cross culture understanding

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A.    BACKGROUND

Purposes of promoting cultural competence in organization, intercultural communication focused on the face to face interaction between members of two significantly different cultures, with an emphasis on their subjective cultural patterns. By subjective culture, we refer to the learned and shared values, beliefs and behaviors of a group of interacting people. Most scholars define subjective cultural diversity to include nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, physical characteristics, sexual orientation, economic status, education, profession, religion, organizational affiliation, and other cultural differences learned and shared by a group of people (M.J.Bennett 1998: 4-5)

This emphasis on subjective culture contrast to many academic discipline that focuses instead on objective culture, which refers to the artifacts and structures created by a group of interacting people, such as their political and economic systems, artistic expressions, architecture, literature, theatre, history, heroes and holidays. While these areas of study provide important knowledge for the student, they do not guarantee competence in relating to someone from the culture being studied.

CHAPTER II

EXPLANATION

A.    TURNING FROGS INTO INTERCULTURALIST

Introduction

The “frog theory of change” suggests that it is possible to boil a frog in a cauldron of water if you are careful to turn the heat up slowly. Turning the heat up too rapidly of course lead the frog to jump out. This metaphor provides educators avery apt strategy for teaching intercultural competence.

This chapter suggests a model for assessing the learner’s developmental stage in terms of intercultural sensitivity and offers curricular recommendation that take into account learner readiness level. The discipline of intercultural communication will inform our perspective.

For purposes of promoting cultural competence in organizations, intercultural communication focuses on the face to face interaction between members of two significantly different cultures, with an emphasis on their subjective cultural patterns.

This emphasis on subjective culture contrasts to many academic disciplines that focuses instead on objective culture, which refers to the artifacts and structures created by a group of interacting people

For those interested in teaching about matters intercultural, careful audience analysis is essential. One way to approach this analysis i to assess the learners’ level of intercultural sensitivity. How resistant to difference are they? How intrigued by other culture?

1.      The Developmental Model Of Intercultural Sensitivity

A framework for analyzing the potential response to cultural difference is the developmental model of intercultural sensitivity (DMIS). The underlying assumption of the model is that as one’s experience of cultural difference becomes more complex and sophisticated one’s competence in intercultural relation increases. Each stage indicates a particular cognitive structure expressed in certain kinds of attitudes and behavior related to cultural difference.

Development of intercultural sensitivity

Experience of difference

Denial	Defense	minimization	acceptance	adaptation	integration
	ethnocentric stage			ethno relative stages

Content analysis research has supported the relevance of these stage descriptions. A theory based instrument for measuring the major stages of the DMIS, the Intercultural Development inventory, has been developed by Mitch Hammer and Milton Bennett.

In order address appropriately the developmental needs of the learners’ educator can borrow a framework from Sanford’s self and society (1966). He suggests that educators must examine how to balance the level of challenge a learner faces with adequate supports to keep the learner engaged. If the students are overly challenged if the heat is turned up too quickly they flee the culture context. If they are overly supported, they learn little or nothing. An example is student at an ethnocentric level of defense against of difference being overly challenged by being accused of racism and resolving never to talk to a person of color again.

In the following discussion, we will apply this framework to the task of teaching intercultural competence, noting for each stage the developmental task the learner face, the challenge and support patterns for the instructor and stage appropriate competencies.

2.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Denial Stage

At this stage, the typical learners involved in business or management may be surprised, if not dismayed, to find the subject of culture occurring in their courses. With an emphasis on maximizing productivity, they may see little reason to study the cultural patterns of other groups. Americans, for example, may take comfort in the idea that English is becoming an international business language and “since we all speak the same language that’s all that matters.” Other nationalities have similar cause of Denial.

Thus, our goal at Denial is simply to increase their recognition that cultural difference exist. We should avoid “proving” through complicated case studies the power of intercultural mis understanding that is simply too much head

3.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Defense Stage

Learners at the defense stage are often labeled “resistant” since they are often overtly negative and sometimes even antagonistic about other cultures. They may be naive dualist (Knefelkamp 1996), simply never having examined why they see their own culture as superior (e.g, American business is the most successful in the world), or they may be pernicious dualists, with the intent to denigrade other (e.g, If the Chinese weren’t so devious, and manipulative, this negotiation would work better). Naive dualists are more amenable to educational efforts, once they have been exposed to the common humanity of their colleagues or classmates.

To challenge them to progress to more complex thinking about difference, we can emphasis basic intercultural competencies, including tolerance, patience and self-discipline. For international business students at defense, to discuss economic policy with a Chinese scholar may be excessively challenging, for her or him to discuss a more culturally detached topic.

4.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Minimization Stage

When students begin to announce that in essence the world is fuul of people just like them, they have moved into minimization. They might suggest various forms of cultural convergence: “technology is bringing cultural uniformity” or “they key to getting along in any culture is just be yourself!” Often this position is considered the acme of intercultural sensitivity, in which we are metaphorically color blind and assume everyone is the same.

At this stage, the first task is to call into question the students comfortable assumptions about similarity through examination of their own culture. Brake and Walker (1995) have developed a “cultural orientations model” useful for teaching cultural self-awareness as well as for comparing and contrasting other culture.

To increase the challenge, students can work with theoretical frame works fo analyzing culture, especially their own. Challenge is further increased when we arrange contact with selected and coached member of other cultures and structured opportunities for difference seeking.

5.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Acceptance stage

Learners at this stage recognize that there are differences in value and beliefs and such difference need to be interpreted in their cultural context. Instead of being “difference-avoiders” they now can focuses on the complexity of other cultures, even the point of becoming “difference seekers”.

The developmental goal at this stage is to systematically increase the complexity of categories they used for analyzing difference and to begin to develop their skills for frame of reference shifting.

6.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Adaptation Stage

At the adaptation stage, the students are ready to shift perspectives and actively use empathy skills. They now recognize that to succeed in the business, they may have to moderate their approach and accomplish tasks in a difference way

Students at this stage need to master skills of cultural observation, intercultural interviewing and various ethnographic techniques in order to be able to continue their culture learning after their program.

7.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Intergration Level

At this developmental level, the students are at least bicultural or bilingual and comfortable in many intercultural contexts. The subject of intercultural difference no longer threatens them and may in fact be perceived as supportive (At last, some one understands I come from a different culture)

8.      Developing Intercultural Competence at the Multilevel Classroom

Most of us rarely teach entire groups of students who are positioned in the later stages of development where there is great safety in pursuing intercultural issues. Therefore, it is imperative to sequence our content and methods cautiously to avoid the backlash that can so easily result from premature challenge for those in ethnocentric stages.

Further, it is fairly typical to have a classroom of students at various level of development. In order to target our curriculum at the appropriate level of challenge, we need to assess, either through the intercultural development inventory or more informally, through audience analysis, where the majority of any given group is on the developmental continuum.

B.     SHAPING THE GLOBAL MINDSET

Designing educational experiences for effective global thinking and action

1.      Global Mindset

The global mindset has mostly been discussed either in term personal characteristic and abilities possessed by manager, Or in term of its content what executives need to know to function in the global economy.

The four dimensions that tend to be included in the list are:

·         Attitudes (such as curiosity and tolerance for ambiguity)

·          Knowledge ( such as history and macro-economic)

·         Business and management skills ( such as analysis and coordination)

·         Interpersonal effectiveness skills ( such as communication and team skills)

The ability to develop and interpret criteria for personal and business performance that are independent from the assumptions of a single country, culture, or context and to implement those criteria appropriately in different countries, cultures, and contexts. A global mindset has to complementary aspects: comprehensive cognitive structure that guides the noticing and interpreting of information and a well-developed competence for changing and updating this cognitive structure with new experience.

2.      Shaping The Global Mindset In The Classroom

 In the developing a global mindset, it is important to be able to understand differences and similarities between “us” and “them” the need to understand “them” may be obvious. Understanding “us” is less obvious but critical to developing an effective global mindset ambiguous figures and perception on exercises can be used to make the point about the relativity of the way which people see and interpret the world around them. Video and case studies also can be used effectively to begin examining different maps that apply to the practice of management and the organization of work.

3.      Engage In Experiences With The Feedback

Experiential learning is usually highly motivating, and the students report learning a great deal from it. However, experiences must be properly structured to provide feedbacks on the effects of one’s behaviors are universal and which are contingent.

4.      Develop Systems Thinking

To develop the systems thinking associated with a global mindset, students must generate generalizations. A generalization is a broad or general conclusion drawn from the observation of particular instance or situations. A relatively efficient way having student develop more complex conceptual framework is to use a stepped approach. The final step is to have students’ explitly develop a framework to compare and contrast the different elements of their own and each other’s assignment, and identifying.

5.      Practice Ongoing Development

Practice ongoing developing specific categories of knowledge and behaviors and articulating the links between them, students must learn that a global mindset is continually being updated through new information obviously ongoing development can only be practiced over time including this as an educational goal, then, requires deliberate coordination through a course and program. In addition to developing specific categories of knowledge and behaviors and articulating the links between them, students must learn that a global mindset is continually being updated through new information. Obviously, ongoing development can only be practiced over time including this as an educational goal, then, requires deliberate coordination through a course and program. Some progress will be evident  ( hopefully) and the should then analyze this progress In term of  how their thinking has changed in the interim.

6.      Modeling The Process

The above analytical treatments give several pedagogical suggestions and provide a way of thinking through curriculum design for developing a global mindset. To develop a global mindset, students examine their own assumptions, question them, and re-contextualize them within a larger global picture. In others words, we must confront own schemas of teaching in order to help students develop their global mindset. If our program relies on lectures and discussion, instructors should consider how others method could be used to at least begin the development of a global mindset. Most importantly, the pedagogical methods and materials must continually change with new students and new elements in the global business environment. As educators, we must model what we are trying to get students to do for themselves.

CHAPTER III

CLOSING

CONCLUSION

The global mindset is the ultimate international management tool. There is nothing more valuable we can impart to our students. But just as the global economy is asking managers and professionals to completely re-conceptualize what it means to do business globally developing students who can do this re-conceptualize what it means to teach international business. In the business. In the business environment, this competitive, imperative and inn our own institutions it is an educational imperative. The ideas and suggestions provide here can help us begin to address this dual imperative.