Komunikacja 3

Barriers in intercultural communication

Language (spoken language and body language; alphabet)  Value of Time  Negative Stereotypes and Prejudices  Feelings, emotions, sense of humor  Level of Context  Different values/ norms/ habits/ tradition

Barriers in intercultural communication

Historical experiences  Differences in the level of education  Law and legal system  Appearance

Theoretical view on intercultural communication:

- EDWARD HALL - GEERT HOFSTEDE

EDWARD HALL High context cultures:

High context cultures: The right interpretation of non-verbal elements are crucial for successful communication (inter alia: politness’ formulas, customs, facial expressions, gestures)

EDWARD HALL Low context cultures:

Low context cultures: Verbal elements of communication are the most important (concentration on spoken language

EDWARD HALL

High context cultures -Far East -Arab World -Mediterranean countries -Sub-Saharan Africa -Latin America -Eastern Europe -Australia -North America (USA, Canada) -Scandinavia -Germany -Switzerland Low context cultures

GEERT HOFSTEDE Dimensions of culture:

Dimensions of culture: Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty avoidance

Power Distance Index Hofstede’s Power distance Index measures the extent to which the less powerful members of organizations and institutions (like the family) accept and expect that power is distributed unequally.

This represents inequality (more versus less), but defined from below, not from above. It suggests that a society’s level of inequality is endorsed by the followers as much as by the leaders.

LOW POWER DISTANCE

Inequalities between people should be reduced Parents treat children as partners Children treat parents as partners At school, teachers expect students’ initiative

LOW POWER DISTANCE

People with higher education represent less authoritarian values than people with lower education Decentralization is desirable Slight differences in wages between people occupying high and low positions

LOW POWER DISTANCE

Subordinates expect that superiors will conduct consultations with them during decision making process The perfect supervisor is a professional democrat

HIGH POWER DISTANCE

Inequalities between people are justified and desirable Parents instill obedience in children Children treat parents with respectAt school, initiative belongs to teachers

HIGH POWER DISTANCE

People with higher and lower education represent strongly an authoritarian views Strong centralization Huge differences in wages exist between people occupying high and low positions

HIGH POWER DISTANCE

Subordinates expect instructions from superiors The perfect supervisor is a generous autocrat or a benevolent daddy

LOW POWER DISTANCE

Austria (11) Israel (13) Denmark(18)New Zealand (22) Ireland (28)

HIGH POWER DISTANCE

Malaysia (100) Slovakia (100) Panama (95) Guatemala (95) Philippines (94)

Individualism Index

Individualism is the one side versus its opposite, collectivism, that is the degree to which individuals are integrated into groups.

On the individualist side we find societies in which the ties between individuals are loose: everyone is expected to look after him/herself and his/her immediate family.

On the collectivist side, we find societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyal

CULTURE

CULTURE

CULTURE

CULTURE

Masculinity Index

Masculinity versus its opposite, femininity refers to the distribution of roles between the genders which is another fundamental issue for any society to which a range of solutions are found.

The IBM studies revealed that (a) women’s values differ less among societies than men’s values; (b) men’s values from one country to another contain a dimension from very assertive and competitive and maximally different from women’s values

maximally different from women’s values on the one side, to modest and caring and similar to women’s values on the other. The assertive pole has been called ‘masculine’ and the modest, caring pole ‘feminine’.

MASCULINITY

FEMININITY

MASCULINITY

FEMININITY

Uncertainty avoidance Index

Uncertainty avoidance deals with a society’s tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity; it ultimately refers to man’s search for Truth.

It indicates to what extent a culture programs its members to feel either uncomfortable or comfortable in unstructured situations. Unstructured situations are novel, unknown, surprising, and different from usual.

Uncertainty avoiding cultures try to minimize the possibility of such situations by strict laws and rules, safety and security measures, and on the philosophical and religious level by a belief in absolute Truth; there can only be one Truth and we have it

HIGH LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

“Other” means dangerous Students expect unambiguous answers for questions Uncertainty in life is dangerous and we are obliged to fight with this Factors of motivation: security and affiliation A lot of detailed rules and norms

HIGH LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

A lot of detailed rules and norms Public protests should be suppressed Conservatism

LOW LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE “Other” means interesting Students expect discussions and open approach to courses Uncertainty is natural part of life Factors of motivation: achievements and appreciation

Just few general rules and norms Public protests are accepted Tolerance

HIGH LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE

LOW LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE