Intercultural Communication

The Morel Project

UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL
DIVERSITY

• Who is who?
• What are your impressions of the different members of the team?
• In your opinion, what is going to happen? Do you think this is a winning team?

Grant Douglas
2014-2015

Stumbling blocks in intercultural communication • Language differences
• Assumptions of similarity
• Tendency to evaluate

• Preconceptions and stereotypes • Non-verbal communication
• High anxiety
• Less effective communication, unsatisfactory relationships and generally bad business !

Tendancy to Evaluate
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ODIE
Observe
Describe
Interpret/identify
Evaluate

• Kilsontcons !
• (They are sooo stupid!)

• ODI(S)E

Stereotypes and preconceptions

The “mis” factor

MIStrust
MISperception

MISevaluation

• Stereotypes and prejudices are an automatic response to the complex world over-charged with information in which we live.
• A cultural stereotype is the application of a generalisation to all the members of a cultural group; or the generalisation from simply a few members of the cultural group.

MISinterpretation

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: WORKING SUCCESSFULLY ACROSS CULTURES

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Preconceptions and stereotypes

Preconceptions and stereotypes

• Heaven is where :

• Heaven is where :

• Hell is where :

• Hell is where :

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The police are….
The cooks…..
The mechanics…..
The lovers…..
And it’s all organised by the….. The police are British
The cooks are French
The mechanics are German
The lovers are Italian
And it’s all organised by the
Swiss

The police are ….
The cooks are ….
The mechanics are ….
The lovers are ….
And it’s all organised by the
….

The police are German
The cooks are British
The mechanics are French
The lovers are Swiss
And it’s all organised by the
Italians

National Stereotypes

Regional Stereotypes

Stereotypes of others?

Stereotypes of the French

• Mine…

• Yours…

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Stereotypes of the French

Stereotypes and prejudices

• The French are romantic and sexy.
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