COMMUNICATION INFLUENCED BY CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Tatjana Welzer, University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science, Maribor, Slovenia

João M.Fernandes, Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal

Marjan Družovec University of Maribor, Faculty of Electrical Engineering

and Computer Science, Maribor, Slovenia

PRAXIS 2014, Genova, September 25-26, 2014

Contents

Introduction Cross Cultural Communication and

Awareness Innovation and Creativity for Complex

Engineering Systems Experiences Conclusion

Introduction

Communications Awareness – to whom - for whom we are

writing/presenting/chatting/contacting New (social) media – media for social

interaction New communication patterns

Academic and professional environment Professional communication Soft skills for communication (lingual,

cultural, self-reliance, self awareness)

Introduction

Communication in Mobility EU programs – Erasmus+(students,

teachers, staff) Mobility in the virtual word No physical borders and contacts Communication in different cultures Culture Cultural shock Cultural awareness

Cross Cultural Communication and Awareness Culture is a familiar word with a complex

history and diverse range of meanings Culture is a sum of ways of living

including: Behavioural norms Linguistic expressions Styles of Communication Patterns of thinking and beliefs

Cross Cultural Communication and Awareness Culture (Hofstede):

Collective phenomenon, shared with people who live or lived within the same social environment – unwritten rules of social game. Distinguishes different group of people

Culture (Lewis): Cultural behaviour is the end product of

centuries of collected wisdom, filtered and passed through hundreds of generations and presented by numerous beliefs, notions and other patterns

Cross Cultural Communication and Awareness Cultural levels (Alvesson, Berg)

National culture and culture in societies Regional and local culture Business cultures - professional and

functional culture Organizational and corporate culture

Functional subculture Social groups Professional and functional culture

Innovation and Creativity for Complex Engineering Systems Erasmus IP – ICCES –2012-2014 http://icces.di.uminho.pt/ Coordination University do Minho, Braga Consortium – Universities Consortium – Companies (Efacec, Bosch) Ph.D. students in engineering and technology in

international teams Problems of high complexity in an innovative and

research-oriented perspective within industrial contexts

Preparing Ph.D. graduates for awareness of the industrial realities

Innovation and Creativity for Complex Engineering Systems Erasmus IP – ICCES – 2012-2014

Deliverables of each edition of ICCES Applied research plans, written by the Ph. D.

students, for the considered engineering problems;

Position papers, written by the students, to explain their research plans to the scientific community;

Simulations and presentations, by the students, about their research plans;

Cross Cultural Communication Experiences.

Experiences

Ph.D. students from different countries and language groups Europe, Africa, Asia, South America

Ph.D. students from different professional areas Industrial Engineering Electrical Engineering Computer Science Media Communications Mechanical Engineering Chemistry

Experiences

Ph.D. Students from different generations 21- 50

Ph.D. Students from different professional experiences Full time students University assistants Researchers Engineers in companies Management and top management in

companies Equality independent on the history

Experiences

Cultural shock Confused and nervous feelings in a new

and different culture, disorientation and anxiety Problems in communication in the team and

out of the team Rejection of cooperation

To understand culture shock, it helps to understand what culture is Workshops Individual consultations

Reverse culture shock.

Experiences

Cultural awareness: Based on knowledge of the foreign culture

and own culture Workshops

It is and ability of observing culture from outside Individual consultations

Foundation of communication that involves the capability of standing back from ourselves and becoming aware of different cultures, beliefs and perceptions

Cultural awareness – Crosscultural dialogue

Experiences

Becoming cultural aware: Ph.D. Students realized that we are not all the

same, that the similarities and differences are both important, that there are multiple ways to reach the same goal and finally that the best way depends on the cultural possibility Better communication and cooperation

Members of different cultural societies can see, interpret and evaluate things in different ways Benefit for the project

Conclusion

Communication is important Culture is a product of centuries, filtered and

passed through hundreds of generations and presented by numerous beliefs, notions and other patterns

Communication influenced by cultural differences Cultural shock, Cultural awareness Preparation

Workshops, Courses, Individual consultations