sensitivity. MATERIALS REQUIRED

Based on Milton Bennett’s Development Model of • Session Workbook for participants

Intercultural Sensitivity, this session will present and examine • LCD Projector, screen
the stages people go through in developing an awareness of, • Flip chart and markers
and sensitivity towards, cultural difference. The Bennett • Hand outs
model will be applied through a group exercise that will
explore the implications of working with a different or
clashing set of values. PROCESS

In the afternoon, participants will go on a field visit into town This exercise continues our exploration of the five cultural
and see a market and some cultures sights of interest. concepts introduced in the previous session. In that session,
we presented the concepts and asked participants to identify
their culture’s position on/attitude toward each. In this
TIME SCHEDULE exercise, we try to imagine how people on opposite sides of
the continuums, people who see the world very differently,
12:00 Session 16 view the typical attitudes and behaviors of each other. In
13:00 Lunch short we look at how culture affects our judgments of other
14:00 Free time and field visit people.

Bring up slide called ‘Judgments’ and say ‘magine that you

GOALS FOR THE SESSION
• To illustrate how cultural assumptions determine our
expectations of other people.
• To illustrate how cultural assumptions influence our
judgments.
• To show how people from different cultures naturally tend
to judge each other negatively or critically, that what is
different is usually perceived as negative.
• To help participants become more familiar with the Model
of Intercultural Sensitivity.
are on one side of a particular cultural continuum, that you
see the world from that perspective. How would you judge or
react to - What would you think of?—the typical, characteristic
behaviors and attitudes of people on the opposite side? In
general, how would the actions/views of these people come
across to you?’ Then explain that we want to look at how
people on opposite sides of a particular continuum look at or
regard each other.
Bring up the next slide ‘Judgments’. Divide the participants
into four groups. Explain that you are now going to ask each

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 163

group to imagine that they come from a culture on the left
side of the first continuum (make sure you explain that for
this exercise it doesn’t matter where participants actually put
their mark), and they are working with people who come
from the right side. For eg. ask them to think of some
adjectives to describe how Internalists (in the case of the first
continuum) would judge the typical attitudes, worldview of
Externalists. Give an example: Say that from the point of view
of Internalists, Externalists often seem very passive or without
any ambition. Allocate one example to each of the groups
(see the examples circled on the slide)
Call the session to order and solicit the answers from the
various groups, going through each continuum one at a time.
If the adjectives/judgments are mostly negative, as they tend
to be, ask the group why they think this is. Point out, if no
one says this, that most people tend to judge people who are
not like them negatively, not neutrally and very seldom
positively. This is because if I think what I do is normal or
right, then someone who does the opposite of what I do
must be abnormal and wrong. Once again point out that
people do not choose or try to be on opposite sides of these
continuums, but often they are.
Ask participants if they think they have ever been judged in
any of the ways described in this exercise by people from a
different culture (especially a donor country). Ask for
volunteers to answer this question. Can they see now where
this judgment came from? Finally ask participants how they
think these judgments affect the relationships between
people from different cultures who must work together.
LEARNING JOURNAL ACTIVITY:
Following the Judgments section of this session, move to the
next slide ‘Learning Journal Activity’. Ask the participants to
take out their learning journals and to ‘think about the
discussion and record some reflections on one or two of the
areas that are most interesting for you to think further about’.
Ask them ‘How can your thoughts translate into actions in
your workplace or other situation?’
164
Bring up the next slide ‘Attitudes toward cultural difference’.
Give out the hand out explaining the stages to the Milton
Bennett model. Talk through each stage referring to the
slides. Explain that there are many models that have been
developed, this is just one such model that we felt was
useful to help us understand the process in becoming more
effective cross cultural communicators. (They don’t necessarily
need to agree with the model but perhaps try to see in what
ways it can be useful).
This session asks participants to think in more detail about the
Bennett model and to apply it in a real situation (give out the
hand out). In this situation, the task is getting the participants
to think about how you can get someone to move further
ahead in the model toward a more ethnorelative perspective.
Divide participants into small groups and give them 20
minutes to read the hand out and discuss the two questions.
After 20 minutes, call the session to order and ask
participants to describe their answers to the two questions.
Then ask them if they themselves have moved through the
stages of Milton Bennett’s model. If so, what enabled them to
change?
The last slide of the day ‘Wrap Up’ is designed to get the
participants in plenary to discuss and reflect the key points
from today’s session, and if they wish, to make some notes
in the Learning Journal.
There are plenty of reading materials and resources included
in the slide set and participants manual that can be utilized if
participants are interested in following up on reading in this
area.
FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L
 Facilitator’s Notes
Day 3: Cross Cultural Communication

Resources

SESSION 13:

Matching Values to Behaviour

SESSION 14:

Culture in Context

SESSION 15:

Intercultural Skills
Cultural Assumptions

SESSION 16:

The Milton Bennett Model

Applying the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

FAC I L I TATO R ’S M A N UA L 165

 MATCHING VALUES AND BEHAVIORS

VALUES BEHAVIORS

1. Being direct ____ Use of understatement.

2. Centrality of family ____ Asking people to call you by your

first name.

3. Fatalism ____ Taking off from work to attend the

funeral of an aunt.

4. Saving face ____ Not helping the person next to you

on an exam.

5. Respect for age ____ Disagreeing openly with someone

at a meeting.

6. Informality ____ Not laying off an older worker whose

performance is weak.

7. Deference to authority ____ At a meeting, agreeing with a

suggestion you think is wrong.

8. Being indirect ____ Accepting without question that.

something cannot be changed.

9. Self-reliance ____ Asking the boss’ opinion on

something you’re the expert on.

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

 UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL
For each of the sixteen items below, write a U, C, or P in the blank
depending on whether you think the behavior is

(U) niversal—common to all cultures and people

(C) ultural—specific to a particular group or culture

(P) ersonal—unique to a particular individual within a

culture

Note that something that is personal could also be done by other people
in the same culture, but it would only be considered cultural if it were
done by most people from that culture.

1. ____ Sleeping with a bedroom window open.

2. ____ Running from a dangerous animal.

3. ____ Considering snakes to be "evil."

4. ____ Men opening doors for women.

5. ____ Respecting older people.

6. ____ Learning one’s mother tongue.

7. ____ Speaking Arabic.

8. ____ Speaking Arabic as a foreign language.

9. ____ Eating regularly.

10. ____ Eating with a knife, fork, and spoon.

11. ____ Liking the novels of Vikram Seth.

12. ____ Calling a waiter with a hissing sound.

13. ____ Regretting being the cause of an accident.

14. ____ Feeling sad at the death of your mother.

15. ____ Wearing white mourning robes for 30 days after the death of your mother.

16. ____ Disliking having to wear mourning clothes for 30 days after the death of your
mother.

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

 INTERCULTURAL SKILLS

Rank order the following items in terms of their importance to

dealing successfully with people from other cultures. Then
compare your ranking with that of 50 intercultural specialists.

_____ To be persistent.

_____ To learn from interacting.

_____ To be flexible.

_____ To be aware of one's own limitations.

_____ To listen and observe.

_____ To tolerate ambiguity.

_____ To respect the other culture.

_____ To be aware of one's own culture.

_____ To avoid stereotyping.

_____ To be non-judgmental.

_____ To be able to communicate.

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manage. SIETAR International, Washington D.C.
 CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS
THE LOCUS OF CONTROL
1 2
INTERNAL
The locus of control is internal;
fate has little or no importance;
there are few givens in life, few
things that can’t be changed and
must just be accepted; where
there’s a will, there’s a way; one
makes one’s own luck;
unhappiness is one’s own fault;
people tend to be more
optimistic; life is what I do
CONCEPT OF SELF
INDIVIDUALIST
Self is the smallest unit of survival;
looking out for one’s self protects others;
personal fulfillment is the greatest good;
independence and self-reliance are
highly valued; children are taught to
stand on their own two feet; workers
don’t mind individual recognition; one’s
identity is personal and individual, not
primarily a function of one’s membership
or role in a group; self-worth is a function
of what you have accomplished or “done
with” your life
CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD
3 4 ___ 5
EXTERNAL
The locus of control is external;
fate plays a major role; people
believe they have limited control
over their destiny/external
events; many things in life must
be accepted/can’t be changed;
success/lack of success is partly
a result of good/bad fortune;
people tend to be realistic/
fatalistic; life is what happens to
me.
COLLECTIVIST
The primary group, usually the
family, is the smallest unit of
survival; looking out for others
protects one’s self; group
harmony is the greatest good;
children are taught to depend on
others, who in turn can always
depend on them; employees
don’t like to stand out; they
prefer group/team recognition;
identity is mainly a function of
one’s membership/role in a
primary group; self-worth is
measured by how well you get
along with/are regarded by
others.
 POWER DISTANCE
LOW
More democratic management style;
power is less jealously guarded;
manager shares authority with
subordinates; subordinates take
initiative and are not overly
deferential to managers;
subordinates do not like to be
micromanaged; decision making is
more consultative; OK to say no
to/disagree with the boss; manager/
subordinate relations are more
informal; rank has fewer privileges.
OF TIME & PEOPLE
MONOCHRONIC
Time is a limited commodity and
must be used carefully; people
are very conscious of time; it’s
important to be on time and for
things to start on time; to be late
or to keep people waiting is rude;
schedules and deadlines are
sacred and not easily changed;
people do things one at a time;
interruptions are bad; the needs
of people are subservient to the
demands of time.
CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD
HIGH
More authoritarian; power is
centralized; deference to
authority; managers hold on to
power, not much delegation of
authority; subordinates do not
take initiative and wait for explicit
instructions; decisions made at
the top; one does not openly
disagree with/say no to the boss;
rank has its privileges; manager/
subordinate relations are more
formal.
POLYCHRONIC
People are more casual about time;
there is always more time;
deadlines and schedules are
approximations and can easily be
adjusted/changed; you’re never
really late and things start when
they start; people may do several
things simultaneously and can’t
really be interrupted (interruptions
are life); time is bent to meet the
needs of people.
 VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE

BENIGN SKEPTICAL

People are inherently good; they People are not inherently good
should be trusted until they prove or bad, but you should never
otherwise; they can normally be trust other people without a
counted on to be fair and play by good reason; people generally
the rules; on the whole people do cannot be counted on to be fair
not try to take advantage of each or play by the rules; people will
other; you can usually take take advantage of you if given a
. people at their word; people chance; you have to protect
believe that one person’s yourself; you can’t take people
success does not have to be at at their word; people believe
someone else’s expense one person can only get ahead
(concept of the unlimited good). at someone else’s expense
(concept of the limited good).

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

 ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

Different people react in different ways to people from other cultures. The range of possible reactions to
cultural difference has been summarised by Dr. Milton Bennett in his Developmental Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity. Based on concepts from cognitive psychology and constructivism, Bennett
identifies six stages of intercultural sensitivity, ranging from extreme ethnocentrism on the one hand to
mature ethnorelativism on the other.

Understanding the mindset of people in the various stages—their typical attitudes toward and reactions
to cultural difference—can be very useful to the participants in their respective jobs. In this exercise, we
will first examine Bennett’s model, summarised below, and then apply it in two LEAD-like critical
incidents. (In the formulation presented below, Bennett’s six stages have been reduced to five by
combining his Adaptation [stage 5] and Integration [stage 6] into one.)

ETHNOCENTRISM

1. DENIAL

• Extreme ethnocentrism.
• Very limited exposure to/contact with people not like oneself (either by choice or by default).
• People can only see the familiar; no real framework even for noticing cultural differences (even
when confronted with them).
• Their reaction to “difference” (if they do perceive it) is usually either embarrassment or studious
politeness.
• “Benign” stereotypes (all Africans are good hunters; all Europeans are rich; all Asians are good
business people).
• The Other is not considered a threat as it is not consciously acknowledged.
• The Other is an aberration (not its own category, but a deviant version of the only category, i.e.,
us).
• People may erect physical, social or psychological barriers to separate themselves from the
Other.
• There may be some negativity toward the Other, but it is usually subconscious and not overt.
• There is very little hostility, as the Other is not consciously recognised.

2. DEFENSE

• The Other is acknowledged but seen as a threat.

• My culture is the only good one.
• There is active resistance to/defense against those who are different.
• There is open hostility, negativity toward the Other, the Other is denigrated and criticised.
• The undesirable characteristics of the Other are emphasised.
• The Other—“Them”—is inferior to a superior “Us.”
• There should be minimal contact with the Other; contact only exacerbates tension.
• People tend to over-value their own culture.
• People of the other cultures don’t know any better (or they would be like us).

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

 • This stage can sometimes include “reversal,” denigrating one’s own culture and uncritically (and
without any real understanding) embracing another.

3. MINIMIZATION

• Cultural differences are acknowledged but are not considered negative.

• Differences are perceived as minimal and are trivialised.
• Differences are superficial, “quaint,” but not fundamental.
• We are different in some ways but alike in the ways that really count.
• Preference for emphasising/focusing on underlying human similarities rather than external
cultural differences.
• Less judgmental, evaluative than the denial stage, but still essentially dismissive of the
importance/reality of culture.
• “You just have to be yourself and people will understand.”
• Some acceptance of differences in behavior (though they’re not really significant) but not of
differences in values or assumptions.

ETHNORELATIVISM
4. ACCEPTANCE

• Cultural differences are acknowledged and respected.

• The basic integrity/viability of other worldviews is accepted (and they are not seen as merely an
earlier stage of a more evolved worldview, i.e. our own).
• There is minimal judgment/evaluation of cultural differences; they are just part of the human
condition.
• Cultural differences are interesting (not threatening) and can be positive and enjoyable.
• People can see that their own worldview/culture is just one of many.
• Acceptance is not necessarily agreement; the Other can still be judged negatively but not
ethnocentrically.
• People may still wish others didn’t behave in a particular way, but they accept that they have to.
• One is aware of the fact that one sees others through one’s own cultural lens (but one is not yet
able to consistently see others from the Other’s point of view).
• One is still very “conscious” of culture.

5. ADAPTATION / INTEGRATION

• People have the ability to identify fully with another culture (biculturalism).
• People can readily see the world through the eyes of others and imagine how they are seen by
others.
• Empathy (I feel what you feel) replaces sympathy (I know how you must feel), which is more
characteristic of the acceptance stage.
• People consciously adopt behaviors from other cultures.
• The internalisation of/ability to operate from two or more frames of reference.
• A respect for difference means a respect for oneself.

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

 APPLYING THE MODEL OF INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY

You work with a colleague who has not had any international experience and very
limited exposure at home to people from a different cultural background. Your
organisation has a grant to work on a deforestation project with a rural indigenous group
in a remote region, and your colleague is consistently frustrated by the “backward”
behaviour of various members of the indigenous group. He doesn’t understand why it is
not enough, for example, to just “explain to these people” that cutting trees for firewood
is shortsighted and will eventually cause the erosion of their cropland, which will result in
them having to move to the city.

You can also see that when this colleague interacts one-on-one with indigenous group
members, he offends them with his somewhat impatient, very proud manner. When the
indigenous group members ask questions at meetings, for example, he acts frustrated,
answers somewhat abruptly, and uses words and talks about concepts that common or
lay people at the meeting do not understand. You can see that the indigenous group
members do not trust him—that they think he does not understand their situation—and
now you are worried that their reactions to this man may be hurting the success of this
project.

Discuss these two questions with your group: What can you do to help this colleague get
beyond this stage and generally improve his relationship with the indigenous group? Is
there anything you can do or say to the indigenous group members to help the situation?

CAPACITY 2015 ASIA LEAD

Slide 1

Regional Leadership Training Workshop

Cross-Cultural Communication

Day 3

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 2

Outline of the Day

Session 11: Introduction to the Day, CCC Quiz,

Participant Stories
Session 12: What is Culture?
Session 13: Matching Values to Behaviour
Coffee break
Session 14: Culture in Context
Session 15: Intercultural Skills and Cultural Assumptions
Session 16: Attitudes Towards Cultural Differences and
Applying the Model
Lunch
Free Time and Field Visit
Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

181
Slide 3

S E S S I O N 11

Introduction to the
Day, CCC Quiz,
Participant Stories

Cross-Cultural Communication

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 4

Cross-Cultural Quiz

1. People in 59 countries were asked: “In general, do you trust

other people?” Try to name the country in which most
respondents said ‘yes’, and the country in which most said ‘no’

Highest__________

Lowest__________

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

182
Slide 5

Cross-Cultural Quiz

2. If a Brazilian pulls his earlobe when eating, he means:

A. The food is too spicy for him.
B. His earlobe is itching.
C. He likes what he is eating.

Luiz Carlos
Ros Filho
LEAD Fellow,
Brazil

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 6

Cross-Cultural Quiz

3. If a Chinese person says your suggestion is ‘good’, they mean:

A. It is really good;
B. They are not sure;
C. It is not good.

Wei Zhao

LEAD Fellow
China

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

183
Slide 7

Cross-Cultural Quiz

4. The percentage of Indian workers who said they preferred very close
supervision on the job was:
A. 25 percent
B. 50 percent
C. 65 percent
D. 85 percent
Sujatha
Byravan

LEAD Fellow
India

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 8

Cross-Cultural Quiz

5. You are travelling on a train in India when an Indian woman offers you a
drink from her water bottle. You should:

A. Politely refuse,

B. Take a short sip and hand the bottle back,

C. Drink in such a way that your mouth never touches the lip of the
bottle.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

184
Slide 9

Cross-Cultural Quiz

6. If a Pakistani says he will do something “God willing,” he means:

A. He does not intend to do it but does not want to be rude.
B. He fully intends to do it but doesn’t want to sound irreligious.

Amjad Zafar
Khan

ICT Manager
LEAD Pakistan

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 10

Cross-Cultural Quiz

7. You have been invited to a Mexican family’s home for dinner, and
you arrive one hour after the time they said to come. You are:
A. Late—and you should apologize.
B. On time.
C. Very early;
Boris Gregorio
most of the family
Graizbord Ed
isn’t even home yet.
National
Programme
Director
LEAD Mexico

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

185
Slide 11

Cross-Cultural Quiz

8. A Senegalese guest in your house burps loudly after dinner. Does

this mean:

A. She has indigestion;

B. She appreciated the food; or
C. She wants more wine.

Awa Faly Ba

LEAD Fellow
Francophone Africa

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 12

Cross-Cultural Quiz

9. A Japanese lady touches her nose frequently while you are

talking to her. This means:
A. Go and brush your teeth;
B. Her nose must have been itching; or
C. She is pointing to herself.

Yumiko
Umehara

LEAD
Fellow
Japan

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

186
Slide 13

Cross-Cultural Quiz

10. The percent of Arab executives who rated employee loyalty as more
important than efficiency was:
A. One quarter
B. One third
C. One half
D. Two thirds
Mireille Atallah

LEAD Fellow
Europe

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 14

Cross-Cultural Quiz

11. If a Nigerian from the north of the country raises his clenched fist
to you, what does he mean:
A. He is from the ANPP (the opposition political party)
B. He intends to hit you
C. He is showing you respect and reverence

Abiodun
Shonubi

Academic
Coordinator
LEAD Nigeria

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

187
Slide 15

Cross-Cultural Quiz

12. In the following cities, try to guess how many times in one hour
a typical couple in a café touches each other:
San Juan, PR ______ times
Paris ______ times
London ______ times

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 16

Country Rankings in the Trust Survey

Conducted by Transparency International
1. Brazil 19. Estonia 38. Austria
2. Peru 20. Portugal 39. Belgium 57. Sweden
3. Philippines 21. Moldova 40. Italy 58. Denmark
4. Puerto Rico 22. France 41. United States 59. Norway
5. Turkey 23. Georgia 42. India
6. Colombia 24. Croatia 43. Australia
7. Venezuela 25. Dom. Republic 44. Switzerland
8. Slovenia 26. Hungary 45. Taiwan
9. Poland 27. Russia 46. W. Germany
10. Argentina 28. Armenia 47. Great Britain
11. Romania 29. E. Germany 48. No.Ireland
12. South Africa 30. Latvia 49. Iceland
13. Pakistan 31. Mexico 50. Japan
14. Nigeria 32. Spain 51. Ireland
15. Bangladesh 33. Bulgaria 52. Finland
16. Azerbaijan 34. South Korea 53. New Zealand
17. Chile 35. Czech Rep. 54. China
18. Slovakia 36. Serbia 55. Canada
37. Ukraine 56. Netherlands
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Slide 17

From Your Experience…

Try to recall a memorable cross-cultural

moment/incident from your own experience
• a misunderstanding
• a misinterpretation
• a cultural mistake
• a funny story
• any situation which illustrates how you were
personally affected by a cultural difference

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 18

Our Stories

♦Tell your story in your group, pick one or two that

you will share in the plenary.
♦You have 15 minutes.
♦Discussion: What do we notice about the stories
that we have told?

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Slide 19

S E S S I O N 12

What is Culture?

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 20

WHAT IS CULTURE?

The things
people say
and do
Behaviour

Values
Beliefs
Assumptions

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Slide 21

Understanding
Culture

Behaviour Behaviour

Values Values
Beliefs Beliefs
Assumptions Assumptions

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Slide 22

S E S S I O N 13

Matching Values to
Behaviour

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 23

Matching Values to Behaviours

Most of the things most people do are the result of either

something they believe in or something they hold dear.

In other words, most behaviour is neither arbitrary nor

spontaneous; rather it ‘makes sense’ given that person’s
values or beliefs.

In the following exercise, match the values to the

corresponding behaviour.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 24

Matching Values to Behaviours

Values Behaviours

1. Being direct _ Use of understatement

2. Centrality of family _ Asking people to call you by your first name
3. Fatalism _ Taking off from work to attend the funeral of
an aunt
4. Saving face _ Not helping the person next to you on an exam

5. Respect for age _ Disagreeing openly with someone at a meeting

6. Informality _Not laying off an older worker whose performance

is weak
7. Deference to authority _At a meeting, agreeing with a suggestion you think
is wrong
8. Being indirect _ Accepting without question that something cannot
be changed
9. Self-reliance _ Asking the boss’ opinion on something you’re the
expert on
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Slide 25

S E S S I O N 14

Culture in Context

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 26

TYPES OF BEHAVIOUR

UNIVERSAL CULTURAL PERSONAL

Eating Eating from your Eating in front of

own plate the television

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Slide 27

UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL

For each of the sixteen items on your handout, write a U, C, or

P in the blank depending on whether you think the behaviour is
(U) niversal—common to all cultures and people
(C) ultural—specific to a particular group or culture
(P) ersonal—unique to a particular individual within a
culture
Note that something that is personal could also be done by
other people in the same culture, but it would only be
considered cultural if it were done by most people from that
culture.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 28

UNIVERSAL, CULTURAL, & PERSONAL

1.____ Sleeping with a bedroom window open.

2. ____ Running from a dangerous animal.
3. ____ Considering snakes to be "evil."
4. ____ Men opening doors for women.
5. ____ Respecting older people.
6. ____ Learning one’s mother tongue.
7. ____ Speaking Arabic.
8. ____ Speaking Arabic as a foreign language.
9. ____ Eating regularly.
10. ___ Eating with a knife, fork, and spoon.
11.___ Liking the novels of Vikram Seth.
12. ___ Calling a waiter with a hissing sound.
13. ___ Regretting being the cause of an accident.
14. ___ Feeling sad at the death of your mother.

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Slide 29

S E S S I O N 15

Intercultural Skills and

Cultural Assumptions

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 30

Intercultural Skills

___ To be persistent
___ To learn from interacting
___ To be flexible
___ To be aware of one’s limitations
___ To listen and observe
___ To tolerate ambiguity
___ To respect the other culture
___ To be aware of one’s own culture
___ To avoid stereotyping
___ To be nonjudgmental
___ To be able to communicate

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Slide 31

Intercultural Skills – Experts’ Opinions

_ 1 __ To be aware of one’s own culture

_ 2 __ To respect the other culture
_ 3 __ To learn from interacting
_ 4 __ To be nonjudgmental
_ 5 __ To avoid stereotyping
_ 6 __ To be able to communicate
_ 7 __ To listen and observe
_ 8 __ To be flexible
_ 9 __ To tolerate ambiguity
_10__ To be aware of one’s limitations
_11__ To be persistent

Source: Casse, Pierre 1984, Training for the Multicultural Manager, SIETAR International, Washington, D.C.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 32

WHAT IS CULTURE?

The things
people say
and do
Behaviour

Values
Beliefs
Assumptions

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Slide 33

Cultural Assumptions

• We will look at 5 fundamental concepts in the field of intercultural

communication corresponding with various dimensions of the human
experience

• The Locus of Control

• Concept of Self
• Power Distance
• Of Time and People
• View of Human Nature

(Sources: Gardenswartz & Rowe, Hall, Hofstede, Rotter)

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 34

The Locus of Control

Internal:
♦ fate has little importance
♦ there are few things that can’t be changed
♦ where there’s a will, there’s a way
♦ life is what I make of it
External:
♦ fate plays a major role
♦ people have limited control over destiny/external events
♦ success is partly a result of good fortune
♦ life is what happens to me

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Slide 35

Concept of Self

Individualist:
♦ self is the smallest unit of survival
♦ personal fulfilment is the greatest good
♦ independence and self reliance is highly valued

Collectivist:
♦ the family unit is the smallest unit of survival
♦ looking out for others protects one’s self
♦ group harmony is the greatest good
♦ identity is mainly a function of one’s membership / role in a
primary group

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 36

Power Distance

Low:
♦ more democratic management style
♦ power is less jealously guarded
♦ subordinates take initiative and are not overly deferential to
managers

High:
♦ more authoritarian
♦ power is centralised
♦ deference to authority
♦ managers hold on to power

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Slide 37

Of Time and People

Monochronic:
♦ time is a limited commodity and must be used carefully
♦ people are very conscious of time
♦ schedules and deadlines are sacred

Polychronic:
♦ people are more casual about time
♦ deadlines and schedules are approximations and can be
easily adjusted and changed
♦ people may do several things simultaneously and can’t
really be interrupted

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 38

View of Human Nature

Benign:
♦ people are inherently good
♦ people should be trusted unless they prove otherwise
♦ one person’s success doesn’t have to come at someone
else’s expense
Skeptical:
♦ people are not inherently good or bad
♦ never trust anyone without a good reason
♦ people can not be counted on to be fair
♦ one person’s success comes at the expense of someone
else

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Slide 39

Cultural Assumptions

INTERNAL Locus of Control EXTERNAL

INDIVIDUALIST Concept of Self COLLECTIVIST

LOW Power distance Power Distance HIGH Power distance

MONOCHRONIC View of Time and People POLYCHRONIC

BENIGN View of Human Nature SKEPTICAL

1 2 3 4 5

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 40

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from

LEAD

INTERNAL Locus of Control EXTERNAL

ia
m ria nd
N zil n
a a
Za ge / I

a
Br kist

si
l
ga
ia

Se a

ne
N A

bi
s

Pa

ne
S

us

do
i
K
Z
U

R
U

In

1 2 3 4 5

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Slide 41

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from

LEAD

INDIVIDUALIST Concept of Self COLLECTIVIST

a
bi

In dia n
m

In ista
Pa ia

a
Z a

Se bia

l
si

ga
N /Z
Br eria

ne
us

k
U zil

m
SA

ne
K

Za
R
a

do
ig
U

1 2 3 4 5

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 42

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from

LEAD

LOW Power Distance HIGH

Pa do dia
an a
s t si
In In
k i ne
SA

si l
us a

er a
a

Za azil
R neg

ig bi
ia
K
Z

N m
N

Br
Se

1 2 3 4 5

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Slide 43

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from

LEAD

MONOCHRONIC Of Time & People POLYCHRONIC

an
er il st
ig raz aki
B P

a
l
ga

do ia
si
a

In mb
ne
In a

ne
si

a
i
SA

di
us
K
Z

Za
Se
U
N
U

1 2 3 N 4 5

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 44

Cultural Assumptions – Examples from

LEAD

BENIGN View of Human Nature SKEPTICAL

a
al

si
eg

ne
en

do
a

In ria
/S

bi
Br ia
Za il

In
SA

a
az

e
m
s

di
Z

ig
us
K
N

U
U

N
R

1 2 3 4 5

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Slide 45

Cultural Assumptions – discussion questions

♦ How easy did you find it to identify a position on each continuum

that reflected your national culture?

♦ What does it mean if someone on one side of the continuum has

to work with someone on the other side?

♦ Do people choose to be on different sides of the continuum?

♦ Have you ever worked with someone from a different position on

a continuum?

♦ Can you give an example of where different cultural positions

have caused confusion or misunderstandings?

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 46

S E S S I O N 16

Attitudes Towards Cultural

Differences and Applying the
Model

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 47

JUDGMENTS

Imagine you are one side of a particular continuum, that you

see the world from that perspective.

How would you judge or react to the typical characteristic

behaviours and attitudes of people on the opposite side?

In general, how would the actions and views of these people

come across to you?

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 48

JUDGMENTS

Internalists on Externalists Externalists on Internalists

Individualists on Collectivists Collectivists on Individualists

Low Power Distance on High High Power Distance on Low

Benign on Skeptical Skeptical on Benign

Monochronic on Polychronic Polychronic on Monochronic

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Slide 49

Learning Journal Activity

Think about the discussion and record some

reflections on one or two of the areas that are most
interesting for you to think further about.

How can your thoughts translate into actions in your

workplace or other situation?

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 50

ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

• The Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

was created by Dr Milton Bennett in 1986. Dr Bennett is
the co-founder of the Intercultural Communication Institute
and director of the Intercultural Development Research
Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA.

• The model shows a progression of stages people may go

through in developing intercultural competency

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Slide 51

ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

1. Denial - no recognition of cultural differences.

2. Defense - recognition of some differences, but viewed

as negative.

3. Minimisation - lack of awareness about projection of

own cultural values. Views own values as superior.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 52

ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

4. Acceptance – shifts perspectives to understand that

the same ‘ordinary’ behaviour can have different
meanings in different cultures.

5. Adaptation / Integration – can evaluate other’s

behaviour from their time frame of reference and can
adapt behaviour to fit the norms of a different culture. Can
shift frame of reference and also deal with resulting
identity issues.

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Slide 53

ATTITUDES TOWARD CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

5. Adaptation / Integration … Ethno-relativism

4. Acceptance

3. Minimization

2. Defense

1. Denial ………………………. Ethno-centrism

Source: Bennett, M J 1986. ‘A developmental approach to training for intercultural
sensitivity’, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10 (2), pp. 179-95.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 54

Applying the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

Case Study:
In small groups, take 20 minutes to familiarise yourself with the
case study given and to discuss the issues raised within it with
other members of your group. Consider how the Milton
Bennett developmental model can be applied to your scenario.

How could you encourage someone to move further ahead in

the model towards a more ethno-relativist perspective.

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Slide 55

Wrap Up

In plenary, participants will discuss and reflect

upon the key points from today’s session.

Copyright, 2006 -- LEAD International

Slide 56

Learning Partner Lunch

Have lunch with your Learning Partner for a

conversation:

♦What are some new thoughts you have had during

the day?
♦ How is your learning journey progressing – check
in with your Learning Partner about where you are
and where you wish to go in the next two days.

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Slide 57

References, Resources

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Slide 58

References and Resources

Cross-Cultural Communication

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Slide 59

References, Resources
♦ Barker, A 2000. Improve Your Communication Skills. Kogan Page, London.

♦ Bennett, M J 1986. A developmental approach to training intercultural sensitivity. International

Journal of Intercultural Relations, 10(2), 179-196.

♦ Brake, T 2002. Managing Globally. Dorling Kindersley, London.

♦ Carbaugh, D, Ed. 1990. Cultural communication and intercultural contact. Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Hillsdale, NJ.

♦ Cross-Cultural Library
http://sistergoldenhair.com/uponarrival/library.html

♦ 2003. Cross-Cultural Management and NGO Capacity Building , International NGO Training and
Research Centre (INTRAC), Oxford.
http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/PraxisNotes_en.html

♦ Du Praw, M and Axner, M 1999. Working on Common Cross-cultural Communication Challenges,

Online Article, Topsfield Foundation and Marci Reaven.

♦ Gardenswartz, L, & Rowe, A 1998. Managing diversity: A complete desk reference and planning
guide. New York: McGraw Hill.
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Slide 60

References, Resources
♦ GreenCOM 2001. Human Nature (6):2. (Online 25 June, 2003).
http://www.greencom.org/greencom/pdf/hn-v6n2-eng.pdf

♦ Hall, E T and Mildred, R 1990. Understanding Cultural Differences.Intercultural Press, Yarmouth,

ME.

♦ Hill, R 1996. Us & Them. Europublications, Brussels.

♦ Hofstede, G 1980. Culture’s Consequences. Sage Publications, London.

♦ Hofstede, G. 1996. Cultures and Organisations: Software or the Mind – Intercultural Cooperation
and its Importance for Survival. McGraw-Hill, NY.

♦ INTRAC Resources: http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/PraxisNotes_en.html

http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/docs/PraxisNote1-CrossCulturalManagement.pdf
http://www.intrac.org/Intrac/docs/PraxisNote8-Multi-CulturalIceberg.pdf.

♦ Multicultural Toolkit: http://www.awesomelibrary.org/multiculturaltoolkit.html

♦ Rotter, J 1966. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcements,
Psychological Monographs, 80, Whole No. 609.

♦ Storti, C 1990. The Art of Crossing Cultures.Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

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References, Resources
♦ Storti, C 1994. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference.
Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

♦ Storti, C 1999. Figuring Foreigners Out. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

♦ Storti, C 1994. Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference.

Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

♦ Storti, C 1999. Figuring Foreigners Out. Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

♦ Storti, C 2003. ‘Cross-cultural Communication and Awareness’ in: Crossing Water Thresholds:
Future Challenges of Managing a Threatened Global Resource, Guadalajara, Mexico 30 April – 10
May, 2003. Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) International, London.

♦ 2004. Training Across Cultures – A Handbook for Trainers and Facilitators Working Around the
World. LEAD International, London.
http://www.lead.org/Publications/default.cfm?target=Publications

♦ Winters, E 2003. ‘International Technical Communication’, SIG STC in Fundamental Patterns of

Cultural Differences. (Online 25 June, 2003) http://www.stcsig.org/itc/articles/0304-fund_cult_diff.pdf

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