Meaning Of Culture With Exercise On Cultural Differences And Cross Cultural Communication Training Ppt

Slide 1

This slide explains the meaning of culture.

Slide 2

This slide mentions the most common reasons for cultural differences, such as different communication styles, attitudes towards conflict, approaches to completing tasks, decision-making styles, attitudes towards disclosure, and different approaches to knowing.

Instructor’s Notes:

• Different communication styles: Communication styles vary widely between cultures. There are various aspects in which communication differs, out of which, one of the vital aspects is language usage. Across different cultures, different words and phrases are used in various ways. Taking an example, the meaning of the word "Yes" varies from 'definitely' to 'may be' or 'i'll consider' in different cultures. Another factor that should be given importance in communication style is non-verbal communication. It includes not only facial expressions or gestures, but many other factors like distance, space, etc.. Many other aspects of communication differ from culture to culture, so understanding the cultural differences and accepting them is the best way to avoid miscommunication 
• Different attitude towards conflict: Different people have different attitudes toward the situation of a conflict. Some cultures view it as positive, while others view it as something to be avoided. For Example, in the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable; but people are encouraged to deal directly with disputes that arise. In fact, they prefer face-to-face meetings to work out the existing issues. Whereas in the Eastern countries, conflict is experienced as embarrassing or demeaning, and the differences are best worked out quietly. They think that a written exchange is a favored means to address the conflict
• Different approaches in completing tasks: People from different cultures choose different ways of completing their tasks. Such differences might be due to varying perspectives about work or relationship building, different mindsets, patterns, and varied ideas about tasks allocated. For example, the Asian and Hispanic cultures attach more value to establishing relationships within a team at the very beginning of the project and then focusing entirely on the completion of the task till the end.  On the other hand, European-Americans prioritize work initially and let relationships develop during the tenure of the task. This does not reflect non-seriousness towards the job from people belonging to any one of these cultural backgrounds or valuing relationships more or less; it simply means that they may have different ways and priorities
• Different decision-making styles: The decision-making criteria vary widely across different cultures. For example, North Americans delegate the decisions frequently, meaning an official passes the responsibility for some matter to a subordinate. Whereas the Southern European and Latin American countries place a strong value on taking decision oneself. The organization should always know that the individual's expectations about their role shapes the decision, which its culture might highly influence
• Different attitude towards disclosure: While dealing with a conflict, an individual should be mindful that people differ in the comfort regarding disclosure. Not every person who is a part of a conflict feels comfortable revealing or discussing it. Questions that one person feels comfortable asking might be intrusive to others. So, attitude towards disclosure is also something to be considered along with other factors

Slide 3 to 5

This slide illustrates a case study on cross-cultural communication.