Jul 13

London 2012 Olympics Scheduled during Ramadan – Cultural Faux-Pas?

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

London’s Mayor and Culture Secretary are working hard to ensure that the London 2012 Olympics involve all of Britain’s ethnic groups equally. This may be more challenging than they thought, however, as the Olympics fall during the important religious event of Ramadan. Thousands of Muslims who will compete in, work or volunteer at this summer’s Olympic events will be left with the question on whether or not to follow Ramadan in the traditional sense this year.

The timing could not have been more inopportune, but there was no real choice for the LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) to schedule the 2012 Olympics outside the Ramadan period. Being provided a strict window for the Games to take place by the International Olympic Committee and the need to consider aspects such as public transport in London and the availability of volunteers needed, they decided to schedule the Olympics from 27 July to 12 August, which lies in the middle of Ramadan.

Quran Koran Retrovizor i London 2012 Olympics Scheduled during Ramadan – Cultural Faux Pas?

© istockphoto.com/Retrovizor

The religious fasting period of Ramadan takes place this year from 20 July to 20 August. The period of Ramadan changes by about eleven days every year according to the lunar calendar. The 30 day long period of fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, considered to be a time of worship and closeness with God and therefore one of the most important celebrations for Muslims.

As most Muslims strictly fast from dawn until dusk during this period, the impact of Ramadan on personal and professional spheres must be acknowledged – not only in Arabic countries. The Olympics being a huge multicultural and multi-ethnic event will therefore require cross-cultural sensitivity towards this religious tradition and how it may impact everyone involved in the games.

Influence on Athletes

There are an estimated 3,000 Muslim athletes who may be impacted by Ramadan during the games this year. Fasting during the Olympics is not only inconvenient and challenging, but depending on the type of sport it could deplete an athlete’s liver and muscle glycogen stores and lead to dehydration and a drop in performance.

As Muslim athletes are usually allowed to defer their fasts, many of them are going to postpone the fasting period to maintain the performance they have been working so hard for during the last years. Not all Muslim sportsmen and women will do this, however, especially if not fasting during the holy month is frowned upon in their culture, so it’s important to be conscious of this.

Influence on Staff and Fans

Although the athletes are the ones which are most obviously influenced by the clash of these two important events, we cannot forget about the enormous number of Muslims who will work or volunteer at the Olympics or be watching the games as spectators. Organisers will need to consider the requirements they have for praying and eating during this period and provide the time and space they need to carry out these religious traditions.

What are they doing about it?

In order to meet athletes’ and workers’ Ramadan needs, organisers are putting in place a series of initiatives including:

  • Fast-breaking packs with dates and other traditional foods
  • Open dining facilities 24 hours a day so that competitors will be able to eat before dawn
  • Prayer rooms at every venue with Muslim clerics on hand to assist people
  • Large multi-faith centre at the Olympic village in Stratford with a common lounge and specific areas for the five largest faiths

The Olympic Games are a true test of London’s well-known multiculturalism and cross-cultural sensitivity. This great event will determine whether organisers have been able not only to make the most of London and its people but whether they can create an environment where all athletes will be able to have outstanding performances. All of this must be done with minimal frustration and difficulties to the organisers, athletes, volunteers and spectators as well as to the general population of London.

Some may argue that the organisers of the Olympics have made a cultural faux-pas by scheduling them during such an important religious event celebrated around the world. It should instead be considered as a cultural opportunity – a time when we can allow all cultures and traditions to shine in the face of adversity and challenge.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • •
May 30

Living and Working in the UK: Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management No Comments »

After the worldwide celebrated royal wedding of Kate and William last spring, 2012 is again marked by the presence of monarchy in British society. This weekend the UK, together with people all over the world, will celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee .

Anyone living and working in the UKwill definitely have noticed the upcoming excitement and anticipation of the Diamond Jubilee, not only because of the highly appreciated extra bank holiday on 5 June but because of the surrounding preparations that have been taking place all over the country over the last few weeks. In London, many museums have put together special exhibitions on Queen Elizabeth II and stores have filled their shelves with memorabilia representing the Queen and this momentous occasion.

But why is everyone making such a fuss over this event? How will people living and working in the UK celebrate this special day in royal history?

Flag uk Matt Trommer i1 Living and Working in the UK: Celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee

© istockphoto.com/Matt Trommer

National Pride

The United Kingdom is one of the very few countries that still has royal involvement in the government and many Brits are quite proud of the traditions and presence of the monarchy in British society. The Queen of course is a central figure of this pride and the fact that she is celebrating a jubilee of 60 years of reign is a really rare and special milestone of her reign. After Queen Victoria, she is the second longest serving monarch in Britain and the oldest one to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations

The Jubilee year is marked by a series of visits and engagements throughout the Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms by the Queen and members of the Royal Family. The celebrations will culminate this weekend, starting with the Queen’s attendance at the Epsom Derby on Saturday 2 June.

On Sunday 3 June the Big Jubilee Lunch is an occasion for people to share lunch with neighbours and friends in the form of a traditional street party or picnic lunch in small or large groups. At high water on Sunday afternoon the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will involve a flotilla on the Thames of up to 1,000 boats from across the UK, Commonwealth and all around the world. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will travel in the Royal Barge, which will form the centrepiece of the flotilla.

The celebrations continue on Monday 4 June with the BBC Concert at Buckingham Palace and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Beacons – 2,012 beacons lit by communities throughout the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Commonwealth.

The Diamond Jubilee weekend will end with a day of celebrations in central London on Tuesday 5 June with a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral, two receptions, a lunch at Westminster Hall, a Carriage Procession to Buckingham Palace and finally an appearance on the balcony and a flypast by the British armed forces.

Millions of people are going to celebrate the Jubilee in the UK and especially in London, which will definitely impact public transport and be a good test for the upcoming Olympics. The expected overcrowding is one reason why many people see this long four day weekend as an opportunity to get away from the crowds and relax. Others, particularly younger people, may decide to avoid the celebrations out of a disinterest in the Queen and the Royal Family.

Commercial Opportunity

With tourists coming to the UK and local people travelling to other parts of the UK, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee represents a welcome commercial opportunity for British tourism and the jewellery and giftware industries. Special memorabilia in the form of Diamond Jubilee pins, stationery, china, cookies, chocolate, bags and other fashion items can not only be found in souvenir stores and corner shops but in every supermarket. People are also stocking up on food and drinks for their planned street parties which will take place all over the UK in small and large communities so supermarkets will see financial benefits as well.

Anyone living and working in the UK should be aware of how these memorable days of celebration will influence your plans, whether you make use of the extra bank holiday to get away or if you take part in the celebrations. Whatever you do, enjoy the surrounding preparations and discussions about this momentous occasion as it doesn’t happen very often!

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

Tagged with: • • • • •
Sep 15

Working Effectively across Cultures: Understanding the Rules behind Intercultural Greetings

Cross Cultural Training, Culture 2 Comments »

Touching is arguably one of the most sensitive aspects of interacting, whether in a business or social context. When interactions take place with people from different cultural backgrounds, touching becomes even more difficult to grasp as the very perception of touching and the meaning behind physical contact can differ widely across cultures. Working effectively across cultures requires the ability to understand what kind of physical contact is appropriate and when in different contexts.

Business Woman shaking hands i Working Effectively across Cultures: Understanding the Rules behind Intercultural Greetings

© istockphoto.com

Simon Kuper, a British expatriate living in Paris recently shared several anecdotes of experiences he had visiting friends in the UK in an article published in the Financial Times. After living in Paris for some time, he and his wife grew accustomed to many French habits. When he returned to the UK he found that his British family and friends were surprised when he greeted them in the typical French way with a kiss on each cheek. Interested in this concept, Kuper also looked at how people greet each other in the US and discovered many differences when compared to French customs and behaviours around physical contact.

Based on his experience, Kuper suggests that the French tend to “sexualise” initial meetings between people even if no romance is involved between the participants. There is no such feeling when Brits or Americans greet each other. In fact, Brits and Americans appreciate having personal space and will tend to avoid touch as much as possible, except with close family or friends who they may greet with a small hug or kiss on the cheek. Anything beyond this may be perceived as an invasion of personal space and could cause offense or an unintended reaction.

This concept of personal space might be difficult to understand when working across cultures. A physical gesture which is considered appropriate in one culture might be frowned upon in another and vice-versa. Breaching someone’s personal space might cause uneasiness or misunderstanding that could lead to cross-cultural clashes or incidents.

From how you greet someone or console a team member to how you congratulate an acquaintance, it’s important to develop your understanding of how to communicate physically to avoid any cultural faux-pas or cultural misinterpretation when working across cultures. A Working Effectively across Cultures programme is a great first step towards understanding how you are perceived and how you need to adapt your behaviours in a global context so that you have the right impact.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

Tagged with: • • • • • •
Aug 10

Time at Work: Business Reality Contradicts Popular Cultural Stereotypes

Cross Cultural Training, Culture 1 Comment »

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently published a study about how much time people dedicate to work in different countries around the world. The initial survey was conducted across the 26 OECD member countries as well as China, India and South Africa. The survey required people from the ages of 15 to 64 to describe what they did on a typical day. The results of the survey are very interesting, particularly as they tend to contradict the many stereotypes that exist about how much time people spend doing business in other cultures.

Business People biffspandex 2 i Time at Work: Business Reality Contradicts Popular Cultural Stereotypes

© istockphoto.com/biffspandex

Indeed, the cliché of a lazy Mexican, tired from the sun and sleeping in a hammock appears to be absolutely wrong as the study shows that Mexicans actually work the hardest. They work the longest days, are less paid compared to western countries, and also spend a lot of time doing chores at home. The image that Mexicans often portray through their more laid back cultural values and focus on relationships and family is deeply engrained in people’s minds as a culture which does not work very hard.

This is just one popular cultural stereotype that was proven wrong by the OECD study. Considering how many stereotypes can be misconstrued or false, it’s important to always look deeper than what you find on the surface to make sure that the assumption or judgement you have about a particular culture is accurate. Doing business in another culture can be hindered through inaccurate stereotypes or generalisations.

For instance the idea that French never work, often supported by coverage of the’35-hour work week’, is countered by the statistics that show that the French appear to be some of the most productive employees in the world. Some incorrectly believe that countries in Eastern Europe take the most holidays when they actually take fewer days than most of the developed countries in the European Union. In fact Germany not only has a high number of holidays, but its workforce spends the least amount of time working in the OECD.

Many cultural stereotypes are even more questionable as opinions tend to vary widely depending on whether the people are working in their home country or living in another as immigrants. For example, Mexicans in the US are seen as very hard workers who often work long hours and do harsh jobs, an image far from that we illustrated earlier.

By creating and supporting stereotypes that contradict real facts, people can risk making bad decisions based on false assumptions that could harm their business significantly. It’s important therefore to always question cultural stereotypes and check how accurate they may be. It is possible to use cultural stereotypes to your advantage as they can help you to simplify situations and anticipate behaviour across cultures, however if you are wrong you may find yourself facing drastic circumstances.

If you are doing business in another culture or if you are working with international counterparts, don’t get caught up believing what you hear as a false cultural stereotype can forever alter your relationship and success with them. The best way to completely understand the cultures you are doing business in is to participate in a cross-cultural awareness training programme. By providing you with detailed information about beliefs, values and behaviours you will find in the target culture, training will better equip you to break down stereotypes and build stronger business relationships based on cross-cultural trust.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
May 18

Presenting to an International Audience: Adapting your Style for Maximum Impact

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector 2 Comments »

Have you ever asked a question during a presentation you were delivering to an international audience and no one responded? Or perhaps you’ve made a joke when delivering a presentation that no one laughed at? Many people don’t realise how important it is to adapt the way you deliver presentations to people from international backgrounds. Presenting to an international audience effectively requires a unique set of presentation skills and cultural understanding.

Happy meeting Neustockimages i Presenting to an International Audience: Adapting your Style for Maximum Impact

© istockphoto.com/Neustockimages

Cross-cultural communication skills training programmes like Presenting to an International Audience can be a tremendous help to anyone preparing a presentation for a global group. Training can help you to understand the cultural characteristics which may impact audience expectations when presenting to an international audience, while it will also help you to adapt your style effectively to have the most impact.

Whether following tips on what to avoid during a presentation or increasing your understanding of how to most effectively structure your delivery, it’s important you have the right cultural awareness and international presentation skills for any global delivery.

Using Humour

Humour is one part of cross-cultural communication that can have a really positive effect on a presentation, but it can also go seriously wrong if not used appropriately when presenting to an international audience. In Germany and Japan, for example, people don’t tend to appreciate jokes in presentations as much as they do in the US. In France the style and appearance of the presenter itself are very important and humour does not really play a role in French presentations. In the UK people tend to prefer traditional rather than modern PowerPoint slides and a bit of humour in your presentation can be appreciated.

Choosing your Communication Style

Countries like Germany, Sweden and Switzerland tend to be low context cultures in which people are rule, detail and task oriented so presentations tend to have a clear structure and include lots of information. In high context cultures like Brazil and Italy, communication tends to be less verbally explicit and individuals place a high emphasis on personal face-to-face interactions. When presenting to a high context culture, you should therefore try to use fewer words in your slides and select them carefully.

Managing Different Perceptions of Time

According to Edward T. Hall it is important to establish whether you are going to present in a culture which tends to be more monochronic or polychronic. People in monochronic cultures tend to appreciate punctuality and schedules, and time is considered a scarce resource. When presenting to audiences from monochronic cultures, make sure you start your presentation on time, stick to the structure you have outlined and finish as planned as ’time is money’. Conversely, individuals in polychronic cultures put more emphasis on relationships rather than schedules and they will often make last minute changes or interruptions. Don’t be offended if people ask questions or make remarks during a presentation to a polychronic audience as this is quite normal behaviour.

Anyone delivering presentations to an international audience can greatly benefit from considering the cultural characteristics of the audience they are presenting to. International businesses can also profit immensely from developing the presentation skills of its employees, especially when cross-cultural components of the delivery are taken into consideration. By helping employees to increase their understanding of their international audience, they can more successfully harness the cultural differences in each and every context and have the most impact.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
Jan 28

There’s No Place like Home…Or Is There? The Challenges of Repatriation

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Human Resources No Comments »

According to a recent article published in The Telegraph, coming home after a long stay overseas can be just as stressful as moving to a foreign country. While expatriates expect to experience some level of culture shock when they go on an international assignment, most repatriates do not expect any reverse culture shock and therefore do not seek any support in the form of repatriation training or coaching for themselves or their family.

Airplane Maurits Vink i There’s No Place like Home…Or Is There? The Challenges of Repatriation

© istockphoto.com/ Maurits Vink

This reverse culture shock is all the more distressing because no one sees it coming. Expatriates fully expect to be confused and frustrated in a new cultural environment, but not in their home environment where they know the local customs so well. Returning to their own culture of origin can be more stressful and have more unexpected consequences than a transition into the unfamiliar.

When reality sets in and repatriates realise that things have changed, the initial excitement of returning home quickly disappears and is often replaced by feelings of anxiety, stress and a sense of loss. These negative feelings can stem from a number of different factors including :

Social Step Down
Many expatriates living in another country experience life at a higher level than they may at home. In other words, they may have a cleaner or a nanny or they may have opportunities for adventures, shopping or treatments that they would not have been able to afford at home. As such, readjusting to their normal standard of living upon repatriation may create negative emotions.

Lack of Interest from Family and Friends
Most expatriates have lots of opportunities for some really amazing adventures. They explore another part of the world and may have funny stories about what they ate or people they met. After some time the level of interest that people may have had in your adventures may decline, leaving many repatriates feeling inadequate and or irrelevant. This is especially true for those friends and family members who have no experience of cross-cultural interactions and therefore struggle to understand the true dimension of life in a foreign culture.

False Expectations
Expatriates often expect things at home to be the same as they left them so are often surprised or disappointed when they discover that things have changed. Their home culture may suddenly seem simple or unsophisticated after experiencing a wider multicultural world. Issues that previously seemed important may appear petty in comparison to the overseas experience. Repatriates need to remember that while they have changed significantly during their international experience, it is likely that their home country would have changed too.

Reverse culture shock is often exacerbated by the lack of information available to repatriates. There is a large discrepancy between the amount of information and assistance available to prospective expatriates and that available to repatriates. While there are countless books and websites devoted to giving advice to expatriates about adapting to the host culture and dealing with culture shock, there is not very much information available about reverse culture shock leaving many repatriates open to the challenges of adjusting to life back home.

Readjusting to their former way of life may take some time and returning expatriates may experience various stages of reverse culture shock as part of the readjustment process. Repatriates may go through a period of maladjustment characterised by high levels of irritability and nostalgia for their ‘new’ culture. Specialised repatriation training can provide the necessary skills repatriates need to cope with their return to their country of origin. Repatriation training will also highlight what returning expatriates can expect in terms of their own feelings as well as some of the possible scenarios they may encounter upon their return including:

  • Recognising a change in their own personal values and attitudes and how they now differ from what people are used to
  • A lack of appreciation by friends, family or colleagues for the knowledge and skills they have developed while abroad
  • The low level of interest from friends, family or colleagues in their international experiences and adventures
  • Change in status and lifestyle

It’s important that expatriates mentally prepare themselves for their international assignment, but it can be even more important for them to prepare themselves before returning home. Being aware of and expecting reverse culture shock and the time it will take to readjust to their home culture can help repatriates to develop more useful coping mechanisms. Participating in a repatriation training course will ensure that repatriates have a smoother reintegration into their local culture and a better chance of being able to apply their new knowledge and skills to their social and professional life. With the right preparation, repatriates can really feel like ‘there’s no place like home’.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2011

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
Nov 10

France and the UK Sign Historic Military Cooperation Agreement – Time for Some Cultural Awareness Training?

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

A new chapter has been written in the long history between France and the UK. The British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President recently signed a treaty of military co-operation. This historical treaty, signed in these new austere times, will see, amongst other things, the creation of a joint expeditionary force and coordination in the area of nuclear warhead testing and development.

Military Salute Arthur Carlo Franco i2 France and the UK Sign Historic Military Cooperation Agreement – Time for Some Cultural Awareness Training?

© istockphoto.com/ Arthur Carlo Franco

While this treaty has caused debate and raised eyebrows on both sides of the English Channel, it is far from a surprising move. In fact, a co-operation treaty was already under discussion between Tony Blair and Jacques Chirac several years ago, but disagreements over Iraq war brought the whole project to an abrupt end. But now the treaty has been signed and a force of thousands of British and French soldiers and their superiors are now tasked with getting on with it. But is it that simple? Experience in both the corporate and public sector has shown that any culture looking to work closely with another will benefit from receiving cultural awareness training.

Let’s look at the history of Anglo-French military cooperation more closely. Since 1904, and the proclamation of the “Entente Cordiale”, both countries’ armies have been co-operating on a regular basis. The most famous occasions were of course, the two World Wars, the Suez crisis, and more recently the involvement in the Gulf war, Kosovo and Afghanistan. However, despite this long period of friendship and military cooperation, one wonders if this unprecedented treaty will resist the wide cultural differences that separate these two great nations and military powers with a long tradition of independence.

As in any international co-operation project, cross cultural challenges and issues need to be clearly assessed and analysed by members of both armies to enable successful and effective interactions. Obvious differences such as language or organisation within the chain-of-command are only the start. Deep disparities exist between the UK and French cultures in areas such as communication styles or attitudes to time. While some may argue that being part of the military family would erase or smooth over these differences, it is a fact that culture shapes the way we act, regardless of our profession.

Resolving cultural differences between soldiers is also important. As we know, developing an esprit de corps is vital to ensure the effectiveness of an entire unit. Helping the members of the joint military force to socialise quickly and effectively will enhance their performance on the field. The same goes for the multicultural team responsible for the development and maintenance of the nuclear arsenal. They need to be able to communicate clearly to avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings that would hinder their work.

To ensure success, both armies’ personnel will have to learn more about their own culture, how it is perceived and interpreted by their new military partner and how their counterparts think. Providing both British and French squaddies as well as their military leaders with cultural awareness training must be the way forward. The benefits are huge and the potential for failure significant. Cross cultural training programmeswill provide both sides with the cultural insights and knowledge they need to work and co-operate effectively helping both nations to meet their strategic needs and ensuring that miscommunication or lack of understanding does not cost lives.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

Tagged with: • • • • • •
Oct 26

The Ryder Cup – When Culture Meets Sport

Cross Cultural Training, Culture 1 Comment »

The recent 2010 Ryder Cup, arguably the most exiting golf event of the season, proved to be a success with millions of golf fans around the world. The competition, which takes place every two years,  brings together the best players from the US and Europe.

Golf Dan Bachman i The Ryder Cup – When Culture Meets Sport

© istockphoto.com/ Dan Bachman

The origins of the Ryder Cup remain a mystery. Most believe it stems from American journalist James Harnett who had the idea to have a US/UK golf tournament in 1920. A lack of sponsors forced him to abandon his idea however until Samuel Ryder decided in 1926 to officially create a tournament and provided the cup that now bears his name.

From 1927 to 1977, the tournament only included teams from the US and the UK. For 50 years the US domination was overwhelming as they managed to win 19 out of 22 tournaments. In 1979 other European countries were able to enter the competition, transforming the British team into the European team. This modification had a major impact on the success of the European team which has subsequently won nine out of the sixteen Ryder Cups played since .

The Ryder Cup is a fantastic occasion for Europeans and Americans to compete. While playing styles and techniques may vary from one continent to another, cultural values and differences have also contributed (and still do) to some of the most memorable moments.

One of the best examples of cultural difference at the Ryder Cup was the controversy that occurred during the tournament played at Brookline, Massachusetts in 1999. During the last game, American Justin Leonard successfully holed a a very long putt against his opponent, the Spaniard José María Olazábal. The US team, who were following this crucial match, ran onto the green to celebrate and congratulate their player before Olazábal had been allowed to putt out.

The US team did not break any written rules (albeit sportsmanship was ignored) but their behaviour was highly criticised by the British European captain Mark James who described it as an unacceptable lack of self control. Some may view this as a mere sporting controversy but it is in fact a perfect illustration of how different the US and the UK can be. The expression of strong feelings is perfectly understandable and acceptable in the US, but it is seen as unacceptable by the British as well as many other European cultures.

This incident shows us that while sports like golf can bring together cultures, it can also reveal our cultural differences. As a result, even sportsmen can widely benefit from cultural awareness training courses. In the case of the Ryder Cup, cultural awareness training could be interesting, especially for the European team, as it is brings together players from a multitude of countries across Europe and therefore combines many different cultural attitudes and preferences. Cross cultural training could also help the two teams to socialise and interact more smoothly on and off the course.

This year the Ryder Cup was free of any cultural clashes or misunderstandings and victorious for the European team. However, there is no doubt that the US team will muster its cultural strengths and winning desire to secure a victory in future tournaments.

© Communicaid Group Ltd.2010

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • •
Oct 25

Chilean Miners – How their Cultural Values Helped them to Overcome their Ordeal

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

Last Wednesday, the world witnessed the spectacular rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped in a collapsed mine under the Atacama Desert. Although they were trapped for 69 days, most of the miners were in better health than expected. Psychologists were also surprised at how well they had coped with the situation mentally. People all over the world began to ask themselves the same question: how did they manage to survive?

Chile ferhat mat i Chilean Miners – How their Cultural Values Helped them to Overcome their Ordeal

© istockphoto.com/ Ferhat Mat

 

There is strong evidence that their cultural identity played an important role. One of Chile’s cultural characteristics is patriotism. Chileans tend to be very proud of their country and its achievements. When the miners were rescued, 33 balloons in the Chilean colours were released into the sky. The shift supervisor, Luis Urzúa was wrapped in a Chilean flag after he was brought up. He then led the crowd to sing the national anthem. No doubt their love for their country helped the miners to keep their spirits up.

Another Chilean core value is the focus on the group rather than on the individual. President Pinera said that the unity and the solidarity of the Chileans made him very proud. He added that Chile is now more unified than ever before. The entire country took part in the miners’ tragedy and supported the families who waited desperately for the rescue of their relatives. Perhaps surprisingly, there were no riots in the mine or individual attempts to separate from the group or take charge. The miners managed to stay together as a group. The collectivist approach was also highlighted by the miners’ families’ attitude towards future financial benefit from their ordeal. Before the miners’ rescue, the families drew up a contract agreeing to share the money expected from various media deals.

The president also claimed that the miners never lost hope because they had a “great leader” who held the group together. The shift supervisor, Luis Urzúa, assumed this role and made sure the miners had a daily routine. Three groups of 11 each worked eight hour shifts of cleaning, measuring oxygen level and reinforcing mine walls. This behaviour reveals another key value in Chilean culture, the emphasis on hierarchy and status. Whereas hierarchy is often perceived as negative in the Western world, it plays an important role in Chilean society. In this case, hierarchy and structure helped the miners to prepare for rescue.

Bearing in mind how the Chilean culture influenced the miners’ behaviour, an interesting question to ask is how other cultures would have reacted in such a situation. Can you imagine what behaviour would have been typical for your culture? If you want to find out more about how different cultures determine our behaviour, consider one of Communicaid’s cross cultural awareness training courses. You will not only learn more about your own cultural identity but also develop strategies to communicate effectively across cultures.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
May 14

Cultural Language Skills: Learning to Speak Canadian

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector 2 Comments »

‘So I pulled on my tuque and my bunny hug and went to the dep to buy a loonie for a pop…’

Canadian English has been influenced by British English and American English, as well as French, giving it a character all of its own, as anyone who understands the introductory sentence will know.

Cultural Language Skills Learning to speak Canadian Cultural Language Skills: Learning to Speak Canadian

iStock_000011902476Medium Pawel Gaul

Canada’s unique history has resulted in a language that reflects both the waves of immigration that have formed the nation and the nature of that nation’s culture.

Over the past two centuries, Canada has experienced four waves of immigration. The first consisted largely of British loyalists from the mid-Atlantic states on the eastern seaboard who were fleeing the American Revolution in the latter part of the eighteenth century. This laid the bedrock of a strong British influence on the culture and on how Canadians spoke.

Many immigrants came from Scotland and Ireland in the nineteenth century during the massive social upheavals caused by the potato famine in Ireland and the highland clearances in Scotland. The governors of Canada welcomed this immigration as they were concerned about anti-British sentiment in the wake of the Anglo-American War of 1812 and wanted to increase the numbers of British residents.

Further waves of immigration took place in the nineteenth century, peaking in 1910 and 1960. Culturally, these were more diffuse, with immigrants arriving from nations across the world, creating the multicultural society that Canada is today.

Other significant influences on how Canadian English is spoken are the First Nation languages of the Native American tribes and the French spoken in Lower Canada.

The influences of all these cultures can be seen in some of the features of the language used in Canada. For example, Canadian English retains the British English spellings of French-derived words, such as those that would end in –or or –er in American English, like color or center. Likewise, British spellings such as ‘cheque’ reveal the links that Canada has had with British financial institutions, such as the Commonwealth of Nations.

Canada is also influenced by its neighbour, the United States. There is an increasing tendency to use Americanisms, particularly among the younger generations, but older usage of words such as tire (Br. English – tyre) or curb (kerb), for example, belie links with the US automotive trade.

Ultimately, though, Canadians have created their own distinctive culture and dialect from these diverse influences. Before going on an international assignment in Canada, it’s important to learn about the key differences in language and have a familiarity of Canadian vocabulary and expressions. Communicaid’s cross cultural training for relocation courses such as Living and Working in Canada can help you to understand the Canadian communication style and anticipate any cross cultural challenges to get the most out of your time living and working in Canada.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

pixel Cultural Language Skills: Learning to Speak Canadian
Tagged with: • • • • • • • • •
Previous Entries
preload preload preload
Allow Cookies?
Powered by Strategic Internet Consulting