Exchanges and Cross Cultural Understanding May 24, 2011 Nakiye Boyacıgiller Dean Sabancı School of...

Exchanges and Cross Exchanges and Cross Cultural Understanding Cultural Understanding

May May 24,24, 201 20111

Nakiye BoyacıgillerDean

Sabancı School of ManagementSabancı University

Istanbul

19.04.23

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© Nakiye Boyacıgiller

Discussion PointsDiscussion Points

What is culture?

Stereotyping vs. understanding critical dimensions of culture?

Culture Shock? Should one try to avoid it?

Getting the most out of your exchange: Developing a Global Mindset

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Why despite globalization do Why despite globalization do cross-cultural misunderstandings cross-cultural misunderstandings continuecontinue to exist?to exist?

Knowledge gained as a tourist/TV etc as opposed to deep cultural understanding

Complexity of cultureLack of cultural self-awarenessExistence of stereotypesCostly and tragic problems can occur

from cultural misattributions

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What do you know about the What do you know about the country you are about to visit?country you are about to visit?

Economy/ Political environment History Culture Current challenges Relations with Turkey?Do you have any stereotypes about them? Might they have any stereotypes about

you?

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StereotypingStereotypingA natural process that we all do. It can

be helpful when crossing cultures if: ◦Consciously held◦Descriptive rather than evaluative◦Accurate◦The first best guess◦Modified, based on further observation and

experience

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Perceptual BarriersPerceptual Barriers

1. Perception is selective2. Perceptual patterns are learned.3. Perception is culturally determined.4. Perception tends to remain constant.

We therefore see things that do not exist and do not see things that do exist.

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What is What is CCulture?ulture?the collective programming of the mind---the software of the mind. (Hofstede, 1980:25.)

the shared deep-level values and assumptions of a specific group of people.

seen in personal values, attitudes, norms, behaviours, and artifacts; but really resides below the surface

Culture provides:◦ a sense of identity, belongingness, pride, safety,

in-group/out-group◦ efficiency, predictability, “smooth functioning”

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Exchange Countries for SU Exchange Countries for SU Students Students

Latin Europe◦France◦Italy◦Spain◦Switzerland

Eastern Europe◦Hungary◦Poland◦Slovenia

Germanic Europe◦Austria◦Germany◦Switzerland◦The Netherlands

Anglo Europe◦UK

Nordic Europe◦Sweden

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Selected dimensions from an Selected dimensions from an integrated framework* integrated framework*

Free will/determinism Mutability

Personal relationships individualism/collectivism specific/diffuse power differences

Sources of Truth universalism/particularism

Communication/Time & Space high/low context

Purpose of life/work*Phillips & Boyacigiller, 1996 Based on the work of Hofstede, Kluckhohn &

Strodbeck, Hall & Hall & Trompenaars9


The Collectivist IdentityThe Collectivist Identity

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• Collectivists: A set of relationships organized around an individual

– Identity among collectivists is defined by relationships and group membership

• Individualists: An individual who does have relationships

– Individualists base identity on what they own and their experiences


Conceptual RepresentationsConceptual Representations

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Self

Family

SpouseFriend

Colleague

Friend

Individualist Self

Self

Family

SpouseFriend

ColleagueFriend

Collectivist Self

Source: Markus & Kitayama, 1991


Individualism and CollectivismIndividualism and Collectivism

Self = IndependentPersonal goals have

priorityAttitudes, cost-benefit

analyses determine social behaviors

Emphasis is on rational analyses of advantages and disadvantages of maintaining a relationship

Self = InterdependentIngroup goals have

priorityNorms, obligations,

duties determine social behaviors

Emphasis on relationships, even when they are disadvantageous

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Power DistancePower Distance

SMALLAll should have equal

rightsPowerful people

should try to look less powerful

Senior people neither respected nor feared

Delegation

LARGEPower holders are

entitled to privilegesStatus symbols

accepted

Senior people respected and feared

Centralization

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BACK


Specific vs. diffuseSpecific vs. diffuseAre various domains of your life

interrelated or separated by strict boundaries?

Does work status carry over to social situations? (Sayin hocam” in social settings)---if so, a diffuse culture.

Would you help paint your bosses house on the weekend? If you think this is inappropriate---you come from more specific culture.

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Universalism-ParticularismUniversalism-ParticularismYou are riding in a car driven by a close friend. He hits a pedestrian. You know he was going at least 60 km per hour in an area of the city where the maximum allowed speed is 30 km per hour. There are no witnesses. His lawyer says that if you testify under oath that he was only driving 30 km per hour it may save him from serious consequences. What do you think you would do in view of the obligations of a sworn witness and the obligation to your friend?

◦Testify that he was going 30 km an hour.◦Not testify that he was going 30 km an hour.

From: F. Trompenaars, Riding the Waves of Culture

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High vs Low Context High vs Low Context

Words + Context=MeaningHow important is context in terms of

understanding a message?Low context culture: US..High context culture: Japan/Turkey..

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Turkish CultureTurkish CultureDeterminism/

MasteryRelationships

◦Collectivism◦Diffuse◦Hi Power Diffs◦Ascription◦“Evil”

Truth◦Particularism◦Relationships◦Hi uncertainty

avoidance

Time/communication◦Hi context◦Past/present/future◦ST◦Mono/polychronic◦Public/Private

Purpose of life/work◦Being◦Moderate femininity

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GLOBE Culture ClustersGLOBE Culture Clusters

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A quick cultural comparison: A quick cultural comparison: the Netherlands and Turkey the Netherlands and Turkey

NetherlandsIndividualisticSmall power

distancelow contextuniversalisticspecificweak uncertainty

avoidance

TurkeyTurkeyCollectivisticHigh power

distancehigh contextparticularisticdiffusemed. uncertainty

avoidance

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BEWARE: Caveats regarding BEWARE: Caveats regarding cultural frameworkscultural frameworks

Beware the ecological fallacy◦Culture is a group level construct◦Do not confuse culture with personality

Variations exist in all cultures: Culture as “normal distribution”

Existence of subcultures◦“Which Turkey?”

Multiple cultural identities◦National, industry, corporate, regional, gender, function (discipline), other?

Cultures are dynamic 23


Cultural UnderstandingCultural UnderstandingOur own cultural blinders are the main

barriers to cultural understanding◦self-reference/importance of assumptions

Cultural understanding does not equal culturally appropriate behavior

Existence of cultural paradoxes (Osland & Bird)◦Anomalies are important--the devil is in the

details◦Cultural trumping

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Communication BarriersCommunication BarriersA. Language Barriers

1. Fallacy of English as a universal language.2. The problem of translation:Big Bus. Blunders

B. Cultural Barriers-Appropriacy: Who/to whom/what/how/when/where

C. Perceptual Barriers1. Perception is selective2. Perceptual patterns are learned.3. Perception is culturally determined.4. Perception tends to remain constant.

D. Nonverbal communication

E. Lack of cultural self-awareness

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Cross Cross CCultural ultural CCommunicationommunication“I can speak to you in your language, but I can’t

always tell you what I am thinking in my own language” (Lane, DiStefano, Maznevski, 2000:49)

What we need in business is to be able to think like a Japanese and speak English, rather than think like an American and speak Japanese.

Roberto Goizueta, late CEO, Coca-Cola

“I miss my language” (Aydin Celebi, age 10, when asked what he missed most about America)

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What do effective cross-cultural What do effective cross-cultural communicators do?communicators do?

They assume difference until similarity is proven.

They emphasize description rather than interpretation or evaluation.

Try to see it through the eyes of the other.

Treat their explanations as guesses, and constantly check with knowledgeable others.

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Competencies required of Competencies required of International ManagersInternational ManagersInterpersonal –relationship skillsMotivation to live abroad/curiosityLinguistic abilityTolerance for uncertainty and ambiguityFlexibilityPatience and respectCultural empathyStrong sense of selfSense of humorHardinessAnd…a global mindset

… From Schneider & Barsoux (2003) and Lane et al (2004)

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Cultivating Cultivating KKnowledge nowledge RRegarding egarding DDiverse iverse CCultures and ultures and MMarketsarketsFormal educationParticipation in cross border endeavorsUtilization of diverse locations for team

and project meetingsImmersion experiences in foreign

culturesExpatriate assignments…but not

everyone benefits Cultivate geographic and cultural

diversity among the senior management ranks

Location of business unit headquarters…

From Gupta & Govindarajan, 2002: 121-12331


Culture shockCulture shock◦Feeling uncertain about the

appropriateness of your actions

◦Feeling confused and helpless

◦Detesting local customs but feeling guilty

◦Feeling homesick

◦Suffering loss of status

◦Missing the conveniences of your country

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RecommendationsRecommendations What is culture shock? Should it be avoided? How to manage culture shock? The importance of “homework”

◦ Some background reading◦ History; Economist country surveys

Social relations◦ Don’t spend all your time with fellow Turks◦ Confidants

◦Local◦Turkish

◦ OK to “hide” sometimes

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An example of the S-curve An example of the S-curve and global mindset*and global mindset*

I have been here for seven years. In an almost predictable manner, I have found that whenever I begin to get a sense that now I really do understand the French, something strange will happen that will throw me off completely. As I would reflect on the event and talk it over with my husband and friends, I would begin to develop a more complex view of the French. Then things would begin to go fine for several months until the whole process would repeat itself in some other areas (emphasis mine).

Jenny Stephens, 7 years in France, fluent in French married to a Frenchman. Quoted in Govindarajan& Gupta, 2002:126..

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What is a What is a GGlobal lobal MMindset?*indset?*Cosmopolitanism: open to diversity

across cultures and markets

Cognitive complexity: a) knowledgeable about diversity across cultures and markets and b) ability to integrate diversity across cultures and markets

*Based on Beechler, Boyacigiller, Levy &Taylor, 2000and Govindarajan & Gupta, 2002.

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Assessing Assessing IIndividuals*ndividuals*1. In interacting with others does national origin

have an impact on whether or not you assign equal status to them?

2. Do you consider yourself as open to ideas from other cultures as your are to ideas from your own country/culture?

3. Does finding yourself in a new cultural setting cause excitement or anxiety?

4. Are you sensitive to cultural differences w/o becoming a prisoner to them.

5. In interactive w/indivs from other cultures do you view them as individuals or as representatives of their national cultures?

6. Are your values a hybrid acquired from multiple cultures as opposed to just one culture?

From Gupta & Govindarajan, 2002: 11737

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