MGB225

INTERCULTURAL Week 1
COMMUNICATION
& NEGOTIATION SKILLS
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) acknowledges the Turrbal and Yugara, as the First Nations owners of the lands where QUT
now stands. We pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. We recognise that these lands have always been places of
teaching, research and learning.

QUT acknowledges the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people play within the QUT community.
Dr Nasreen Sultana
n.sultana@qut.edu.au

Tutors
• Dr Nasreen Sultana
• Sandra Dougan
• Dr Sascha Rixon
About Us
TEACHING TEAM
 Delivery

WORKSHOP/LECTURES: ONLINE VIA ZOOM

TUTORIALS: ONLINE VIA ZOOM.

You should attend the Workshops.

You need to attend the same tutorial each Wednesday and Friday.

You cannot change tutorials as there is group work this semester.

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 About You
Students

1. What geographic region do you identify

with?

It’s complicated, especially when you consider all the nuances in culture and communication—both
verbal and nonverbal.
Course materials & expectations

• Lewicki, R., Barry, B. & Saunders, D. (2015) Essentials
of negotiation (6th Edition). New York, McGraw Hill
(available from QUT bookshop).
• Ferrarro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2017). The cultural
dimension of global business (8th edition). Oxon &
New York, Routledge.
• QUT readings posted on Blackboard
Attend workshops & tutorials to obtain value
from the content and maximise learning –
Keep up with readings & source peer-
reviewed literature for assignments
Participate in teamwork to complete the
assigned tasks, enjoy the challenge and gain
skills
Unit policies
Extensions & special consideration
 Applications via the QUT centralised online link.
 Requests will not be granted after the submission date.
 Extensions are usually granted in the event of illness or unforeseen circumstances only. This
must be supported by a medical certificate or other evidence. Extensions are not given for
work-related delays or commitments, nor are they given for group assessment.
References
 Limit your use of Internet references to reputable academic sites with a range of sources
 Use APA 7 style referencing & check it is correct through QUT cite write or blog.apastyle.org/
Academic honesty
 All assignments must be submitted online through Review which can identify plagiarism so
write in your own words.
 For any questions, refer to https://www.library.qut.edu.au/study/writing/academichonesty.jsp
 Skill set
Culture

Intercultural
Communication
and Negotiation
Skills

Communication Negotiation
 Managerial
Competence
Global
Global Management Skills
Multicultural
Competence

Planning, organizing,
leading and
Manage
Integration and application
of management and cross-
cultural skills
Understanding and
working effectively

ment
controlling within a
across cultures
culture

Adapted from from Steers, Sanchez-Runde. & Nardon (2010)

 Experiential learning cycle
Concrete
experiences
(reactions to new
behaviours)

Active Reflective
experimentation observation
(trying new (cognitive
behaviours) reassessments)

Abstract
conceptualisation
(creating new
theories-in-use)

(Steers, Sanchez-Runde, & Nardon, 2010)

QUESTION
S?

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 CULTURE Background to culture, communication & negotiation

Human nature (inherited; universal

to most people)

Culture (learned;
specific to group)
Personality
(inherited and
learned; specific
to individual)

Read Lewicki, Barry & Saunders, Chapters 1 & 6; Ferraro & Briody, Chapter 1; &
Cooper, Calloway-Thomas & Simmonds, Chapter 1
 Culture

Software of the mind

Word culture has several different meanings
Kroeber & Kluckhohn (1954) reviewed 300 definitions of culture - none of them the same
Most people agree that culture is our collective answer to the following questions:
Who am I? Who are you?
How should I live my life? How do we live?
Where do I fit in the world? How do we approach work?
Culture is the set of values and beliefs, norms and customs, and rules and codes that socially defines a group
of people, binds them to one another, and gives a sense of commonality (Trenholm & Jensen, 2000)
Culture affects our perceptions
Culture affects our verbal and nonverbal language
Culture affects our identity

1
3
 Influences on culture
Learned side
• People from different societies learn different
cultural mores
• Adjustment process occurs
• Content relates to what is significant in a
particular environment
• This knowledge is transmitted as efficiently in
all societies
• However, it is important to develop tolerance
towards others in life
• Outsiders can learn cross-cultures through
experience, mentoring, training programs and
reading
(Ferraro & Briody, 2017)
Biological side
• Culture bear a strong influence on people’s
reactions, depending on whether their
exposure to extreme differences in patterns
across societies are tolerable to ones:
• Values
• Beliefs
• Norms
• It may provoke negative physical, mental or
emotional effects so challenges must be
addressed
• Base to recognise commonalities in all societies
 Determinants of culture

Religion

Social Political
Structure Philosophy

Culture

Economic
Language
Philosophy

Education

(Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2011)

 Cultural universals across societal systems

Economic Marriage & family Educational Social control Supernatural

• Finite supply of beliefs
• Mating, • Children • Rules are
resources: marriage, attend school • Ways to explain
• Food, water joining family instilled & the inexplicable
clothing, and structures &
in part to learn must be • Religion,
housing rearing own the heritage of enforced to magic,
• Develop ways to children their society witchcraft or
govern social astrology
produce, • Despite order
distribute and • Beliefs systems
universality, • Laws and strongly shape
consume these education can criminal people’s
capital sources be taught attitudes to
• Distribution justice
using formal work or play &
channels vary: systems in responsibilities
• E.g. capitalism, or informal each thereof
socialism, silent methods country or
barter, kinship nation-state
(Ferraro & Briody, 2017)

Learning traits through cultural empathy can enhance professional practice

Cultural change is a constant

Diffusion Planned change in workplaces

• Borrowing other inventions or discoveries • Organisations introduce & manage changes

• It selectively occurs; if something is found to that are intentional and purposeful to reach
be compatible or useful goals (Lewin, 1947)
• It concerns two-way engagement • Adapt ideas from other work cultures for
• Generally, ideas, techniques or objects are solutions
reinvented to suit local conditions
• May encounter resistance
• Do not want to cause
• May encounter contradictions by members of
offense by incorrect the organization
marketing • Enablers can address or mitigate such
• Some traits are more easily absorbed than problems to be successful
others
• Technological innovations
are more readily
incorporated than social
patterns
(Ferraro & Briody, 2017)
Cultural consciousness
Corporate cultures
1. Common identity
Perspective of all cultures as systems 1. Symbols, legends, heroes, communication
composed of interrelated parts patterns, shared values, patterns of social
interactions, rules, and shared
experiences.
2. Distinct activities to maintain a healthy
environment
1. Establish trust & respect
2. Build a work ethic
3. Set clear expectations with room for input,
consensus & mechanism to resolve conflict
4. Set precedents for behaviour &
expectations
5. Offer an orientation for new employees
3. Integrating local culture contributes to
efficiency & competitiveness (Barney, 1986) &
avoids misunderstandings
4. Cultural diversity is an asset
(Ferraro & Briody, 2017)
 Communication

• Communication is a transactional process wherein people develop relationship by exchanging

symbols (Cooper, Calloway-Thomas, & Simonds, 2007)

Person A Person B

• Communication is a process
• It is continuous, with no beginning or end
• You cannot not communicate
• Communication has both a content and relationship component
• Communication is symbolic (verbal and nonverbal)
• Symbols don’t have meanings, people do
• Meanings are not transferable, messages are
• Communication is irreversible
Communication
Beliefs Attitudes

My perception
of you

My perception
My self- of your
perception perception of
me

Communication
Values
Topic

Your
perception of Your
my perception perception of
of you me

Your self-
perception

Place Time
 • A process by which two or more parties attempt to resolve
their opposing interests (Lewicki, Barry, & Saunders, 2015)

• Characteristics common to most negotiations

• Two or more parties
• Conflicts of needs and desires
Negotiation • Interdependence
• Negotiate by choice
• A give-and-take process
• Prefer to negotiate and search for agreement than to fight
• Involves the management of tangibles and intangibles
The Dual Concerns Model

Avoidance: Don’t negotiate

Competition: I gain, ignore relationship
Collaboration: I gain, you gain, enhance relationship
Accommodation: I let you win, enhance relationship
Summary

• Culture affects communication and negotiation

• Culture is a set of beliefs, values, and norms shared by a group
• Communication involves verbal and nonverbal communication; it is a continuous
process and you cannot avoid communication
• Negotiation is a process of resolving opposing interests
MODELS OF CULTURE
 Culture

Intercultural
Communication
and Negotiation
Skills

Communication Negotiation
 Florence Kluckhohn and Fred Strodtbeck

American anthropologists and social theorists

Florence Kluckhohn Center for the Study of Values

Harvard Values Project

Value orientation method (VOM) 1940s-1950s: A tool to help identify differences in core values
across cultures
Five value orientations

Three ways to respond called value orientations

 Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck (1961)
Cultural Dimensions Scale Anchors

Relationship with Submissiv

Nature Mastery Harmony
e
Relationship Individualist Collateral Lineal
with People
Human Being Becoming Doing
Activities
Relationship
Past Present Future
with Time

Human Nature Good Neutral Evil

 Relationship with people

When my group needs to decide on one person to

represent the group at a meeting, I think it best –

a) to let everyone discuss it until everyone agrees on

the person
b) to let the important leaders decide. They have
more experience than us.
c) for a vote to be taken and the one with the most
votes goes even if some people disagree

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 Relationship with Nature

When I get sick I believe

a) doctors will be able to find a way to cure it

b) I should live properly so I don’t get sick
c) I cannot do much about it and just have to accept it

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 Human Nature

Most people when they can do something wrong and get away with it
will –

a) usually do it
b) sometimes do it
c) hardly ever do it

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Geert Hofstede
http://www.geerthofstede.nl/
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

Dutch management researcher

Late 1960s and early 1970s
Surveyed over 100,000 employees of IBM
50 countries in three regions
Work-related attitudes across the countries

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 Hofstede (1980)
Cultural Dimensions Scale Anchors

Power Distance Low High

Uncertainty
Avoidance Low High
Individualism-
Collectivism Individualism Collectivism
Masculinity-
Femininity Masculinity Femininity
Short-term-Long-
term Short-term Long-term
Indulgence-
Indulgence Restraint
Restraint
 Individualism and Collectivism

Community

Community

Family
Self Coworkers
Family Self Coworkers

Friends Friends

Source: Tuleja (2009)

 Country Comparison

https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/
Edward T. Hall

American anthropologist and

cross-cultural researcher
Hall first created the concept of proxemics
He coined the term polychronic
Did not provide individual scores for countries

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 Hall (1981)
Cultural
Scale Anchors
Dimensions

Context Low High

Centre of
Space Centre of Power
Community

Time Monochronic Polychronic

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 High and Low Context Cultures
High Context

Japanese
Korean Taiwanese
Chinese
Greek Arab
Spanish
Italian
English
French
North American

Scandinavian
Low Context
German

German-Swiss
Source: Tuleja (2009)
 Fons Trompenaars

Dutch management researcher

Studied Shell and other managers

15000 managers from 28 countries representing 47 national cultures

Over a period of ten years

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 Trompenaars (1993)
Cultural Dimensions Scale Anchors

Universalism-Particularism Universalism Particularism

Individualism-Collectivism Individualism Collectivism

Specific-Diffuse Specific Diffuse

Neutral-Affective Neutral Affective

Achievement-Ascription Achievement Ascription

Time Perspective Past/present Future

Relationship with Environment Inner-directed Outer-directed

 Shalom Schwartz

ISRAELI SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST, CROSS-CULTURAL RESEARCHER

AND AUTHOR OF THEORY OF BASIC HUMAN VALUES

MORE PSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW

MOTIVATIONAL GOALS ARE THE ESSENTIAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN SOCIETAL VALUES

TEN UNIVERSAL HUMAN VALUES

LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

THREE DIMENSIONS AT THE CULTURAL LEVEL

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 Schwartz (1992)

Cultural
Scale Anchors
Dimensions

Conservatism- Autonomy
Conservatism
Autonomy (Intellectual and
Affective)

Hierarchy-
Hierarchy Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism

Mastery-
Mastery Harmony
Harmony
 GLOBE (2004)
Global Leadership and Organisational Behavior Effectiveness

170 researchers collected data over seven years

18000 managers in 62 countries

Wide variety of industries and sizes of organisations

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 GLOBE (2004)
Cultural Dimensions Scale Anchors

Power Distance Low High

Uncertainty Avoidance Low High

Humane Orientation Low High

Institutional Collectivism Low High

In-group Collectivism Low High

Assertiveness Low High

Gender Egalitarianism Low High

Future Orientation Low High

Performance Orientation Low High

GLOBE
Clusters
http://globemodel.blogspot.com/2014/06/cluster-system.html

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https://globeproject.com/results?page_id=country#country

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Culture Theory Jungle
Hofstede
(1980)

Kluckhohn
and Hall
Strodtbeck (1981)
(1961)

Culture
Theory
Jungle

GLOBE Trompenaars
(2004) (1993)

Schwartz
(1992)
 Core Cultural Dimensions
Luciara Nardon and Richard Steers

Power distribution (Hierarchy-Equality)

Social relationship (Individualism-Collectivism)
Relationship with environment (Mastery-Harmony)
Time (Monochronism-Polychronism)
Importance of rules (Universalism-Particularism)

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 Hierarchy-Equality

How individuals within a society structure their power relationships (vertical or horizontal)

Hofstede – Power Distance

Schwartz – Hierarchy and Egalitarianism

GLOBE – Power Distance, Gender Egalitarianism

Implications
• Form of government
• Selection of leaders
• Questioning the authority
• Structure of organisations
• Decision-making (autocratic or participatory)

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 Individualism vs. Collectivism
Cultures are organized based on groups or individuals
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck – Individualistic, collateral, and lineal
Trompenaars – Individualism and Collectivism

Schwartz – Conservatism and Autonomy

GLOBE – Institutional Collectivism, In-Group Collectivism

Hall – Interpersonal Communication (low and high context)

Implications
• Self-identity
• Personal or group responsibility
• Decision-making
• Written contracts or personal relationship
• Low or high context communication

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 Mastery vs. Harmony
Control their environment or adapt to
their environment
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck – Human Nature

Hofstede – Masculinity and Femininity

Trompenaars – Relationship with Environment

Schwartz – Mastery and Harmony

GLOBE – Assertiveness and Human Orientation

 Monochronism vs. Polychronism
How cultures view or use time or degree to which cultures plan and focus on
the future
Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck – Relationship with Time
Hofstede – Short- or Long-Term Orientation

Trompenaars – Time Perspective

GLOBE – Future Orientation
Hall – Monochronic and Polychronic
Implications
• Punctuality
• Steady flow of information
• Commitment
• Work-life separation
• Linear or nonlinear approach to planning
 Universalism vs. Particularism

How rules are used to reduce uncertainty in society

Hofstede – Uncertainty Avoidance

GLOBE – Uncertainty Avoidance

Trompenaars – Universalism vs. Particularism

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 Core Cultural Dimensions
Cultural
Scale Anchors
Dimensions

Moderately
Hierarchy-Equality Strongly Hierarchical
Hierarchical
Moderately Egalitarian Strongly Egalitarian

Individualism- Strongly Moderately Moderately

Strongly Collectivistic
Collectivism Individualistic Individualistic Collectivistic

Strongly Mastery- Moderately Mastery- Moderately Harmony- Strongly Harmony-

Mastery-Harmony Oriented Oriented Oriented Oriented

Monochronism- Strongly Moderately Moderately Strongly

Polychronism Monochronic Monochronic Polychronic Polychronic

Universalism- Strongly Moderately Moderately Strongly

Particularism Universalistic Universalistic Particularistic Particularistic
 Core Cultural Dimensions for Country Clusters

Individualism- Monochronism- Universalism-

Country Clusters Hierarchy-Equality Mastery-Harmony
Collectivism Polychronism Particularism

Anglo ME SI SM SM MU

Arab SH SC MH SP SP

East European MH MC MM MM MP

East/Southeast Asian SH SC SH MM SP

Germanic ME MI MM MM SU

Latin American MH MC MH SP SP

Latin European MH MC MH MP MP

Nordic SE MC MH MM SU

Sub-Saharan African SH SC MH MP SP
 Friday 8/1

Workshop – Communication

Tutorials start
 References
Barney, J. B. (1986). Organizational culture: Can it be a source of sustained competitive advantage? Academy of Management Review, 11(3), 656-
665.

Cooper, P. J., Calloway-Thomas, C., & Simonds, C. J. (2007). Intercultural communication: A text with readings. Boston: Pearson.

Crossman, J., Bordia, S., & Mills, C. (2011). Business communication for the global age. Sydney: McGraw-Hill.

Ferrarro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2017). The cultural dimension of global business (8th edition). Oxon & New York, Routledge.

Hill, C. W. L., Cronk, T., & Wickramasekera, R. (2011). Global Business Today (2nd ed.). Sydney: Mc-Graw Hill.

Hofstede, G. 1980. Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. Newbury Park: Sage.

Lewicki, R. J., Saunders, D. M., & Barry, B. (2011). Essentials of negotiation (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics: II. Channels of group life; social planning and action research. Human Relations. 1, 143-153.

Kroeber, A. L. & Kluckhohn, C. (1954, March). A critical review of concepts and culture. American Journal of Sociology, 59(5), pp. 488-489.

McLeod, S. (2015). Nature vs. nurture in psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/naturevsnurture.html

Steers, R. M., Sanchez-Runde, C. J., & Nardon, L. (2010). Management across cultures. New York: Cambridge.

Trenholm, S. & Jensen, A. (2000). Interpersonal communication. (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company.