Cross-cultural aspects

Cross-cultural aspects

International relations

• Essential in determining complex interactions and connections between nations in the contemporary world.

• A dynamic and multifaceted field that encompasses various social, economic and political interactions between nations.

• Involve analyzing and understanding intricate relationships between states and factors that shape their interactions such as cultural differences, economic interests, geography, and political ideologies.

International relations (cont.)

• Culture and identity play a significant role in international relations by fostering mutual understanding, tolerance, and cooperation, and they influence the way in which states perceive one another.

• Culture is dynamic and evolving, influenced by globalization, migration, technological advancement and social and political transformations, resulting in significant variations across and within different societies.

• During a meeting, we must be able to understand that cultural differences are crucial for effective communication and collaboration in a globalized business environment.

Communication

• A two-way process of reaching mutual understanding through verbal, non-verbal and written messages.

• Be aware of the areas of opportunity in the way of communicating in order to be more effective.

• The components of communication can be represented in two ways:

  • On the vertical axis (people to task).

  • On the horizontal axis (present to future).

Communication (cont.)

The intersection of these two continuums results in the four different styles:

• Connector (intersection of people and present): Tend to gravitate to those careers/functions which most likely appreciate their skills.

• Seeker (intersection of people and future): They gravitate into sales, public relations, acting and broadcasting, marketing, courtroom law.

• Planner (intersection of task and present): Their primary challenge is moving from being a functional expert into management.

• Driver (intersection task and future): They tend to gravitate into operations, production, journalism, emergency teams, any function where deadlines are critical.

Continuums of communication

• Prefers to keep the discussion on the business topic.

• ​Determines your trustworthiness by your track record.

• Makes decisions based on evidence.

• Wants data, details, sources, etc.

• Prefers structure.

​Task-focused

• Uses facial expressions and body language.

• ​Talks about your feelings.

• Determine your reliability at work by knowing your extra-work life.

• Make decisions based on intuition.

• Prefers the "big picture" to the details.

Behavior-focused

Continuums of communication (cont.)

• Approaches risks, decisions and changes slowly and cautiously.

• Prefers to think and then act.

• Infrequently contributing at meetings

• States disagreement by taking turns presenting different perspectives.

• Follows the rules.

Present-focused

• Approaches risk, decisions, and changes quickly.

• ​Prefers to take action and then think.

• Is a frequent and early contributor at meetings.

• Uses passion, volume, repetition to win disagreements.

• Sees rules as boundaries that can be moved.

Future-focused

​Meeting structure and punctuality

• Cultures differ in their approach to hierarchy and formality.

• This influences the way meetings are conducted, who speaks first and the level of formality expected.

• When the manager requires it, the punctuality of the start must be guaranteed to allocate each item on the agenda.

• On the other hand, the emphasis can be on the result obtained without worrying too much about the time.

​Decision making process

• When planning a meeting, it is important to keep in mind that cultural norms influence decision-making processes.

• There are different approaches to decision making, such as:

  • If the connector is slow and thoughtful, they also care about people and prefer consensus.

  • If the seeker tends to be fast, spontaneous, they care about the future and innovation, and likes to change but is unilateral.

  • If the planner cares about process and accuracy, they are slow and calculating, pay more attention to what the data says.

  • If the driver tends to be concerned with results, they are unilateral, fast and spontaneous.

​Conflict resolution

• Cultural attitudes to conflict also vary from country to country.

• Communication must be clear and effective, and empathy and active listening must always be present.

• By demonstrating that you are actively listening to the other person, you can be perceived to be totally focused on what they are expressing.

• The manager has to establish a friendly atmosphere to defuse tensions and find solutions.

​Non-verbal clues

• It communicates 80% more than verbal communication.

• It is crucial to pay more attention to non-verbal communication.

• Body language and gestures, varies greatly from culture to culture; what may be considered a positive gesture in one culture may be interpreted differently in another.

​Non-verbal clues (cont.)

Each communication style has its own observable behaviors and appearance:

• Connector: Stands or sits close to you, touches you. Hands are often open with palms up, lots of gestures and animated face, appropriate eye contact and casual dress.

• Seeker: Moves around and rarely sits, touches you, uses wide gestures, large gestures and animated face, eye contact upward or long on you and stylish dress.

• Planner: Sits with a barrier between you, doesn't touch you, very minimal gestures, and quiet body, often writing down what you say, often averted eye contact and functional dress.

• Driver: Stands while you sit, doesn't touch you, gestures often, arms crossed, or pointing at you, long direct eye contact and formal dress.

​Attitudes towards time

Different cultures have different views on time, for example, some prioritize punctuality and adhere strictly to schedules (monochronic), while others are more flexible and can perform multiple activities simultaneously (polychronic).

​Language and humor

Language nuances, including humor, can be challenging across cultures, for example, sarcasm or jokes that are well received in one culture may be misinterpreted or even offensive in another, so it is essential to be aware of linguistic and cultural nuances.

Multiple Choice

¿Cuáles son los cuatro estilos de comunicación según los ejes vertical y horizontal?

• Empático, lógico, analítico, intuitivo.

• Introvertido, extrovertido, ambivertido, social.

• Formal, informal, directo, indirecto.

• Conector, buscador, planificador, conductor.

Multiple Choice

El humor y el lenguaje tienen el mismo significado en todas las culturas.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

El estilo de comunicación "enfocado en el futuro" tienden a actuar antes de pensar.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

¿Qué rol juega la cultura en las relaciones internacionales?

• No tiene ningún rol.

• Fomenta el entendimiento mutuo, la tolerancia y la cooperación.

• Solo afecta a las relaciones económicas.

• Inhibe la cooperación entre estados.

Multiple Choice

¿Qué enfoque de comunicación utiliza expresiones faciales y lenguaje corporal para transmitir mensajes?

• Enfocado en el comportamiento.

• Enfocado en la tarea.

• Enfocado en el futuro.

• Enfocado en el presente.

Multiple Choice

El "Buscador" en los estilos de comunicación prefiere cambiar rápidamente y es unilateral en la toma de decisiones.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

La comunicación no verbal es menos importante que la comunicación verbal en entornos interculturales.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

¿Cuál es una característica de las culturas monocrónicas en cuanto al tiempo?

• Son flexibles con los horarios.

• Pueden realizar múltiples actividades al mismo tiempo.

• Priorizan la puntualidad y siguen estrictamente los horarios.

• No le dan importancia a los horarios.

Multiple Choice

En las culturas de alta jerarquía, es común que el gerente garantice la puntualidad al inicio de la reunión.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

La toma de decisiones en un contexto culturalmente diverso no se ve influenciada por normas culturales.

• Verdadero.

• Falso.

Multiple Choice

¿Qué tipo de comunicación implica gestos amplios, una cara animada y contacto visual prolongado?

• Conector.

• Buscador.

• Planificador.

• Conductor.

Multiple Choice

¿Qué estilo de comunicación prefiere centrarse en los datos y la evidencia?

• Conector.

• Buscador.

• Planificador.

• Conductor.