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

Key objectives

To provide an opportunity for learners to reflect on key cultural characteristics of another country or culture.

Time

60 minutes

Materials

Facts, Attitudes, Behaviours handout

Procedure

Give a copy of the Facts, Attitudes, Behaviours handout to the learner

Ask them create a model connecting Facts, Attitudes and Behaviours in another culture or country.

Discuss this model and how it compares with your own understanding of your culture. Discussion suggestions

The objective of this activity is not to stereotype others or attach inflexible labels to individuals from the culture in question. Rather, the purpose is for learners to reflect on the fact that shared cultural values, attitudes and behaviours do not develop in a vacuum, but instead are closely related to the environment in which cultures exist.

Facts, Attitudes, Behaviours handout

Think carefully about another country or culture.

Identify some of the key background and environmental factors that influence this culture. Then speculate on the culture's core attitudes and values, and how these are reflected in observable behaviours.

Background facts

Core attitudes:

Observable, behaviours:

Cultural information and advice often includes hints, tips, do’s and don’ts in areas such as...

Training Exercise 8 – Communication types

Key objectives

To enable learners to reflect on some of the typical communication styles commonly encountered in their own and other cultures.

To explore some of the potential misunderstandings that may occur when individuals with different communication styles interact.

Time

1 hour

Materials

'Exploring Communication Approaches' handout

Background rationale

The way in which we communicate can differ considerably from culture to culture. This activity identifies some important areas in which paralinguistic (volume, speed of speech and so on), extra-linguistic (gestures, eye contact, touch, physical proximity and so on) and communication styles (direct versus indirect, and so on) differ across national boundaries. It asks learners first to identify the particular approach to communication that predominates in their own and other cultures, and then asks to reflect on the possible consequences when individuals with different approaches in each area interact.

Procedure

Provide each pair with a copy of the 'Exploring Communication Approaches' handout.

Work through each element, comparing and contrasting the learner’s culture with another country or culture.

'Exploring Communication Approaches' handout.

Read each of the following pairs of descriptions.

Decide which descriptions is more like your country, A or B.

Think of another culture or country of interest to you. Does it come closer to type A or type B?

Choose one or two statement pairs that interest you. Can you think of any misunderstandings that might arise when people from cultures more like A, communicate with people from cultures more like B?

1

In some countries, people tend to talk quite quickly, frequently interrupting others in order to get their ideas across.

In other countries, people tend to talk in a slow and considered way, rarely interrupting other people when they are talking.

2

In some countries, people tend to talk quite loudly and are not particularly concerned if people they do not know overhear their conversations.

In other countries, people tend to be more soft-spoken, and take care to ensure that they do not talk so loudly that other people can hear their conversations.

3

In some countries, people use many physical gestures (such as smiling a lot, waving their arms or banging the table) to emphasize what they are saying and to communicate important ideas and feelings.

In other countries, people do not often use many physical gestures (such as smiling a lot, waving their arms or banging the table). Instead, they use words and their tone of voice to communicate important ideas and information.

4

In some countries, demonstrating interest in what other people have to say means maintaining good eye contact with them when they are talking.

In other countries, demonstrating respect for other people means trying to avoid too much direct or close eye contact while they are speaking.

5

In some countries, even people who do not know each other very well will hold hands, embrace, place their arms around each other's shoulders, or touch each other on the arms.

In other countries, people are taught not to touch other people they do not know, and will try to avoid physical contact with strangers wherever possible.

6

In some countries, when people talk to each other they stand or sit a considerable distance apart, sometimes as much as 50 cm.

In other countries, when people talk to each other than stand or sit very close to each other - sometimes so close that they are almost touching the other person.

7

In some countries, people are direct and frank in the way they speak. They will give their personal opinions freely, regardless of whom they are talking to, and will often criticize other people directly if necessary.

In other countries, people are less direct in the way they speak. They will often avoid giving their personal opinions unless they know the people they are talking to well, and will try to avoid saying things that might come across as too critical of others.

8

In some countries, people write e-mails or faxes that are as short, direct and factual as possible. They pose questions directly and ask for information in an explicit and unambiguous way.

In other countries, people sometimes write e-mails or faxes in a less direct and wordier way. They often don't feel the need to spell out precisely and unambiguously the information they require.

9

In some countries, people often prefer to use e-mails, faxes, letters or other forms of written communication to pass on important information and make sure they get the response they want.

In other countries, people often prefer to use face-to-face discussions, telephone calls or other forms of spoken communication to pass on important information and make sure they get the response they want.

10

In some countries, learning foreign languages (particularly English) forms a big part of the educational curriculum. People from these countries often speak other languages very well.

In other countries, learning foreign languages is not an important part of the educational curriculum. People from these countries often do speak other languages very well.

11

In some countries, people are happy to talk about their personal and family life with their colleagues at work. They are also inclined to ask other people questions about their private and family life, even if they do not know them very well.

In other countries, people prefer to keep their private life and their work life separate. They do not tend to ask questions or talk about personal and family life at work, unless it is with close colleagues who they know well.

12

In some countries, people like to make 'small talk' (that is, talk about the weather, football, politics) before they start talking about business.

In other countries, people like to get straight into business without bothering with too much 'small talk' (that is, talk about the weather, football, politics).

13

In some countries, people are happy to talk about their accomplishments without embarrassment or shame. They think it is polite and honest to describe what they have achieved in their lives.

In other countries, people feel uncomfortable talking about what they have accomplished. They think it is polite and courteous to keep quiet about their attainments.

14

In some countries, people will try to remain as reasonable, rational and dispassionate as possible during business discussions and conversations. They believe that the best way to remain objective is to argue based on facts and talk from the head, not from the heart.

In other countries, people feel comfortable following their feelings and intuition during business discussions and conversations. They believe that the best way to get their message across is to talk with passion and conviction, even if this sometimes comes across as being emotional.

15

In some countries, people are happy cracking jokes and telling funny stories at work or in business situations, even with people they do not know very well.

In other countries, people think work is a serious place to be and try to avoid making jokes or telling funny stories unless they know the other person very well.

16

In some countries, people tend to communicate in an informal way, using first names at work or when dealing with customers and colleagues. People rarely use formal titles (like Mr or Mrs, Doctor, Engineer, Architect).

In other countries, people tend to use formal titles (like Mr or Mrs, Doctor, Engineer, Architect) at work, or when dealing with customers and colleagues, people tend to use first names mainly with family and close friends.

Training Exercise 9 – Hofstede’s dimensions

Key objectives

To enable learners to practice using Hofstede's five-dimension model to explain a number of cross-cultural misunderstandings and cultural differences.

Time

1 hour

Materials

'Hofstede's Five-Dimension Model' handout

Background rationale

Geert Hofstede's 'five-dimension' model has been extremely influential in the cross-cultural training environment. The model provides a structure with which to understand and describe key differences in values between different cultures, and enables individuals from different backgrounds to come to a shared understanding of why and how they differ.

Procedure

Give a copy of the Hofstede's Five-Dimension handout to the learner.

Discuss the best answer to each short case study. Suggested answers are:

Sarah. By arriving in Bogota the day before, Sarah is unlikely to have had time to build the kind of personal trust that may have been important for her Colombian contacts.

Richard. Individuals from low power-distance cultures, such as Australia, are often surprised at the need for counterparts from relatively high power-distance cultures to maintain formality in work situations.

Karl. Karl may well have developed good social relationships with his colleagues. This did not, however, allow him to do things that might cause others to lose face in collectivist cultures. His proposal may have brought up issues that others wanted hidden, so threatening their standing in front of the rest of the group.

Rebecca. Low uncertainty avoidance can sometimes come across as lack of preparation or structure to those from high uncertainty avoidance cultures.

'Hofstede's Five-Dimension Model’ handout

Probably the most influential of all the ‘dimensionalists’, Hofstede uses the following five dimensions to analyse cultural characteristics.

Power distance

Power distance reflects the degree to which a society accepts the idea that power is to be distributed unequally through hierarchical distinctions. The more this is accepted, the higher the country's ranking in power distance. High power-distance culture can be characterized by a strong hierarchal structure within their organizations. In such societies, managers are respected in and out of the organization and are rarely publicly contradicted.

By contrast, low power-distance societies tend to value notions of empowerment for employees and consensual decision-making. In Europe, current levels of power distance rather neatly match the boundaries of the former Roman Empire. Former Roman spheres of influence tend to resolve the essential tension between low and high power distance in favour of the latter. The opposite is true in areas that were not influenced by Roman values.

Individualism versus collectivism

Individualism reflects the degree to which individual beliefs and actions should be independent of collective thought and action. Individualism contrasts with collectivism, which is the belief that people should integrate their thoughts and actions with those of a group (for example, extended family, or employer). In individualistic societies people are more likely to pursue their own personal goals.

In collective societies people are more likely to integrate their own goals with those of other group members and tend to avoid putting people in situations where they might lose face. The cohesion of the group plays a more important role than pursuing one's own individual achievement.

Uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance reflects the degree to which a society feels threatened by ambiguous situations and tries to avoid them by formulating rules and refusing to tolerate deviance. In essence, it relates to an essential tension about the nature of 'truth'. The more a society accepts that truth is 'absolute', the higher it ranks on uncertainty avoidance. Societies that rank high on uncertainty avoidance have highly structured working environments.

Employees and managers pay attention to precise objectives and clear rules, detailed assignments and schedules set up well in advance.

Masculinity versus femininity

This dimension relates to essential tension between attitudes towards gender. Masculinity describes the degree to which the focus is placed on assertiveness, task achievement and

the acquisition of material goods. This is contrasted with femininity in which quality-of-life issues such as caring for others, group solidarity and helping the less fortunate are valued.

Long-term versus short-term orientation CDI (Confucian Dynamism Index)

The essential conflict in this dimension relates to attitudes