Intercultural communication: what is that?
Every culture consists of all kinds of unwritten rules. These are rules you need to know and apply to function well within that culture. We are often unaware of our own unwritten rules because we find them so normal. So it requires awareness of the fact that those rules are there, and what can go wrong if we are not sufficiently aware of cultural differences.
One of our trainers told us the other day that a PhD candidate had come to her, frustrated, saying: “It's not going to work out with my research”. When asked why she thought that, she said it was because of the feedback she had received from her supervisor. It was a sea of red comments. On the trainer's advice, she decided to go and talk to her supervisor, who explained that he had actually found her research very interesting, had felt very involved, and had therefore taken the time to give her detailed feedback on her text. What is considered the norm in giving and receiving feedback can vary quite a bit from culture to culture. If you are not aware of this, it can have some unpleasant consequences. From her own culture, the PhD candidate in question was used to receiving compliments and was already close to packing her bags when she did not get any.
Different phases
Aside from situations like the one above, complications from cultural differences can also arise from other things than communication. For example, many internationals, whether expats or exchange students, go through similar phases: when they first arrive, everything is fun and different. After a few weeks, they run into all kinds of walls. This is followed by a few months that may be not so much fun, but from experience we know that eventually you move through it. If people don't know this, they might end up quitting their study programme or job. So it is good for supervisors, student advisers and managers to discuss this, and also to be aware themselves of when their international staff or students could use some extra attention.
Tips for organisations working with international partners
We find that organisations are increasingly starting to recognise the importance of intercultural communication. Often, the first thing people notice is that something is not quite right in the partnership, but they are not sure what the cause is. In such cases, we recommend openly communicating about mutual expectations and the unwritten rules people assume, for example with regard to cooperation or giving feedback.
You can achieve much more if you are aware of each other's expectations and unwritten rules.
It is also important to not blame people personally if cooperation goes differently than expected. Simply assume that cultural differences can play a role, and learn how to deal with them effectively .Attend a workshop or at least read a good book on cultural differences in communication. Teams can also work with a facilitator to create a team culture together. You start by comparing the communication cultures within your team. You then reflect together on how you can strengthen the positive impact of these differences and reduce their negative impact. You can achieve much more if you are aware of each other's expectations and unwritten rules.
Radboud in'to Languages offers courses on intercultural awareness and intercultural collaboration. You can find a full list of our courses on this page.
