HELPING PEOPLE TO ACCULTURATE: A TASTER AND OVERVIEW OF INTERCULTURAL TRAINING PROGRAMS

HELPING PEOPLE TO ACCULTURATE: A TASTER AND OVERVIEW OF INTERCULTURAL TRAINING PROGRAMS Ronald Fischer Aarhus Institute for Advanced Studies, Aarhus, Denmark Centre for Applied Cross-Cultural Research, Wellington, New Zealand AU AARHUS UNIVERSITY AARHUS INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDIES IAIR BERGEN JULY 2015

Overview Major cultural dimensions Cultural intelligence & cultural competence Types of intercultural training Cultures are made up of individuals

Major dimensions of culture Individualism-Collectivism Power Distance Uncertainty Avoidance Masculinity-Femininity Long-term orientation High vs low context communication

What is Danish culture famous for? Egalitarian, flat hierarchy Informal, high autonomy, independence Direct communication, low context, rude Emphasis on work-life balance, fewer work hours Punctuality, time-focused, organized Gender equality Hygge & Happy, but cold, people don t talk to each other

How can we train global leaders? How can we help individuals to better adjust into a new culture?

Developing intercultural competence Dharm Bhawuk (1998, J Cross Cult Psyc) Unconscious Competence Conscious Competence Unconscious Incompetence Conscious Incompetence

Cultural Intelligence? The ability to adapt to new cultural settings Capability to cooperate effectively with other people from a dissimilar cultural background and understanding Ability to function in Culturally Diverse situations Soon Thomas & Inkson (2003) Early & Ang (2003) Early, Ang & Tan (2006) Ang Linn van Dyne

Components Cognitive CQ Understanding cross-cultural issues & differences Meta-Cognitive CQ Strategizing and making sense of culturally diverse experiences (awareness, planning, checking) Motivational CQ Showing interest, confidence and drive to adapt crossculturally Behavioural CQ Changing verbal and non-verbal actions appropriately when interacting cross-culturally

http://davidlivermore.com/cq

Cultural Intelligence Meta-Cognition/Cognition (Head) Learning Strategies Clues to shared understandings Motivation (Heart) Overcome setbacks High Self-Efficacy & Confidence Behaviour (Body) Mirror Customs & Gestures Adopt Habits & Mannerisms

Major types of intercultural training programmes University method (lecture-based) Cultural assimilators Culture-specific Culture-general Simulations: e.g., Bafa Bafa (G. Shirts) Behaviour-Modification Training

Engineering a Decision M. Legrand is a French engineer who works for a Japanese company in France. One day, the company s general manager, Mr. Tanaka, calls M. Legrand into his office to discuss a new project in the Middle East. Mr. Tanaka tells him that the company is very pleased with his dedicated work and would like him to act as chief engineer for the project. It will mean 2 to 3 years away from home, but his family will be able to accompany him and there will be considerable personal financial benefits to the position and, of course, he will be performing a valuable service to the company. M. Legrand thanks Mr. Tanaka for his confidence in him, but says that he will have to discuss it with his wife before deciding. Two days later, he returns and tells Mr. Tanaka that both he and his wife do not like the thought of leaving France, and so he does not want to accept the position. Mr. Tanaka says nothing but is somewhat dumbfounded by the decision. Why is Mr. Tanaka so bewildered by M. Legrand s decision?

He believes it is foolish for M. Legrand to refuse all the financial benefits that go with the position. He cannot accept that M. Legrand should take notice of his wife s opinion in the matter. He believes M. Legrand is possibly trying to bluff him into offering greater incentives to accept the offer. He feels it is not appropriate for M. Legrand to place his personal inclinations above those of his role as an employee of the company.

Bafa Bafa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkbwcyo UjSs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kzuxel5 0_w

BafaBafa Alpha Patriarchal. Family oriented. In -group out-group. Hierarchical. Touch culture. Cooperative, noncompetitive. Close personal space Beta Competitive. Meritocracy. Flat non-hierarchical. Respect only for achievement. Values negotiation. Values Beta trading language.

Professor Anita Mak Centre for Applied Psychology University of Canberra Professor Michelle Barker Department of Management Griffith Business School Griffith University, Brisbane Co-developers Professors Marv Westwood and Ishu Ishiyama University of British Columbia, Canada

ExcelL Intercultural Skills Program (Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership) How can we get individuals to interact competently with other individuals in a multi-cultural environment? How can we give individuals the skills to work well in a different culture? Focus: Sociocultural competency Intercultural communication (verbal and non-verbal) Awareness-raising and role-based learning in groups

Cultural Maps: Break down social interactions Cultural Maps Clear and simple description of effective and appropriate ways of behaving in specific situations, and why these behaviours are preferred (reference to values) ABCD Attending Phase Bridging Phase Commenting Phase Developing/Closing Phase

SIX KEY SOCIOCULTURAL COMPETENCIES 1. Seeking help/or information 2. Making social contact or conversation 3. Participating in a group or team setting 4. Expressing disagreement 5. Refusing a request 6. Giving feedback

Steps in teaching a sociocultural competency Build alliance and cultural validation Develop cultural map Demonstrate/Practice/Coach Feedback & Encourage Participants to set goals and contract Participants to transfer learning to actual setting

Observation skills Separate behavioural observations from interpretations 1. He is angry 2. He speaks in a high voice and his eyes are almost closed 3. His body shows signs of tension 4. He is drunk 5. She lowers her shoulders 6. Her fists are clenched 7. He has a frustrated look on his face 8. She is angry. She thinks I am an idiot

Let s try an example Making contact Expressing disagreement

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROGRAM Problem-focussed coping program based on established learning paradigms 4-6 sessions Within curriculum; extra-curricula Homework prescribed between sessions using a Participant s Manual Evidence-based

Learning Paradigms (Mak, Westwood, Ishiyama, & Barker, 1999) An integrated instructional model based on learning paradigms Operant conditioning Classical conditioning Social cognitive learning Role-based learning in groups

SUMMARY OF EVALUATION (Ho et al., 2004; Mak & Buckingham, 2007) International students benefit from increased social confidence and interaction skills Local students in mixed groups = same benefits Learning transferred to real life settings Increased social contact & time spent with other ethnic groups Learning about others and own culture Enhanced local students generic skills

Unconscious Incompetence Conscious Incompetence Conscious Competence Unconscious Competence LEGEND Lay Person A B C D Novice E E Expert C D A. Culture-Specific training; B: Culture general training; C: Behavior Modification training; D: Cross- Cultural Experience; E. Theory Based Training Advanced Expert A Model of Cross-Cultural Expertise Development (Bhawuk, 1998)

CULTURES ARE MADE UP OF INDIVIDUALS

How important is culture? Culture A Culture B X X

How large are cultural differences? Fischer & Schwartz (2011) Culture Individual

Email interactions between Scandinavian & Chinese engineers (Annelise Ly (2016) Intercultural Pragmatics Emails to partner in China Request Criticism Disagreement Perception of emails by Chinese engineers

Role enactment scenarios 2 You are working on a project with a Chinese colleague in China. Last week, you asked him to send you a report, X, but he did not do it. Write him an email to ask him again. Your colleague in China has eventually sent you the report. You have read it with attention but have found out that some of the data is incorrect. Write him an email informing him that you have received the report. 3 On Monday, you sent a drawing to your colleague in China. This morning, you received an email from him asking you to make modifications to the drawing. You think that the drawing is fine and disagree about making the changes. Write him an email to inform him.

Key results Asian engineers preferred clear, direct, short email for requests For criticism & disagreement indirect strategy is preferred Many thanks for the report. Overall it was fine although I couldn't help noticing that your figures in section X are different to what I have here (Positive remark+ expression of difference) Direct negative evaluation perceived as too harsh, patronizing and somewhat arrogant

Soooo Observe carefully (mental map exercise) Pay attention to people Active listening Ask for advise Reflect on your experiences Does everybody do this? Hold back on preliminary judgements (observation skill exercise)

Thank you! Questions? rfischer@aias.au.dk

Further info http://www.excellinterculturalskillsprogram.com/ http://www.linnvandyne.com/morecqinfo.html http://www.culturalq.com/researcharticles.html Smith, P.B., Fischer, R., Vignoles, V. & Bond, M.H. (2013). Understanding Social Psychology across Cultures. Engaging with others in a changing world, 2 nd edition. London: SAGE. Fischer, R. (2011). Cross-cultural training effects on cultural essentialism beliefs and cultural intelligence. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35, 767-775. Wilson, J., Ward, C. & Fischer, R. (2013). Beyond culture learning theory: What can personality tell us about cultural competence? Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44, 900-927. Ward, C., Wilson, J. & Fischer, R. (2011). Assessing the Predictive Validity of CQ over Time. Personality and Individual Differences, 51, 138 142.