Competencies in Intercultural Group Communications

1. Competencies in Intercultural Group Communications Communication Styles Based on Face Management Leadership Dealing with Conflict Meeting and Decision Making

2. Parameters of Interacting with Other Cultures • Collectivism • Hierarchy • Low tolerance of ambiguity • Masculine • Lived-Experience and Short-Term Approaches to Time • Individualism • Equality • High Tolerance of ambiguity • Feminine • Abstract and Long-Term Approaches to Time

3. Communication Direct • Goal is clarity and honesty • Words are essential • The message is essential • Comfortable with confrontation Indirect • Goal is to maintain harmony • Non-verbal language • The person delivering the message is essential • Avoid confrontation

4. The Mutual Invitation Method (Eric Law) RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION GUIDELINE R: take RESPONSIBILITY for what you say and feel, and speak with words others can hear and understand E: use EMPATHETIC listening, not just words but also feelings being expressed, non-verbal language including silence S: be SENSITIVE to differences in communication styles P: PONDER on what you hear and feel before you speak E: EXAMINE your own assumptions and perceptions C: keep CONFIDENTIALITY T: TRUST the process because we are NOT here to debate who is right or wrong but to experience true dialogue.

5. Let’s communicate! • “Yes” means “No • Silence means consent or not… • Eye contact means respect? • How close or far away do I stand from you? • How do I greet you? • Do I cry or not?

6. Communication Low Context • Individual oriented • Adjust quickly • Direct Communication • Conflict may occur because of violations of individual expectations • Deal with conflict by disclosure • Fact finding • Focus on action and solution High Context • Group oriented • Need time for “contexting” a new situation • Indirect Communication • Conflict may occur because of violations of group expectations • Deal with conflict by concealment • Face saving • Focus on relationship

7. What is the FACE of Groups? • FACE is the Public Image of a group, or how a group wants others to see it. ESTABLISHING FACE INVOLVES: • Presenting our Group so that others perceive us as we want to be seen • Doing what is needed to do to support that face

8. Facework • A dominating facework • Avoiding facework • Integrating facework

9. Let’s have a meeting Individualistic Equality Purpose Agenda/Rules Time Keep on task All encouraged to speak A majority vote • Collectivist • Relationship vs. task • Sense of harmony before meeting • Honor group’s face • Hierarchy – Elders • Ensure that the various groups is honored before a debate • Contradict the elder? • Group dialogue • Voting as a group

10. Dealing with Conflict • Individual face • Concerned with the issue at stake • Concern to resolve the issue • Direct communication • Strategy of dominating the other in order to win • Policy of compromise with the intention of returning…for winning • Face of the Group • Indirect communication • Strategies of avoidance • Obliging the other party is an alternative • Conflict not resolved but allowed to continue

11. From the heart to the mind Decision Making – One perspective • RELATIONSHIP: After a process of knowing each other, of having a feeling of belonging, moves to… • UNDERSTANDING: starts to ask what is being expected of him/her. • INTEGRATION: evaluates, is it good for me or not? Is it good for my family or not? • MOVEMENT: Decides to get involved, to commit.

12. Different perspectives • Individualistic • UNDERSTANDING • MOVEMENT • 3. INTEGRATION • 4. RELATIONSHIP Collective 1. RELATIONSHIP 2. UNDERSTANDING 3. INTEGRATION 4. MOVEMENT

13. Leadership • Enabling the other to bring his/her talents • Competence • Training and Education • Bring people together to carry out a task • Skills in planning, developing goals • Chosen because of their rank and status within the community • Trustworthy vs. skills • Capacity to keep a community together and promote harmonious relationships • Plans more to impress outsiders