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
AUUNIVERSITY
AARHUS
AARHUS INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED
STUDIES
IAIR BERGEN JULY 2015
Overview
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Major cultural dimensions
Cultural intelligence & cultural competence
Types of intercultural training
Cultures are made up of individuals
Major dimensions of culture
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Individualism-Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Masculinity-Femininity
Long-term orientation
• High vs low context communication
What is Danish culture famous for?
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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
Conscious
Incompetence
Unconscious
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
Ang
Thomas & Inkson (2003) Early & Ang (2003) Early, Ang & Tan (2006)
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
Conscious
Incompetence
Unconscious
Incompetence
Unconscious
Competence
Conscious
Competence
LEGEND
A. Culture-Specific
training; B: Culture
general training; C:
Behavior Modification
training; D: CrossCultural Experience; E.
Theory Based Training
A
Novice
B
Lay
Person
C
E
D
C
E
Expert
D
Advanced
Expert
A Model of Cross-Cultural Expertise Development
(Bhawuk, 1998)
CULTURES ARE MADE UP OF
INDIVIDUALS
How important is culture?
Culture A
X
Culture B
X
How important is culture?
Culture A
X X
Culture B
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…
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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?
[email protected]
Further info
• http://www.excellinterculturalskillsprogram.com/
• http://www.linnvandyne.com/morecqinfo.html
• http://www.culturalq.com/researcharticles.html
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Smith, P.B., Fischer, R., Vignoles, V. & Bond, M.H. (2013). Understanding Social
Psychology across Cultures. Engaging with others in a changing world, 2nd 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.