Cross Cultural Communication

1. Cross Cultural Communication Chapter 10 How We Relate to Nature Chapter 10

2. Learning Outcomes • Role people assign to their environments • How people relate to Nature • Inner directed Vs Outer directed Orientations Chapter 10

3. Orientations Towards Nature • Inner Directed cultures • believes in “Can and should control Nature” by imposing their will on it • Tends to identify with mechanisms : that is, the organization is conceived of as a machine that obeys the will of its operators • Outer Directed cultures • believes that “man is part of nature and must go along with its laws, directions, and forces” • Tends to see an organization as itself a product of nature, owing its development to the nutrients in its environment and to favorable ecological balance. Chapter 10

4. The Locus of Control • Locus of Control refers to a generalized belief about the amount of control people have over their own lives. • Measure of the amount of control people believe they have over their environment and their activities • American Psychologist J.B. Rotter developed a scale to measure locus of control of people. • Individuals who feel that they are very much in charge of their own destiny have an Internal locus of control • Typical of more successful Americans • Individuals who feel that events in their life are due mainly to fate or luck have an External locus of control Chapter 10

5. Locus of Control : Exercise I • A. It is worthwhile trying to control important natural forces, like the weather • B. Nature should take its course and we just have to accept it the way it comes and do the best we can Select the statement you believe most reflect reality Chapter 10

6. Locus of Control : Exercise II • A. What happens to me is my own doing • B. Sometimes I feel that I do not have enough control over the directions my life is taking Select the statement you believe most reflect reality Chapter 10

7. Findings : Exercise I & II • Fig. 10.1 shows the percentage of respondents who chose A in Exercise – I • No country produces a totally internalized reaction to this statement : highest score is 68% • British, Germans and Americans are above the middle. • Fig. 10.2 shows the percentage of respondents who chose A in Exercise – II • Alternatives are made to appear more personally related. • Number of countries are almost internalized. • In America 82%of the managers believe that they control their destinies, as do 76% of French • Japan and Singapore are far less likely to believe in internal control than they are in North America or Europe Chapter 10

8. Control and Success • In ancient days relationship between man and nature were confounded in a struggle with their fates. • The post-industrial revolution society has made heroes of entrepreneurs, whose struggles to tame nature are not expected to end in tragedy. • The American view, shaped by the experience of discovering a new continent of immense size and small indigenous population and turning a wilderness into a new nation. • Success is identified with control over outside circumstances Chapter 10

9. Control and Success • However, internal versus external loci of control do not necessarily distinguish the successful from the less-successful in non American cultures. • There are ways of adapting to external influences which can prove economically effective. • To accept direction from customers, market forces or new technologies can be more advantageous than opposing these with your own preferences. Chapter 10

10. Changing views of Nature • Primitive Era • Kind of nature - Organic • Productive functions - arts : to form • Philosophies - natural; natural world • Focus of Control - external control • Renaissance Era • Kind of nature - mechanistic nature • Productive functions – techniques : to transform • Philosophies - mechanical; technical world • Focus of Control - internal control • Modern Era • Kind of nature - cybernetic nature • Productive functions – applied sciences : to develop • Philosophies - scientific; social world • Focus of Control - reconciliation of internal and external control Chapter 10

11. Culture’s orientation to Nature • Orientations to nature have much to do how we conduct our day-to-day lives and manage businesses. • Cultures may seek to master nature, accept and be subjugated by it or live in the most effective harmony with it • Nature is both controllable by man and liable to show sudden reversals of relative strength, becoming man’s master, not slave • Neither situation is very stable nor very desirable, since a subjugated nature may fall to sustain man on earth. Chapter 10

12. Reconciling Internal and External Control • Fig. 10.4 shows that too much inner directedness can lead to the lack of market • Conversely an overtly developed customer focus risks leaving the organization at the mercy of market forces • For optimum performance, inner and outer directedness have to be reconciled. Chapter 10

13. Exercise – IIIReconciling Internal and External Control • Several senior strategists were discussing whether strategy should be devised at the top of the corporation and “cascaded down” to be implemented locally, or emerge from the grassroots and successful interfaces with customers. The following views were expressed: • No one dealing with customers is without a strategy of sorts. Our task is to find out which of these strategies work, which don’t and why. Devising our own strategy in the abstract and imposing it downwards only speeds confusion. • No one dealing with customers is without a strategy of sorts. Our task is to find out which of these strategies work, and then create a master strategy from proven successful initiatives by commending and combining the best. • To be a leader is to be the chief deviser of strategy. Using all the experience, information and intelligence we can mobilize, we devise an innovative strategy and cascade it down to be vigorously implemented. • To be a leader is to be the chief deviser of strategy. Using all the experience, information and intelligence we can mobilize, we create a broad trust, leaving it to the subordinates to fit these to customer needs. Indicate with “1” the approach you believe would be favored by your closest colleague at work, and with “2” the approach which you believe would be their second choice. Chapter 10

14. Exercise – IIIReconciling Internal and External Control • Answer 1 affirms an outer-directed strategy and rejects inner direction • Answer 3 represents the opposite • Answer 2 affirms a connection between an outer-directed strategy and an inner-directed strategy • Answer 4 affirms the opposite connection Chapter 10

15. INTERNAL CONTROL Often dominating attitude bordering on aggressiveness towards environment. Conflict and resistance means that you have convictions. Focus is on self, function, own group and own organization. Discomfort when environment seems “out of control” or changeable EXTERNAL CONTROL Often flexible attitude, willing to compromise and keep the peace. Harmony and responsiveness, that is, sensibility. Focus is on “other”, that is, customer, partner or colleague. Comfort with waves, shifts, cycles if these are “natural”. Recognizing the Differences Chapter 10

16. Internally controlled (for externals) Playing “hardball” is legitimate to test the resilience of an opponent. It is most important to “win your objective”. Win some, lose some. Externally controlled (for internals) Softness, persistence, politeness and long long patience will get rewards. It is most important to “maintain your relationship”. Win together, lose apart. Tips for doing business with: Chapter 10

17. Internally Controlled Get agreement on and ownership of clear objectives. Make sure that tangible goals are clearly linked to tangible rewards Discuss disagreements and conflicts openly; these show that everyone is determined. Management-by-objective works if everyone is genuinely committed to directing themselves towards shared objectives and if these persist. Externally controlled Achieve congruence among various people’s goals. Try to reinforce the current directions and facilitate the work of employees Give people time and opportunities to work quietly through conflicts; these are distressing. Management-by-environments works if everyone is genuinely committed to adapting themselves to fit external demands as these shift. When Managing and being Managed Chapter 10