London 2012 Olympics | Communicaid Blog | Cross Cultural Training and International Communication Skills

Aug 21

Goodbye London, See You in Rio – Cultural Differences between Two Olympic Cities

For two weeks this summer, London was the centre of the sporting world. The London 2012 Olympics took over the city, replacing the usual conversations about weather with talk about the events, the medals table and their own experience of being at the games. Unfortunately last week the Olympics came to an end and we will now have to wait another four years before we can support our national teams in the summer games again. The wait will be worth it though as we will next be headed to colourful Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The 2016 Olympics in Rio will be different in many ways. There will be new athletes leading the way in their respective sports while others will no longer be participating. The whole environment, from the venues to the infrastructure and systems, will also be completely different. Looking at Rio’s preparation to date for the 2016 Olympics, it’s not as prepared as London was at this stage but the organisers have four years to make sure it all works and the excellent model of London to look to for inspiration.

Olympic Rings jokerproproduction i Goodbye London, See You in Rio – Cultural Differences between Two Olympic Cities

Looking ahead to the 2016 Olympics in Rio from a cultural perspective, the next summer games will be incomparable to London 2012. Not only will the overall cultural feel and style of the Olympics be different, but the organisation and overall approach will be quite distinct. Athletes, volunteers and spectators will therefore encounter a completely different range of cultural issues during these two weeks that they may not have in London so anyone involved will require a high level of cross-cultural awareness – something you can never start developing early enough!

Queuing for Tickets

Edward T. Hall, one of the founding fathers of intercultural communication, developed a number of concepts which have become paramount in any discussion about cultural differences. According to Hall, there are several ways in which cultures can differ from each other. One of these is the relationship people have to the physical space around them, in other words, what people tend to consider an appropriate space between each other in a given situation. People in Brazil tend to stand much closer to strangers than people from the UK do, so queuing for tickets in Rio could be a completely different experience for most.

Rio Prepares

Hall also found that concepts of time can differ between people from different cultural backgrounds, so the way people use and manage time can vary dramatically from one culture to another. People from polychronic cultures, like Brazilians, tend to have a flexible approach to time and do multiple activities at once for example. People from monochronic cultures, conversely, such as the British, prefer a more structured approach to doing things and appreciate punctuality.

The British, monochronic perspective is evident in the general organisation and planning of the Olympic games. The Brits had very precise plans and strict deadlines that they worked towards in order to have everything ready in time. As Rio prepares for the next summer games, they could end up missing important deadlines and timescales if they approach things with their typical flexible approach to time. Although they have a more laid back approach to time, Brazilians are extremely creative and tend to be very good at re-prioritising things so that the desired outcomes are still achieved. Rio 2016 will surely end up being a spectacular Olympics, but they may end up getting their through a very different approach.

Ready, Set, Go…

The British monochronic approach to time was also visible during the London 2012 Olympics in the punctual start and finish times that they adhered to throughout the games. Most events started exactly at the stated time, and you could even hear spectators counting down the seconds. Spectators also adhered to the British approach to time and arrived to each event ahead of time as instructed to allow enough time for everyone to get settled before the start. This is one aspect which may be very different during the Olympics in Rio, as Brazilians have a much more fluid and flexible approach to time.

Cultural Celebration

If you think the Olympics in Rio won’t be as punctual as London 2012, you might be right. But you’re wrong if you think it won’t be as much fun! Brazilians are known for their hospitality, openness and colourful and rhythmic events such as the Carnival of Rio. The London 2012 Olympics were a beautiful celebration of cultural diversity across the UK and the events and ceremonies reflected this in a very typical British way. The 2016 Olympics in Rio are likely to be even more colourful, festive and diverse if they are anything like other famous celebrations in Brazil.

Looking at the two Olympic cities from a cultural perspective, it’s possible that the perception of space and time could create significant differences in the way that the next Olympics are planned, organised and managed. Some will question whether Rio will be ready in time to welcome the world, while others may expect an even better party. No matter what happens, anyone involved in the next Olympics needs a great cross-cultural awareness if they want to benefit from the many opportunities the games can bring.

With four years to go until Rio proves itself the extremely hospitable, diverse and open city that it is, there is plenty of time to ensure those involved have the right support to develop the intercultural awareness that will make the next summer Olympics an event to remember!

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

Tagged with: Cross Cultural Training • cross-cultural awareness • London 2012 Olympics • Rio 2016 Olympics

Aug 20

It’s Not Just Another Flag, it’s a Matter of Cultural Sensitivity

Cross Cultural Training, Culture, Culture training for the Public sector 1 Comment »

As the London 2012 Olympics come to a close, we are left to look back and reflect on the key moments of the games. One in particular that will stand out to many as a very unfortunate incident happened before the London 2012 Olympics even got underway.

The second match of the women’s football tournament was supposed to be held at 19.45 at Glasgow’s Hampdem Park two days before the inaugural opening ceremony of London 2012 Olympic Games. However, a genuine mistake with the North Korean flag led to an embarrasing situation and put the match at risk of not being played.

Flags 2 Daniel Cardiffi It’s Not Just Another Flag, it’s a Matter of Cultural Sensitivity

As the teams prepared for kick off, their lineup was announced. Next to the list of North Korean players was the South Korean flag, an error that led the team to storm off the field back to the dressing room where they refused to participate. Eventually they were persuaded to play the game, only once the error had been corrected and the correct flag was shown. Finally, after much discomfort and uncertainty for the players and spectators alike, the referee whistled the start of the game.

The obvious lack of cultural sensitivity was a huge embarrassment to organisers when they failed to realise that they had used the wrong flag on the board showing the names of the players on the North Korean women’s football national team. So many things could have gone wrong, but the fact that they showed the one flag that would cause the most offense made it even more significant.

North and South Korea have had an extremely tense relationship since they separated after the Korean War in 1950, with fairly dangerous confrontations in the last few years. Since their separation, both countries have developed a completely different mentality and perception of the world.

South Korea is an established and prosperous democracy, where people enjoy a great degree of freedom and where individuality is increasingly considered and even expected. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, better known as North Korea, is a single-party communist country whose main value is self-reliance. People from North and South Korea may speak the same language or eat the same food, but they live differently and hold very different ideas and worldviews. Deep down, a national flag is a symbol of a country’s values and culture and North Koreans felt completely disrespected through this culturally insensitive error.

This embarrassing cultural faux-pas not only upset the Korean team, but it also upset their opposition and the spectators watching the event from the stadium and homes all across the whole world. The North Koreans felt offended and frustrated, even after their victory, which the coach said did not compensate for this cultural insensitivity. The North Koreans will struggle to ever forget this unfortunate error, despite the public apologies from the organisation.

After this event, there was even more pressure on how the London 2012 Olympic Games would run. Fortunately we can now look back on the summer games and say with pride that there were few culturally insensitive occurrences like this with such a significant impact. This reflects the required cultural sensitivity that everyone hoped the organisers could show as they staged this incredible world event.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2012

Tagged with: cross-cultural awareness • cultural faux-pas • cultural sensitivity • cultural sensitivity training • flag • London 2012 Olympics • North Korea • South Korea • Working effectively across cultures

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?

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.