write a 200 word memo to your boss in response to her email (see below) in memo format. Based on your writing, reflect on what do you need to DO to be more culturally educated (which is more audience-centered?)

Attached are 2 PowerPoint slides (10 slides total) giving a quick overview on what it means to have cultural communication (CQ) awareness.  Please read them quickly to better understand the assignment.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to report on your learning about cultural communication and nonverbal communication. Your boss wants to know because she elected to spend money on this professional training experience for you.

Weekly Reflection: Based on your writing, reflect on w
hat do you need to DO to be more culturally educated (which is more audience-centered?)

Task:  You are to write a 200 word memo to your boss in response to her email (see below) in memo format

It is not an academic regurgitation!  It is a reflection.  The question you are answering is ‘what has changed your thinking and how will you use it.”  Additionally, while this work is part of your participation grade, it is also a vehicle for me to give you writing feedback in order for you to learn to write better.    It is to be attractive on the page as well.

Please follow these guidelines:

Upload this as a word document only.
Have an introduction, body, conclusion. At minimum you are to have three beautifully-written content rich paragraphs. Intro – introduce your thesis, explain your thesis in your body, and offer your final thoughts in your conclusion. Paragraph lengths should therefore vary accordingly. Avoid fluffs.

Business writing is about content AND delivery decisions.  Again, make it attractive.  Be sure you have at minimum of three paragraphs.  A well thought out introduction, a body with content information and a conclusion.

 Introduction includes: (1) purpose/thesis, (2) hook (attention getting statement which can also be the purpose/thesis statement), (3) scope (the preview of what you will talk about, and perhaps (4) why (detail the why you are writing – could link to purpose). Keep this para short and brief! Body is the content.  (Most students when they think of writing they focus on content.  That is a part of writing, it’s not the whole event.) Conclusion, in business, is mostly about goodwill.  Think of it as where to create the lasting impression.   

In a memo format, it is most often a simple offer of further contact.  For example,  ‘If you have questions, you may reach me at hpnaidu@uncg.edu or at 336.333.3333.”

_________________________________________________________ Here is the Email from your boss. You are responding to this email: Hi (YourName), Hope your trip is going well. How is the training going?  Given what you are learning, how will you apply this information and make your team contributions and your team leadership better? I look forward to your advancements in your team on the project.  In the meantime, enjoy Texas. Sincerely, Ms. Jessica Morgan President Morgan & Morgan Company www.mmcompany.com

Cultural Communication

Business Communication, MGT309

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Writing that Works (2010). Oliu, Brusaw, & Alred

Hi. Welcome to our lecture on Cultural Communication. As I think about cultural communication, I first think of travel and how much fun it is to experience something new. I imagine most of you feel the same way. I hope that each of you take advantage of the study abroad experiences that UNCG offers you. So, let’s talk about the impact of culture on our relationships and our communication. Remember, business is relationships and the tool of relationships is communication.
I imagine you’ve heard the expression ‘the world is flat.’ That reference simply means we are becoming more of one world, one unit over the pieces and parts that separate us. Instead we are becoming a single global society. Research states that 90% of leading executives from 68 countries named cross-cultural leadership as the top management challenge for the next century. We need give significant attention to this topic.
What is culture? Culture is our identity and our roles, and often we don’t know the impact of it’s influence. Culture is defined as the relatively specialized lifestyle of a group of people that is passed on from one generation to the next through communication, not through genes (DeVito, 2013).
Culture is everything that members of that group have produced and developed-their values, beliefs, artifacts, and language; their way of behaving; their art, laws, religion, and of course, communication theories, styles, and attitudes. Think of it like the water a fish swims in or perhaps the house we live in. It’s all around us, influencing our thinking and behavior in every moment. It affects our decisions – our work and our play. If affects who influences us and who we influence. It is part of our thinking and behaving.

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We need to….
Understand our customers
Manage our personnel
Recruit talent
Have an adapting/open leadership style
Communicate respect at all times
70% of international ventures fail due to cultural differences

Doing business in another a culture outside of you own has special challenges as we make lots and lots of unintentional mistakes and alienate the people we in fact want to build relationships with. 70% of international ventures fail due to cultural differences.
The retail giant Wal-Mart, in Germany, is a good example of this failure.
“After eight years of struggling in Germany, Wal-Mart sold it’s eighty-five stores there. Many journalist have theorized about what led to Wal-Mart’s failure given the company’s wild success at home, but it’s widely agreed that Wal-Mart’s primary flaw was in ignoring the cultural differences between the USA and Germany. The company tried to apply its USA success formula to a German market without modifying it. Whether it was the kinds of products offered, the way in which items were displayed, or the policies used in the employee handbook, Wal-Mart’s stint in Germany seems to be a case study of what happens when greater attention isn’t’ given to the powerful role of culture. As a result, Wal-Mart filed a lost of USD of $1 billion.” Livermore, D. (2010). Cultural Intelligence. New York, NY: AMACOM. p. 65

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Is societal culture the same or different from organizational culture?

The answer is ‘yes.’ Each space, a society, a group, or an organization, all have a unique energy with specific norms and routines.
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Clothes
Appearance
Ethnic Group
Energy
Behavior
Language choices

What We See

Think of an iceberg. It’s only the top that is visible while in fact the entire iceberg is above and below the water – with the largest part, the most impactful part, being what we cannot see.
But first let’s talk about the outside, what we can see.
We judge others in order to feel safe. We want to be able to predict how they will interact with us. Our clothes tell a story, our hairstyle and jewelry tell a story. Our face shows our ethnicity. Our energy show our zest for life. Our behavior tells how we think and what we believe to be important. And, our language too is a reflection of how we think and what we believe to be important. If you listen, really listen, to others they tell you who they are.
So, the business and personal lessons is that you have to be 100% responsible for your first impressions, your personal brand, and your professional brand. What your wear is as important as what the internet says about you.
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Ethnocentrism
Individualism or Collectivism
Associative or Abstractive thinking
Particular or Universal
Faith, facts or feelings
Values
Open or closed-minded
Relationship support
Personal biases
What We DON’T See

Our unconscious is more of our thinking and behaving than our conscious. What we DON’T easily see is what is impactful to our thinking and our behaving. And we have a tendency toward ethnocentrism (an idea that our cultural values and beliefs are far superior to other cultural values and beliefs) – what we believe is good and valuable and important we project onto others which is not always good thinking. Our nurture shapes our thinking.
Let’s talk about some items involved in our perspectives to others.
For example,
Are your individualistic or collective culture?. US citizens tend to be individualistic and Asians are more towards collectivism. An individualistic culture teaches members the importance of individual values such as power, achievement, hedonism, and stimulation (Ex: US, Australia, UK, Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, etc.). A collectivistic culture, on the other hand, teaches members the importance of group values such as benevolence, traditions, and conformity (Ex: Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Indonesia, etc.)
Associative or Abstractive? Some people think in past connection to past connections, others thinks in the abstract.
Particular or Universal? Particular is a person who believes that personal relationships are more important than following rules, an Universalist is the reverse rules first, people second.
Decision Strategies – faith, facts of feelings. Faith is using one’s personal belief system. Facts is people who want to see evidence. Feelings, the most common, go with their gut instinct or use their brain limbic system.
Values – nurture (and then later choice) influences us to choose the important. For example, some people care about neatness, other’s don’t. I am sure you can think of examples too.
Are you (or they) open-minded, ready to listen to a differing opinion/view. Or are you closed believing that your way is the best and only?
Who do you rely on for support and advice? Support systems swing thinking and behavior.
What are your (their) personal biases? Stereotyping and narrow-mindedness affect our ability to relate with one another.

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Geert Hofstede – Dutch Researcher in the fields of Organizational Studies (culture), and cultural economics and management.
Pioneered the study of cultural dimensions.
http
://geert-hofstede.com/

The man who put corporate culture on the map
Cultural Dimensions

Please review the cultural dimensions – Not only is it helpful to this unit, but will assist you on your final research project.
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CQ Scale – Personal Assessment

Take the personal assessment. Stop now and complete this questionnaire. What did you learn about yourself and where can you advance your cultural intelligence?

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Advancing CQ – Cultural Intelligence

How much do you care?

What do you need to know?

What’s your strategy – your plan of engagement?

What behaviors will you adapt?

Livermore, D. (2010). Cultural Intelligence. New York: AMACOM
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What do you need to know?
Introduction and greetings – forms of address, business card presentation
Etiquette – entertainment & gifts
Teamwork
Email, telephone, letter, memo modes of communication
Ethics
Color
Hand gestures
Symbols
Punctuation marks

What do you need to know?
In order to advance in your ability to relate to others of a different culture, dive into understanding more about the other group. Here is few items that are important to understand.
Introduction & greetings. Some groups shake hands, some groups bow and other kiss on the cheek. Still others greet one another with prayer hands and the word “Namaste.’ Know what is the appropriate greeting or you risk putting someone in awkward feelings.
Etiquette – gift giving and eating behaviors are very important. Know what is customary.
Learn what is appropriate collaboration behaviors.
Learn the customary email telephone letter memo modes of communication
Understand that there are ethical differences in group – what is acceptable in one group is not acceptable in another. Find out the differences.
Color has different meaning.
Hand gestures & symbols have different meanings.
And punctuation marks are different in languages. Know these differences – they impact your relationships.
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What do you need to know?
Event Time vs. Clock Time
High Context vs Low Context
Individualism vs Collectivism
Low vs High Power Distance (status)
Low vs High Uncertainty Avoidance (uncertainty)
Physical distance
Touching
Eye contact
Review Hofstede’s website as well.

Event time vs Clock time. What is considered on time in that culture? What is late?
High context or low context – how much detail is delivered in that culture?
How important is status and hierarchy? It is easy to cause a threat situation if you don’t understand the rules of authority.
What is the uncertainty avoidance. Some cultures are higher; some are lower.
And, physical distance, touching rules and eye contact all have their differing rules.
It’s up to you to learn about the cultures that you experience or want to experience.
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What behaviors will you adapt?
Learn a foreign language
Movie
Go to ethnic grocery store s and restaurants
Friend someone different than you
Adapt a zero-tolerance for stereotypes, bad jokes, slurs, etc.
Be a compassionate observer

What will you do? I am sure you can thinking of lots of fun ways to enhance your cultural intelligence? I would like to see you be the one to better our ability to business in a global marketplace.
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This article is a preview to your research assignment
Three Keys to Getting an Overseas Assignment Right
Principle 1: Establish the Family Foundation First
Principle 2: Build Credibility and Openness from the Start
Principle 3: Get Serious About Compliance

What lessons did you glean from the article? By thinking about this a little more you will make your upcoming work a little easier.
Principle 1
Be honest with your family members. Don’t glorify the experience, it’ll be tough too.
Identify your resources to help you get acclimated and adjusted.
Live as expat, if possible. An easier adjustment as some things are familiar.
Maintain regular communication with colleagues, friends and family back home. Maybe do a blog of your experiences.
Principle 2
Don’t start with ‘here’ what’s wrong here.’
Ask lots of questions. Don’t tell
Go to the front lines right away – before setting up your office. And…really listen.
Take stock of personal stereotypes – cultural, and organizational
Get a cultural helpmate or two.
Craft a written plan for entry into the company
Principle 3
Systematically ask people on the front lines detailed questions and move quickly with problems
Be able to differentiate between big or little problems – about acceptable and unacceptable ways of doing business
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