CURS 1

Intercultural communication = communication between two cultures

Culture is a collective programming or a software of the mind (Geert Hofstede). Its
everything you need to know in life to get along in a society or the way we do things around
here. It is difficult to define because its a large and inclusive concept, the property of a
community of people not simply the characteristics of individuals.
Definition
Culture is the coherent, learned, shared view of a group of people about lifes concerns
that ranks what is important, furnishes attitudes about what things are appropriate and
dictates behaviors.
Coherent => each culture (past or present) is coherent and complete within itself its the entire
view of the universe.
Learned => its not something we are born with, its rather learned, and its also learnable.
How to learn another culture?
view of people => because its shared by a society, people in a culture share symbols of that
culture, the most obvious one is language. Also share visual symbols as company logos, icons,
religious images, national flags
ranks what is important => what is important to one may be virtually meaningless to another,
because it trades values/priorities that vary from culture to culture.
What are Values?
They provide us with standards of competence and morality guiding or ____ attitudes,
behavior, judgements, comparisons of self and others. Culture enables people to find answers
to their recurring questions such: Who are we? Where did we come from? How does the
meaning of life rewire itself? How should we organize so that we get along? How can we
know our spiritual dimensions? What does the best life include?
In business context the motivation of employers/employees spring from cultural values. To
communicate in a business context about business in another culture its necessary to
understand the values of that culture.
What do we need to know to cover all the necessary bases in order to do business?
What strategy to use for learning about another culture?
The strategy can be derived by answering the questions:
1. How do people in this culture think and know?
2. What do they consider achievement?
3. How do they see the individual self in relation to the rest of the culture?
4. How is their society organized?
5. What is the relationship of members of this culture to time and spiritual issues?
Functions of culture:
Since culture determines the way in which we communicate its important to understand the
functions and elements of it.
The software of the mind, the collective mental programming serves 2 functions:
1. Culture provides a context in which 3 aspects of human society are embedded:
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a. Linguistic aspect allows us to communicate with people who have similar

value- and believe systems.
b. Physical aspects supply an environment of activities and permit what we do
within the culture
c. Psychological aspect is related to our mental activities including what we
believe and what we have learned
2. Culture provides structure, stability and security that are used by the group and
members to maintain themselves as a healthy system
From another perspective culture provides 3 types of needs:
1. Basic needs (food, shelter, physical protection)
2. Derived needs (organization of work, distribution of food, ____?, social control)
3. Integrated need (psychological security, social harmony and purpose in life)
Elements of culture:
1. History: transmitted from generation to generation and its past of the identity of the
members of the culture, a kind of chart, which guides its members into the future
2. Values: represent guidelines for social living and they differ from culture to culture
a. Attitudes
b. Behaviors
3. The social organisations/systems/structure they establish communication networks and
regulate norms of conduct at all social levels as well as social roles which are typical
at each culture, language is a common characteristic of all culture, although it is
different from culture to culture it helps members of a culture to transmit and share
ideas.
4. Religion each culture has a dominant religion, religions influence cultures in vary
degrees in conscious and unconscious ways from business practices (ex: work ethics)
to politics. ___? in Islamic countries and individual behavior.
Related terms of culture:
Terms Nation, Race, Ethnic group are also often used instead of the term culture, although
they are not identical.
Nation: may contain one or more cultural groups (ex. Japan)
It is a political term referring to a Government and a set of formal and legal mechanisms that
have been established to regulate the political behavior of people. The culture or cultures that
exist within the boundaries of a nation state certainly influence the regulations that the nation
develops, but the term culture its not the same like nation.
Race: refers to a genetic or biologically based similarity among people which is
distinguishable and unique and functions to mark or separate people from one other culture.
Its conceived to be a wider concept than culture and nation (ex. Caucasian people). Reference
to race may lead to discrimination and to intracultural communication barriers.
Ethnic groups: share a language, historical origins, religion and identification with a
common nation state or cultural system. The relationships between culture, ethnic group and
nation state are different in formal Yugoslavia three ethnic groups were involved (Slovenes,

Croatians, Serbians). The Jews share a common ethnic identification, although they live in
many cultures and nation states.
Book> Start up notion
Why do cultures differ?
1. Biology (race)
2. Interpersonal communication patterns
3. Institutional networks
4. Technology
5. History
6. Ecology
Types of culture:
Interculturalists use culture not just to mean national culture but to mean whole many types of
culture:
1. The corporate culture
2. Professional culture
3. Gender culture
4. Age culture
5. Religious culture
6. Regional culture
7. Class culture . And many more
Culture can be

- Visible
- Hidden

1. Visible culture, adjective culture, art, literature, social, economic, political, linguistic
systems and institutions they have created. But one can know a lot about history of
culture but still not be able to communicate.
2. The less physical part of culture, the subjective culture, the learned patterns of
believes, behavior, values rather than institutions and functioning.
3 metaphors for visible / hidden culture:

- iceberg
- onion
- tree

CURS 2
Culture shock
Culture shock is first used in 1960 (other formulation: transition shock, experience of
foreignness, role shock, culture fatigue, pervasive ambiguity.
Culture shock is the psychological disorientation and stress experienced by people who
suddenly find themselves living and working in a different cultural environment, by people
who try to adjust to major differences in lifestyles, living conditions, business practices. It is
the unpleasant consequences of experiencing a foreign culture. Culture shock is determined
by the anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols (words, gestures,
facial expressions, customs, norms) of social interaction acquired in the course of growing up
that are as much a part of our culture as are language and believes.
Manifestation: despite the use of the term shock, culture shock is not a sudden phenomenon it
may evolve more than a single event and its difficult to predict and control.
Symptoms:
-Psychological: a sum of confusion, surprise, anxiety, loss of being
rejected/not accepted, loss of ability to work effectively, hostility to work.
-Physical: irritability, headaches, sleeplessness, obsession with
hygiene, desire for comfort food
Stages in culture shock:
1. Honeymoon stage
2. Irritation and hostility
3. Gradual adjustment
4. Biculturalism
Debilitating effect, may lead to cultural learning.
In case of culture shock, the expected confrontations with the unfamiliar we also have a
reentry shock the unexpected confrontation with the familiar. Reentry shock may be more
difficult.
Tourists dont experience culture shock.
How to minimize culture shock?
1. Acquisition of information -> cognitive approach
General cultural concepts, cultural self-awareness, local communication
verbal/nonverbal patterns, culture specific things
2. Development of cross-cultural skills
Flexibility, openness, empathy, tolerating ambiguity before understanding, being
resourceful, personalizing observations, showing respect, being nonjudgmental,
having a sense of humor
3. Acquisition of new attitudes and notification of old ways of doing things
Be adventurous, manage stress, be realistic, take appropriate health precautions, know
that there are no absolutes.
Characteristics of a successful international manager:
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Social competence, openness to other ways of thinking, cultural adaptation, professional

excellence, language skills, flexibility, ability to manage/work in team, independence,
mobility, ability to deal with stress, adaptability of the family, patience, sensitivity.
Aggression, speed, competitiveness are important in monocultural environment, while
adaptability and a high tolerance of ambiguity are more important in an international
environment.

CURS 5
Dimension of action
1. Doing orientation
In doing oriented cultures emphasize is placed on external, measurable
accomplishments, achieving goals and completing tasks. In these cultures activity
defines values both social and professional. In these organizations motivation is
achievement based, performance objectives are given and performance is measures
against set standards.
2. Being orientation
In being oriented cultures affiliations character and personal qualities are important.
Building affiliation, trust and relationships is a key condition for an effective and
efficient focus on objectives and tasks => in these cultures getting to know each other
are often embedded in ritualized elements. Job satisfaction is important more than
accomplishing tasks. In being oriented cultures business is awarded not simply on
prior accomplishments and technical merit but also on personal compatibility, trust
and affiliations and personal organization ___?
Both are present in business context. Being orientation is not a passive one. The difference
lies in what is first: tasks or relationships.
Dimension of communication
Dimensions of communication recognizes the different formats for expression and
information exchange (sending/receiving of messages, which cultures expect, reinforce and
____)
It can be analyzed by 4 orientations:
1. High-low context
2. Direct-indirect orientation
3. Formal-informal orientation
4. Expressive-instrumental orientation
1. High context
Cultures which have high context orientation understand communication as being both the
product of and dependent upon strong relationships between and acknowledge and
understanding the people involved. The successful exchange of information depends on the
ability to apply a shared and implicit framework of interpretation to a message. This
framework is the product of the shared experience of groups or societies which marks certain
things understood without their needing to be stated explicitly. Meaning tends to be implicit
and less literal. Making meaning explicit is not desirable, not appreciated, it can mean
aggression. The process of decoding meaning depends heavily on the group, understanding of
voice tone, body language, facial expressions, eye contact, speech patterns, use of silence,
past interactions, status
The meaning of words depends of the context so much so that a spoken yes can mean yes,
maybe, I dont know, if you say so or even no.

In business context partners require a great deal of contextual information about the
individual/company before making business.
Silence plays an important role, it is active not passive. In Asia it designates thought not
disengagement. Rushing in to fill a silence may be considered pushy. Silence can be a strategy
to stay far or to delay a decision. Contracts tend to be short and general, at scope because faith
is placed in the spirit of the agreement rather than in numerous written stipulations.
1. Low context
In low context cultures meaning is meant explicit, often in documents, the focus is on deriving
information from words and their literal meaning. Elements that might disturb the
understanding of words are usually avoided, are considered unprofessional. Job descriptions,
authority relationships, monitoring and control procedures are specified in details in written
form. Good interpersonal relationships may be desirable but they are not essential to the flow
of information. A low context communicator may be disturbed by too much contextual
information; a high context communicator may consider a low context communicator as rude.
2. Direct cultures
Direct cultures value an open handling of conflict and tension. People wouldnt postpone
problems. Conflict may be constructive. Two possibilities to solve conflicts: One way
resolution or two way resolution..
In a one way culture information flows down in the system (orders). In a two way culture
information flows up and down in the system (teamwork is present)
2. Indirect cultures
In indirect cultures conflict is usually avoided in interpersonal communications especially in
initial phases => they tend to avoid disrespect
Strategies: avoid shame and loss of face to preserve honor, dignity and harmony in
communication
3. Expressive cultures
Expressive cultures favor the display of emotions in communication its a condition for the
communicator to feel connected to the audience.
3. Instrumental cultures
Communication is problem-centered, rational, pragmatic and issue-oriented. Do not like the
motions in communication. Favors rational approach =>details, accurateness. The display of
emotions can mean lack of professionalism.
4. Formal cultures
In formal culture a high value is placed on etiquette, protocol and a ritualistic exchange.
People tend to think that there is a proper and an improper way to say things. Often
somebodies credibility depends on the degree to which knows and conforms to rules of
etiquette. Communication has a strong sense of history and tradition combined with a sense of
hierarchy.
4. Informal cultures
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Informal cultures value the absence of rules, which are considered a barrier, to
communication especially in informal environments. Its believed that getting rid of the red
carpet means being authentic/yourself. Stress on change and progress. They may stress the
accomplishment of objectives rather than the maintenance of states.

CURS 6.
Dimension of space
Culture can be categorized by the destination they make in the use and demarcation of space,
normally the distance between individuals both physically and pshicologically. It is linked to
the information flow in a given group or society. From this point of view culture can have:
1. Public orientation
Public oriented cultures value open access and accessibility, close physical proximity
is sought, relationship building is important and information is shared on a good-toknow bases. Collaboration and connectedness are valued. These cultures are
relationship centered. On the one hand this orientation allows more personal and
informal interaction between managers and employees, on the other hand it also
facilitates centralized authority, more monitoring and control systems.
2. Private orientation
In private oriented culture there is a clear distinction between different peoples
personal space boundaries, boundaries are respected. People value the maintenance of
interpersonal distance from one another both physically and socially. In such
environments information tends to be shared on need-to-know bases. Discretion is
valued and there are acceptable distances between people which interact.
Dimension of power
1. Hierarchy oriented culture
Hierarchy oriented cultures value social stratification and they accept differing degrees
of power, status and authority. Sayings such as know your place, dont go around
the boss, respect your betters are common in such cultural environments. Power
and authority are often centralized and organizational structure is tightly controlled.
Managers are expected to behave in ways that reinforce their position. Planning in
such culture is autocratic. Managers make decisions without consulting people at
lower levels. Work and information will not bypass the chain of command. Employers
tend to expect managers to take the initiative for the training and development of their
subordinates. Plans are expected to be implemented according to the managers
wishes.
2. Equality oriented culture
Equality oriented cultures value the absence of reduction of hierarchy. Inequality is
considered to be an unsatisfactory condition and attempts are made to minimize
inequality through legal procedures in institutions. Equality oriented organizations are
usually flat, power is decentralized and the structure of organization is aimed at
encouraging individuals to participate in the organization. In general employees dont
accept the idea that managers have an automatic right to more power and privileges,
rather they believe that power and privileges must be earned and to a certain extent
they must be shared. The manager is perceived as a consultant figure rather than
simply an authority figure. May employers in an equality oriented culture prefer the
impersonal authority of mutually agreed upon goals and objectives rather than the

arbitrary power of a supervisor. Delegation is frequent. Participation in decisionmaking is encouraged.

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