How do you support the development of students’ intercultural competences?

transcript

Ingeniørhøjskolen i København

August 24th 2010 - Bjørn Nygaard

www.idethandling.com bjorn@idethandling.com

Culture is in most things we do

Even in how to present one self!

”A Japanese business man visited a Fortune 500 company in New York. He was asked to give a speech, which he started by saying:

”I know that Americans often begin a speech with a joke. In Japan, we often start with an apology. As a compromise, I will apologize for not making a joke.”

www.idethandling.com 2

My “cultural encounter” background

Practical: Danida advisor in Kenya, 3 years Consultant in Africa, Asia, Russia and the Middle East, 13 years COWI and NIRAS: Colleagues with multi-cultural background Cultural encounter trainings: Novozymes’ management course, Danida and the

Danish Trade Council, Risø Conflict management Evaluation of cultural encounter projects at University Colleges of Engineering

Theoretical: Anthropology – field work in Danish factories in Malaysia Book: Data collection in Danish multi-cultural organisations NLP (communication) Conflict management

Book :Gyldendal Business: “Kulturmødet på arbejdspladsen – kulturel kompetence som

konkurence parameter i en globaliseret verden” (September 2010)

Objective and Programme

Objective: That you have more knowledge about how to support the students in their cultural encounters

Program: What is intercultural competence (IC) and why is it

important? What are your challenges? What do you already do? What else can be done? How do you work with your IC?

What is IC?

The desire and ability to act and communicate, so that constructive meetings with persons from other cultures are achieved. In long standing relations this can only be achieved though knowledge about other cultures, the ability to obtain such knowledge, self insight, strong communication abilities and empathy.

The ability to achieve once goals wihtout letting culture get in the way

Example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFbPCj_cajY&feature=related

(Kystvagten – 3.00 min. henne)

Intercultural Competence - Elements

Why is IC important in your organisations? Danish engineers working abroard or in multi

cultural organisations in DK need IC. Or: go home, inefficient, less innovation ...

International students learn less, have poor social experiences, do not stay in DK, ...

Lectures experience difficult teaching situations

Organisations: Fewer customers due to a bad reputation

Low or high efficiency

Multi cultural groups

Mono cultural groups

Inefficiency Average

efficiencyHigh

efficiency

1. Team-efficiency

Based on Dr. Carol Kovach, Graduate School of Management - University of California

Your challenges

What are they? Please give me some examples of difficult meetings and how you tackle them

What I have heard about your challenges: International students (generalised): Seem inactive and do not take responsibility during class –

used to rote learning + language problems – flat/hierarchy

Group work is hard – used to individual work - Kol./Ind.

Project work is hard – used to copy/paste – flat/hierarchy

Loose framework lose motivation - authority

Difficult to show there are things you do not know to the lecturer (do not like to interprete) – used to distant lecturers and punishment - flat/hierarchy

Difficult to share knowledge (peer learning) – ”knowledge is power - trust

Difficult to keep time – polykron/monokron time (especially Africans), few sanctions

Culture chock - some stop (maybe due to difficult cultural encounters)

Danish students (generalised): At times they speak their ethnic language

when others are present (some internationals too)

Dominate, decides and at times marginalise international students in group work projects work the “Danish way”

More direct (critique) seem rude Limited social initiative in and outside the

study context limited social contact

What do you already do?

1. Talk with students and colleagues about the cultural encounter – how can the competences of the international students be used?

2. Introduction to the organisation and student club

3. Party where international students cook

4. IC-project incl. Introduction to project work and roles

5. Group work without much interference from lecturer – in the group it is ok not to know it all

6. Team contract (conflict management, communication rules); define expectations to and roles in group work

7. Semester start: “Cocktail party” introduction, game with different rules, pictures which can be interpreted differently depending of culture, team building

8. Danish students as superviser for internationals - som leder ude

Which type of cultural encounter are you aiming at? Assimilation – the international students

behave like Danish students and e.g. learn how to share knowledge and talk openly to the lectures

Integration – they adjust on all important areas but keep a “cultural flavour”

Fusion – a double adjustment, where stakeholders test each others behaviour and learning stiles etc.

Colonisation – reverse assimilationwww.idethandling.com 14

What more can be done?

Students – reconcile opposites: Institutionalise that the students explore what ”the others” do and

think (and why) And that they try out each others’ ways of doing things (fusion)

instead og only/primarily using the Danish model of learning and cooperation (assimilation/integration)

Use the above as team building + evaluate team contract A crash course in IC (how to explore, communication skills, what

are the Danes like ...)

The host role: It is made clear to the Danish students that they have a host role

and give examples of what that implies (explain ”Danish ways”, invite out/home, experience a Danish Christmas

Match a Danish and an international student (social mentor) 15

How can this be done? Discuss in groups of two

The lecturers are front runners and show a good example (fusion and not assimilation?):

1. Reconcile this with the way you train.2. Explain more, take less for granted: What is it “at gå i

grupper”, the supervisor role, project work, oral examination, do you take notes? etc. Danish teaching tradition

3. Give students good marks for IC behaviour

4. A course in IC (exploration, communication, selfinsight, conflict management)

5. Explore training modalities from international students home countries e.g. the role of the lecturers, examination types etc. And let the Danish students experience how you do it

Culture A Culture B

New common elements

The strengths of the two ”old cultures” – the elements you wants to retain and share

The group’s fusion culture

Innovation via fusion

Reconcile opposites

Collectivist in an individualistic culture

Individualist in a collectivist culture

Be prepared for quick decission processes

Be patient regarding the time spend on consultations to achieve konsensus

When a person negotiates alone this does not mean he or she is a junior person (no backup staff) but he/she is highly respected/senior in the organisation

When a person negotiates togehter with a team of colleges it indicates that this person is highly respected/senior in his organisation

The objective is to achieve an agreement quickly

The objective is to create long lasting relations (and only then reach an agreement)

(Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turners (1997))

Methods of handling conflicts

Two boys fight over an orange (Galtung’s example)

Persons with different cultural background discuss how meetings should be held (my example)

FightWin – loose

Boy A gets the orange and boy B gets mad and wants revenge

Culture A dominates fully: Agendas are send out before the meetings, minutes are produced, the meetings are long

FightLoose – win

Boy B gets the orange and boy A gets mad and wants revenge

Culture B dominates fully: What ever is felt to be important at any time is discussed, no minutes are taken, the meetings are very long

Compromise Each boy get half an orange – both are dissatisfied

A bit of each culture prevails. Minutes are taken at every second meeting. The meetings are very long.

WithdrawlLoose - loose

Just watch the orange No one is giving in. The meeting process is not discussed. Attendance is low

TranscendenceWin - win

Bake an orange cake, sell it and divide the proceeds

New ways of holding a meeting which transcend both cultures: Short meetings are held but more often – participants are standing throughout. No fixed agenda. No orientation from the management – it is now done via email

Innovation via fusion – example from Risø ”There is a very direct approach here: ”what good will

this do?” You are not so direct in the European countries I am used to work in. It is done in order to quickly know what people think. But it can be quite a shock. People who have been here a while start applying this approach. Maybe they down play the confrontational element but they still ask the questions. One probably add a bit of politeness. I would take a bit from both worlds: Say what you mean but without harassing anybody” (European employee)

Conflict theory: to be firm on the issue and considerate in your relation

How can this be done in your organiasation (innovation via fusion and reconcile opposites)?

Discuss in groups of two

ideas2action ApS 23

To sum up:

Danes: a) Explore the new students' culture, b) explain the organisational and learning culture to the new comers, c) organise innovation through fusion, d) be hosts

Foreigners: a) Explore Danish culture and the learning/organisational culture, b) try to do in Rome like the Romans do, c) try actively to introduce the elements of their own culture they find effective but do not expect they (all) will be integrated into the organisation

Tools to explore

Intercultural Competence - Elements

Exploration

Curiosity is not enough: Observation skills (observations v/interpretations) Active listening (listen, repeat/sum up, explorative questions e.g. how did he react,

what did you do then, and few “whys”)

Reflection – what do all the (cultural) signs tell me? Sum: Internal field work

When you reflect ask your self questions like: Why do they do that? Does everybody do this? Why did they react like that when I did this? What do I need to know in order to manoeuvre in this

cultural setting?

Exercise: Tell the Difference Between Observations and Interpretations

Which of the following statements are observations and which are interpretations?

1. He is angry2. He speaks in a high voice and his eyes are almost

closed3. His body shows signs of tension4. He is drunk5. She lowers her shoulders 6. Her fists are clenched7. He has a frustrated look on his face8. She is angry. She thinks I am an idiot

Explore your neighbour

Dane to a foreigner: What puzzles you about the work or organisational culture at your organisation?

Foreigner to a Dane: What would you like to know about the way we work in my home country (solve problems, manage projects, innovate, ...)?

Dane to Dane: What are the organisational culture differences between this organisation and a previous workplace

Reshuffle – sit in pairs (preferably Dane/foreigner) Explore/”dig in” (how, what, when ...)

Analysis and reflection

Behaviour &

cultural artefacts

Official values

Deep values & assumptionsInspired by E. H. Schein, 1992

Communication

For some it just comes natural: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwaLTpno

zP4&feature=related (Condy)

Key communication skills

1. The ability to create rapport (calibration (not interpretations) and matching “the other”)

2. Ability to put one self in “the other’s” shoos (second position)

3. Be as specific as possible if you want to be understood

4. Code of conduct5. Active listening6. Appreciative feedback

Appreciative feedback

”Danes would be considered very rude in the US.”

”Danes do not give appreciative feedback.”

”Danes can be very rude. Now I know how it is meant. I had not experienced it before. I was shocked.”

”Danes are good at giving negative feedback – in order for one to improve. A person from e.g. India would say ”all is perfect”. As a leader you give him feedback and suddenly he sais ”don’t you think I am good enough” You can see his tension.”

Sandwich

2-3 detailed and specific observations of what is positive/works well

The juicy beef: What is less perfect and how it can be improved

The overall positive assessment

Somebody give me feedback on my presentation so far please

Communication and language

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_N1Cmt_QB0&feature=related

(Malta)

Cultural knowledge

Does and don’ts no big mistakes Stereotypes (sub-groups; P. Reddy: little time for child’s emotional needs)

Alternative: Explore In order to meet people as persons and not

(just) as cultures (or cultural stereotypes) and to know what is not in the books

300 definitions in 1952! (Kroeber and Kluckhorn)

The special way we as a group think, communicate and act. It is generally unconscious and is passed on from one generation to the next – but at the same time it changes (slowly).

Not just rituals, norms and rules!

What drags us imperfect humans into cultural conflicts? (Feeling) lack of respect and recognition -

Axel Honneth (a basic human need, insensitive e.g., tough feedback and

insensitive jocks, discrimination, assimilation)

Different values (which one “rules”, misunderstandings, gender - Kenya)

Misunderstandings/misinterpretations (Swede in

Bangladesh / observations-interpretations)

Less trust (has to be build)

Litterature

Brislin, R.: Culture’s influence on behaviour Hammerich, Else & Frydenberg, Kirsten: Konflikt og Kontakt,

2006. Larsen, Hanne: Multikulturelt teamwork på professionsskolerne

i: Day, Babara og Stensen, Jette (red.), Kultur og etnicitet på arbejdspladsen, 20??

Nygaard, Bjørn: Kulturel kompetence på arbejdspladsen, 2010. Plum, Elisabeth: Cultural Intelligence, 2009. Trompenaars, Fons og Hampden-Turner, Charles: Riding the

Waves of Culture, 1997 (2009).

How do you support the development of students’ intercultural competences?

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