Intercultural Effectiveness Developmental Plan

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— BUSM4688 Cross Cultural Management Topic 8: Understanding culturally diverse employees

Dr. Shea Fan School of Management

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How shall we structure assignment 2 (report)?

Part 1: Explain the issue you have identified related to RMIT’s multicultural teams à research question

Part 2: One paragraph on the data collection process

Part 3: Analyze why the issue you have identified can occur (integrate the date and the literature)

Part 4: Solutions or suggestions

You can have multiple paragraphs in each part.

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Content Chart

Foundations

• The nature of culture

• Comparing cultures

• Beyond culture frameworks

Theory Applications

• Working in multicultural teams

• Communicating with culturally different others

• Cultural intelligence

Management

• Understanding culturally diverse employees

• Managing cultural diversity

• Managing language in MNCs

Self-lead learning: discussions, presentations, team investigation

Intercultural effectiveness development: knowledge, self-reflection, attitudes & behavioral change

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Pressing managerial questions

Are employees with diverse cultural backgrounds different from those with a single cultural background? How can they contribute to the organization?

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Overview

1.  Understanding culturally diverse employees 1)  Acculturation strategies (Berry) 2)  Bicultural (multicultural) employees 3)  Cultural frame switching 4)  Bicultural identity integration (BII)

2.  Identity benefits and challenges faced by diverse employees

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Does it matter for me?

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Strategies to manage two cultures

RMIT University©yyyy School/Department/Area

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Is it considered to be of value to maintain one’s cultural characteristics? (attitudes)

Yes No Ye

s N o

Involvement and identification with both

cultures, that is biculturalism

Involvement and identification with the host culture only

Involvement and identification with the ethnic

culture only

Lack of involvement and identification with either

culture

Integration Assimilation

Marginalization Separation

Is it c on

si de

re d to b e of v al ue

to m

ai nt ai n

re la tio

ns hi ps w ith

th e ho

st so

ci et y? (b

eh av io rs )

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Who are biculturals?

Self-labeling (e.g. ‘I am bicultural’) or group self- categorization (e.g. ‘I am American’ and ‘I am Chinese’; ‘I am Chinese American’) (Hong, Morris, Chiu, & Benet-Martínez, 2000; Benet-Martínez, Leu, Lee, & Morris, 2002)

I am bicultural

I am American

I am Chinese

I am Chinese American

Self-labeling

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Who are biculturals?

Bicultural exposure and ability: 1) have been exposed to and have internalized two cultures; 2) Have the ability to switch between cultural schemas. (Hong, Morris, Chiu, & Benet-Martínez, 2000; Benet-Martínez, Leu, Lee, & Morris, 2002)

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Who are biculturals?

Immigrants, refugees, sojourners (e.g. international students, expatriates), indigenous people, ethnic minorities, those in inter-ethnic relationships, and mixed-ethnic individuals.

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Advantages of biculturals 1.  Greater creativity

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Advantages of biculturals 1.  Greater creativity 2.  Cognitive complexity à greater empathy and

flexibility 3.  Access to multiple cultural knowledge systems Cultural frame switching (the ability to switch b/t two cultural systems) à boundary spanners, cultural chameleons 4.  ……

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Why is one fish swimming in front of the group?

Very confident that one fish is being

chased by other fish

Very confident that one fish is leading other fish

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Cultural frame switching

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Why is one fish swimming in front of the group?

Very confident that one fish is being

chased by other fish

Very confident that one fish is leading other fish

1 12

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Challenges faced by biculturals

1.  Confusion 2.  Acculturation pressure 3.  Disorientation

“Who am I?”

“Where are you really from?”

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How do biculturals manage two cultures and two identities?

Being bicultural makes me feel special and confused. Special because it adds to my identity: I enjoy my Indian culture, I feel that it is rich in tradition, morality, and beauty; Confused because I have been in many situations where I feel being both cultures isn’t an option. My cultures have very different views on things like dating and marriage. I feel like you have to choose one or the other. – 19-year-old second-generation Indian American

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Bicultural identity integration (BII)

Biculturals perceive their mainstream and ethnic cultural identities as compatible and integrated vs. oppositional and difficult to integrate (Benet-Martínez et al., 2002, 9).

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Strategies to manage two cultures

RMIT University©yyyy School/Department/Area

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Is it considered to be of value to maintain one’s cultural characteristics? (attitudes)

Yes No Ye

s N o

Involvement and identification with both

cultures, that is biculturalism

Involvement and identification with the host culture only

Involvement and identification with the ethnic

culture only

Lack of involvement and identification with either

culture

Integration Assimilation

Marginalization Separation

Is it c on

si de

re d to b e of v al ue

to m

ai nt ai n

re la tio

ns hi ps w ith

th e ho

st so

ci et y? (b

eh av io rs )

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Bicultural identity integration (BII)

Cultural Integration Strategy (biculturals)

cultural frame switching

Cultural Biculturals with high BII

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Take home messages

1.  Berry ’s accult

uration s trategies

: integra tion,

separati on, assim

ilation an d

margina lization

2.  The a dvantag

es and c hallenge

s of

bicultura ls

3.  Cultu ral frame

switchin g

4.  Bicult ural iden

tity integ ration (B

II)