Cross-cultural training activities by Joseba Arregi, Dmitrii Enygin, Venera Midova (book club books .TXT) 📕

Key objectives

To develop learners' ability to recognize ineffective individual responses to cross-cultural interactions.

To provide learners with a handy summary of how not to respond to cultural differences on overseas assignments.

Time

35 to 40 minutes.

Materials

'Recognizing Individual Responses to Culture' handout

Background rationale

In this activity, learners are asked to identify and classify some common individual responses to working across cultural barriers that are each, in one way or other, unproductive.

Procedure

Provide the learner with a copy of the 'Recognizing Individual Responses to Culture' handout.

Allow the learner to read the summaries, and then classify each quote.

Ask the learner to rephrase one or two of the quotes in ways that they feel would reflect a more productive and less ethnocentric view of the world.

Observations and suggestions for discussion

Feedback can usefully explore what each quote indicates about the attitudes of the individuals concerned, and whether more productive ways of thinking might exist.

The quotes are all adapted from real-life comments. Learners may question whether these really are evidence of ineffective ways of dealing with cultural differences. They may even agree with some of the quotes. Debating these beliefs is a useful source of learning.

Below is a suggested classification of the quotes shown:

Neo-native.

Expat. This American manager was replaced soon afterwards by a British executive who had been headhunted locally.

Global villager. This particular individual had an extraordinarily strong personality and very definite ideas. He achieved great success in selling to the Chinese and, to this day, remains dismissive of culture. One wonders what his Chinese counterparts made of him.

Global villager. The organization may well look for the same type of people to work within a strong organizational and professional culture. This does not mean that, faced with ambiguity and difficulties, these individuals will not revert to the default values and behaviours present in their national cultures.

Missionary. Such a total lack of cultural empathy or insight indicates someone at the missionary stage.

Global villager. Although, on the surface, this might indicate a positive ethno- relative world-view, there is no suggestion that what each member of the organization brings with them from their cultural background is a potential source of strength and learning for the organization as a whole.

Missionary/expat. Elements of two responses are visible here. Greater self- awareness and understanding of why things are the way they are would help in this situation, as would a determination to find positive aspects in the local culture.

Subsequent discussion can explore situations in which the learners themselves have demonstrated similar perceptions as the individuals quoted.

Recognizing Ineffective Responses to Cultural Differences - Handout

Read carefully through the following categorizations.

Missionaries

Missionaries exhibit denial. They simply cannot conceive that others can operate successfully on a completely different value system, or that other ways of doing things have merit and logic. When missionaries see people doing things differently, they do not see the influence of culture. Instead, they make rapid judgements about the individuals concerned, or draw on out-of-date and prescriptive stereotypes. These judgements, based on the missionaries' own conception about how things 'should' be, often classify other people as backward, unsophisticated or uneducated. The missionary sees their role as educating others in the 'right' way to do things.

Expats

Expats exhibit defence. They recognize that there are, indeed, other ways of doing things, but in general judge them to be vastly inferior to 'our ways of doing things' back home. They recognize the existence of another set of values and behaviours, but continue to make faulty attributions or interpretations from their own ethnocentric perceptions, often with negative judgements attached. In the expats' world, there is limited space for shades of grey and precious little empathy with other cultures. Expats often keep contact with people from other cultures at a minimum.

Neo-natives

Neo-natives also exhibit defence. However, in an opposite response to expats, they begin to assume that everything about the new culture is good and nothing bad. They sometimes see the new culture as more spiritual, or in some ill-defined way 'better' than their own. They can even stereotype or deride their own cultural background as inferior. For neo-natives almost everything is black and white and they have little time for their own compatriots. Neo-natives see it as their role to become experts in their new culture, to become 'more French than the French'.

Global villagers

Global villagers exhibit minimization. They admit to a minimal number of differences between cultures, but only at a superficial behavioural level. They consider that 'underneath, everyone is the same' and are unsympathetic to the idea of deeper differences in assumptions and values. They believe that what works here will, with perhaps some simple superficial modifications, work everywhere else. In the global villagers' world, differences are sidelined or ignored. Instead, global villagers see it as their role to identify similarities. They may even disparage those who seek to acknowledge cultural variation as being bigoted or prejudiced.

Now, read each of the quotes below, which have all been adapted from quotes made by people who have attended cross-cultural learning or consulting events. Decide which of the categorizations above (if any) is applicable to each.

'Since I came to live in Thailand I have realized just how shallow and meaningless life in Europe is. The stress and anxiety that everybody suffers ... and for what? I'll never go back.' (Irish doctor on assignment in Thailand)

'I just can't believe how lazy the British are. Unmotivated, unenthusiastic and disinterested. Now I just do not employ any at all, full stop. We only have Australians or New Zealanders working in the London office.' (US manager of the London subsidiary of a New York-based architecture firm)

'I can't tell you how many stupid things people say about business in China, all this rubbish about Guanxi. * It is just garbage. The Chinese are the same as everyone else. If you have the right business model, the right technology and properly incentivize your staff, you will win business. Full stop.' (Scottish CEO of manufacturing exporter) *System of networking and mutual favours said to underpin business relationships in China.

'Working for a music business our people are much the same all over the world. In fact we look for the same type of people when recruiting. As a result cultural differences don't come into the equation.' (French HR manager)

'Although the older Poles are difficult to deal with, the younger people we employ have just as clear an idea of the importance of meeting deadlines and getting things done on time as people in the US.' (American production director in Polish car components manufacturer)

'We really have such a strong belief in ourselves in this organization, an awareness that we are really unique and different, that where we come from as individuals is irrelevant. We drop our nationality and become "one of us".' (Brazilian employee in a worldwide charity)

'There is really almost nothing in this country that works properly. I know it is wrong, but I can't help comparing everything here with the situation at home. It frustrates me because the people themselves don't seem to understand how much better things could be if they put their minds to it.' (Western European voluntary worker in Africa)

Training Exercise 5 – What is wrong with stereotypes?

Key objectives

To enable learners to reflect on the fact that stereotypes often say more about the individuals that use them, than about the groups that are stereotyped.

To identify particular stereotypes of one culture, and explore how useful they are.

Time

30 minutes

Materials

Match the stereotype with the culture that holds it handout

Background rationale

This is a simple but effective activity designed to make clear, in blunt terms, the disadvantages of using stereotypes. Through an exploration of stereotypes held about one of the groups to which learners belong (the example shown below was designed for a British learning group), the process of stereotyping is exposed as prone to producing out-of-date, unbalanced, and prescriptive labels that say more about those who are stereotyping than those being stereotyped.

Procedure

Give the learner a copy of the ‘Match the stereotype with the culture that holds it handout’. Suggested answers to the example slide are as follows:

The British have bad teeth - USA.

The British treat their children badly - Italy.

The British are insular - Germany.

The British do not wash - Australia.

The British are obsessed by time - Spain.

The British are hypocrites - France.

Ask the delegates to identify any stereotypes they may hold about people in another country or culture.

Lead a discussion about how helpful the learner’s stereotypes are, and whether they will aid or detract in communicating effectively with local people.

Discussion points

With regard to the example slide, the learners may wish to reflect on the fact that these value judgements about the British, reflect behaviours and attitudes common in the host country (that is, Spanish attitudes towards time, French attitudes towards the nature of

spoken communication, American attitudes towards physical appearance and so on) as much as any real and objective characteristics of British culture. The fact that these perceptions are not necessarily shared by many British people and do not take account of the complexity of a nation of 60 million means that they are likely to be less than helpful in understanding British values and attitudes.

Be sure to emphasize that some valid generalizations can be made about values, attitudes and behaviours commonly held by members of a specific group of people. It is essential that individuals do not get stuck in a loop - not generalizing for fear of stereotyping and, as a result, not coming to any understanding of other cultures at all. What is important is that such an understanding needs to be up to date, shared with others, allow for individual differences, and be backed by research.

Match the stereotype with the culture that holds it handout

A British trainer recently asked colleagues from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the USA to describe a stereotype that is held in that culture about the British.

Match the stereotype with the culture that holds it.

The British have bad teeth.

The British treat their children badly.

The British are insular.

The British do not wash.

The British are obsessed by time.

The British are hypocrites.

How helpful or true are these stereotypes about people in the UK?

What stereotypes do you hold about the people in other cultures or countries? How helpful are these stereotypes?

Training Exercise 6 – What do they need to know about us?

Key objectives

To provide an opportunity for learners to reflect on important elements of their own culture.

To enable learners to prioritize important cultural information about their culture that people from different backgrounds would benefit from knowing.

Time

60 minutes

Materials

`What Do They Need to Know About Us?' handout

Background rationale

This exercise allows learners to explore important aspects of their own cultural backgrounds.

Procedure

Give the learners a copy of the handout

Work with the learner as they go through each section. Pinpoint areas where people from other cultures find UK values, attitudes and behaviours confusing or difficult to understand.

What Do They Need to Know About Us?

Prepare a briefing for someone who is about to spend some time in your country. Use the table below as a guide to the content.

Background

Geography and topography

History

Economic system

Business and commerce

Political structures

Media and broadcasting

Language(s)

Society

Current political situation

Legal system

Religious influences

Regional differences

Social and community life

Ethnic minorities

Gender issues

Education system

Heroes and myths

Private / work life overlap

Traditions and customs

Communication styles

Greetings

Gestures

Levels of formality

Holidays and festivals

Taboos

Gift-giving

Daily life

Shopping

Entertaining

Food and Eating out

Getting around

Climate

Healthcare

Training Exercise 7 – Facts, Attitudes and Behaviours