No matter where we live, we are all citizens in a global world living global lives. As businesses continue to expand beyond their home cities and countries, there will be increased interactions among people who are culturally different. This is true even within businesses that have not developed an international presence. The workplace is becoming more diverse with our clients, colleagues, and business associates, and, of course, the people in our training sessions representing a variety of countries and cultures.
Cultural awareness and adaptation are critical in today's global environment. To be an effective trainer, you will need to learn about cultural differences and be able to adapt accordingly.
We are familiar with the word culture, but what does it mean within the context of workplace learning and development? Simply put, culture is based on common experiences, norms, values, attitudes, and behaviors. Sometimes these qualifiers are obvious like language, customs, and dress, but more often than not, they are subtle such as the nuances of facial expressions and body language which we discuss later in this chapter. To further understand culture, we need to take a closer look at the dimensions that are the bases of cultural differences and often misunderstandings.
As a result of his groundbreaking study between 1967 and 1973, Professor Geert Hofstede identified four dimensions of national culture. Let's take a look at three of those dimensions in detail and how those cultural variations impact people's behavior. You will also see how the various cultural dimensions can impact the way in which you might interact with participants from various cultures.
Individualism–collectivism refers to the degree to which a culture relies on self or the group. Individualistic cultures stress self-reliance and personal achievement. People are encouraged to be unique, to stand out, and to express themselves. Individualistic cultures include countries in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
In collectivistic cultures such as countries in Asia, South America, India, and the Middle East, one's identity is associated with the group. The common good is more important than individual rights. Cooperation and interdependence are very important. In a training situation, people from collectivistic cultures will like working in groups and arriving at decisions through consensus. You can expect that they will not speak up in the large group but will become more animated and participative in small-group situations.
Power distance is the extent to which differentials of power are expected and accepted. For example, in a high power distance culture learners would defer to the trainer as the authority figure and expect him or her to have all the answers; therefore, make your status and expertise known. They expect a more instructor-centered design with clear goals and structure. Participants are very conscious of status and, therefore, senior-level people will dominate the discussion. High power distance cultures include many Asian, Latin, and Arab countries.
On the other hand, in low power distance countries such as Canada, Australia, the United States, Great Britain, Israel, and Scandinavia, learners and trainers are regarded as more equal. Learners are at ease challenging the trainer and asking questions. They also expect to learn from each other and appreciate a participant-centered design.
Uncertainty avoidance refers to how much ambiguity a culture is comfortable with. Uncertainty avoiding cultures are not comfortable with unstructured situations. Learners in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance index scores such as Guatemala, Greece, Japan, Germany, and Argentina, just to name a few, would expect trainers to give explicit instructions for assignments and classroom activities. They would not be comfortable with unstructured situations.
On the other hand, those from low uncertainty avoidance cultures such as Northern Europe, Australia, and North America, appreciate flexibility and informality.
At this point, you may be asking yourself, “So, why should I care? What do these dimensions have to do with my role as a trainer?” Cultural dimensions heavily influence the way people learn and the way they work with others. The more culturally intelligent you are, the more effective you will be in connecting with your audiences. Simply put, cultural intelligence is being able to interact effectively with people whose cultures are different from yours. According to David C. Thomas and Kerr Inkson (2003), authors of Cultural Intelligence: Living and Working Globally, there are three components of cultural intelligence: knowledge, mindfulness, and behavior.
To become more culturally intelligent, begin with self-awareness and self-assessment. According to Thomas and Inkson (2003), there are five cultural intelligence development stages. Review the brief descriptions of the following stages and decide which stage applies to you.
Another way to help you identify your level of cultural intelligence is to respond to the “Cultural Awareness Self-Assessment” (Exhibit 13.1).
How did you do? Once you have identified areas where you need to improve, then you are ready to take action to become more culturally intelligent. Learn about other cultures: attend ethnic festivals; try different foods from around the world; attend other religions' worship services; talk to people from other cultures and ask them questions about their culture; and research and read about other cultures on the Internet and in books. A great book reference is Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, second edition by Terri Morrison and Wayne Conaway (2006), profiling more than 70 countries. The authors also have published three separate regional books focusing on Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Another good resource to help you become more knowledgeable is the Multicultural Calendar that gives dates and descriptions of the world's religions and cultural festivals as well as descriptions of various religions. The calendar is available in wall, desktop, and electronic formats. Of course, one of the best ways to learn about other cultures is to visit various countries and interact with the people.
In addition to Hofstede's cultural dimensions, we also need to be aware of context and how it impacts verbal and nonverbal communication across cultures. Anthropologist Edward T. Hall's theory of high-context and low-context cultures help us to understand how much communication is impacted by culture. Context refers to the situation, background, circumstances, or environment associated with an event or an individual.
Communication in low-context countries is very direct and informal. It relies on the literal and precise meaning of words. People in low-context cultures rely on facts and value logic and directness. People in low-context countries include those in North America and much of Western Europe. Their communications are concise and straightforward using precise words they expect to be taken literally.
High-context cultures rely on both verbal and nonverbal communication to convey the meaning of the message. As a trainer, you must have good listening and observing skills to understand what the communicator really means. For example, in a high-context culture, the speaker's tone of voice, facial expression, posture, and even the person's background and family all contribute to the meaning of the message. Communication tends to be indirect and formal with flowery language. High-context countries are those in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. People in these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships and the importance of trust.
Think about the different ways in which people from various cultures communicate both verbally and nonverbally, so that you can prevent communication miscues. For example, you may interpret head nodding to mean that the participant is agreeing with what you are saying. In some cultures, however, nodding one's head is only an indication that the person is listening and is also encouraging the speaker to continue. In U.S. culture, people often make negative judgments about those who do not engage in direct eye contact. Once again, other cultures view direct eye contact as challenging or disrespectful. It is important that you not misinterpret a participant's behavior that may be culturally based.
Nonverbal communication includes but is not limited to touch, glance, eye contact, volume, proximity, gestures, facial expressions, posture, sounds, dress, and appearance. It is important for you to understand the nuances of nonverbal communication because often nonverbal differences can account for misunderstandings and difficulties in communicating in multicultural settings. To gain a better understanding of nonverbal differences, let's take a look at a few specific examples.
Touch can apply to other situations as well. For example, in Islamic and Hindu cultures, it is offensive to touch with the left hand because the left hand is used for toilet functions. Many Asian cultures do not touch the head because the head is the entrance to the soul. Islamic cultures do not approve of touching between genders but consider touching between people of the same gender to be appropriate.
Keep in mind that the language in which you are conducting your training may not be the primary language for everyone in the classroom. Often a direct translation of a work or phrase from one language to another can cause confusion. For example, the French word for “ask” is close to the English word for “demand.” Think about this potential problem. The French person may be “asking” but the English speaker interprets this to mean “demanding.” Even for those who share a common language such as North Americans and the British, there can be a vast difference in meanings. In American English, the word “boot” refers to footwear; in British English, it means the trunk of a car. “Holiday” in British English is the same as “vacation” in American English. Some words may have the same definition but may have different connotations. In the United States, an assertive person takes charge and takes risks. In Japan, an assertive person is very businesslike and not easily upset. Sometimes words or phrases mean the opposite. Because collectivistic cultures stress harmony and cooperation, a person is likely to respond “I will try” when he or she really means “no.”
There are other verbal considerations as well. Be very careful not to use regional sayings, idioms, or metaphors that are peculiar to a particular culture or country. Also, humor does not translate well from culture to culture. While we are on the subject of verbal communication, you should be aware of when you should or should not address participants by their first names. Speaking of names, make sure you know how to pronounce the participants' names correctly.
Learning about your participants also includes learning how to pronounce their names and addressing them correctly during the session.
Keep in mind that in many cultures, the approach to learning is very traditional. The trainer is regarded as an authority figure as noted in the earlier discussion of power distance. Participants are expected to assume a passive role, with the trainer delivering content in a very structured and rigid manner. As a result, some people may be uncomfortable with the participative and interactive approach to learning. These participants may need a little more nudging and encouragement to help increase their comfort level with the learning process. Cooperative learning techniques such as asking them to discuss a question or problem in pairs or small groups are effective ways of involving those who are not accustomed to interactive learning.
The following tips will help ensure that your content, methodologies, materials, and training style are appropriate for your intended audience.
In today's global marketplace, effective trainers will need to have extensive knowledge of cultural differences and be able to adapt accordingly. Your ability to acquire global people skills is essential to your success as a workplace learning and development professional.
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