14 cross culture 1 hour

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 Dr. Nimit Chowdhary

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Across cultures

Dr. Nimit Chowdhary Professor

Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management


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Are you this monkey?


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Challenge!

• Every day is a new day!• Every customer, every group is a new

challenge– Different countries, different cultures– Different religion– Different socio-economic background– Idiosyncrasy

• Individual’s expectations– you need to appreciate the differences!


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Do you know?

• Never touch the head of a Thai– The head is considered sacred in Thai

• Avoid using triangular shapes in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. – It is considered a negative shape.

• The number 7 is considered bad luck in Kenya, good luck in Czech Republic and has magical connotation in Benin, Africa


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Do you know?

• The number 10 is bad luck in Korea

• The number 4 is means Death in Japan

• Red represents witchcraft and death in many African countries


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Cultural differences!

• To address the individual’s needs it is important to understand the differences in the background from which an individual comes.

• It is necessary to understand the primary ways in which cultures around the world vary.


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Manifesting culture!


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Artifacts

Values and Beliefs

Underlying assumptions

A. Products; and

B. Behaviours

Readily observable, but hard to interpret

Cultural elements include: anecdotes, arts, ceremonies,

communications, heroes, habits, jargon, language, myths , norms,

physical arrangements, rituals, ceremonies, dresses, crafts, etc.

Not directly observable, but can be distilled from how people explain and justify what they do

Cultural elements include: cognitive process, beliefs,

commitment, ethics, feelings, values, ideologies, justifications,

vision, knowledge, sentiments, etc.

Foundation of culture that is so widely shared that people are largely unaware of them

Cultural elements include: assumptions,

consensus, ideologies, mindset,

philosophy, world view, etc.

Understanding culture


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What is culture?

• There are more than 160 definitions of culture

• “Communicable knowledge, learned behavior passed on from generation to generation”

• “An Integrated system of learned behavior patterns that are distinguishing characteristic of the members of a given society”


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What is culture?

• “ The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category from those of another”

• “Something that shapes behavior or structures one’s perceptions of the world.”


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Culture

“Culture is how an individual relates to the world around him/her”


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Geert Jan Hofstede

Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster."


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Geert Jan Hofstede

IndividualismIndividualism

Low PowerLow PowerDistanceDistance

AchievementAchievementOriented Oriented

(Masculinity)(Masculinity)

Low Low UncertaintyUncertaintyAvoidanceAvoidance

Collectivism

High PowerDistance

NurturingOriented

(Femininity)

High UncertaintyAvoidance


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Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture

• Individualism – Collectivism– Individualism emphasizes pursuit of individual

goals, needs, and success.– Collectivism emphasizes group need, satisfaction,

and performance.

• Power Distance– The degree to which members of a society accept

differences in power and status among themselves.


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Hofstede’s Dimensions of National Culture

• Uncertainty Avoidance– The degree to which people are comfortable with

ambiguous situations, and– with the inability to predict future events with

accuracy.• Masculinity – Femininity

– High masculinity in a culture designates assertiveness, dominance, and interdependence.

– High femininity in a culture designates inter-dependence, compassion, and emotional opinions.


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Fifth Cultural Dimension

Hofstede, in collaboration with Bond (1984), identified an additional cultural dimension by which nations can be classified: Confucian Dynamism. Confucian Dynamism is also referred to as Long Term Orientation vs. Short Term Orientation.


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Long term vs. Short term orientation

Long term: values oriented towards the future like savings and persistence

Short term: values oriented towards the past and present like respect for tradition and fulfilling social obligations


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Tour Guiding SeriesCountry PDI IDV MAS UAI LTO

India 77 48 56 40 61

USA 40 91 62 46 29

UK 35 89 66 35 25

Australia 36 90 61 51 31

Brazil 69 38 49 76 65

China 80 20 66 30 118

Germany 35 67 66 65 31

Hong Kong 68 25 57 29 96

Japan 54 46 95 92 80

Mexico 81 30 69 82

Norway 31 69 8 50 20

Sweden 31 71 5 29 33

Russia 93 39 36 95

Singapore 74 20 48 8 48

South Africa 49 65 63 49

Korea 60 18 39 85 75

Thailand 64 20 34 64 56


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Cultural change over time

• Change is slow and often painful

• Shifts away from “traditional values” towards “secular values”

• Changes with shift from “survival values” to “self-expression values”


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So, how do we distinguish?

• Relations between people

• Motivational orientation

• Attitudes toward time

• Socio-cultural dimensions


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Relations between people

• Universalism vs. particularism -- a rule-oriented society (a well-developed legal system) vs. a person-oriented society

• Individualism vs. communitarianism – the individual is more important than the group or the group is more important than the individual


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Motivational orientation

• Sharply defined roles for men and women vs. similar roles

• Uncertainty avoidance – seeking to avoid uncertainty vs. tolerating high uncertainty

• Power distance – people feel comfortable with large differences in power among people or they prefer equality


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Attitudes toward time

• Long-term vs. short term orientation – patient about results or not

• Sequential vs. synchronic – prefer to do tasks one at a time or comfortable doing several things at once

• Inner vs. outer time – preference for working on one’s own schedule or comfortable working on group’s schedule


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Socio-cultural dimensions

• Paternalism – superiors provide guidance, protection, and nurturing while subordinates are loyal and deferential

• Fatalism – the belief that it is not possible to control the outcomes of one’s actions, so hard work and long-term plans are not worthwhile


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Western vs. Non-Western Values

• Individualism• Achievement• Equality• Winning• Internal self-control• Pride• Respect for results• Respect competence• Time is money

• Collectivism/ group• Modesty• Hierarchy• Harmony• External control• Saving face• Respect for status• Respect elders• Time is life


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Western vs. Non-Western Values

• Action/ doing• Systematic• Tasks• Informal• Assertiveness• Future/ change• Control• Specific/ linear• Verbal

• Being/ acceptance• Humanistic• Relationship/ loyalty• Formal• Indirectness• Past/ tradition• Fate• Holistic• Non-verbal


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Practical culture for you!

• Harmony (flexible, cooperative) vs Control/Mastery (firm, assertive)

• Relationship (accommodating) vs Task (accomplishment)

• Hierarchy (respect, seniority) vs Equality (merit, equal access)

• Shame (face saving, external locus of control) vs Guilt (personal accountability)


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Practical culture for you!

• High Context (indirect) vs Low Context (direct, specific)

• Ploychronic (multi tasking, non-linear) vs Monochronic (time bound)/ ‘Rubber’ time!

• Group Orientation (we-ness) vs Individual (I, personal achievement)

• Religious (holistic, spiritual) vs Secular (religion separates from work related issues)


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What people are like!

Americans• linear, fact driven and numbers oriented• impatient and the contract is their central

focusAsians• avoid conflict• express opinions indirectly and maintain a

face of surface harmony when too direct can be seen as rude


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French• enjoy emphasising distinctions and

differences• blunt and logical approach to conflicting

points of views that can seem antagonistic to people from other cultures

Middle Easterners and Latinos• passionate expression of differences• save face and preserve dignity


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Russians• a great deal of posturing and theatrics


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Preparing to meet people

• Check whether they think like you.• Spend time on non-task sounding matters

to establish personal relationships.• Know the differences between your

opponent’s social, political and economic systems and yours.

• Know how the above differences affect his thinking, authority and negotiating methods.


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• Know your customer’s legal, technical and financial systems

• Know how the above will affect our choice of tactics

• Know the effects of ethical standards (right, wrong, reasonable)

• Know the importance of face saving


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• Recognize the role of status

• Ask questions, but don’t put pressure

• Avoid using jargon

• Summarize and test understanding

• Use both verbal and nonverbal techniques to support ideas e.g. Use “ I” language to convey that the speaker accepts responsibility for what he or she is saying


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• Maintain eye contact with others as eye contact communicates sincerity, concern and involvement

• Show a relaxed attitude towards time and do not place unnecessary pressure on themselves by creating artificial deadlines


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14 cross culture 1 hour

Education

Transcript of 14 cross culture 1 hour