"What did you say? Intercultural expectations, misunderstandings, and communication" a workshop given at Digital Divide Data, Vientiane, Laos.

1. What Did You Say?
!
Intercultural Expectations, Misunderstandings, and
Communication
!
Greetings! I am pleased
to see that we are different.
May we together become greater
than the sum of both of us.
!
Surak in the Savage Curtain episode of Star Trek
!
Frederick Zarndt

2. The single biggest problem in
communication is the illusion that it
has taken place.
George Bernard Shaw,1925 Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.
?

3. • I most enthusiastically recommend this candidate with
no qualifications whatsoever.
What did you say?

4. • In my opinion you will be very fortunate to get this
person to work for you.
What did you say?

5. • Please revert as soon as possible.
What did you say?

6. What does this mean?
Fine
for Parking
Here

7. What do you see?
The young girl
is turning away...
The old woman
is very sad...

8. What do you see?

9. Why (better) communication is
necessary

10. Wiio's laws of (mis-)communication
Osmo A Wiio in “Wiion lait - ja vähän muidenkin” cf. http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/wiio.html
1. Communication usually fails, except by accident
1. If communication can fail, it will
2. If communication cannot fail, it still most usually fails
3. If communication seems to succeed in the intended way, there's
a misunderstanding
4. If you are content with your message, communication certainly
fails
2. If a message can be interpreted in several ways, it will be interpreted
in a manner that maximizes the damage
3. There is always someone who knows better than you what you meant
with your message

11. Osmo A Wiio in “Wiion lait - ja vähän muidenkin” cf. http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/wiio.html
4. The more we communicate, the worse communication succeeds.
1. The more we communicate, the faster misunderstandings
propagate.
5. In mass communication, the important thing is not how things are but
how they seem to be.
6. The importance of a news item is inversely proportional to the square
of the distance.
7. The more important the situation is, the more probably you forget an
essential thing that you remembered a moment ago.
Wiio's laws of (mis-)communication

12. Exercise: Introductions
• Introduce yourself and say where you were born
• Say one thing about you that you really like
• Say one thing about you that you don’t so much
like
• Tell one unique thing shared by all / most
members of your native culture that is different
from other cultures
• Do this is 2 minutes or less!

13. Goals
Personal goal: Through my behaviour in thought, word, and
deed to be and to become a better person
Business goal: Everyone wins as measured by the 4 way
test*
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Your goals?
* Adapted from Herbert Taylor’s 4 way test. See http://www.rotary.org

14. Simple principles
for communication
1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best
5. Be mindful
Adapted from The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

15. The basic human

16. Genetic difference at most 0.5%

19. • Estimated number of neurons in an adult human brain
10,000,000,000 (1011)*
!
• Estimated number of synapses in an adult human brain:
100,000,000,000,000 (1014)
!
• Estimated number of synaptic connections for each neuron: 7,000
!
• Number of combinations of n (1011) neurons with s (7000) synapses
C (n, s) = C (1011, 7000) is very large (for example, the number of
combinations of n (52) cards taken 5 at a time C (52,5) is 2,598,960
* Another estimate is 86 x 109 total neurons, 16.3 x 109 in the cerebral cortex
and 69 x 109 in the cerebellum.
Genes, neurons, and synapses:
How humans are different

20. • Humans have about 3,000,000 nucleotides. Maximum genetic
variation based on
!
• single nucleotide polymorphism is 0.1% or 1 difference in 1000
base pairs
• copy number variation resulting from deletions, insertions,
inversions, and duplications is 0.4%
!
• Total maximum genetic difference between two randomly selected
humans is ~0.5%.
!
• Genetic difference between human and chimpanzee is ~4%.
Genes, neurons, and synapses:
How humans are alike

21. Reticular activating system
!
The Reticular Activating System
(RAS) is a structure common to
mammals that is necessary for
consciousness to occur.
RAS filters data coming to your
mind so that your perception of
events agrees with your past
experience.
Everything you see, hear, smell,
feel and touch is a message
entering your brain. RAS filters
through all these messages and
decides which ones will get
attention from your consciousness.
Midbrain
Pons
RAS
Medulla
Exercise (+)
Noise (+)

22. Basic human nature
Physical Vehicle comprised of “meat” body and its needs. (Latin
physica ‘things relating to nature’.)
Emotional Motivational force for human activities. (Latin emovere
‘move’.)
Mental Sets goals, creates problems, solves problems. (Latin mens
‘mind’, Indo-European / Sanskrit ‘revolve in the mind, think’.)
Spiritual Relationship to creator. (Latin spirare ‘breathe’.)
Regardless of culture, humans have 4 basic natures. With
only slight racial and geographic differences, the physical
body is the same for all cultures. How humans meet their
physical needs -- water, food, shelter, procreation -- and
fulfill their emotional, mental, and spiritual natures differs
from culture to culture and from person to person.

23. Basic human activities
Relationship Manner in which one connects to and interacts with
other humans. (Latin referre ‘bring back’.)
Work Physical and mental activity intended to achieve a
purpose or result or to create something.
Recreation Activities done for enjoyment and to re - create oneself.
(Latin recreare ‘to create again, renew’.)
Devotion Activities to fulfill and develop spiritual nature. (Latin
devotionem ‘to dedicate by a vow’.)
Basic physical needs -- water, food, shelter, procreation --
are fulfilled in variety of culture specific ways. Once these
needs are met, humans from every culture engage in 4
fundamental activities.

24. Culture is like the color of your eyes: You cannot hide it and can change it only
with difficulty, and although you yourself cannot see it, it is always visible to
others when you interact with them.
Culture Any knowledge passed from one generation to the next, not
necessarily with respect to human beings.
Culture is a collective phenomenon shared with people within the same social
environment.
Culture is learned, it is not innate.
Culture is different from personality but the border between culture and
personality is fuzzy.
Definitions of culture

25. Culture
Personality
Human Nature
Learned
Inherited and Learned
Inherited
Specific to Individual
Specific to Group
Universal
Levels of mental programming

26. Cultural expectations
Cultures similar Cultures different
Behaviors and values

27. Culture stereotypes
Advantages of stereotypes Disadvantages of stereotypes
Prediction of cultural behaviors Stereotypical behavior does not match real
behavior
Illuminates intent Expected intent disguises real intent
Helps one avoid giving offense
Ability to put things in conceptual categories is fundamental
to perception.

28. Exercise: Cultural stereotypes
Think of a cultural stereotype from your own or from
another culture. Think of advantages, disadvantages, and
dangers of the stereotype.

29. …realize that there is no color in the natural world and no sounds —
nothing of this kind; no textures, no patterns, no beauty, no scent….
the “world out there” is synthesized in our consciousness.
Sir John Eccles,1963 Nobel Peace Prize for Medicine.

30. Perception
To become conscious of or aware of through the senses
(Latin perceptiōn or perciptio: comprehension, taking in)

31. Process of perception
1. Observation
2. Interpretation
3. Evaluation or judgement

32. He must
be late...
That man
is running
Those foreigners
are always in
a hurry!
Perception: ObservationPerception: JudgementPerception: Interpretation?

33. Exercise: Judgement
Think of one of your own judgements about someone else
or a judgement that you witnessed. It may have been the
result of your own personal or cultural programming or the
result of your assumptions about a situation, relationship, or
the circumstances.

34. Some more equal than others:
Power distance
Power distance is the extent to which the less powerful
members of an organization within a country expect and
accept that power is distributed unequally.

35. Small power
distance
DirectorEmployee
Large power
distance
DirectorEmployee

36. Small power distance Large power distance
Inequalities among people should be minimized Inequalities among people are expected and desired
Hierarchy in organizations means an inequality of roles,
established for convenience
Hierarchy in organizations reflects existential inequality
between higher and lower levels
Managers rely on their own experience and on
subordinates
Managers rely on superiors and on formal rules
Subordinates expect to be consulted Subordinates expect to be told what to do
Privileges and status symbols are frowned upon Privileges and status symbols are normal and popular
Manual work has the same status as office work White-collar jobs are valued more than blue-collar jobs
There are fewer supervisory personnel There are more supervisory personnel
Parents treat children as equals Parents teach children obedience
Teachers are experts who transfer impersonal truths Teachers are gurus who transfer personal wisdom

37. Power distance
cultural differences
Small Power Distance Large Power Distance

38. Power distance
cultural differences
Small Power Distance Large Power Distance

39. Exercise: The emperor’s new
clothes
You are an operator with 3 years experience. For the last
year, you have been part of a 5 person team of equally
experienced operators at the Tweedle Dee Corporation.
One day during a team meeting, the team leader asks the
team to change the way zoning is done. The new way is
very different from the old way. What do you do?
[2]

40. I, we and they:
Individualism and collectivism
In individualistic cultures
ties between individuals are
loose, everyone is expected
to look after himself or
herself.
In collectivistic cultures
people from birth onward are
integrated into strong,
cohesive in-groups, which
throughout people’s lifetimes
continue to protect them in
exchange for unquestioning
loyalty.

41. Collectivist Individualist
Purpose of education is learning how to do Purpose of education is learning how to learn
Employees are members of in-groups who will pursue their
in-group’s interest
Employees are “economic men” who will pursue
employer’s interest if it coincides with their interest
Employer-employee relationship is basically moral, like a
family link
Employer-employee relationship is a contract between
parties on the labor market
Relationship prevails over task Task prevails over relationship
High-context communication prevails Low-context communication prevails
On personality tests, people score more introvert On personality tests, people score more extrovert
Harmony should be maintained and direct
confrontations avoided
Speaking one’s mind is a characteristic of an honest
person
Interdependent self Independent self
Occupational mobility is lower Occupational mobility is higher

42. ingroup outgroup
ingroup
P
outgroup
P
Perception of relationships
INDIVIDUALISTIC CULTURES
COLLECTIVISTIC CULTURES
more perceived
less perceived
intercultural distance
intercultural distance

43. Individual / collective
cultural differences
More individualism More collectivism

44. Individual / collective
cultural differences
More individualism More collectivism

45. Exercise: Who is responsible?
A new employee joins an experienced production team.
The employee receives the usual training (same training
that all production teams receive) and passes a proficiency
exam. During her/his 1st week on the production line, s/he
makes a mistake that cause several days of production to
be recalled. Who is responsible?
[2]

46. He and she, masculine and feminine,
tough and tender
A culture is masculine (tough) when emotional gender
roles are clearly distinct; men are supposed to be
assertive, tough, and focused on material success,
whereas women are supposed to be more modest,
tender, and concerned with the quality of life.
A culture is feminine (tender) when emotional gender
roles overlap: both men and women are allowed to be
modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.

47. Masculine Feminine
Challenge, earnings, recognition, and advancement are
important
Relationships and quality of life are important
Men should be assertive, ambitious, and tough Both men and women should be modest
Women are supposed to be tender and take care of
relationships
Both men and women can be tender and focus on
relationships
Brides need to be chaste and industrious, grooms don’t Bridegrooms and brides are held to the same standards
People live in order to work People work in order to live
Resolution of conflicts by letting the strongest win Resolution of conflicts by compromise and negotiation
There is a lower share of working women in professional
jobs
There is a higher share of working women in professional
jobs
Students overrate their own performance; ego-boosting
Students underrate their own performance; ego-
effacement
Women shop for food, men for cars Women and men shop for food and cars

48. Education
Co-educative schools, same content of
classes for girls and boys, same
qualification for men and women.
High professional qualification is most
important for men.
Career
Equal professional opportunities for men
and women are necessary.
Career and professional advancement is
less important for women than for men.
Home
All housekeeping is done by both parties
to a marriage in equal shares.
Housekeeping is primarily the duty of the
woman.
Decisions
Neither partner dominates; solutions do
not always follow the principle of finding a
concerted decision.
In case of conflict, man has the last say, for
example, in choosing the place to live,
choice of school for children.
Children
Man and woman share equally in raising
children.
Woman is the primary care giver.
Australia • Denmark • France • Germany • India
Japan • Laos • New Zealand • Norway • Singapore • USA
Exercise: Rank national cultures

49. Masculine / feminine
cultural differences
More masculine More feminine

50. Masculine / feminine
cultural differences
More masculine More feminine

51. What is different is dangerous:
Uncertainty avoidance
Uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which the
members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or
unknown situations, often expressed through nervous
stress (anxiety) and in a need for predictability.

52. Weak uncertainty avoidance Strong uncertainty avoidance
More changes of employer, shorter service Fewer changes of employer, longer service
There should be no more rules than necessary
There is an emotional need for rules, even if these will not
work
Hard-working only when needed
There is an emotional need to be busy and an inner urge
to work hard
There is tolerance for ambiguity and chaos There is need for precision and formalization
Focus on decision process Focus on decision content
Low stress and low anxiety High stress and high anxiety
What is different is curious What is different is dangerous
Top managers are concerned with strategy Top managers are concerned with daily operations
Teachers may say “I don’t know” Teachers are supposed to have all the answers

53. Exercise: Risk seekers / Risk averse
Australia • Brazil • China • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany
Great Britain • India • Ireland • Japan • Laos • New Zealand • Norway
Pakistan • Singapore • Switzerland • Thailand • USA
!
!
From the list above, choose 2 cultures that are likely to
foster individuals that will readily take risks and 2 cultures
that are likely to foster individuals that are risk averse.
Justify your choices.
!
[2]

54. Exercise: Risk seekers / Risk averse
The year is 2050. A company headquartered on Mars has
sent you a very attractive employment offer. The offer
requires a minimum commitment of 5 years on Mars. Under
what conditions (if any) would you accept employment?
!
!
!
!
Fact for this Exercise: More than 21,000 people have emigrated to Mars and
about one hundred children have been born on Mars.

55. Uncertainty avoidance
cultural differences
Strong uncertainty avoidance Weak uncertainty avoidance

56. Uncertainty avoidance
cultural differences
Strong uncertainty avoidance Weak uncertainty avoidance

57. Yesterday, now, or later:
Long- and short-term orientation
Cultures with long-term orientation foster virtues oriented
toward future rewards, in particular, perseverance and thrift.
Cultures with short-term orientation foster virtues related
to the past and present, in particular, respect for tradition
and fulfilling social obligations.

58. Long-term orientation Short-term orientation
Perseverance, sustained efforts toward slow results Efforts should produce quick results
Respect for circumstances Respect for traditions
Concern with personal adaptiveness Concern with personal stability
Willingness to subordinate oneself for a purpose Concern with social and status obligations
Leisure time is not important Leisure time is important
Focus is on market position Focus is on bottom line
Main work values include learning, honesty, adaptiveness,
accountability, and self-discipline
Main work values include freedom, rights, achievement,
and thinking for oneself
Investment in lifelong, personal networks Personal loyalties vary with business needs
Marriage is a pragmatic arrangement Marriage is a moral arrangement

59. Exercise: What will you do?
!
A distant, wealthy relative recently died. In his will he left
you USD $10,000. There are no conditions on the
inheritance except that you must invest or spend the money
as follows: Invest the money in the XYZ hedge fund* or
spend the money on a holiday in Hawaii. What would you
do and why?
!
!
*The hedge fund is 10 years old and has had an average historical annual return
that barely exceeds inflation.

60. Long-term / Short-term
orientation
Long-term orientation Short-term orientation

61. Long-term / Short-term
orientation
Long-term orientation Short-term orientation

62. Exercise: Cultures with long-term
and short-term orientations
Australia • Brazil • China • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany
Great Britain • India • Ireland • Japan • Laos • New Zealand • Norway
Pakistan • Singapore • Switzerland • Turkey • USA
!
!
From the list above, choose 1 culture with long-term
orientation and choose 1 culture with short-term orientation.
Justify your choice.

63. Richard Lewis’s cultural categories
Linear-active cultures tend to be task-oriented, highly
organized planners who complete action-chains by doing
one thing at a time, preferably in accordance with a linear
agenda.
!
Multi-active cultures are loquacious, impulsive, like to do
many things at the same time, and attach great importance
to feelings, relationships and people-orientation.
!
Reactive cultures rarely initiate action or discussion,
preferring first to listen to and establish the other’s position,
then react to it and formulate their own. Reactive cultures
listen before they leap.
Adapted from Richard D Lewis

64. Cultural types model
Figure copyright Richard D Lewis

65. Culture category statistics
Adapted from Richard D Lewis
Linear-active 600,000,000
Multi-active 3,300,000,000
Reactive 1,700,000,000
Hybrid (multi-active and
reactive)
290,000,000
Total (approx.) 6,000,000,000

66. Exercise: What will you do?
You must fly to a business meeting in another country. You
ask your good friend to drive you to the airport. Whilst
driving to the airport, your friend hits and seriously injures a
pedestrian. S/he drives on without stopping. Later the
police catch her/him and expect you to testify in court.
What can your friend expect you to say?

67. Culture and emotions
• “Universal” emotions such as anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness,
sadness, and surprise are common to all cultures.
• Individualistic cultures tend to direct attention to inner states and feelings
(such as positive or negative affects).
• Collectivistic cultures tend to direct attention to outer sources (adhering to
social norms or fulfilling one’s duties).
• The correlation between life satisfaction and the prevalence of positive
affect is higher in individualistic cultures, whereas in collectivistic cultures
affect and adhering to norms are equally important for life satisfaction.

68. What is this man feeling?
AngerDisgust Neutral FearJoySurprise Sadness

69. What is this man feeling?
Anger Disgust Neutral Fear
Joy Surprise Sadness

70. Basic communication

71. How do you communicate?
• Communication is at most 30% verbal!
• Remainder - 70% or more - is comprised of gestures,
facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, odors, ...
• Telephone communication removes gestures, facial
expressions, posture, odors, etc. Only words and tone
of voice remain.
• Written communication - email, letters, etc - removes all
modes of communication save for words.

72. Simple principles
for communication
1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don’t take anything personally
3. Don’t make assumptions
4. Always do your best
5. Be mindful
Adapted from The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

73. Be impeccable with your word
• Take responsibility for your words and actions.
• Respect others and yourself.
• Be mindful of your intent.
• Consider the effect that your words will have on
those who hear them.
• Do not lie to yourself or to others.
• Do not gossip.

74. Don’t take anything personally
• To take stuff personally is
expression of selfishness:
You assume that
everything is about you.
• Nothing others do is
because of you: It is
because of the others’
programming.
• Act, don’t react: When you
take stuff personally, you
feel offended by others’
words and your reaction is
to defend your beliefs thus
creating conflict.

75. Act, don’t react
William Ury , co-founder of Harvard's Program on Negotiation and Senior Fellow of the Harvard Negotiation Project.
“Humans are reaction machines.”
“When you are angry, you will make
the best speech you will ever regret.”

76. Don’t make assumptions
• The human has the need to explain and understand everything. It
doesn’t matter if the explanation is correct -- the explanation by itself
makes us feel safe.
• Problem with assumptions is that we believe they are the truth.
• Do not assume that your partner (business or personal) knows what you
think and therefore you don’t have to say what you want.
• Do not assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel,
and judge the way we judge.
• Stop making assumptions: Have courage to ask questions!
• Make sure communication is clear. Even then don’t assume you know
everything about a situation.
• Communicate “This is what I want. That is what you want.”

77. Perception
Much of what you think happened or what you think you
heard is based on misperception.

78. Perception
• Mother and daughter

79. Perception
• Mother and daughter
• Innocence Project
• Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful
convictions, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned
through DNA testing.
• Exonerated 289 wrongfully convicted men (as of Feb 2012)

80. Perception
• Mother and daughter
• Innocence Project
• Eyewitness misidentification is the single greatest cause of wrongful
convictions, playing a role in more than 75% of convictions overturned
through DNA testing.
• Exonerated 289 wrongfully convicted men (as of Feb 2012)
• Crab Nebula supernova
• In 1054 a star in the region of what is now know as the Crab Nebula
exploded. For several days it was the 3rd brightest object in the sky,
bright enough to be seen in daytime.
• The supernova was observed and recorded by Chinese, Japanese,
and Arab astronomers and by native Americans. There are few and
very obscure recorded European observations.

81. Exercise: Misperceptions
Think of one of your own misperceptions or a
misperception that you witnessed. It may have been the
result of your own personal or cultural programming or the
result of your assumptions about a situation, relationship, or
the circumstances.

82. Why (better) communication is
necessary
No communication ...
!

83. Why (better) communication is
necessary
No communication ...
Little communication ...

84. Why (better) communication is
necessary
No communication ...
Little communication ...
Poor communication ...

85. Why (better) communication is
necessary
No communication ...
Little communication ...
Poor communication ...
Reduced communication ...
!

86. Why (better) communication is
necessary
No communication ...
Little communication ...
Poor communication ...
Reduced communication ...
... all result in more assumptions about

87. Always do your best
• Do no more or less than your best.
• Reasonable balance.
• Your best changes one moment to
next.
• Don’t beat yourself up when you fail
to do your best.

88. Be mindful
• Mindfulness is being in touch with and aware of the present
moment, as well as taking a non-evaluative and non-judgmental
approach to it.
• When the mind is not mindful and attentive, it follows its habitual
patterns of liking, disliking, rejecting, pursuing, projecting, and
being for and against things. Clear attentiveness is awareness
that is free from the process of reacting, without adding or
subtracting anything from the experience.

89. Be mindful

90. Why (better) communication
is necessary
• Because effective communication results in better
understanding and ...
• Better understanding of each other’s personal / business
needs leads to ...
• Better personal / business relationships which in turn leads
to ...
• More harmony in personal / business relationships, and ...
• Understanding is more fun than misunderstanding!

91. Basic communication principles
Simple Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS principle)
Repeat Say it twice in different ways
Listen Repeat what you hear
Respect Respect yourself and others

92. More communication
principles
• When we speak to others in a language that is not our own, we often
unconsciously transfer elements from our own language into the other.
• When someone speaks your language, you tend to assume that they also share
your thoughts and assumptions.
• Unless you understand very well proverbs from a language that is not your own,
don’t use them.
• Humor does not translate well!
• Conversational taboos usually include religion and politics as well as questions
about health, age, weight, income.
• Effective verbal communication is expected to be explicit, direct, and
unambiguous. Say what you mean as precisely and straightforwardly as
possible.
• Some western cultures view a person who is being indirect as tricky, deceptive,
and of questionable integrity. At best indirect communication is viewed as a
waste of time.
• Some eastern cultures view a person who is being direct as rude and of
questionable honor. At best direct communication is viewed as impolite.

93. Organizing information
• Open-minded people seek out (more) information
before making a decision
• Close-minded people see only a narrow range of
possibilities and ignore the rest
• Most cultures produce close-minded people!

94. Exercise: Close-minded or not?
Do you agree with the statement that most cultures
produce close-minded people? Why?

95. Exercise: Invent a gesture
Invent a gesture that a driver can use to apologize for
unintentionally cutting off another driver. The gesture must
be usable in any country.
[2]

96. Frederick Zarndt
!
Coronado CA 92118
USA
+1.801.361.3204
frederick@frederickzarndt.com
心善人品美
人美家庭和
家和国势荣
国荣天下安
Where there is light in the soul,
There is beauty in the person.
Where there is beauty in the person,
There is harmony in the home.
Where there is harmony in the home,
There is honor in the nation.
Where there is honor in the nation,
There is peace in the world.