Profession Comm. 8

Unit VIII

Lesson 1: Cultures and Co-cultures

Introduction

Culture refers to the beliefs, values, attitudes, and prejudices that a group of people share. It

doesn’t refer to race or ethnicity. Defining cultural groups is not meant to stereotype people

around the world but rather to promote understanding of how various groups around the world

say and do things differently (Meyer, 2014).

Cultural groups have shared norms for behavior, and they communicate using common symbols

to express themselves verbally and nonverbally. The American culture is an example—

Americans have shared beliefs about the Constitution of the United States and shared values

about how societies should function. They share attitudes toward education in that they believe

all children should have access to education from a young age to adulthood. Thus, the American

public school system provides education to all children.

Within all cultures, there are also co-cultures existing at the same time. Age, gender, religion,

careers, sports, and music are all examples of co-cultures. In each of these cultures, people use

symbols (language) that they fully understand, but others may guess at what they are saying. As

we learned in Unit I, cultural differences change the way we interpret certain words.

Everyone belongs to more than one co-culture—a person will be either a man or woman, be of a

certain age group, belong to a specific religion, have a job in a specific career field, and enjoy

sports. This person belongs to at least five co-cultures. Each of these co-cultures assists in

shaping how this person communicates with others.

Culture in Global Environments

The major areas to consider of culture in the global environment are shown below:

language, gestures, dress, age, and religion.

Language

In most cultures, symbols are used to communicate verbally and nonverbally. These symbols

vary by culture and may be words, hieroglyphs, or ideograms. In this unit, language refers to the

symbols used to create words. For example, in the United States, the English alphabet is used

most of the time while in China, logograms—signs that represent words or phrases, are used.

There are approximately 7,000 distinct languages spoken in the world today (Spolare, 2012).

Within each language group, there are multiple dialectal differences. For example, people who

speak English in one country may use words differently from people who speak English in

another country. A pavement in England is a sidewalk in America. The American garbage man is

a dustman in England.

When you use words, you have to ensure you are fully understood. For example, a person from

Guyana in South America may be asked whether she prefers to go to Walmart or to Costco, and

she may respond “I don’t care.” A person from the United States of America interpreting that

response would believe that the Guyanese person is not interested in the conversation when she

only meant to convey that she does not have a preference.

In 2012, Sarah Aptilon wrote about her experiences when she lived in a Buddhist monastery in

Japan. She explained that in her American culture people used words to convey literal meanings,

but she soon learned that in Japan people used words to form and maintain relationships. It was a

difference between being right and simply creating conversation. Aptilon (2012) writes that she

had responded to a comment about the weather with a literal comment about the weather without

realizing that the speaker was only trying to create a friendly relationship and did not really care

about the weather.

Some symbols are nonverbal, consisting of signs, gestures, posture, or body language. Sign

language is an example of nonverbal communication. According to the World Federation of the

Deaf (n.d.), there are approximately 70 million people who are deaf and who use sign language

(para. 1).

Unlike spoken language, sign language depends on gestures and body language. Sign language is

used in all cultures by people who cannot hear and cannot speak. However, sign language is not

the same around the world. Just as dialects occur within cultures, dialects occur within sign

languages.

Communicating through language in most cultures involves the use of symbols. Co-cultural

groups are usually recognized by the way they use and interpret particular symbols.

Understanding these differences can lead to more effective communication across cultures.

However, someone who does not know about these differences can become frustrated or believe

that people from other cultures are uncooperative or unfriendly. Under the same circumstances, it

is very possible to offend others and appear to denigrate their culture.

Gestures

When interacting with people from different cultures, we must understand that they may not

interpret our gestures as we intend. While some of our gestures are automatic, such as moving

our hands while we speak, there are some gestures that we must be sure to avoid in particular

cultures. Some examples are as follows:

Using your fingers to signify that everything is OK means that you approve of an issue in the

United States. This has a very offensive meaning in some countries such as Greece, Brazil,

Kuwait, and Russia. In Japan, the same sign refers to money while in France it means zero

(Cotton, 2013).

In parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, one must use the right hand when shaking hands or

passing on a book, gift, or other object. Using the left hand is not acceptable as that hand is used

for wiping oneself after using the bathroom.

In the Buddhist religion, it is believed that the spirit lives in your head. Therefore, in that culture,

you must not pat someone on the head. The belief held is that doing so will result in something

negative happening to that person.

We can best communicate effectively with others when we understand how they interpret our

gestures when we are speaking to them or when they watch us as we interact with others.

Dress

People dress differently around the world. How we dress is very important to our professional

image as we interact with people in all cultures. While there may be some variation depending

on the co-culture, in general, we should always choose conservative clothing for work to avoid

drawing attention to ourselves.

Our clothing should always feel comfortable, especially when traveling and when attending

meetings. While we want to look professional, it is important to choose clothing that we are

comfortable in so as to not be preoccupied by what we are wearing. Our clothes should be the

last thing on our minds when at work.

Age

People in every culture communicate their beliefs regarding age through laws or societal norms.

Generational differences sometimes cause people to misinterpret messages. According to

Constance Patterson, PhD, faculty member at Tulane University (as cited in Dittman, 2005), the

difference in communication styles between the generations can be enormously damaging to

relationships in the workplace.

Perceptions of how older people and younger people should be treated differ a great deal across

cultures. In some cultures, age is honored, and older people are seen as wise people and live with

their families. In other cultures, older people are placed in homes to be taken care of by non-

family members.

In some cultures, young people are coddled and treated differently from adults. They cannot

vote, drive in public streets, or work if they are below a certain age. In other cultures, young

people work from an early age. In some countries, people 16 years of age have the right to vote.

Religion

There are five major religions in the world—Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and

Judaism. These religions affect business in many ways.

Religion does not refer simply to the act of worship; it also refers to how people communicate

through any manner of daily routines and activities and how they present themselves to the world

through their appearance, language, and behavior (“Religion in the Workplace,” 2016).

In some cultures, women traditionally take care of the home and are not a common part of the

workplace (Gaspar et al., 2014). If a company has offices where such a custom is operative, it

would not be a good decision to send female employees to this location.

Employers must take religious beliefs into account when sending employees overseas. The dress

code must be inclusive and not discriminate against anyone because of his or her religion. Codes

about appearance must also be inclusive. For example, it may be considered discriminatory to

tell men not to wear ponytails. In some religions, the style of men’s hair has religious

connotations; therefore, there must be a good reason for the rule, such as safety (“Religion or

Belief in the Workplace,” 2005).

Business Customs

Communicating across cultures when doing business can be very complex. One has to

understand how people rank in the business world and must know what to say, how to say it, and

constantly be aware of appearance, body language, and gestures.

In some countries, a handshake is appropriate. However, travelers must be aware of negatives in

some countries. For example, using your left hand in Middle Eastern countries will result in a

negative outcome. In those countries, using the left hand to shake hands is offensive because the

left hand is considered unhygienic for very good reasons as explained earlier.

For business or simply travel, one must learn how to address others in various countries. In many

places, everyone can use courtesy titles such as Professor, Doctor, Mr, Mrs, or Miss in the local

language or in English.

When traveling overseas to hold meetings or carry out other business, take into consideration

that many countries do not view time in the same way. While many have probably been

accustomed to having meetings start at a particular time, if you schedule a meeting in Somalia,

for example, for 9:00 a.m., expect that it might not begin on time. With different cultures, always

be prepared in case attendees do not turn up until 20 to 30 minutes late. Never enquire reasons

from those who are running late, nor expect anyone to apologize. In some cultures, time is not as

consequential as in others. As a visitor or person doing business in another culture, always know

and respect the local attitudes toward time (Somalia, n.d.).

In some cultures, when attending meetings, know very particular protocols regarding business

cards. In India, always exchange business cards when being introduced. However, in some other

countries, exchanging business cards requires more thought. For example, in Japan, you must

receive business cards with both hands and should have all information in your language on one

side while placing the same information in Japanese on the other side. Always present business

cards with the side containing the recipient’s language visible (Japan, n.d.).

Do not expect people to make decisions immediately. In some cultures, businesspeople need

time to consider any negotiation before making a final decision. In America, negotiators want to

get things done quickly, but people in many other cultures often want a longer-term negotiating

process that involves getting to know each other (Salacuse, 2004).

Working in Other Countries

Accepting a job in another country can be challenging. The job seeker must take into account

that there will be many cultural differences. How the employee communicates his or her

professional image is important. Whether or not the employee is accepted in the host society will

depend on the ability to project that his or her beliefs and values are similar and compatible to

those of the resident population. To be successful in the new environment, employees must adapt

to the norms and respect the beliefs and values of the people in their new location.

Even if an employee lives in an English-speaking country and takes a job in another English-

speaking country, he or she must do research to find out the cultural differences that exist. For

example, in a meeting, you might be interrupted when speaking because such a behavior is the

norm in that particular society. Always be prepared for a variety of unusual and unexpected

situations. In the one case, of course, you would not tell the other person to wait until you have

finished speaking.

If the employee is a religious person, find out the religions practiced in the new location. One

option is always to introduce oneself to the pastor, priest, rabbi, Imam, or whoever is in charge of

the local religion in that location. Networking with others in religious groups always helps both

socially and professionally.

Of course, employees will want to find out what foods are available and whether or not they will

be able to eat the local food cooked with recipes different from those to which they are

accustomed. One option is to cook for yourself, and in such cases, always visit the local grocery

or market to find foods you know, and learn about the availability of local foods.

Another consideration is how men and women are regarded and what they are permitted to do in

open society. In many Middle Eastern cultures, women do not venture out on their own. On the

other hand, there are cultures where people greet each other with a hug or a kiss on the cheek,

even directly on the mouth, when they meet. Regardless of the similarity or dissimilarity that the

new environment presents, a visitor must be aware of the customs and make every effort to be

assimilated and not offend any of the native population. Not just manners and feelings, in such

cases, but business opportunities and the success or failure of the venture will be at risk and

dependent on the efforts of the new resident employee.

Check for Understanding

(Answer Key is found below Review.)

1. The word culture does NOT refer to which of the following? a) Beliefs

b) Values

c) Attitudes

d) Race

2. Which of the following is NOT a co-culture? a) A person’s sex

b) Religion

c) Being a sports fan

d) None of the above

3. While language varies greatly among the world’s people, gestures or body language does not.

a) True b) False

4. While cultures are very different, modern business customs and practices are very uniform and consistent.

a) True b) False

5. Working in a new culture, an employee might spend as much of his or her initial time focusing on the culture as on the job itself.

a) True b) False

Review

1. Culture refers to the beliefs, values, attitudes, and prejudices that a group of people share. 2. When traveling overseas, be aware that it might be customary for people to be late for

meetings.

3. When attending meetings overseas, you must know the protocol regarding business cards. 4. You may travel to another country where your language is spoken, but you must not take

for granted that your words will be interpreted correctly.

5. Networking within religious groups can help you both socially and professionally.

Answer Key

1. D - While culture is a very broad sharing of values, beliefs, attitudes, and prejudices, it does not include race or ethnicity.

2. D - Co-cultures are very wide and can include, sex, age, religion, career, sports, music, and many more.

3. B – False: The fact is that variations in body language vary greatly between cultures and often have opposite meanings.

4. B – False: Business customs vary greatly between cultures to the extent that if a business is not aware of the idiosyncrasies of each culture, the business will not likely be

successful.

5. A – True: Unless an employee endeavors to be aware of every aspect of the culture in which he or she is working, there will be very little communication, respect, and business

opportunity among the native population.

References

Aptilon, S. F. (2012, April 25). Same words, different meanings in Japan, Mexico and the U.S.

[Blog post].Retrieved from http://www.japanintercultural.com/en/blogs/default.aspx?blogid=169

Cotton, G. (2013, June 13). Gestures to avoid in cross-cultural business: In other words, ‘Keep

your fingers to yourself!’ Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gayle- cotton/cross-cultural-gestures_b_3437653.html

Dittman, M. (2005, June). Generational differences at work. American Psychological

Association, 36(6). Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun05/generational.aspx

Gaspar, J. E., Arreola-Risa, A., Bierman, L., Hise, R. T., Kolari, J. W., & Smith, L. M. (2014).

Introduction to global business: Understanding the international environment & global

business functions. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.

Japan. (n.d.) Retrieved from

http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/InternationalBusComm/world/asia/japan/japan.html

Meyer, E. (2014). The culture map. New York, NY: Public Affairs.

Religion in the workplace. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://employment.findlaw.com/employment- discrimination/religion-in-the-workplace.html

Religion or belief and the workplace. (2005). Retrieved from http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/f/l/religion_1.pdf

Salacuse, J. W. (2004, September/October). Negotiating: The top ten ways that culture can affect

your negotiation. Ivey Business Journal. Retrieved from

http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/negotiating-the-top-ten-ways-that-culture-can-

affect-your-negotiation/

Somalia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/InternationalBusComm/world/africa/somalia/somalia.html

Spolare, E. (2012). How many languages do we need? The economics of linguistic diversity, by

Victor Ginsburgh and Shlomo Weber. Journal of Regional Science, 52, 375-378.

World Federation of the Deaf. (n.d.). Sign language. Retrieved from http://wfdeaf.org/human-

rights/crpd/sign-language