Tags |
|
|
Links |
|
|
Suggest You - Towards Intercultural Understanding
Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message is ever just words or rational thoughts. Every interchange between you and another person has and takes place at the following three intimately related levels, or dimensions, of being: emotional, physical, and rational. Any attempt to communicate will succeed if all of these dimensions are adhered to. Knowledge of this three-dimensional nature is the foundation of training. You can’t get much closer to real understanding without these realizations.This knowledge is the basis for the use of practically any training device or medium you can name. For example, knowledge of the existence of and need for rational content is the elemental basis for outlining that attempt and understanding the various ways of doing so. Similarly, knowledge of the existence of and need for physical content is the basis and reason for the use of any form of audio-visual aid, graphics, illustrations, or other sensory communicative device. Finally, an underlying grasp of the existence of and
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is se
Okay, I made my first year of network marketing and now I’m sat back on the beach counting my piles of cash. I don’t have to worry about going out to work and I’m waiting to move into my mansion.Now lets get back to reality! I have in fact made it to the end of my first network marketing year, but I am not counting the piles of cash, nor moving into a mansion. But you know what? I know why.Like most people that start a home business, they don’t actually do anything. That may sound surprising to you, but there is a 90% failure rate in network marketing. I found that out after I joined a network marketing company by the way. A little research into the subject and I’ve found out why.If you think about starting a traditional business, you will need premises, staff, fuel, heating, insurance and other essentials such as book keeping and of course, tax liabilities. If you start that, how motivated are you to make sure it works? How much research do you do first to make sure you are doing the right thing?You can start a
The widely known work of Milton Bennett helps to elucidate the process of adaptation to a new culture. In his work, Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, 1993, he describes six main stages in the development of intercultural sensitivity:
1. denial
2. defensiveness
3. minimization
4. acceptance
5. adaptation
6. integration
I want to revisit these six stages and discuss them as they relate to the potential problems of people working in intercultural environments.
The denial stage refers to an individual’s inability to even notice cultural differences. I witnessed this once when a middle-aged Saudi man studying in the UK complained to me that his English teacher was treating him like a ‘donkey’. I was very puzzled by this because I knew the teacher concerned was very polite with the students and showed great respect to those who were older. After some ferreting around I discovered that the teacher was in the habit of saying ‘sh’ when the students were talking too much. Apparently such a noise is used for donkeys in Saudi Arabia. Why, I wondered, had the Saudi man not noticed that the streets of London were free entirely of donkeys?
Looking at the incident now, I can see that he was clinging to his own cultural norms like a life raft in the uncertain seas he was currently experiencing: a world where young women were allowed to teach older men, where his host family did not have a separate part of the house for the women and children, where he couldn’t eat freely because even pastry for a dessert might contain pork fat . He was totally disoriented and could not tell if he was being insulted or not. He had gone into a kind of cultural default mode.
I fell into the denial trap myself too. In my first experience of working in France, I blithely scheduled the period immediately after noon to make local telephone calls, just as I used to do in London, where lunch was often just a quick sandwich break at around 1pm. In a Homer Simpson-like moment of recognition, it dawned on me that this was the sacred French lunch break and, of course, nobody was ever in their office. I had tried to salvage a little of my old, familiar routine in order to feel more comfortable with the working day and was in denial about this great French tradition. I really didn’t want to see that the French could abandon between two or three hours in the middle of the day to non-work activity.
The point here is that it’s not sufficient to know about differences on an abstract level, we need to experience them to recognize them, and this transitional period takes time. But it also requires a willingness ‘to see’. If we feel more secure by keeping on the blinkers we will never be able to accept or be accepted in the new environment.
The defensive stage occurs after such recognition and is a reflection of just how disturbing it is when we see how alien the host culture is. We need to cling to a concept of what is normal and so we perceive the new culture as skewed. Our own way of doing things is automatically better and right. And it is often counter intuitive. I confess again. I was in the habit of treating my French secretary as an equal. I would ask her so politely to do things ‘if she had time’, if she wouldn’t mind’. She did nothing. In France, you give a subordinate an order otherwise it is not interpreted as requiring action. I resisted this for ages. How abrupt, how rude, I thought. How much more civilized to be egalitarian and indirect like the British.
Clearly this position is going to cause difficulty if it results in confrontations between us and our co-workers. As the outsider, we will be seen as arrogant at best, perhaps stupid and na?ve at worst, and people will sense that we do not respect or trust their way of doing things. Yet even so, this stage is a step forward. We do at least know that the differences exist and we now need to build bridges so that we look for what works best in the given situation.
The stage of minimization can be seen as a means of overcoming our defensiveness. In order to cope with the differences, we try to minimize their significance and concentrate instead on the common values and needs that humanity shares. While this stage is likely to see us developing tolerance of diversity, it may also mean that we fail to recognize the importance of cultural difference. Cultural identity is deeply embedded in our psyches and, however much we have similar fundamental needs, we also have crucial differences that make each of us unique. In the shifting balance of cultural awareness, we may need at this stage to think more deeply about our own cultural norms so as to be able to compare them with the culture we are in and reaffirm the significance of each.
A very simple example of this was how I had to overcome my attempts to make my French neighbours and friends participate in stand-up, buffet-style lunches. Oh yes, in France many of the differences concern attitudes to food. It wasn’t sufficient just to put on a good spread and supply some fine wine in the hope that people would walk around with a plate and glass in their hands—the French take food seriously and they want everyone to be seated and to pay proper respect to a meal. Difficult, yes, if you’re a bit short of chairs and you really want people to mingle, but in the end, you can’t beat them.
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is se
Is cash a little bit tight? Have you ever risked missing payroll? Have you ever had to pass up an opportunity because you did not have enough money? If so, you are not alone. Every business owner goes through those same challenges every day. Some come out on top. Others perish.What is the biggest difference between those that succeed and those that perish? Cash flow. And plenty of it.If you work with commercial or government clients, then you are already used to waiting up to 60 days to get paid by your clients. That is ok if your business has lots of resources and a stash of cash in the bank. But what if you don’t?One of the most frustrating things that can happen to a business owner is realizing that his company is invoice rich and cash poor. Meaning, you have tons of money owed to you by clients (and payable in 60 days) but little cash to show for it. This does nothing for you, if you need to meet payroll in 3 days or need money to buy supplies for a new project. Fortunately, there is an easy way to turn those invoices into
Looking at the incident now, I can see that he was clinging to his own cultural norms like a life raft in the uncertain seas he was currently experiencing: a world where young women were allowed to teach older men, where his host family did not have a separate part of the house for the women and children, where he couldn’t eat freely because even pastry for a dessert might contain pork fat . He was totally disoriented and could not tell if he was being insulted or not. He had gone into a kind of cultural default mode.
I fell into the denial trap myself too. In my first experience of working in France, I blithely scheduled the period immediately after noon to make local telephone calls, just as I used to do in London, where lunch was often just a quick sandwich break at around 1pm. In a Homer Simpson-like moment of recognition, it dawned on me that this was the sacred French lunch break and, of course, nobody was ever in their office. I had tried to salvage a little of my old, familiar routine in order to feel more comfortable with the working day and was in denial about this great French tradition. I really didn’t want to see that the French could abandon between two or three hours in the middle of the day to non-work activity.
The point here is that it’s not sufficient to know about differences on an abstract level, we need to experience them to recognize them, and this transitional period takes time. But it also requires a willingness ‘to see’. If we feel more secure by keeping on the blinkers we will never be able to accept or be accepted in the new environment.
The defensive stage occurs after such recognition and is a reflection of just how disturbing it is when we see how alien the host culture is. We need to cling to a concept of what is normal and so we perceive the new culture as skewed. Our own way of doing things is automatically better and right. And it is often counter intuitive. I confess again. I was in the habit of treating my French secretary as an equal. I would ask her so politely to do things ‘if she had time’, if she wouldn’t mind’. She did nothing. In France, you give a subordinate an order otherwise it is not interpreted as requiring action. I resisted this for ages. How abrupt, how rude, I thought. How much more civilized to be egalitarian and indirect like the British.
Clearly this position is going to cause difficulty if it results in confrontations between us and our co-workers. As the outsider, we will be seen as arrogant at best, perhaps stupid and na?ve at worst, and people will sense that we do not respect or trust their way of doing things. Yet even so, this stage is a step forward. We do at least know that the differences exist and we now need to build bridges so that we look for what works best in the given situation.
The stage of minimization can be seen as a means of overcoming our defensiveness. In order to cope with the differences, we try to minimize their significance and concentrate instead on the common values and needs that humanity shares. While this stage is likely to see us developing tolerance of diversity, it may also mean that we fail to recognize the importance of cultural difference. Cultural identity is deeply embedded in our psyches and, however much we have similar fundamental needs, we also have crucial differences that make each of us unique. In the shifting balance of cultural awareness, we may need at this stage to think more deeply about our own cultural norms so as to be able to compare them with the culture we are in and reaffirm the significance of each.
A very simple example of this was how I had to overcome my attempts to make my French neighbours and friends participate in stand-up, buffet-style lunches. Oh yes, in France many of the differences concern attitudes to food. It wasn’t sufficient just to put on a good spread and supply some fine wine in the hope that people would walk around with a plate and glass in their hands—the French take food seriously and they want everyone to be seated and to pay proper respect to a meal. Difficult, yes, if you’re a bit short of chairs and you really want people to mingle, but in the end, you can’t beat them.
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is se
Procurement consulting can be done on the Internet and many other companies provide consultation services for a fee. These consultants are usually experts in economics or related fields that can study, understand, and even predict the market trends. This makes them useful in the long term because they are capable of cutting costs for the company by providing legal and financial advice.Buyers can wait for prices to go down or they can predict the prices, thus reducing the investment. This prediction needs to be accurate in order to have any effect on the cost of the commodity. Sometimes big companies and amateur entrepreneurs find it hard to predict prices, and consultants are hired in order to cut down the costs incurred due to procurement.These consultants are usually experienced in all phases of purchasing and procurement consulting and focus on understanding the cost of the commodities that mostly drive the price of their supplies. This knowledge helps the buyer to negotiate prices and quality in order to bring down the cost.
The point here is that it’s not sufficient to know about differences on an abstract level, we need to experience them to recognize them, and this transitional period takes time. But it also requires a willingness ‘to see’. If we feel more secure by keeping on the blinkers we will never be able to accept or be accepted in the new environment.
The defensive stage occurs after such recognition and is a reflection of just how disturbing it is when we see how alien the host culture is. We need to cling to a concept of what is normal and so we perceive the new culture as skewed. Our own way of doing things is automatically better and right. And it is often counter intuitive. I confess again. I was in the habit of treating my French secretary as an equal. I would ask her so politely to do things ‘if she had time’, if she wouldn’t mind’. She did nothing. In France, you give a subordinate an order otherwise it is not interpreted as requiring action. I resisted this for ages. How abrupt, how rude, I thought. How much more civilized to be egalitarian and indirect like the British.
Clearly this position is going to cause difficulty if it results in confrontations between us and our co-workers. As the outsider, we will be seen as arrogant at best, perhaps stupid and na?ve at worst, and people will sense that we do not respect or trust their way of doing things. Yet even so, this stage is a step forward. We do at least know that the differences exist and we now need to build bridges so that we look for what works best in the given situation.
The stage of minimization can be seen as a means of overcoming our defensiveness. In order to cope with the differences, we try to minimize their significance and concentrate instead on the common values and needs that humanity shares. While this stage is likely to see us developing tolerance of diversity, it may also mean that we fail to recognize the importance of cultural difference. Cultural identity is deeply embedded in our psyches and, however much we have similar fundamental needs, we also have crucial differences that make each of us unique. In the shifting balance of cultural awareness, we may need at this stage to think more deeply about our own cultural norms so as to be able to compare them with the culture we are in and reaffirm the significance of each.
A very simple example of this was how I had to overcome my attempts to make my French neighbours and friends participate in stand-up, buffet-style lunches. Oh yes, in France many of the differences concern attitudes to food. It wasn’t sufficient just to put on a good spread and supply some fine wine in the hope that people would walk around with a plate and glass in their hands—the French take food seriously and they want everyone to be seated and to pay proper respect to a meal. Difficult, yes, if you’re a bit short of chairs and you really want people to mingle, but in the end, you can’t beat them.
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is se
Plan your financial future after college, through your twenties and beyond.A new car is the first purchase most college graduates want to make directly after graduation. You may ask yourself, what is the matter with being rewarded with something nice after completing such a hard task that you have been working towards your whole life? Depending on what your entry-level job pays; it would be wise to spend accordingly with your available income. Many graduates think they are getting better paying jobs than they actually get after college, so they purchase a vehicle way out of their price range. “I know when I graduate in December, it will be nice to get a new car, but I know there will be student loans and other living expenses to pay off first,” says Jayne Santucci, a senior at Florida Atlantic University. “When recent college graduates get their first job, they see their co-workers with brand new cars, so they think they should get one also, not knowing the co-workers experience and salary,” Santucci adds.If you are going into a caree
The stage of minimization can be seen as a means of overcoming our defensiveness. In order to cope with the differences, we try to minimize their significance and concentrate instead on the common values and needs that humanity shares. While this stage is likely to see us developing tolerance of diversity, it may also mean that we fail to recognize the importance of cultural difference. Cultural identity is deeply embedded in our psyches and, however much we have similar fundamental needs, we also have crucial differences that make each of us unique. In the shifting balance of cultural awareness, we may need at this stage to think more deeply about our own cultural norms so as to be able to compare them with the culture we are in and reaffirm the significance of each.
A very simple example of this was how I had to overcome my attempts to make my French neighbours and friends participate in stand-up, buffet-style lunches. Oh yes, in France many of the differences concern attitudes to food. It wasn’t sufficient just to put on a good spread and supply some fine wine in the hope that people would walk around with a plate and glass in their hands—the French take food seriously and they want everyone to be seated and to pay proper respect to a meal. Difficult, yes, if you’re a bit short of chairs and you really want people to mingle, but in the end, you can’t beat them.
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is se
What is a business consultant, why would you need to hire one? and how can you choose the one that’s right for your business?These are important business questions and we can lead you through this commercial mine field without becoming a victim and getting a business consultant who will be a valuable asset to your business.What is a Business Consultant?Generally a business consultant is someone who has worked for many years in a particular field, knows the business inside out, has innumerable contacts, and has become a coach rather than a player.He may have his own business, he may not. He may be semi-retired. If he is real, he can save your thousands of hours of learning, help you avoid mistakes, and lead you correctly to your goal.Why do you Need to Hire One?No matter how good you are in business, you can’t know it all, and can’t do it all. When you have a new business in mind, or some new targets, or some activity within your business for which you are not competent, you often need a business consultant
When we can truly accept cultural difference we no longer judge different behaviour patterns as better or worse than our own, but realize that differences are an inherent feature of our complex world. We understand that other people have good reasons for their behaviour, even if we don’t like the way they do things. At this stage we are also ready to see that our own behaviour will seem strange to some groups too. Acceptance is the phase when we also begin to see the advantages of difference. We can broaden our perspectives, deepen our understanding so as to move to the stage of adaptation.
By adapting to the new culture we can start to see things from a different point of view. No longer do we stand outside and look in. We now realize that there are many ways of operating, and that no single solution exists to a problem. We have reached a stage when we can build useful bridges between groups to help resolve conflicts and difficulties. We can start thinking more creatively and genuinely forge new behaviours that both parties across a cultural divide can accept.
At all stages of developing intercultural understanding we can meet obstacles. At the point of adaptation we can fall into a sense of real cultural confusion. If we operate equally well in more than one culture, we may have sense of cultural confusion and identity crisis. This is seen often in second generation immigrants who have been brought up in two cultures but don’t feel fully integrated into either.
If we can successfully take the process of adaptation even further, we can integrate fully into another culture, still moving easily between cultures without losing our own sense of identity. Yet even cultural integration, a stage that is probably not necessary for most people who work internationally rather than settle permanently, is not without its difficulties—others may be suspicious of us, fearing that we don’t really have an allegiance to any one culture. A British politician once famously raised the question of British immigrants: yes, they are British but which cricket team so they support?
Embarking on an overseas posting is both exciting and daunting but companies need to be aware of these learning stages and their complexity. They need to give people sufficient time to work through each phase and, of course, equip them with adequate knowledge to raise their awareness of the pitfalls before they leave. The stakes are high. Failure to handle the intercultural issues properly can lead to major breakdowns in communication with resulting deterioration in performance.
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.suggestyou.com/article/23889/suggestyou-Towards-Intercultural-Understanding.html">Towards Intercultural Understanding</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.suggestyou.com/article/23889/suggestyou-Towards-Intercultural-Understanding.html]Towards Intercultural Understanding[/url]
Related Articles:
Want to Buy a Franchise; Initial Franchise Fees and What They Mean?
Employees Need Some Perspective
Bookmark it:
|