Our culture influences how we think, view the world, and behave. Because we learn our culture at a very young age, we are not usually conscious of its influence on us. Beliefs, values, behaviours, and norms can vary from one culture to another. We perceive behaviour as “appropriate” and “normal” when it conforms to our culture’s values, beliefs, and norms. When the behaviour does not fit into our notion of what is appropriate and normal, we might get offended or judgmental. This is often the root cause for discord when people from different cultures work together.
Many people assume that identifying similarities with another culture and focusing on them brings about an acceptance of, and an affinity towards, that culture. Identifying similarities is certainly a step towards building a bridge because it establishes commonalities, but we need to go beyond that to demonstrate respect for another culture. We need to acknowledge the differences.
When we focus only on the similarities, there is a good chance that we are ignoring the differences that give the other culture its unique identity. When we do not acknowledge the differences, we are in danger of minimizing and devaluing them; what we may be conveying is that we think our culture is better and that we deem it valid to use it as a yardstick to measure the other. Recognizing and acknowledging that there are other perspectives validates those other perspectives, and this is a very important step towards breaking away from the mold of viewing other cultures purely from our own cultural perspective.
This section discusses some of the main areas of differences that can influence the integration and acceptance of ITIs in a Canadian workplace. Understanding these areas of differences can help identify the:
Intercultural training is best presented as an opportunity to develop an important skillset for being more effective in the workplace. Include the development of noticing skills in the training, so all employees are empowered to intentionally and actively pay attention to their own and others’ behaviours.
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Different cultures interpret and understand time in different ways. The clock takes precedence in some cultures, and in others, events and relationships take precedence. People who go by the clock are careful about scheduled appointments and the start time and finish time of meetings and other important events. They also tend to think of time in smaller segments of about five minutes. On the other hand, some cultures put a lot of value on relationships. They view time as something less regimented and more fluid, allowing for a natural conclusion of an event. People who are more event-focused generally think in larger segments of time. This difference in how time is viewed can influence one’s perception of:
Tips to mitigate misunderstandings about time:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
The way feedback is given varies from one culture to another. Depending on one’s cultural orientation, the employee may view the feedback given by a Canadian supervisor as either too indirect or too direct. Three elements of feedback can potentially cause confusion to a newcomer to the Canadian workplace – the method of feedback, the indirect language that is used, and the expectation that feedback is a two-way process.
In many Canadian workplaces, when supervisors give feedback, they generally start and end their feedback with positive remarks that focus on the strengths of the employee. They tend to keep the main part of the feedback and the important action points for development in the middle. Many management books and training manuals propagate this method as being more psychologically conducive to receiving and acting on feedback. However, when cultural orientations and expectations are different, people may focus more on the part that they expect to carry the main message. They might focus their attention only on the positive messaging and ignore the crux of the feedback.
Another element of feedback that can cause confusion is the softening or mitigating language used to make directives more palatable to the receiver of the feedback. This type of delivery is preferred in Canada because it conforms to two very important Canadian values – low power distance and individualism. Low power distance is a preference for a more equal distribution of power. Individualism, on the other hand, is about the personal freedom to make choices and decisions. Because these values are important in the culture, Canadian supervisors may make an effort to couch their suggestions in very polite and indirect language so that they do not sound like they are giving orders and are not at risk of offending the receiver of the feedback. When ITIs are not familiar with these values and norms, they may not understand the seriousness of feedback such as, “We might want to make more of an effort to be punctual.”
ITIs may not always be familiar with the Canadian expectation that the person receiving the feedback will take part in the feedback process, especially in more formal feedback contexts such as a performance appraisal. If ITIs are from cultures that value a large power distance, they may be reluctant to take part in the feedback process because they do not want to seem like they are undermining the supervisor’s authority. A Canadian supervisor might misinterpret this as a demonstration of poor attitude and lack of initiative. On the other hand, ITIs may come from cultures where it is acceptable to take part in the feedback process, but where it is natural to explain, ask for specifics, and respond in a more direct and emotionally expressive way. A Canadian supervisor might misinterpret this as a demonstration of argumentative, defensive, or non-compliant behaviour.
Tips to mitigate misunderstandings about expectations of feedback and its process:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Most Canadian employers expect employees to take initiative and carry out tasks with little supervision. This may not be the case in other cultures, where there is often an expectation that employees only act on the directives and approval of a supervisor. ITIs from such cultures may not readily participate in decision-making by offering suggestions or solutions. They might only present a problem and defer to the supervisor to come up with the solution because, in their cultural norm, offering a suggestion or solution might be viewed as presumptuous or indicative of insubordination.
Tips to help all employees understand the organization’s culture on taking initiative:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Culture also determines when boundaries are crossed. Boundaries refer to a culturally-determined space around a person, a person’s desk at work, or a person’s affairs and private life. When any of these boundaries are crossed, a person may react in a negative way. However, it is easy to offend people when one is unaware of where those boundary lines are drawn.
People in some cultures maintain a bigger space between themselves and the person with whom they are interacting. However, in some cultures, the distance is much smaller and, people stand or sit closer to people when they are interacting. Yet, in other cultures, people might maintain a bigger distance only when conversing with a member of another gender or a stranger. Some cultures are also comfortable with physical contact and are therefore, more comfortable touching each other. In other cultures, physical contact is frowned upon, especially in contexts that are more formal.
Many cultures that are space-conscious will consider an employee’s desk to be his/her private space. If people are unaware of the cultural expectations for what constitutes a person’s private space in an open-office format, they might feel at liberty to borrow a book or a document without permission, rifle through papers, or even open a desk drawer to look for something.
Another boundary line that is not clearly marked out for newcomers to a culture is what matters people consider as private or public. The notion of small talk is closely related to this. Appropriate topics for small talk and conversation starters are culturally determined. For example, in some cultures, it is completely appropriate to ask about or discuss a health condition, talk about earnings, or ask why someone has not started a family.
In some cultures, people will readily invite casual acquaintances and coworkers to their home for a visit or a meal. They might also expect a reciprocal invitation. However, this is not necessarily the case in Canada, where people are generally more reserved and might prefer to meet coworkers for after-work drinks at a restaurant. A newcomer may also be uncertain about who picks up the tab and might expect the person who made the suggestion in the first place to do so.
Tips to mitigate misunderstandings around boundaries:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Oral communication can cause potential miscommunication and misunderstandings in:
The three inter-related factors of oral communication that can cause challenges are:
What is conveyed
Grammar, sentence construction, vocabulary, and pronunciation can seriously affect what a person means to convey. They can also affect comprehension of the message. It is obvious that ITIs with a lower language proficiency will face problems in these areas. However, even ITIs who are fluent in English can have some challenges. They may not be familiar with the connotation or interpretation of certain words or phrases in their new culture. They may not readily understand more culture-specific vocabulary such as idioms, specialized industry-specific jargon, and slang.
A strong accent can also be a challenge for some ITIs. Several factors can affect pronunciation and make their accent difficult to understand: stressing the wrong syllable in a word, stressing the wrong word(s) in a sentence, using the wrong intonation, or dropping or adding a word ending. When ITIs are newcomers, they may also have problems understanding a Canadian accent because it might be unfamiliar to them.
Supplementary ESL instruction and exposure to the language usually help ITIs overcome the above challenges. However, the following are some useful tips for communicating with ITIs who have a lower level of language proficiency:
Where/when, why, and to whom it is conveyed
Culture plays a big part here. The rules that govern these aspects are not just learned by studying grammar and vocabulary. ITIs need to have the necessary underlying cultural information to modify and regulate their language to meet the local cultural expectations around context (formal, semi-formal, informal), purpose (meetings, presentations, etc.), and audience (client, co-worker, supervisor). For example, an ITI who comes from a culture that values a high power distance and accepts that power is distributed unequally, may demonstrate behaviour and language to his/her boss that is considered excessively formal in the local culture. This could lead to an assumption that he/she is being servile or ingratiating.
Something that is perfectly appropriate in a specific context and situation in one culture can be entirely inappropriate in another. The same applies to purpose and audience. When someone does not meet the cultural expectations in these areas, people tend to be less forgiving because they make assumptions and judge others based on their own culture’s values and norms.
How it is conveyed
Culture also plays a big role here. The following factors can affect how the message is conveyed:
1. Style
Some cultures prefer a more direct way of communicating. People from such cultures will use straightforward and precise language and feel that it is their responsibility to get the message across to the listener. They are not comfortable with long pauses and periods of silence and generally make an effort to fill the silence.
Other cultures place more value on not offending others. People from such cultures prefer a more indirect way of communicating and usually resort to more diplomatic language accompanied by other subtle messages that are conveyed through pauses, silence, gestures, and other forms of non-verbal communication. They consider silence, hesitation, and pauses as important parts of communication. They put the onus on the listener to interpret and decode the message by paying attention to both the verbal and non-verbal aspects.
A person who prefers a more direct style of communication may pay attention to only the words and overlook the cues from the more subtle features of communication used by the person who prefers a more indirect style of communication. He/she might also assume that the person is being dishonest or might even miss the actual message entirely by taking the words only at face value.
Another cultural difference in style is how emotionally expressive people are when they talk. Some cultures value communication that is emotionally restrained and others value communication that is more emotionally expressive. People from cultures with a preference for emotional restraint tend to speak in a more even volume and tone. However, people from cultures that are emotionally expressive tend to be louder, more animated, and more passionate when they speak. Depending where the culture is on the continuum of preference for emotional restraint or expressiveness, there will be even greater variations of tone and volume.
People who come from cultures that value emotional restraint may be very offended by people who are emotionally expressive. They might think that they are lacking in maturity or being rude and argumentative. Conversely, people from more expressive cultures tend to judge emotionally-restrained communication as cold or distant.
People from some of the more expressive cultures also tend to talk in an overlapping style and are more comfortable with interruptions and talking at the same time. When there is a difference in cultural expectations of how much time must lapse between when a person stops speaking and when another takes up the conversation, there is often room for misunderstandings. Depending on one’s cultural orientation, too short a pause can be perceived as an interruption and too long a pause might lead to an assumption that the person is either ignorant on the subject or does not want to contribute to the discussion.
2. Eye Contact
In Canada, many people tend to judge others by the eye contact that they make during an interaction. If there is insufficient eye contact, they tend to assume that the person is being dishonest. This can be a problem because eye contact and the length of time one holds the eye contact (gaze) are culturally determined.
Some cultures prefer very little or no eye contact, especially between superiors and subordinates. In other cultures, people avoid eye contact when talking to another gender. The gaze can also vary. This can also lead to misunderstandings. For example, in cultures that prefer a shorter gaze, a longer gaze might signal a crossing of boundaries.
3. Organization
Some cultures value an objective and linear way of thinking. People from such cultures tend to begin with facts, figures, and models when they want to illustrate a point. They generally organize their thoughts and present them in a linear way, point by point. They have a clear introduction and conclusion. The vocabulary used is also more straightforward and more polarized (e.g., love vs. hate) (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012).
Other cultures value a more subjective and circular way of thinking and reasoning. Even cultures that are more subjective and circular in the way they organize their thoughts can differ from each other. Some prefer to use more dramatic and demonstrative vocabulary and resort to digressions and repetitions to reinforce their point. Others prefer a more sedate and subtle approach to reinforcing their point. They might not have a clear introduction and often leave the conclusion to the listener to interpret. They may also prefer less polarized and more indirect vocabulary (Ting-Toomey & Chung, 2012).
4. Gestures and facial expressions
Some facial expressions are universal, but when and how people display them are culturally determined. Some cultures value emotional restraint and may not encourage an active display of facial expressions. Others that are more expressive may encourage more display. Depending on the cultural orientation, these differences can cause a person to judge the other by thinking of them as either immature or not being straightforward.
Gestures tend to be culture-specific and can vary from one culture to another. The simple Canadian gesture of crooking the finger and beckoning a person is regarded as being extremely insulting in some cultures, where such a gesture is only used when beckoning someone in a very arrogant and derogatory way.
Tips on mitigating misunderstanding in oral communication:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Written communication is cause for potential miscommunication and misunderstandings in:
The three main areas of written communication that can cause challenges are:
What is conveyed
Grammar, sentence construction, vocabulary, and punctuation can seriously affect what a person means to convey. They can also affect comprehension of the message. It is obvious that ITIs with a lower language proficiency will face problems in these areas. However, even ITIs who are fluent in English can have some challenges. They may not always understand a connotation or interpretation of a word as used in their new culture. They may not readily understand more culture-specific vocabulary such as idioms, specialized industrial jargon, and slang. They might also use certain words and phrases in ways unfamiliar to the Canadian reader.
Punctuation can be a problem, too. In languages with different punctuation rules, commas might replace periods. The rules of capitalization may also be different.
Supplementary ESL instruction and exposure to the language usually help overcome the above challenges. However, the following are some useful tips for communicating with ITIs who are not very proficient in the language:
When/where, why, and to whom it is conveyed
Context, situation, purpose, and audience dictate what is appropriate and what modifications to language have to be made. Culture determines what modifications need to be made to the content to suit these conditions. A person who is new to a culture may not have enough cultural information to make the appropriate modifications and might present writing that appears inappropriate for a purpose, context, or audience. For example, he/she might be too casual or too formal in an email to a coworker.
How it is conveyed
The main cultural differences that cause challenges in written communication are in the following areas:
1. Organization
In Canada, writers are responsible for making ideas clear to the reader. The ideas are organized in a linear way, point by point. The writing is focused, and there are clear paragraphs that have a central point, which is supported by details. The details generally come after the main idea. Words and phrases are generally used to help make the organization clear to the reader. However, in some cultures, there is a preference for organizing and presenting ideas in a more circular and indirect way. The details may come first and the main idea later. Digressions to other seemingly unrelated details and repetitions can illustrate points. The main point may be stated indirectly after an explanation is offered. The reader is expected to make the connections; it might even be seen as insulting the reader’s ability to comprehend if ideas are explained too clearly.
2. Subjective vs. objective
In Canada, there is a general expectation that business documents and correspondence are objective. Data and facts generally illustrate points and form a basis for further explanation. People are not comfortable with effusive, flowery language and an overt display of emotion in business documents and correspondence. In other cultures, however, writing is more subjective and emotional and can contain a lot of metaphors and flowery language. A person from such a culture may sound verbose or false in an email.
3. An understanding of the format and structure of documents and correspondence
ITIs who have experience in the field will most likely be familiar with the types of documents and correspondence that are commonly used in the field. However, there may be differences in the format and structure of the documents and correspondence between cultures. ITIs may also not be familiar with the technology and software used to present or complete certain documents.
Tips on mitigating intercultural misunderstandings in written communication:
[Refer to the section “Intercultural Competence” for more information.]
Conflict can arise out of many situations and contexts in the workplace. In an intercultural work environment, it can also arise out of a lack of knowledge and appreciation of the differences among cultures.
What causes conflict
Our cultures provide us with the framework of what is right and wrong. This framework ingrains in us a set of values, beliefs, and norms to such an extent that it develops in us a perspective and outlook with which we view the rest of the world. It is from this vantage point that we tend to perceive and judge the “digressions” of others. According to intercultural communication experts Ting-Toomey and Chung (2012), the two value dimensions that have an impact on intercultural workplace conflict are:
Apart from a clash of values, conflict can also arise from personal or team goals not being met. Emotional security can also be a cause for conflict. For example, a person may be afraid that a coworker is being favoured by his/her boss.
How conflict is dealt with
The way people express themselves and interact in a conflict situation is also very important because it affects the outcome. The way we deal with conflict is learned through our culture and life experience and is greatly influenced by our communication style:
According to Hammer (2009a), this establishes four different conflict styles:
The normative conflict style in Canada is the Discussion style and supervisors with this style are very likely to judge and marginalize people with other conflict styles. For example, they might judge people who have the Engagement style as rude and aggressive.
Tips on being more effective in a conflict situation: