The safetyof cultures

Just say ^no'. Or perhaps you can't.Nick Hállale looks at the inherent dangers

of cross-cultural communication

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HUMAN FACTORS tce

Igrew up in South Africa in the 1970sand 1980s, and although manyhistoric things happened during thatera, one small occurrence also stands outfor me. One of my teachers had workedat a school for Zulu children, and he toldan interesting story about how the pupilswould all refuse to stand up for him whenhe entered the room.

Now, at my own school, refusing to standfor a teacher was seriously disrespectful,and was typically rewarded with a caning.However, none of the Zulu children werepunished. Why?

The reason is that in Zulu culture, itis considered rude to stand higher thansomeone older than you. At their schools,you show respect by sitting down in thepresence of a teacher, and so those childrenwere doing exactly the right thing.

I have always liked this story - it illustratestwo themes important to this article. Firstly,it shows how we all see things through thefilters of our own societies. Secondly, itdemonstrates how people from differentcultures can have totally different ways ofinteracting vnth people they perceive assenior. As we v«ll discuss, this is a hugelyimportant phenomenon which can havedisastrous consequences if not recognised.

how culturally aware areyou really?I like to break cultural awareness into threelevels of achievement. Many engineers- especially those working in largemultinational companies - have probablybeen exposed to initiatives about diversityand inclusion, with the goal of teachingrespect and tolerance for people regardlessof their race, gender, religion and so on. Ofcourse, this is all very commendable, butonly just scratches the surface, and is merelylevel 1.

Level 2 is when you start to learn aboutthe specific customs and etiquette of aparticular culture. This is very valuable forkeeping relations smooth, and avoidinggiving offence or making a faux pas. Manyof these pointers are not intuitive, but youcan learn them pretty easily from books,websites or training courses.

Although a significant improvementover level 1, there is still more. Level 3 issomething different, and is when you areable to 'get inside' the head of someoneelse, truly understand their thoughtprocesses, and extract the real intent behindwhat they are saying. You also need to beable to convey your own intent vnthoutmiscommunication. (A perfect exampleof someone at level 3 would be NeuArmstrong's interpreter, as discussed in thebox on page 26.)

Of course, reaching this level of ability isvery difficult, and so I would like to discusssome tools that can help.

tools for understandingdifferent culturesIn the late 1960s, Ceert Hofstede', a Dutchmechanical engineer who later switched topsychology, carried out a research projectfor IBM into cross-cultural behaviour andcollaboration. His pioneering work showedthat different societies could be givennumerical scores to represent various aspectsof behaviour. Currently, his methodologycomprises six cultural dimensions: powerdistance index (PDI); individualism versuscollectivism (IDV); masculinity versusfemininity (MAS); uncertainty avoidance(UAI); long-term orientation (LTO); andindulgence versus restraint (IVR).

We all see things throughthe filters of our ownsocieties... (and) peoplefrom different cultures canhave totally different ways ofinteracting with people theyperceive as senior.

Power distance index (PDI) is the degree to which the lesspowerful members of a society accept and expect thatpower is distributed unequally. Societies with a high PDItend to be very hierarchical, with very clear divisions betweenjuniors and seniors. On the other hand, low-PDI societies areflatter and more egalitarian.

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Hofstede's power distance index: the darker the colour, thehigher the PDI (grey = no data available). Note that the UK,Australia and New Zealand all share a similar, low PDI. On theother hand, China's is much higher, while ^Malaysia has one of the highest in the world.

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tce HUMAN FACTORS

When addressing a superior,a person from a high-PDIsociety would tend to soñenor mitigate their speech,often hinting about aconcern, rather than statingit directly. Provided thatthe listener is attuned to thesuhtleties of the culture, themessage still gets across.

This article will only discuss PDI (seebox). The other dimensions are still highlyinteresting and can be found on Hofstede'swebsite, http://geert-hofstede.com/dimensions.html.

Hofstede defines PDI as "the degree towhich the less powerful members of a societyaccept and expect that power is distributedunequally."

Societies writh a high PDI tend to bevery hierarchical, with very clear divisionsbetween juniors and seniors. On the otherhand, low-PDI societies are flatter and moreegalitarian.

Now, obviously, no attempt to quantifyhuman nature could ever be perfect, butHofstede's dimensions are still very valuable,as long as we remember to treat them likeany other engineering rule of thumb.

recognising different formsof speechIn societies with a low PDI, managers areoften seen as 'first among equals! andcommunication tends to flow easily in bothdirections. However, in those with a high PDI,this is certainly not always the case. Juniorstend not to disagree with, or criticise, theirseniors, and may even use a different formof grammar, depending upon their relativepositions.

In addition, when addressing a superior,a person from a high-PDI society wouldtend to soften or mitigate their speech, ofrenhinting about a concern, ratber than stating itdirectly. Provided that the listener is attunedto the subtleties of the culture, the messagestül gets across. However, it is very dangerousto assume that a non-native will have thatlevel of sensitivity.

the art of refusing withoutrefusingIn many societies - often also those withhigh PDIs - people have a strong aversionto saying the word "no'! Asian countrieslike Japan are probably the most famousfor this, but it occurs elsewhere too. Inthose societies, having to say no is seen asa loss of face, partictilarly when saying itto a superior. Conversely, it is consideredboorish to put someone in a position wherethey have to say no.

As a result, these cultures have developedelegant ways of communication that avoidthe situation completely. Requests can bemade obliquely, and refused subtly, writhoutanyone being put in an awkward situation,whUe to an outside observer, it would justappear to be two people talking.

To make it even more confusing, someof the responses that really mean "no" cansound like a "yes" to an outsider.

Again, provided that both partiesunderstand the nuances, this works.However, when somebody from a differentculture enters the picture, it becomes far lessreliable.

Although dealing specificafly with Japan,some interesting insights can be found inthis online article: http://www.kuis.ac.jp/icci/publications/kiyo/pdfs/M/U.Oe.pdf

SO what does this have todo with process safety?The connection comes via an engineeringtopic known as 'human factors,' whichanalyses the way people interact withcomplex systems.

GladwelP does a fascinating job ofcorrelating cross-cultural factors to severalhigh-profile aviation disasters. Although adifferent industry to our own, the lessonsare stifl valuable, and I highly recommendhis book.

It does not take much of a stretch tosee how similar scenarios could play outin the manufacturing industry. In thepopular bowtie model for analysing processsafety [see Figure 2), human beings areoften considered to be a barrier againsta hazardous situation developing orescalating. However, this line of defenceis not infallible, and is more likely to failwhen it relies on more than one person,and where cultural differences lead tomiscommunications dtiring safety-criticalmoments.

For example, imagine that an operator in acontrol room receives an alarm that gas has

In many societies - often also those with high PDIs - people have a strong aversionto saying the word "no" and tend to use other words to express a refusal. Just

because something sounds like a "yes," don't assume that this is really the case.

HUMAN FACTORS tce

Figure 2: The popular 'bowtie' model for process safety relies on operators as barriers

[—I r u Consequence 1

J^Consequence 2

^ Consequence 3

f Barrier Escalation"— (Escaiation - j ^ ^ , ^ ^ ,,

factor control) '

HSE critical activities• engineeringmaintenance• operations

been detected in an LPG storage compound.He radios the outside operator and tells himto shut an isolation valve immediately tostop the leak. The outside operator sees thatthe LPG leak is too big and that he simplycannot approach the valve safely. Hopefullyhe would radio back and explain that thisis impossible and an alternative should befound. But imagine if he came from a culturewhere he was not happy saying "no" directiy,especially to a senior. He might tone downhis response by saying something like "It'sa big leak, but I'll see what I can do." In hismind, he has refused, but the inside operator,depending on his background, could easilytake this as a "yes'! Both would assume thatthe other person was dealing with the crisisand that no further action was required ontheir part. All it needs is for the continuedleak to find an ignition source, and this

fictional scenario could end very badly.Another example: a junior operator is

working with one more experienced todrain water from a gasoline tank. Imaginethat the older operator deviates from thewritten procedure and wedges the spring-loaded draining valve open with a piece ofwood, rather than holding it open manually.You would hope that the second operatorwould intervene and insist that the properprocedure be followed. But if the juniororiginated from a high-PDI society, wouldthey really feel able to challenge theirsuperior? Possibly not. They might tryhinting at their concern, saying somethinglike "That's an interesting way of doing it!'!but this could have littie meaning unless thesenior came from a similar culture. Evenworse, the junior may believe that they aremistaken because of their own 'inferior'

If a company knows thatsigniflcant interaction withanother cuhure is looming,it would be wise to let peopleon hoth sides know whatto expect from their futurecolleagues.

status, and put the incident out of mind. Ifthe older operator remembers to removethe wedge, things would probably proceedwithout incident. But if forgotten about,leaving the tank to drain until the next shift,the company could end up with a bundfuU of gasoline, and potentially anotherBuncefield on its hands.

what can we do?The above examples should certainly makeour industry question the strength of ourhuman barriers, but fortunately this doesnot mean they are necessarily invalid. It justmeans that they may need some bolsteringin today's world.

GladweU described how one Koreanairline addressed its poor safety recordby changing the cockpit culture.Regardless of the culture outside work,the company retrained staff to lower thePDI in the workplace, empowering juniorcrewmembers to act assertively on theirsafety concerns.

On the topic of training, a littie bit ofawareness building can go a long way. If acompany knows that significant interactionwith another culture is looming - for

High PDI

Senior personcommunicates

downwardsdirectly

Junior personcommunicates upwardsdeferentially, but seniorperson is still receptive towhat is being said

JuniorHigh PDI

Junior personcommunicatesupwards directly

JunioNLow PDI "

High PDI

Senior personcommunicates

downwardsdirectly

Junior personcommunicatesupwards directly

Junior person may struggleto communicate upwardsassertively. Conversely,senior person may notunderstand full implicationsof what is being said

High PDI

Figure 3a: All other things being equal, whenboth individuals have the same societal PDI, therisk of miscommunication is reduced.

Figure 3b: Mismatched PDIs can introduce risks ofmiscomtnunication when the high-PDI individual is

junior to the low-PDI individual

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's it like up there?In 1972, stili at the height of his fame after the successful moon landing, NeiiArmstrong was on a world tour, and one of his speaking engagements wasat a school in Japan for very young children. One of them asked him, via aninterpreter, "Mr Armstrong, what was it like on the moon?"

Armstrong replied jokingly, "Well, I didn't see any green cheese, that's for sure!"The interpreter turned to the child and said, in Japanese, "Well, I didn't see any

rabbits, that's for sure!"Huh? What kind of incompetent interpreter was this? Mistranslating green cheese

as rabbits! He should have been fired, right? Actually, no.In fact, this interpreter did an outstanding job, and demonstrated the highest level of

cultural awareness. You see, in Japan, children are not brought up with the story thatthe moon is made of green cheese. That's a Western idea. In Japan, children learn afairytale about a rabbit who lives on the moon making rice cakes.

That interpreter knew that if he just relayed Armstrong's words, the answer wouldhave been meaningless. Instead, he deciphered the intent behind the words and thenseamlessly repackaged it in a form that the Japanese child would understand. Theend result was perfect.

Granted, this is a somewhat childish story, but it brilliantly illustrates the principlethat taking someone's words at face value, without properly appreciating the intentbehind them, can be misleading, even dangerous.

Every society has evolved certain behaviours, stylesand conventions that work for it, within its ownparticular environment...hlindly transplanting thesesystems into a completely different environment issimply looking for trouble.

instance, a Chinese company acquiringa plant in the UK - it would be wise to letpeople on both sides know what to expectfrom their future colleagues.

Finally, the engineer in me likes theidea of using PDIs to fiag up potentialmiscommunication risks between specificcombinations of team-members (see Figure3). All other things being equal, you wouldbe less concerned about two operatorsfrom the same culture working together assenior and junior. A high-PDI operator in asenior role to a low-PDI operator could alsoprobably work well, since neither wouldfeel culturally inhibited from speakingfrankly to the other. On the other hand,the combination of a high-PDI operator ina junior position to a low-PDI one mightpotentially have some challenges. With abit of knowledge, though, these could beovercome easily.

raising capabilitiesThis article is not about 'right' or 'wrong'approaches. Please do not come awaythinking that somebody from one culture isinherently more or less safe than somebodyfrom another. That would be an incorrectconclusion, and is most emphatically woi themessage here.

Rather, the message is this: Every societyhas evolved certain behaviours, styles andconventions that work for it, within its ownparticular environment. As long as everyonefollows them, they continue to work asdesigned. But, like computer software,blindly transplanting these systems into acompletely different environment is simplylooking for trouble. Since the globalisation ofthe manufacturing industries is not going togo away, the only real option now is to raiseour own personal capabilities, tce

Nick Hállale (hallalen@gmail.com) worksin industry - most recently at a majorEuropean refiner - with responsibilities forprocess safety and project development

further reading1. Hofstede, C, Culture's Consequences:Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutionsand Organizations Across Nations, SACEPublications, 20012. Gladwell, M, Outliers: The Story of Success,Little, Brown and Company, 2008

acknowledgementsThanks to Thokozani Majozi of theUniversity of Pretoria, South Africa, forsharing his insights into Zulu culture; andto Dominic Foo of Nottingham Universityfor some valuable Chinese and Malaysianperspectives.

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