Understanding Culture

1. Understanding Culture

2. Preview • Introduction to theoretical concepts of Culture • Introduction to IC

3. Objective/Rationale • Understand the principles and characteristics of culture • Gain a greater understanding of how culture impacts on what we do • Introduce the concept of IC

4. What is culture to you?

5. Definitions of Culture • The sum total of all the beliefs, values and norms shared by a group of people • The way you have been conditioned in a society to think, feel, interpret and react • The collective programming of the human mind • All you need to know and believe in order to be accepted in society

6. Culture is a key issue Culture a set of values and assumptions shared by any group of people Hall’s analogy  Culture is to people what water is to fish

7. Different Levels of • organizational culture • occupational culture • group culture • religious/ethnic culture • regional/local culture • national culture

8. The iceberg analogy • surface elements” of culture: the more visible aspects of culture –artifacts, objects and behaviors • “deep under the surface elements”: less visible manifestations of culture – values, beliefs systems, societal rules.

9. When we enter another culture is like two icebergs colliding, the real clash takes place beneath the water, where values and thought patterns conflict.

10. WHEN ICEBERGS COLLIDE • VALUABLE – If we know their values we can explain their behavior. • EVALUATE – If their behavior is different than ours, we often describe it both SUBJECTIVELY and NEGATIVELY

11. Where would you place these items? • Clothing • Views on equality • Religious beliefs • Personal distance • Works of art • Methods of worship • Time management • Tipping customs • Gestures • Concept of beauty • Rules of politeness • Relationship with nature • Attitudes toward sexuality • Degree of eye contact • Food

12. Clothing Works of art Personal distance Tipping customs Time management Views on equality Religious beliefs Gestures Food Methods of worship Degree of eye contact Concept of beauty Rules of politeness Relationship with nature Attitudes toward sexuality

13. What is intercultural communication? An academic field of study and research. It seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures behave, communicate and perceive the world around them. The findings of such academic research are then applied to 'real life' situations such as how to create cultural synergy between people from different cultures within a business (cited from kwintessential.co.uk)

14. Anthropology History Business Studies Psychology Sociology IC Communication science Geography Linguistics Disciplines involved in intercultural communication

15. What is cultural briefing? The process of finding out about another culture, especially in preparation for a period of residence, a business trip or a holiday (Utley, 2004)

16. Flight to Rubovia You are on your first flight to Rubovia. You board the flight and cabin crew and passengers are all speaking Rubovian. You don’t understand a word. A Rubovian business person sits next to you and wishes you ‘good afternoon’ in excellent English. Over the next few hours you have a wonderful opportunity to find out about Rubovian culture. What questions will you ask the passenger.

17. Case study: Daimler-Chrysler merger

18. Perception • See the same things in different ways • The way we perceive is culturally determined, and the general lack of awareness of this is another barrier of intercultural communication

19. Cross cultural blunders (1) • Having a poor understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences in areas such as management, PR, advertising and negotiations can eventually lead to blunders that can have damaging consequences.

20. Cross cultural blunders (2) • It is crucial for today's business personnel to understand the impact of cross cultural differences on business, trade and internal company organisation. The success or failure of a company, venture, merger or acquisition is essentially in the hands of people. If these people are not cross culturally aware then misunderstandings, offence and a break down in communication can occur.

21. Cross cultural blunders (3) • The need for greater cross cultural awareness is heightened in our global economies. Cross cultural differences in matters such as language, etiquette, non-verbal communication, norms and values can, do and will lead to cross cultural blunders.

22. Examples of cultural blunders in business/marketing (1) • Pepsodent tried to sell its toothpaste in Southeast Asia by emphasizing that it "whitens your teeth." They found out that the local natives chew betel nuts to blacken their teeth which they find attractive. • A company advertised eyeglasses in Thailand by featuring a variety of cute animals wearing glasses. The ad was a poor choice since animals are considered to be a form of low life and no self respecting Thai would wear anything worn by animals.

23. Consequently, the implications of national culture on organizational structures and how “things are done” may influence… • Meetings • Decision making process • Problem solving • Delegating • Team working • Motivating • Negotiating