DIMENSIONS

OF
CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

DIMENSIONS OF CULTURE
The cultural factors that affect a
situation Languag
es
(Similar
values &
beliefs)
verbal
physica
l

nonverbal

Psychologic
al

content
Environment
Natural
Man-made

Human behavior
knowledge Belief
system

Process
es
Encoding
Decoding

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Physical- (Artifacts)
Manner of dress
Awards
Myths and stories told about the
organization
Published lists of values
Rituals and ceremonies
Special parking spaces
Decorations etc.

Psychological- (value
systems)
Values are
Concepts or beliefs
Pertain to desirable end-states or behavior
Transcend (cut above) situations
Guide selection or evaluation of behavior and
events
Ordered by relative importance
Espoused values- represent the explicitly stated
values and norms that are preferred by an
organization. They are generally established by
the founder of a new or small company and by the
top management team in a larger organization.

J.M.Smucker- No. 1 Co. (America) in2003

according to Fortune- 107-year-old family-run
business headed by co-CEOs Tim and
Richard Smucker.
The brothers encouraged the employees to
adhere to the value systems advocated by
their father- Paul Smucker
Listen with your full attention, look for
the good in others,, have a sense of
humour, and say thank you for a job well
done.

Enacted values
Enacted values represent the value
and norms that actually are exhibited
or converted into employee behavior.
It is essential to reduce the gap
between the espoused values
and the enacted values.

HOFSTEDES MODEL OF
CROSS-CULTURE
COMMUNICATION

CULTURAL ICEBERG
Environment

behaviors

language

nonverbal
religion

ethnic

Business
philosophy

perceptions
norms
stereotype
s

rules

Subculture
s
subgroups

THE CULTURAL FACTORSHOFSTEDE MODEL

Individualism vs. collectivism

Conflict management
Power distance
Polychronic vs. monochronic
Work centrality
High / low context communication
Uncertainty avoidance

Individualism vs.
collectivism
Individualism refers to the attitude of
valuing ourselves as separate
individuals with responsibility for our
own destinies and our own actions.
Proponents of individualism believe
that self interest is an appropriate goal.
Collectivism emphasizes common
interests, conformity, cooperation and
interdependence.

 When someone tends towards the collectivist end

of the continuum, they consider individual choice
as less important than the group and social
obligations.
Leaning towards individualistic end- individual
rights are very important.
Countries- collectivist- China, Japan, India,
Nigeria, Cameroon, Puerto Rico responsibility,
honesty, politeness, respect for elders and
family, and looking to the society for the
values to embrace.
Individualist Germans, Europeans, Americans
and Dutch ----- self-maximization,
independence, creativity, assertiveness,
self-esteem and education.

Individualism
Well known phrases of parents to
children Do your own things.
Youd better look out for yourself; no
one else will.

POWER DISTANCE

Power distance
The power distance index is
concerned with inequality within a
society and how the country
distinguishes between inequalities.
The inequality can be of power,
wealth, status, social position,
physical and intellectual differences.

Chronemics
Chronemics ( attitude towards time)
vary from culture to culture.
Countries that follow monochronic
time perform only one major activity
at a time; countries that follow
polychronic time work on several
activities simultaneously.

Polychronic vs. Monochronic

Polychronic

Monochronic people

Do many things at once.

Are highly distractible and
subject to interruptions.
Consider time commitment
more casually; promptness
based on the relationship.
Are committed to people.
Borrow and lend things
often.
Tend to build lifetime
relationships.

Do one thing at a time.

Concentrate on the task.
Take time commitments
seriously and value
promptness.
Are committed to the
task.
Show respect for private
property; rarely borrow
or lend.
Are accustomed to short
term relationships.

Monochronic cultures- US, England, Switzerland,

and Germany.

In monochronic cultures, it is considered rude to do

2 things at once, such as reading a journal in a
meeting or answering the telephone when
someone is in your office. Schedules and
keeping appointments are consistent with
values of people in monochronic culture.
Tardiness is interpreted as rudeness. Being
late means YOU ARE UNORGANIZED.

High context vs. Low

context

High context language

A high context language transmits very less
in the explicit message, instead , the
nonverbal and cultural aspects of what is not
said are very important.
In high context, people must read between
the lines to understand the intended
meaning of the message.
Japanese culture

Low context
The message is explicit.
A person states what is expected and
wanted.
Direct and verbal.

Resolving cultural conflicts

(Strategies)

Adaptation: Adaptation works when team members are willing to

acknowledge and name their cultural differences and to assume
responsibility for figuring out how to live with them.
Structural Intervention: is a deliberate reorganization or
reassignment designed to reduce interpersonal friction or to remove
the source of conflict for one or more groups. This approach can be
extremely effective when obvious sub-groups demarcate the team
or if team members are proud, defensive, threatened, or clinging to
negative steriotype of one another.
Managerial Intervention: the manager should always behave as
an intermediary and not as an arbiter or judge in any case of cultural
conflict. By involving the team members, both the manager and the
team gain in terms of team productivity.
Exit: when teams are permanent, the exit of one or more member is
a strategy of last resort. If nothing else works, this method can be
used after a formal request from the management. Exit is likely
when emotions are running high, too much face has been lost on
both sides, and nothing can salvage the situation.

THANK YOU