32. Understanding Intercultural Communications
UNDERSTANDING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS
IN TODAY’S GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
Gina Ruxton
Brandeis University
Carol P. Harvey
Suffolk University
Assumption College, Professor Emerita
Goals
• To understand the different communication models used by different cultures in
the workplace today
• To learn more about direct versus indirect communication styles
• To investigate how individuals contribute to the workplace in terms of group
communication and conflict
• To understand the impact of different non-verbal communication styles among
different cultures in the workplace
• To be exposed to the benefits of intercultural communication in the workplace
Outline
I. Introduction
A. Communication between culturally diverse sub-groups is increasingly
dissimilar.
B. Technology has increased exposure to intercultural communication.
C. Basic communication model can be more complicated with cultural
diversity.
II. Communication Model
A. Intercultural communication impacts the basic communication model.
B. Different norms and values impact the possibility of miscommunications.
32. Understanding Intercultural Communications
III. Growth and Flexibility
A. Effective communication requires knowledge of cultures and personal
flexibility.
B. Generalizations may lead to inaccurate interpretations, conclusions,
and judgments.
C. Avoid assuming all members of a subgroup communicate in the same way.
IV. Languages
A. 79% of workers in the U.S. report speaking fluent English.
B. 9.1% report being limited in English proficiency.
C. 96% of Americans believe it is very important for the U.S. workforce
to speak English.
D. 25% of the U.S. workforce can hold a conversation in a language other
than English.
V. Direct and Indirect Communication Styles and American Sub-Cultures
A. Observe communication cues and behaviors.
B. Different styles of speech and language can cause anxiety when
interpreting messages.
C. People contribute in a greater capacity if they are comfortable with
their counterparts.
D. Communication styles are denied because people cannot cope with
difference.
VI. Maintaining Harmony and Emotionalism
A. People from different cultures deal with conflict differently.
B. Some cultures purposefully avoid conflict.
VII. Individual and Group Communication: Culture Context
A. The U.S. workforce is predominately low context.
B. The U.S. workforce is predominately individualistic.
32. Understanding Intercultural Communications
IV – 23
VIII. Non-Verbal Communication
A. Many people use non-verbal cues to better understand a message.
B. Most cultures use different non-verbal cues, based on their own
assumptions and values.
IX. Benefits of Intercultural Communication
A. Competency and sensitivity in intercultural communication create a
more productive workplace.
B. Businesses can capitalize on intercultural communication knowledge.
1. Diverse perspectives (e.g., decreased conflict, better understanding)
2. Competitive advantages (e.g., increased commerce)
Discussion Questions and Answers
1. What factors make it difficult for people to understand how differences in
intercultural communication styles can cause serious misunderstandings?
• Workers have been socialized to believe particular verbal and non-verbal
2. Why is it important to understand some of the general communication
tendencies of cultures or diverse groups?
32. Understanding Intercultural Communications
3. Briefly describe an example of an intercultural miscommunication exchange
that you have either participated in or observed in the workplace, at college, or
in a public place. How did the communicators exhibit some of the dimensions
described in this article? In retrospect, what could have been done differently to
improve the communication in terms of the sender, choice of medium, and the
receiver?
4. Develop an original example of an intercultural communication
misinterpretation in a job interview situation that could cause incorrect
assumptions to be made about an applicant’s potential suitability for a position.
may just be seeking more clarity, because s/he thinks that the interviewer isn’t
providing enough information.
Writing Assignment
Go to http://www.gmi.org and search for “The Ten Commandments of American
Culture.” This list contains ten sayings that represent commonly accepted
American cultural values.
Think about how these “American” values may not be as relevant to African
Americans, Hispanic Americans, or Asian Americans as they are to Euro–
Americans. Write a two- to three-page paper that analyzes how these could lead to
lack of motivation, poor productivity, and conflict in the workplace.
Diversity on the Web
Go to http://www.diversityinc.com and search for “Things Never to Say to American
Indian Coworkers” (Article #3621).
After reading this list and the blog that follows it, what have you learned about
communicating with Native Americans and about workplace communication?
You will have to register to use this website, but if you use your .edu address, there is no
charge and this is a very helpful workplace diversity website.
32. Understanding Intercultural Communications
Videos
1. Derek Sivers: Weird? Or just different
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K5SycZjGhI
a. Give an example of a situation when providing directions to complete a task
could be challenging to co-workers with different cultural backgrounds.
b. Give three examples of careers that could base the salary or pay on the
success rate of the individual, such as a doctor.
2. Cross Cultural Communication in a Global World
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TazlyjfVsio
a. Give two examples of simple tasks in the workplace that may be completely
unknown to a person from a different culture.
b. Do you agree that global travel is the only way to truly gain cultural
understanding, or can it be learned in a classroom?
33. Communicating with a Global Call Center Exercise
COMMUNICATING WTH A GLOBAL CALL CENTER EXERCISE
Carol P. Harvey
Assumption College
Goals
• To improve one’s ability to communicate with people from another culture
• To apply the concepts of intercultural communication in an interactive manner
• To practice mindful listening and negotiation skills
• To develop stronger listening skills
Instructions
Since communication patterns are learned and often highly influenced by cultural values
and patterns, it is important to teach students how to recognize and negotiate through
intercultural communication differences. While some students may study abroad, travel
extensively, and/or work in another country, in today’s global economy with the
proliferation of call centers, one does not have to leave home to have an intercultural
communication encounter. Because most students can relate to a frustrating call center
communication (or more likely miscommunication), this exercise provides an opportunity
to build intercultural awareness and listening skills.
One way to introduce this exercise is to ask for a show of hands on the following
question: “How many of you have had a frustrating call center conversation?” Then ask a
few of the students to briefly describe their exchange. Now ask the class, “For everyone
who raised their hand initially, how many of you knew where your phone call was
answered?” Most students will guess, but call center operators seldom identify their
locations. The following points correspond with the student instructions in the text and
provide guidelines developed from having run this assignment multiple times.
1. Form diverse teams of 4-5 students.
To minimize dysfunctional subgroups of friends, roommates, etc., it is best to
assign the students teams yourself.
2. Require written scripts.
It is important that the students first write a script, not just demonstrate an
unprepared intercultural conversation. Stress that writing is a process and the best
dialogues result from several revisions. There should not be any non-verbal cues
used in the conversation because this is a telephone communication and
participants would not be able to see each other. Often, students want to make
role plays humorous, but this exercise is better when it is a serious business
conversation.
33. Communicating with a Global Call Center Exercise
3. The debriefing involves the rest of the class as active learners.
Remind observers before the role plays begin that their job is to identify the
mismatches of styles in the conversations. It is the responsibility of the
presenting team to conduct this discussion.
4. The second conversation illustrates the team’s ability to conduct a mindful
intercultural communication.
This conversation corrects the previous miscommunications and resolves any
issues between the caller and the call center employee.
5. Conduct the wrap-up yourself.
Try to use examples from the presentations to illustrate how to recognize
intercultural communication elements to diagnose miscommunications and
improve negotiations. After reading your notes and the scripts, provide each
group with feedback using the attached assessment form.
6. Instruct student observers to complete the Call Center Assignment Feedback Form
on the following page for each group, for grading and assessment purposes.
Try to encourage observers to make specific feedback that refers to principles in the
Ruxton article.
Diversity on the Web
To see a global call center and intercultural verbal and non-verbal miscommunication
in action, go to http://ncb.com. In the search box, write “jolly vindaloo day.” Then,
click on the 10-14-10 episode. This will give you a short clip from the television
show Outsourced. Select and watch this video and provide specific examples of as
many verbal and non-verbal miscommunications that you hear and see.
33. Communicating with a Global Call Center Exercise
IV – 28
CALL CENTER ASSIGNMENT FEEDBACK FORM Group # _______
Situation:
Your evaluation of the 1st role play in terms of illustrating inter-cultural miscommunications. Did
the group clearly and creatively illustrate these elements in an understandable way?
Your evaluation of group-led class discussion. How well did the group questions get the class
involved in the dialogue?
Your evaluation of the 2nd role play. How well did the group illustrate adapting a conversation to
the listener’s style elements that can result in a more successful negotiation?
Your evaluation of the script. How well was the script written in terms of content, grammar, style,
and writing?
Group Grade _______
34. The Culture of the U.S. Air Force
IV – 29
THE CULTURE OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE
AND ITS IMPACT ON A MOBILE TRAINING TEAM CASE
Christopher C. Butts
K. Parks Consulting, Inc.
Elizabeth Sanz
University of Central Florida
Kizzy M. Parks
K. Parks Consulting, Inc.
Daniel P. McDonald
Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute
Goals
• To illustrate the economic, political, and security costs of inadequate cross-
cultural competence
• To illustrate the implications of stereotyping and group affiliation associated with
system justification
• To examine the reasons for and advantages of utilizing 3C cross-cultural
competency training
Case Synopsis
This case provides a true example of cross-cultural competence related incidents between
the U.S. Air Force and the Honduran military. The information presented in the case has
been updated and reflects justification of military systems in place to keep things status
quo. Due to the hierarchical organizational culture of the military, ethnocentric themes
present themselves during the case and allow for making recommendations that may or
may not already be adopted by the U.S. Air Force.
The military culture has benefited greatly by learning from such cases as this one and is a
leading force for cross-cultural competence allowing the success of commands located
worldwide. This case was one of many similar incidents faced by the U.S. military.
Policies were altered slowly, one incident at a time. Ethnic and cultural minorities in the
military are now being encouraged to provide recommendations for improvements in
future military programs involving cross-cultural interactions. Over time, younger, less-
senior, minority officers are encouraged to bring up potential issues that they perceived in
policies and requirements.
34. The Culture of the U.S. Air Force
Pedagogy
System Justification Theory and Cross Cultural Competency (3Cs) theories can be used
to approach the teaching and analysis of this case.
System Justification Theory – holds that individuals will support and defend the status
quo of the dominant unit. This dominant unit may be one of a social, economic, or
political affiliation, but the focus is on maintaining things the way they are, because that’s
the way they’ve been done (Jost, 2001). An example of this would be the program
manager’s desire to continue to choose the team members for this Mobile Training Unit
(MTT) in the manner he and others before him had done, rather than taking into
consideration the need for Spanish speakers.
System justification theory developed from efforts to expand on already established
research and concepts including the Marxian ideology, focusing on the justification of
inequality and exploitation (Jost & Banaji, 1994). The major belief of system justification
theory is that individuals will use ideas or stereotypes about groups to validate the way
things are, so the existing social, economic, or political arrangements are believed to be
appropriate (Jost, Banaji, & Nosek, 2004).
Often, the dominant unit is known as the established in-group. In–groups and out-groups
are usually in place due to the political, economic, or social structure. In the current case,
the original personnel selected for the mission were in-group members (non-Spanish
speaking Americans), and personal friends with those in charge of selecting members for
the second MTT deployment.
Research has demonstrated that members of the group low in standing tend to suppress
unfavorable behaviors or stereotypes of their own group and instead support those
behaviors or stereotypes of the successful out–group, exhibiting what is known as “out–
group favoritism” (Jost & Banaji, 1994; Sidanius, 1993). Existing institutions, policies,
procedures and their results are seen as fair and legitimate even if there is reason to
believe they are not (Tyler & McGraw, 1986). Despite the existence of out-group
(minority) members who were qualified to join the second deployment, no one prior to
First Lt. Sanchez questioned the selection procedures or policies in place that prevented
out-group members from being considered for the mission.
In addition, there is a bias for individuals to make decisions in favor of the status quo and
avoid decisions that may entail change. While individuals will stick with behaviors that
have worked in the past because they are familiar, they may fail to consider alternatives
(Silver & Mitchell, 1990). This was evident in the military program manager’s adherence
to tradition, and choosing to waste money on relocating and training a non-Spanish
speaker to learn basic language skills prior to deployment rather than utilizing the talent
and resources available in the Hispanic personnel.
34. The Culture of the U.S. Air Force
IV – 31
Lastly, according to system justification theory, there is a display of “outcome bias”
when evaluating other individuals and groups, demonstrating that successful people are
perceived as possessing attributes consistent with their success and unsuccessful people
are perceived as possessing attributes consistent with their failure (Allison, Mackie, &
Messick, 1996). System justification theory is demonstrated in the current case. The
military program manager used the justification of “that’s the way things have always
been done” to justify the selection of non-Spanish speaking personnel for the second
MTT mission, despite the potential of this decision to undermine the success of the
second deployment.
In the end, it was the decisions made by upper management (i.e., the Wing Commander)
to break with the traditional way of doing things, which prevented the waste of funds in
training existing American military members and ultimately led to the success of the
overall mission in South America.
Cross-Cultural Competence (3Cs) – This theoretical approach has a number of varying
definitions and models explaining the knowledge, skills, and awareness needed to
effectively operate in any global environment. The Department of Defense (2012) defines
3C as a
… set of culture-general knowledge, skills, abilities, and attributes
developed through education, training, and experience that provide
the ability to operate successfully within a culturally complex
environment (p.1).
The military has worked extensively to increase their efforts in investigating 3C and
implementing supporting practices and training. Previously, the military often sent
English-speaking Americans to language schools for six months to learn another
language, in order to send them to assignments overseas. After incidents such as the one
detailed in this case, those who already possessed the desired qualities (both language and
technical skills) were encouraged to apply for such positions.
There are differences of opinion among disciplines on what competencies constitute 3C.
Yet, there are three consistent competencies among the industry and military models: (1)
Cultural adaptability, (2) Cultural perspective taking, and (3) Interpersonal skills.
1. Cultural adaptability suggests a leader must have an understanding
of their own actions and have the ability to adjust their behaviors to
the task using the social and nonverbal cues to manage change and
achieve mission readiness (Johnston, Paris, McCoy, Severe, & Hughes, 2010;
Russell, et al., 2005).
2. Cultural perspective taking emphasizes the leaders’ aptitude to
understand the impact culture has on influencing an individuals’
self-perception and their perception of others, taking the other’s
point of view into consideration, and how one interprets their own
behavior (Johnston et al., 2010).
3. Interpersonal skills stress the significance of rapport building and
the effective management of interacting with others from a culture
different from one’s own (Johnston et al., 2010).
Postscript
Despite the initial resistance to include Spanish speakers in the MTT mission, upper level
leadership came to realize the benefit of including such individuals after the failure of the
initial mission. The success of the second training was evident and quickly garnered the
respect and praise of the military. This effort was recognized with awards and
commendations for Captain Anderson, who led the mission, and for the success of the
mission itself.
Eventually, communism was eliminated in Nicaragua and a democracy formed. First
Lieutenant Sanchez went on to request other missions and assignments that utilized his
language skills. Subsequent MTTs sent to the region also included Spanish-speaking U.S.
military members. Fortunately, due to efforts made by Sanchez and the other Spanish–
speaking MTT member, the lectures, reading materials, tests, and exams were all
translated into a format that allowed the Honduran military to fully understand the
training.
Today, the military is more culturally competent, and incidents such as this one are less
likely to occur. However, it is important to keep in mind the lessons learned from these
past experiences when moving forward in leading teams and organizations, particularly
when engaging with other cultures, nationalities, coalitions, multinationals, religions, etc.
It is not solely the ability to speak another language, but also the knowledge of the
customs and cultures in which one is interacting that leads to success in multinational
missions. The inclusion of native-speakers who are well versed in the values and customs
of a culture on this mission was essential in maintaining the peace between the U.S. and
Honduran military, as well as conveying the material in a manner that could be readily
utilized by the Hondurans.
34. The Culture of the U.S. Air Force
Conclusion
The importance of cross-cultural competence is just as vital for the success of the U.S.
military, as it is for business. Currently, the military operates in complex and uncertain
environments facing a diversity of threats and adversaries. To serve the American people
and protect enduring interests, there has been an increased focus on rebalancing
region/language specific skills and cross-cultural competence. Given such, there is a
concentrated effort to increase 3C research by industry and the military to ensure
continued mission success.
Discussion Questions and Answers
1. What are the major problems in this case in terms of cross national cooperation
and coordination?
Prior to the mission:
Related to the mission:
d) Insecurity of Honduran military in voicing concerns. Despite the previous failure
of the training due to language barriers and failures in communication, the
military, even at the expense of achieving the goals of the mission.
34. The Culture of the U.S. Air Force
2. Describe the international implications toward the United States in terms of
economical, political, and security concerns if this same scenario were taking
place with the Afghan military forces currently being trained.
a) The U.S. military needs to be culturally sensitive to the needs of the host
3. What lessons does this case teach that can be applied to any global organization?
a) Do not assume that your way is the only way or the right way. Seek the
problems.
b) When an organizational culture is very strong, it may be difficult for
c) Remember: “When you travel, remember that a foreign country is
not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own
of business; and check for cultural appropriateness.
4. Given the many U.S. military installations across the globe and the values of
structure, rank, and chain of command, what should be included in training for
cross-cultural competence?
Members should be trained on what is culturally appropriate with regards to both
speak informally to someone of higher rank/status, even in informal settings.
Bibliography
Our 21st century total force. Retrieved August 7, 2012 from
http:://www.defenseculture.org/Home/index.cfm
35. Fighting for Equal Opportunity: Women’s Changing Roles in the U.S. Military
IV – 36
FIGHTING FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
WOMEN’S CHANGING ROLES IN THE U.S. MILITARY
Joseph R. Bongiovi
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Goals
• To understand the challenges to women’s equality of opportunity in
organizations and particularly in traditionally masculine organizations
• To understand the role of women in the U.S. military, a substantial and
symbolic institution in our society, and how this role has changed over time
• To gain an appreciation for environmental and institutional factors that
shape the process of gender relations in the military, as well as in other
organizations
• To review factors that enhance or inhibit equality of opportunity for women
Outline
I. Introduction
A. Military has been a male dominated institution
B. Women’s roles in the military have expanded due to
1. Personnel needs
2. Changing social norms
3. Proven performance
C. Further expansion of women’s roles is inhibited by
1. Entrenched cultural biases
2. Male ambivalence towards sexual harassment and assault
3. Lack of access to high prestige and high profile combat jobs
35. Fighting for Equal Opportunity: Women’s Changing Roles in the U.S. Military
IV – 37
II. Theories on the Role of Gender in Organizations
A. Progress has been made both for and by women in U.S. society, but
1. Women lack equal representation in highest status positions
2. Women receive less than 80% of male pay on average
B. Diverse theories seeking to explain these conflicting experiences
1. “Legal–rational” organizations remove inefficient discrimination
2. Organizations themselves are inherently gendered
3. Labor market segregation
4. Role enactment
5. Sexual harassment and assault
6. “Hegemonic masculinity”
7. Deeply embedded and socially constructed aspects of U.S. society
C. It is likely that these mechanisms are present simultaneously
III. Growing Representation and Importance of Women in the U.S. Military
A. Early female service
1. Began on the eve of WWI
2. Growing to 350,000 in active service during WWII
3. Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 limited women to
no more than 2% of the military and rank no higher than Colonel
(Lieutenant Colonel on a permanent basis)
4. In the USSR, Israel, and other countries, women had broader roles
B. Expanded service for women in the armed forces
1. All-volunteer military in 1973
2. Admission to service academies in 1976
3. Participation reached 10% in 1985
4. Participation reached 15% in 2004
35. Fighting for Equal Opportunity: Women’s Changing Roles in the U.S. Military
IV – 38
IV. Mechanisms for Inclusion
A. Institutional and normative changes in society
1. The Equal Pay Act of 1963
2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
3. Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
B. After the end of conscription
1. August 1973: Army was 19%, Marine Corps 17%, below quota
2. Army increased eligible occupations from 139 to 436 (out of 484)
3. Army doubled the number of women
4. Air Force doubled the number of jobs available to women
5. Air Force increased from 7,000 in 1968 to 17,000 in 1973
6. November 1973: the military met enlistment goals
7. Separate Women’s Corps merged into regular military in 1978
C First Gulf War
1. Demonstrated effectiveness of women in the military
2. More than 40,000 women deployed to the Persian Gulf
3. Services open combat aviation positions to women in 1993
4. Occupations supporting ground combat units open in 1994
5. Congress allows women on surface combat ships in 1994
D. Women again demonstrate capabilities in Iraq and Afghanistan
1. Nature and duration of war required broader female engagement
2. More than 280,000 women participated in those wars
3. Women suffered at least 150 fatalities and 800 injuries
V. Continued Progress or a “Brass” Ceiling?
A. Women excluded from high prestige combat roles in many branches until
2013
1. In practice, many women are in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan
but don’t get “credit” for it
35. Fighting for Equal Opportunity: Women’s Changing Roles in the U.S. Military
2. Women serve in aviation, air defense, military police, engineering,
logistics, transport, and medical roles
3. Women are “attached” to civil engagement, engineering,
explosive disposal, medical, and military police teams on front
line Marine, Army, and Special Operations combat units
4. In CIA, female paramilitary operatives fight, kill, and die in
operations in Afghanistan and other combat locations
5. Women serve in all roles on Navy ships, aircraft and submarines
B. Women prohibited from being flag officers until the late 1960s
1. Female flag officers were not promoted until 1970
2. Only 11 female flag officers by 1994, none above two stars
3. By 2011, there were 71 female flag officers
4. By 2012, there were two female four star generals
5. Female flag officers from 1.2% in 1994 to 7.3% in 2011
C. In spite of all the progress, female rank attainment lags
1. Total female participation has stagnated at about 14.5%
2. Women have experienced only marginal improvement in rank
3. Females occupy lower ranks in greater percentages than males
4. Female junior non commissioned officers (NCOs) are only 78.2%
as likely as their male counterparts to become senior NCOs
5. Female company grade officers (Lieutenants and Captains) are
only 75.6% as likely as their male counterparts to become field
grade officers (Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, Colonels, and their
Navy equivalents)
6. Female field grade officers are only 55.2% as likely as their male
counterparts to become flag officers (Generals and Admirals)
VI. Mechanisms for Exclusion
A. Organizational culture of “hegemonic masculinity”
B. Sexual harassment and assault
35. Fighting for Equal Opportunity: Women’s Changing Roles in the U.S. Military
1. 21 to 23% female service members reported sexual
harassment in 2010
2. 2% of women and 38% of men indicate unit members can
get away with harassment and assault
3. Female harassment and assault rates in the military are
more than five times that in civilian workplaces in 2010
C. Women excluded from high prestige combat arms and special operations
until 2013
1. Women blocked from more than 220,000 positions
2. 34% of Army positions closed to women
3. 32% of Marine Corps positions closed to women
4. 12% of Navy positions closed to women
5. 1% of Air Force positions closed to women
6. Most closed positions comprised of high prestige and promotion
combat arms, special operations, and co-located positions
7. 19% of men but only 3% of women serve in combat arms
8. But 24% of women since 1990 deployed to combat zones
9. Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the
Services (DACOWITS) in 1989 recommended that women be
allowed into all military fields, including combat
10. Former flag officers authoring a 2011 Congressional report called
on the military to eliminate combat exclusion policies for women
and create a level playing field for all service members
11. End of automatic restriction for women in ground combat signed
by Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
in January 2013. Branches given until May 15 to submit
integration plan, as well as identify occupations that will continue
to be excluded.