Week 11 - Intercultural Communication

Question 1

Culture and communication are so ________ ________, that they are essentially _________.

Answer 1

1. intrinsically intertwined
2. synonymous

Question 2

Cultural noise

Answer 2

Cultural factors that undermine the communication of the intended meaning.

Question 3

Attribution

Answer 3

The process in which people look for the explanation of another person’s behavior; the explanation is usually attributed to the other person’s characteristics (the fundamental attribution error)

Question 4

Attitudes

Answer 4

Underlie the way we behave and communicate and the way we interpret messages from other people. Ethnocentric attitudes are a particular source of noise in cross-cultural communication.

Question 5

Social organisation

Answer 5

Our perceptions can be influenced by differences in:
- Values
- Approaches
- Priorities
Relative to the kind of social organisations to which we belong.

Question 6

Roles

Cultural variables affecting communication

Answer 6

• Societies differ considerably in their perception of a manager’s role.
• Much of the difference is attributable to their perception of: who should make the decisions and who has responsibility for what

Question 7

Language

Cultural variables affecting communication

Answer 7

Spoken or written language is a frequent cause of miscommunication, stemming from:
* a person’s inability to speak the local language
* a poor or too-literal translation
* a speaker’s failure to explain idioms
* a person missing the meaning conveyed through body language or certain symbols

Question 8

Paralanguage

Cultural variables affecting communication

Non-verbal communication/behaviour

Answer 8

• Rate of speech
• Tone inflection of voice
• Other noises

Question 9

Object language/material culture

Answer 9

Communication through artifacts

Question 10

Cultural variables affecting communication

Monochronic cultures

The way people regard and use time.

Answer 10

• Time is experienced in a linear way
• Concentrate on one thing/person at a time.

Question 11

Polychronic cultures

Answer 11

• Tolerate many things occurring simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people

Question 12

Cultural variables affecting communication

High context cultures

Answer 12

Feelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressed, one has to read between the lines and interpret meaning from one’s general understanding
e.g. Asia, Middle East and Mediterranean

Question 13

Low context cultures

Answer 13

Personal and business relationships are more separated, communication media have to be more explicit, feelings and thoughts are expressed in words, and information is more readily available

Question 14

Lower vs higher power distance

Answer 14

Low power distance culture - employees do not readily recognise a power hierarchy. They accept directions only when they think the boss is right or when they feel threatened.
- Higher the power, greater the distance.

Question 15

Hofstede’s dimensions of cultural values

Masculinity/Femininity

Answer 15

Masc. - Emphasis on assertiveness, success and competition
Femn. - Emphasis on personal relationships, caring for others, and a high quality of life.

Question 16

Hofstede’s dimensions of cultural values

Time orientation

Answer 16

• Japan and China are noted for their long-term orientation (busines for their children’s children)
• France, Indonesia, the US and West Africa are characterised by a more short-term orientation.

Question 17

Formality/Informality

Answer 17

Workers in Latin American countries highly value formality, such as lavish public receptions and processions.
- Aus, American and NZ workers are much more informal.

Question 18

How to manage cross-cultural communication

Answer 18

1. Developing cultural sensitivity
   - Know your audience
   ]- Understand their culture
2. Careful encoding
   - Use words, pictures, gestures that are appropriate

Question 19

Culture-specific approach

Answer 19

• Focusses on acquiring specific knowledge about the ‘other’ culture
• Based on gathering information about a country
• Useful information BUT it does not provide a full in-depth understanding of the people and the culture.

Question 20

Culture-general approach

Answer 20

Focuses on developing abilities:
* cultural awareness and sensitivity
* cultural and communication sensitivity
* behavioural flexibility
* an ‘other-orientation’
* responsibility for communicating