On 20, January 2019, Multicultural Counseling Center will hold a webinar “Code of Ethics. Basic Rules of Intercultural Communication”. This webinar is exclusively for the members of the counseling center.
Communication between people of different cultures is always an etiquette situation. If this is business communication, then it requires knowledge of cultural specifics and strict rules in order not to accidentally offend partners.
Webinar topics
We will discuss the following issues:
- Communication. Every nation has its own sign language – different gestures often have the opposite meaning in different cultures. In addition, even individual words and expressions have different semantic content. Even in English-speaking countries, the word “yes” can evoke various associations – from “maybe someday I will think about this” to “I fully agree.”;
- Conflict. Some peoples consider conflicts to be a positive phenomenon, others try to avoid them in every possible way. In the US, conflicts are usually resolved on the basis of personal and open discussion, in some Eastern cultures open conflict is unacceptable;
- Execution of tasks. Differences are due to many reasons, including differences in the understanding of time, success criteria, etc. For example, Asians and Latin Americans pay more attention to building interpersonal relationships than Europeans and Americans. Residents of Europe and North America put the joint task at the forefront, hoping that the relationship will be improved in the process of working together. This does not mean that people work better or worse;
- Making decisions. In the USA, the chief delegates part of his authority to a subordinate who is fully responsible for the performance of one or another task. In many southern European and Latin American countries, the chief takes all the decisions himself. In the case when the decision is made collectively, Americans accept the point of view of the majority. In Japan, the parties are trying to find a compromise that suits everyone;
- Openness. In some cultures, the boss and colleagues are aware of the employee’s personal life, in others, private life is a “closed zone”. If a conflict arises, then the knowledge or ignorance of a person’s biographical details can play a huge role, since victims can consider that they are treated unfairly only on the basis that co-workers know or, conversely, do not know about their family problems;
- Knowledge. Representatives of different cultures acquire knowledge and skills in different ways. Europeans tend to impose strict criteria for the process of knowledge, they draw information from reliable sources, paying less attention to some a priori ideas about the subject. Africans pay more attention to certain symbolic values and imagination. In Asian cultures, transcendental techniques are considered the best way to acquire knowledge. As a result, to get information about the subject, the Europeans will prefer to go to the library, the Africans will seek to learn more about the situation on the spot, and the Asians will try to find an expert.
The participants of the webinar will learn about Farid Elashmawi, an author of the Multicultural Management textbook. He published simple tips on how to do business with American managers. You will be able to get answers to all your business questions regarding your work.
The speakers from Multicultural Counseling Center will also touch upon:
- Basic rules of intercultural communication;
- Human behavior carries tremendous information: body language, style of dress, manner of speaking, gestures, posture – all these are signs of communication containing hidden and open information. Bear in mind that different cultures attach different meanings to these signs. Communication occurs where there is understanding. Understanding arises when two people interpret symbols, words, and gestures in the same way;
- For many cultures, the first place is occupied by the context in which communication takes place (place, time, setting);
- The process of communication is irreversible. One cannot return sent information. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of yourself: for example, in Saudi Arabia and many other eastern countries, the expression of disagreement with a person in the presence of others is considered impolite, and the impression from this is difficult or even impossible to correct;
- Communication is a dynamic, active and ongoing process.
Earlier, people believed that cultural differences are a barrier to joint activities, but today competent managers turn this specificity into a source of additional resources, for example, they increase the competitiveness of their organization. On the other hand, ignorance of cultural specifics can be the cause of conflicts and problems.
Today, all the leading global brands belong to transnational corporations operating in different regions of the world.
Become the participant of the webinar – improve your knowledge on multicultural interaction!