What do you mean when you use the word “culture”?

 

Cultures are system of assumptions, values and meaning which are shared by an identifiable group to help them solve the problems that life presents and to give them a sense of communal identity and purpose. Babies begin internalizing their culture‘s system the day they are born and continue learning throughout the course of their socialization. By the time we are young adults, these lessons have been deeply internalized and we are often unaware of the role our culture plays in our perceptions and behavior. Learning to speak one’s native language is a significant part of this process.

 

Today, everybody is talking about the importance of communication in business settings. How is intercultural communication different from normal workplace communication?

 

If you are working in an American environment, you share a lot of common understandings and assumptions about how to communicate and this makes mutual understanding easier. In communicating cross-culturally, not only do you not share the same mother-tongue, but many of the very assumptions about appropriate communication behavior are different. Unless we are aware of these differences and how they affect our communication style, it is very likely that we will experience difficulties in developing productive and satisfactory working relationships.

 

Which methods are used in intercultural training?

 

Simulations, games, case studies, critical incidents, video films, lectures, group discussions, individual reflection and coaching are all employed to give participants both cognitive knowledge and an authentic experience of the intercultural working situation.

 

The choice of methods for any given workshop depends on the training objectives, the time available and the composition of the group.

 

What is so different about Americans and Germans? We are all doing business, so there shouldn’t really be any problems.

 

On the surface, Americans and Germans often appear quite similar. Both tend to be very business-focused and many Germans speak excellent English. In addition, both cultures have a Western mindset and often behave similarly, leading both sides to expect the other side to think and behave similarly in all instances. This misleading expectation is often called the “Trap of Similarity”. While the differences between Americans and Germans are sometimes subtle, their effect is all the more damaging when they are not expected.

 

FAQ

Here is a list of frequently asked questions.

 

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