"Surviving in a Multicultural World" Intercultural Competence ...

"Surviving in a Multicultural World"
Intercultural Competence Building for Engineers
Gabriele Abermann
Salzburg University of Applied Sciences
IFME Vorarlberg November 2007

Agenda
Intercultural Communication at ITS – Overall Objective
Curriculum Integration
Pool Project
Skills Project
2

FHS Brief
Core competencies in
Information technologies
Media and design
Business and tourism
Wood and biogene technologies
Health care and social work
Founded in 1995
~ 2000 students
Excellent industry network
Regionally rooted – internationally active

ICC at ITS
Prepare engineers for future workplace
Prepare engineers for multinational team work
Sensitise engineers to cultural differences
Provide engineers with basic intercultural competence
Enhance personality development
Enhance interpersonal competence
Enhance communication skills
4

Curriculum Integration
14- hour blocked course in 7th semester
Cooperation with British colleague in Switzerland
Theory input + hands-on training
Aspects covered
-Defininition of culture / intercultural communication
-Communication and negotiation styles
-Body language
-Time relationships
-Games and Simulations
5

Pool Project
Leonardo DaVinciII Pilot Project 2004-2007
10 partners from 7 countries
AT, ES, ET, FI, IE, LT, RO
Virtual multinational project environment
Impact of virtual collaboration
Planning and documentation
Quality assurance
Intercultural competence
Project within project: transnational student project as pilot
Products: Curriculum and handbook
6

SKILLS Project
Leonardo DaVinciII Mobility Project 2006 -2008
Student placements in
DE, BG, ES, FR, IT, IE, HU, LT, RO
Sensitise students to issues of culture at workplace
Sensitise students to potential areas of conflict
Raise student awareness of host culture vs organisational
culture
Provide basic theoretical framework as reference
Provide some practical training
Stimulate self-reflective and observation abilities
7

Instruments

Theory Input – Hofstede‘s Cultural Dimensions
Symbols - Heroes – Rituals – Values
Power Distance Index (PDI)
Individualism Index (IDV)
Masculinity Index (MAS)
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)
Long-term Orientation (LTO)
Hofstede, Geert and Jan Gert Hofstede. Cultures and Organisations. Software of the
Mind.Third Millenium Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, 2004.
9

Manifestations of Culture:
The Onion / The Iceberg
• Symbols
words, gestures, pictures, objects
dress, hair styles, flags, status symbols …
• Heroes
persons, with highly prized characteristics
• Rituals
ways of greeting, social / religious ceremonies
discourse – specific language usage
• Values
broad tendencies to prefer certain states
of affairs over others
P V
R I
A S
C I
T B
I L
C E
E
S
INVISIBLE
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Cultural Dimension 1:
Power Distance Index (PDI)
Informs about dependence relationships in a country
“… is the extent to which the less powerful members of
institutions and organizations within a country expect
and accept that power is distributed unequally.”
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Individualism Index (IDV)
Collectivist
extended families protection in
exchange for loyalty
Children learn to think in terms
of “we”
Harmony – avoidance of
confrontations
Predetermined friendships
Resources should be shared
with relatives
High- context communication
Trespassing leads to shame and
loss of face for self and
group
Individualist
Nuclear families – everybody
responsible for himself
Children learn to think in
terms of “I”
Open expression of opinion
Voluntary friendships.
Individual ownerships of
resources.
Low-context communication.
Trespassing leads to guilt
and loss of self-respect.
12

Masculinity Index (MAS)
Masculine
emotional gender roles
clearly distinct
Men: assertive, tough and
focused on material
success
Women: more modest,
tender and concerned
with the quality of life
Feminine
emotional gender roles
overlap
Men and women: modest,
tender and concerned
with the quality of life
13

Cultural Dimension 5:
Long-Term Orientation (LTO)
“ the fostering of virtues oriented toward future
rewards – in particular perseverance and thrift. “
STO
Efforts should produce quick
results.
Social pressure toward spending
Respect for traditions.
Concern with personal stability.
Concern with social status and
obligations.
LTO
Sustained efforts toward slow
results.
Being sparing with resources.
Respect for circumstances.
Concern with personal adaptiveness.
Willingness to subordinate oneself
for a purpose.
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Comparison US - Austria
Source: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php?culture1=95&culture2=7#compare
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Intercultural Diary
Weekly blog in learning environment
Unstructured - no specific format / task
Free-flowing thoughts
Observations on cultural differences at
workplace / host culture
Ideally related to Hofstede – but no restrictions

Final Report
Submitted after end of placement
Structured through guiding questions
Revaluation of observations from diary
Double-loop of self-reflection
Heightened awareness and competence building

Intercultural Diary - Blogs
Spain, Madrid: PDI, IDV
woche01
ARBEITSBEGINN bei ink apache madrid. meine mühvoll antrainierte
höflichkeitsform auf spanisch findet keinen anklang und mir wird gleich gesagt,
dass die firma wie eine große familie ist und sich somit jeder dutzt..
First day at work with ink apache madrid: my meticulously
trained polite Spanish is not seen as the proper approach
and I am told that the company is actually like a big
family, so everybody uses the informal forms of addressing
each other …

Intercultural Diary - Blogs
Paris, France: PDI, UAI
Auch diese Woche verging wie im Flug, wie immer super-international.
Mein Chef hat mich ziemlich aufgezogen weil ich in einer mail einen ziemlichen
Schmarrn geschrieben hab, aber wir haben dann beide darüber gelacht.
Er ist echt cool, das Verhältnis ist sehr kollegial.
Again this week went by amazingly quickly, as always
super-international. My boss made fun of me as I had
written a lot of nonsense in an email, but eventually both
of us could laugh about it. He is really cool, the relationship
is very jovial.

Intercultural Diary - Blogs
Hannover, Germany: UAI
zur ersten woche in hannover: ja sicher vieles neu hier (die sprechen so komisch hier
, ich glaube sie nennen es hochdeutsch) und vieles vieles ganz und gar anders als bei
und (man(in) will es gar nicht glauben!!) sehr sehr nette kollegen!!(anmerkung: die
hannoveraner brauchen sehr lange bis sie warm werden und zu plaudern beginnen. .
About the first week in Hannover: yes, many things new here
(they do speak in a funny way – I believe they call it High
German and many things so different from us, it‘s almost
unbelievable!!) very, very nice colleagues (note: the
Hannoverans need a long time to open up and start a
conversation)

Structured Reports – Rituals / IDV
Paris, France
Jeden Morgen, gegen 10:30 Uhr gingen mein Chef und ich indie Kaffeeküche um bei einem
Becher Nespresso den Stand der Dinge zu besprechen. Anfangs unterschätzte ich die
Bedeutung dieses morgendlichen Kaffee-Rituals ein wenig. Gelegentlich war mir nicht nach
Kaffee, daher lehnte ich dankend ab, als mir einer angeboten wurde. Aber bald begriff ich
dass es eigentlich nicht um den Kaffee an sich ging, da wir in der Kaffeeküche Teammitglieder
trafen, die in anderen Büros sind, und wir uns daher dort gegenseitig am Laufenden hielten.
Every morning at 10:30 my boss and I went to the cafeteria to
discuss the current status of things. Initially I underestimated
the relevance of this morning ritual and I sometimes even
refused the invitation as I didn‘t really want a coffee until I
realized it was not the coffee that was relevant but the informal
information exchange with colleagues from other offices.

Structured Report - PDI
Munich, Germany
Jedenfalls ist die Struktur und die Verhaltensweise im Umgang untypisch für mitteleuropäische
Verhältnisse und ganz besonders konträr zu den Verhältnissen in Deutschland. Am ersten
Arbeitstag lernten wir den Chef für Central Europe kennen. Er war völlig untypisch mit Bermudas,
T-Shirt und Turnschuhen gekleidet, immerhin ist er Vorgesetzter von rund 200 Mitarbeitern.
Das DU mit dem obersten Chef wie auch mitallen Anderen im Unternehmen war zu Beginn
also sehr gewöhnungsbedürftig. Bei meinen bisherigen Erfahrungen in Firmen war ich nur
mit den engsten Kollegen per DU, nie aber mit dem Chef.
By all means is the structure and the behaviour in the company
not typical of Central Europeand especially contratry to
Germany. On my first day of work I met the boss for Central
Europe. He was dressed in shorts and sneakers, he is the
superior of 200 employees. Using the informal „Du“ with the
boss and everybody else was initially very awkward. From my
experience so far I sometimes used „Du“ for my immediate
colleagues but never with the boss.

Structured Report – Masculinity /UAI
Spain, Madrid
Die FRAUEN wurden (vielleicht weil sie zahlenmäßig nur einen Bruchteil der Besetzung
ausmachten,?) etwas mehr mit „Samthandschuhen angefasst“. Wenn Kritik geäußert wurde,
dann sehr vorsichtig, so als würden Frauen Kritik schlechter vertragen. Die Kommunikation
der Frauen war genauso offen und direkt wie die der MÄNNER, hier war keinerlei Unterschied
festzustellen.
Dieser Kommunikationsstil ist im Angesicht des Hofsted´schen UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE INDEX
folgendermaßen einzuordnen: die sogenannte Risikobereitschaft und Unsicherheitsvermeidung
(wie hoch ist die Bereitschaft Risiken einzugehen und ohne direkte Sicherheit zu leben)
ist ebenfalls gering. Jeder hat zwar künstlerische Freiheit, doch bei größeren Entscheidungen
werden immer mehrere Personen miteinbezogen.
Unlike the men, the women were not forthrightly criticized but more
indirectly as if they were not able to bear the criticism.
The communication itself was equally straightforward, there
was no difference to be found in that respect.
…UAI is low. There is artistic freedom but whenever more important
decisions are made, a number of people are involved.

Structured Report – Rituals / IDV
Paris, France:
Da ich im 27. Stockwerk arbeitete, stiegen jeden Morgen im Aufzug einige Leute vor mir aus.
Dabei gibt es ein Ritual: Jeder der aussteigt, sagt immer brav beim Verlassen des Aufzuges:
„Bonne journée!“ Und alle im Lift Verbleibenden antworten: „Merci, à vous aussi!“ Und nach dem
Mittagessen, wenn alle wieder mit dem Lift in ihre Stockwerke zurückkehren – das selbe wieder,
nur der Wortlaut ist anders: „Bon aprèsmidi!“ ... „Merci, à vous aussi!“
As I worked on the 27th floor, a number of people exited
the lift before me. This involves a ritual: Everyone who leaves
the elevator, says „Bonne journée!“ which is met with
„Merci, à vous aussi!“ After lunch when everybody is retutning
to their respective floors – the same ritual slightly modified
„Bon aprèsmidi!“... „Merci, à vous aussi!“

Résumé / Outlook
Some blogs not serious enough
Some reports not focussed enough
Supports intercultural learning curve and adaptation
Combination of free-flowing blogs and structured reports
enhances awareness and reflection
Clear differentiation between company culture and culture of
host country
Continued with Erasmus placements through Extended EUC

The principle of surviving in a multicultural world is that
one does not need to think, feel, and act in the same way
in order to agree on practical issues and to cooperate.
Geert Hofstede