INTERCULTURAL SEMINARS
Heath R. Watkins, Direction
Human Resources Department
March 10, 2014
The Marketing Department has been conducting surveys of our worldwide offices, foreign
customers, and prospective foreign customers over the last several months. Information
received through the use of mailed questionnaires has made us aware of an urgent need to
improve our communication skills at international level. Therefore, we are going to conduct a
series of seminars to focus on intercultural awareness issues. This report addresses the process
involved in developing the seminars, the instructional approach to be used, the seminar
content that will be provided, and the schedule for conducting the seminars.
PROBLEM
Some incidents have been reported to us in which we have failed to negotiate contracts with
foreign customers and prospective foreign customers because of serious breakdowns in
communication. Some of these setbacks have been the result of conscious negative acts on the
part of our employees. However, the main culprit seems to be lack of awareness of cultural
differences. Indeed, there are almost unlimited possibilities for misunderstandings, insults,
miscues, and avenues for people of good intent to miscommunicate. These issues must be
addressed immediately to preclude any future breakdowns in communications.
INTERCULTURAL SEMINARS
Three-day seminars designed to improve intercultural communication skills will be held at
regional sites in the United States and in selected foreign cities where we have offices:
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Beijing
Hamburg
Madrid
Melbourne
Oslo
Rio De Janeiro
Tokyo
Warsaw
It will be our intent that all employees who have direct contact with people from other
countries will participate in these seminars over a four-month period. Depending on the
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success of these seminars, the program will be made available to other in the company who
express an interest in acquiring or enhancing their cultural awareness. Any future seminars will
be scheduled on an as-needed basis during the upcoming calendar year.
It would be unreasonable to assume that a small team of people from our company would have
the breadth of knowledge needed to conduct these seminars in the eight foreign cities.
However, Celeste Fuhrmann, Robert Driscoll, and Han Lee have agreed to work together as the
coordinating team for this effort. Ms. Fuhrmann, Mr. Driscoll, and Mr. Lee will be soliciting
volunteers to work with them in their areas of expertise. They hope to gain representative
views and opinions for the purpose of molding an impressive array of seminar topics. Please
contact one of these individuals if you believe you have the necessary background and/or
experience and would like to volunteer.
Each of these individuals has worked over the past two months with the managers of our
international offices as well as with natives in specific countries to formulate a preliminary plan
for these in-service programs. Their plan will use the expertise of our employees who have had
negotiating experience in each country and who have knowledge of local customs as
demonstrated by natives. We are confident that through this team approach, everyone will gain
an understanding of problems not only from the position of our company but also from the
perspective of those with whom they conduct business.
BENEFIT OF ATTENDING THE SEMINARS
Besides the obvious benefits that seminars such as these provide, invited speakers will lead
discussions on a variety of topics to provide answers to questions such as the following:
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How can I develop a good working relationship with other colleagues?
How can I avoid offending people?
Do I need to adapt to another people’s culture when I travel abroad?
Is cultural stereotyping harmful or helpful?
How do people from different cultures approach the decision-making process?
How can we improve international cooperation?
It is our hope that the seminars will help all participants gain a much greater awareness and
understanding of the cultural environment in which they work. We believe the seminars will
assist all participants in avoiding cultural mistakes that might be costly to the company. Finally,
for those employees who frequently work in one of our foreign branches, the seminars will
enable these people to adapt much quickly to the cultures of the country in which they work.
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH
Fruehauf and Chang suggest a framework of instruction that has been recognized by several
international groups and has been used by seminar groups around the globe. This approach
includes the following three components:
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1. The cognitive component
2. The affective component
3. The experiential component
The cognitive component includes information about communicating with people of other
cultures. The affective component is the area in which attention is given to attitudes, emotions,
and resulting behaviors as they are affected by human interaction in a multicultural
environment. The experiential component is the “hands-on” element that suggests several
different possibilities. Others who have used this instructional approach have found that the
use of simulations is a natural for this type of experience. Writing letters, memos, e-mails, and
reports to persons in other cultures also provides beneficial learning experiences. In addition,
the use of tutors can be very helpful to workers unfamiliar with a particular culture.1
SEMINAR CONTENT
The cognitive, affective, and experiential components would be applied as appropriate for each
of the topics included. The coordinating team members have used the resources available to
them at several local universities including MIT and UMASS.
The coordinating team has found that most colleges and universities now provide instruction in
international communication. Many offer separate degrees in international communication,
and the number of majors and minors in this discipline has been growing rapidly for the past
several years. While the content of international communication is integrated into several
business administration and psychology courses, there has been a trend in recent years to
provide a course or courses specifically designed for business interaction in an intercultural
setting. The very nature of this type of study makes it very difficult ti segment the broad topical
areas, as all elements are so closely intertwined.
The seminars must reflect the broad involvement of our international operations. There is a
need for many workers in our domestic offices to develop an appreciation of the intercultural
challenge. This is true not only for those in the marketing and sales areas. Those in the Finance
Department and the Legal Department are increasingly involved not only with foreign
companies but also with huge multinational corporations that, at times, are as large as or larger
than the biggest companies in the United States. Table 1, page 4, provides a summary of the
largest multinational corporation around the globe with whom we have worked on numerous
projects since the early 1980s.
1
Faye Fruehauf and Chao Chang, “Communication Across Cultures,” International Business Wold Monthly, April
2010, pp. 33-47.
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Table 1. LARGEST INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES
(Doing Business With CanCom Inc.)
Company Name
HSBC Holdings
Royal Dutch Shell
Toyota Motor
BNP Paribas
Allianz
Gazprom
Banco Santander
ENI
Petro China
Nokia
Location
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Japan
France
Germany
Russia
Spain
Italy
China
Finland
Global Rank
1
6
8
13
14
19
21
28
30
69
Several seminar topics have been suggested to the coordinating team members, and the
literature reviewed by the team suggests that there might possibly be more than a dozen from
which to choose. Because of time constraints, however, we have decided to include eight topics
that are recommended by Chernov, Uda, and Kapoor. The topics and presentation times are
displayed in Table 2 below.2
Table 2. SEMINAR TOPICS
Instructional Topic
Body Positions and Movements
Concept of Culture
Conflict Resolution
Intimacy in Relationships
Language
Male and Female Roles
Space and Time
Religion, Values, and Ethics
Time
2 hrs
4 hrs
2 hrs
3 hrs
3 hrs
2 hrs
2 hrs
4 hrs
Body Positions and Movements. Body language – that is, facial expressions, gestures, and body
movements – conveys messages about attitude and may be interpreted differently by people in
different cultures. For example, firm handshakes are the norm in the United States; loose
handshakes are the custom in some other countries. The way we stand, sit, and hold our arms
may convey different messages in different cultural settings.
2
Vasily Chernov, Yoshifuma Uda, and Deepak Kapoor, The Dynamics of Intercultural Seminars, Gateway Publishing,
St. Louis, 2009, p. 42.
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Concept of Culture. This session will be an overview of the various cultures in which we
conduct business, including e-commerce. Boucher identifies the needs for varied marketing
strategies within the different economic, political, and cultural environments:
International Web use and access are growing exponentially, and many
businesses are wanting to capitalize on this trend and grab their fair share of this
global market. English-speaking audiences are not expected to continue to
dominate this market. Certainly, more than a literal translation will be required
to reach this culturally diverse audience.3
Case studies will be reviewed that are considered classics in the field of international
communication. In addition, summaries of some of our own successes and failures will be
reported.
Conflict Resolution. Whether people are involved in negotiating a contract, working
together to remedy product quality issues, or resolving contract interpretations, the need for
tact and skill is particularly important in the foreign setting. Many of the seminar topics have
implications in the area of conflict resolution. While every effort should be made to prevent
conflict, there is a need for guidance in resolving disagreements in foreign cultures.
Intimacy in Relationships. The degree of physical contact that is acceptable varies
considerably. Hugs and kisses are the standard, even in the business office, in some
countries. By contract, the act of touching a person is considered an extreme invasion of
privacy in other places. The use of first names may or may not be acceptable. To ask a
personal question is extremely offensive in some cultures. While socializing with business
clients is to be expected in some countries, it would be highly inappropriate in others. These
are only a few of the relationship concerns that will be explored.
Language. It is obvious that language differences play a major part in
business miscommunication. Whenever there is an interpreter or a
written translation involved, the chances for error are increased. There
are over 3,000 languages used worldwide. Just as with English, there
are not only grammar rules but also varied meanings as words are both
spoken and written. Even with the English language, there are
differences in usage between the English used in the United States and that used in England.
Although English is the language usually used in international communication, the topics
identified in Table 2 illustrate the complexity of communicating accurately; and the problem
continues to grow. For example, literal translations of American advertising and labeling
have sometimes resulted in negative feelings toward products. As world trade increases, so
3
Sandra Boucher, “Cultural Comparisons in E-Commerce,” January 17, 2010,
<http://www.ecommerce.com/news.htm>, accessed on February 23, 2010.
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does the need for American business to understand the complexities of cultural differences.
Matthews offers this example:
A businessperson must change his or her expectations and assumptions away
from what is customary and acceptable in the United States in terms of personal
and social conduct to what is customary and acceptable within the culture of the
country where he or she is conducting business. Any other assumption can have
serious consequences and undesirable results. In the other person’s mind, you
are the foreigner, and therefore you will be the one who might look out of place
or act in a way that is considered socially unacceptable.4
A good sense of humor is an asset not only in our personal lives but also in the business
environment. However, it probably should be avoided in multicultural settings because
the possibilities for misinterpretation are compounded. Do not use humor that makes
fun of a particular individual, group, or culture. Remember that what may appear to be
humorous to you may have a negative connotation in another culture.
Male and Female Roles. There are major contrasts in the ways male
and female roles are perceived in different cultures. The right to vote
is still withheld from women in countries all over the world.
Opportunities for female employment in the business environment
vary considerably. Pay differentials for men and women continue to
exist. Opportunities for advancement for men and women often are not the same.
Space and Time. The distance one stands from someone when engaged in conversation
is very important. If a person stands farther away than usual, this may signal feeling of
indifference or even a negative feeling. Standing too close is a sign of inappropriate
familiarity. However, it should be recognized that different cultures require a variety of
space for business exchanges to take place. In the United States, that space is typically
from three to five feet, but in the Middle East and in Latin American countries, this
distance is considered too far.
There is also the element of time – a meeting that is scheduled for 9 a.m. likely will start
on time in the United States, but in other cultures the meeting may not start until 9:30
a.m. or even 10 a.m. Punctuality and time concepts vary with the customs and practices
of each country. Patience really can be a virtue.
Religion, Values, and Ethics. While we can recognize the difficult challenge presented
by language differences, this category (religion, values, and ethics) is in some ways the
area that can bring about the most serious breakdowns in relations with those from
other cultures.
4
Craig Matthews, Comparing Cultural Differences, Grant Publishing Company, Los Angeles, 2010, p. 37.
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The very nature of religious beliefs suggests that this is a delicate area, especially for
those involved in business transactions in foreign countries. Also, religious beliefs affect
the consumption of certain products throughout the world. Examples are tobacco,
liquor, pork, and coffee.
Values are a reflection of religious beliefs for most people. We have previously head of
references to right and wrong as applied to the ideals and customs of a society. Values
relate to a range of similar topics, and they may pertain to areas such as cleanliness,
education, health care, and criminal justice. Such values are often very personal and as
such can have a variety of interpretations. The more interpretations there are, the more
likely it is that miscommunication will occur.
Ethics can be considered as standards of conduct that reflect moral beliefs as applied to
both one’s personal life and one’s business life.
Delaney suggests that now more than ever, a code of ethics is essential within the
business environment. When this code of ethics is missing or if it is not enforced, chaos
and financial ruin for everyone associated are often the result.
A quality code of ethics is presently being recognized as an intrinsic and critical
component in any business environment. Newspapers are filled with reports of
scandalous, unconscionable, unethical behavior that has led to the downfall of
otherwise successful businesses.5
TENTATIVE SEMINAR SCHEDULE
As indicated earlier, all employees who have direct contact with people in
other cultures will participate in these continuing seminars. That means that
we need to have two identical three-day seminars scheduled at each site.
These seminars will be conducted in the cities shown in Table 3.
Table 3. FOREIGN CITY SEMINARS
City
Melbourne
Rio de Janeiro
Beijing
Hamburg
Tokyo
Warsaw
Oslo
5
First Seminar
May 2-4
May 9-11
May 16-18
May 23-25
June 6-8
June 13-15
June 20-22
Second Seminar
July 5-7
July 11-13
July 18-20
July 25-27
August 1-3
August 8-10
August 15-17
Denise C. Delaney, Business Ethics and Workplace Compliance, Empire Publishing Company, San Fransico, 2009,
p. 35.
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June 27-29
August 22-24
The Marketing Department is to be commended for calling our attention to the seriousness of
our international communication problem. Celeste Fuhrmann, Robert Driscoll, and Han Lee also
deserve our sincere thanks for their planning efforts for implementing the intercultural
communication seminars. Through their efforts, we have experienced a high level of
cooperation from all departments.
As can be seen, special attention is being given to the seminar topics for these in-service
programs. Efforts are also being made to identify instructions and resource persons who will
develop instructional strategies that will be effective, interesting, and well received by the
participants. These seminars will help significantly in increasing our market share in the
international market.