Exchanges and Cross Cultural Understanding May 24, 201 1

1. Exchanges and Cross Cultural Understanding May 24, 2011 NakiyeBoyacıgiller Dean Sabancı School of Management Sabancı University Istanbul

2. What is culture? • Stereotyping vs. understanding critical dimensions of culture? • Culture Shock? Should one try to avoid it? • Getting the most out of your exchange: Developing a Global Mindset Discussion Points

3. Knowledge gained as a tourist/TV etc as opposed to deep cultural understanding • Complexity of culture • Lack of cultural self-awareness • Existence of stereotypes • Costly and tragic problems can occur from cultural misattributions Why despite globalization do cross-cultural misunderstandings continueto exist?

4. Economy/ Political environment • History • Culture • Current challenges • Relations with Turkey? Do you have any stereotypes about them? Might they have any stereotypes about you? What do you know about the country you are about to visit?

5. A natural process that we all do. It can be helpful when crossing cultures if: • Consciously held • Descriptive rather than evaluative • Accurate • The first best guess • Modified, based on further observation and experience Stereotyping

6. 1. Perception is selective 2. Perceptual patterns are learned. 3. Perception is culturally determined. 4.Perception tends to remain constant. We therefore see things that do not existand do not see things that do exist. Perceptual Barriers

7. the collective programming of the mind---the software of the mind. (Hofstede, 1980:25.) • the shared deep-level values and assumptions of a specific group of people. • seen in personal values, attitudes, norms, behaviours, and artifacts; but really resides below the surface • Culture provides: • a sense of identity, belongingness, pride, safety, in-group/out-group • efficiency, predictability, “smooth functioning” What is Culture?

8. Latin Europe • France • Italy • Spain • Switzerland • Eastern Europe • Hungary • Poland • Slovenia • Germanic Europe • Austria • Germany • Switzerland • The Netherlands • Anglo Europe • UK • Nordic Europe • Sweden Exchange Countries for SU Students

9. Free will/determinism • Mutability • Personal relationships • individualism/collectivism • specific/diffuse • power differences • Sources of Truth • universalism/particularism • Communication/Time & Space • high/low context • Purpose of life/work *Phillips & Boyacigiller, 1996 Based on the work of Hofstede, Kluckhohn & Strodbeck, Hall & Hall & Trompenaars Selected dimensions from an integrated framework*

10. The Collectivist Identity • Collectivists: A set of relationships organized around an individual • Identity among collectivists is defined by relationships and group membership • Individualists: An individual who does have relationships • Individualists base identity on what they own and their experiences

11. Spouse Friend Spouse Friend Self Self Colleague Colleague Friend Family Friend Family Conceptual Representations Individualist Self Collectivist Self Source: Markus & Kitayama, 1991

12. Self = Independent • Personal goals have priority • Attitudes, cost-benefit analyses determine social behaviors • Emphasis is on rational analyses of advantages and disadvantages of maintaining a relationship • Self = Interdependent • Ingroup goals have priority • Norms, obligations, duties determine social behaviors • Emphasis on relationships, even when they are disadvantageous Individualism and Collectivism

13. SMALL • All should have equal rights • Powerful people should try to look less powerful • Senior people neither respected nor feared • Delegation LARGE • Power holders are entitled to privileges • Status symbols accepted • Senior people respected and feared • Centralization Power Distance BACK

14. Are various domains of your life interrelated or separated by strict boundaries? • Does work status carry over to social situations? (Sayin hocam” in social settings)---if so, a diffuse culture. • Would you help paint your bosses house on the weekend? If you think this is inappropriate---you come from more specific culture. Specific vs. diffuse

15. You are riding in a car driven by a close friend. He hits a pedestrian. You know he was going at least 60 km per hour in an area of the city where the maximum allowed speed is 30 km per hour. There are no witnesses. His lawyer says that if you testify under oath that he was only driving 30 km per hour it may save him from serious consequences. What do you think you would do in view of the obligations of a sworn witness and the obligation to your friend? • Testify that he was going 30 km an hour. • Not testify that he was going 30 km an hour. From: F. Trompenaars, Riding the Waves of Culture Universalism-Particularism

16. Words + Context=Meaning • How important is context in terms of understanding a message? • Low context culture: US.. • High context culture: Japan/Turkey.. High vs Low Context

17. Determinism/Mastery • Relationships • Collectivism • Diffuse • Hi Power Diffs • Ascription • “Evil” • Truth • Particularism • Relationships • Hi uncertainty avoidance • Time/communication • Hi context • Past/present/future • ST • Mono/polychronic • Public/Private • Purpose of life/work • Being • Moderate femininity Turkish Culture

21. GLOBE Culture Clusters

22. Netherlands • Individualistic • Small power distance • low context • universalistic • specific • weak uncertainty avoidance Turkey • Collectivistic • High power distance • high context • particularistic • diffuse • med. uncertainty avoidance A quick cultural comparison: the Netherlands and Turkey

23. Beware the ecological fallacy • Culture is a group level construct • Do not confuse culture with personality • Variations exist in all cultures: Culture as “normal distribution” • Existence of subcultures • “Which Turkey?” • Multiple cultural identities • National, industry, corporate, regional, gender, function (discipline), other? • Cultures are dynamic BEWARE: Caveats regarding cultural frameworks

26. Our own cultural blinders are the main barriers to cultural understanding • self-reference/importance of assumptions • Cultural understanding does not equal culturally appropriate behavior • Existence of cultural paradoxes (Osland & Bird) • Anomalies are important--the devil is in the details • Cultural trumping Cultural Understanding

27. A. Language Barriers 1. Fallacy of English as a universal language. 2. The problem of translation:Big Bus. Blunders B. Cultural Barriers -Appropriacy: Who/to whom/what/how/when/where C. Perceptual Barriers 1. Perception is selective 2. Perceptual patterns are learned. 3. Perception is culturally determined. 4. Perception tends to remain constant. D. Nonverbal communication E. Lack of cultural self-awareness Communication Barriers

28. “I can speak to you in your language, but I can’t always tell you what I am thinking in my own language” (Lane, DiStefano, Maznevski, 2000:49) • What we need in business is to be able to think like a Japanese and speak English, rather than think like an American and speak Japanese. Roberto Goizueta, late CEO, Coca-Cola • “I miss my language” (Aydin Celebi, age 10, when asked what he missed most about America) Cross Cultural Communication

29. They assume difference until similarity is proven. • They emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation. • Try to see it through the eyes of the other. • Treat their explanations as guesses, and constantly check with knowledgeable others. What do effective cross-cultural communicators do?

30. Interpersonal –relationship skills • Motivation to live abroad/curiosity • Linguistic ability • Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity • Flexibility • Patience and respect • Cultural empathy • Strong sense of self • Sense of humor • Hardiness • And…a global mindset…From Schneider & Barsoux (2003) and Lane et al (2004) Competencies required of International Managers

31. Formal education • Participation in cross border endeavors • Utilization of diverse locations for team and project meetings • Immersion experiences in foreign cultures • Expatriate assignments…but not everyone benefits • Cultivate geographic and cultural diversity among the senior management ranks • Location of business unit headquarters… From Gupta & Govindarajan, 2002: 121-123 Cultivating KnowledgeRegardingDiverseCultures and Markets

32. Culture shock • Feeling uncertain about the appropriateness of your actions • Feeling confused and helpless • Detesting local customs but feeling guilty • Feeling homesick • Suffering loss of status • Missing the conveniences of your country

34. What is culture shock? • Should it be avoided? • How to manage culture shock? • The importance of “homework” • Some background reading • History; Economist country surveys • Social relations • Don’t spend all your time with fellow Turks • Confidants • Local • Turkish • OK to “hide” sometimes Recommendations

35. I have been here for seven years. In an almost predictable manner, I have found that whenever I begin to get a sense that now I really do understand the French, something strange will happen that will throw me off completely. As I would reflect on the event and talk it over with my husband and friends, I would begin to develop a more complex view of the French. Then things would begin to go fine for several months until the whole process would repeat itself in some other areas (emphasis mine). Jenny Stephens, 7 years in France, fluent in Frenchmarried to a Frenchman. Quoted in Govindarajan& Gupta, 2002:126.. An example of the S-curve and global mindset*

36. Cosmopolitanism: open to diversity across cultures and markets • Cognitive complexity: a) knowledgeable about diversity across cultures and markets and b) ability to integrate diversity across cultures and markets *Based on Beechler, Boyacigiller, Levy &Taylor, 2000 and Govindarajan & Gupta,2002. What is a Global Mindset?*

37. In interacting with others does national origin have an impact on whether or not you assign equal status to them? • Do you consider yourself as open to ideas from other cultures as your are to ideas from your own country/culture? • Does finding yourself in a new cultural setting cause excitement or anxiety? • Are you sensitive to cultural differences w/o becoming a prisoner to them. • In interactive w/indivs from other cultures do you view them as individuals or as representatives of their national cultures? • Are your values a hybrid acquired from multiple cultures as opposed to just one culture? From Gupta & Govindarajan, 2002: 117 Assessing Individuals*