Courtney CochranCOM439 – Dr. R.C. Fetzer

COUNTERACTING ETHNOCENTRISM

IN INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MULTI-NATIONAL FIRMS

Courtney Cochran – Senior International Studies and Speech Communication Major

December 2010 GraduationMentor: Irving Williamson – Commissioner US ITCPurposeResearch QuestionsLiterature ReviewFindingsConclusion

INTRODUCTION

Achieve a tangible understanding for the way intercultural communication affects a globalized workforce

Define a new method to identify and correct cultural biases that affect communication between multi-national corporations

PURPOSE

What are the implications of ethnocentrism as an element of intercultural communication between multi-national corporations?

How can ethnocentrism be recognized?How can ethnocentrism between firms

of contrasting cultural backgrounds be neutralized to facilitate communication?

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Gudykunst and Ting-Toomey, 1988“Ethnocentrism is a nearly universal

syndrome of discriminatory attitudes and behaviors…seeing one’s own group (in group) as virtuous, superior, and standards of value as universal.” (Hammond & Axelrod, 2006)

Approximately 15 sources with various dates

LITERATURE REVIEW

Prevents effective communication; firms lack a shared value base

Causes diffi cult to resolve conflictStems from groupings – Favors in group

members which prevents effective cross cultural collaboration

NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF ETHNOCENTRISM ON COMMUNICATION

Two day training proccess Begin and end with ethnocentrism scale

test developed by Neuliep and McCroskey (1997)

Introduce culture types, and training on how to interact with other culture types, based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions

Introduce strategies for avoiding group identifcation

CREATIVE APPLICATION – MEASURING AND COUNTERACTING ETHNOCENTRISM

Culture tailored trainingLack of articles published directly

discussing ethnocentrismNatural predispositions to

ethnocentrism

LIMITATIONS

Ethnocentrism is natural, has positive elements, but remains dangerous to intercultural collaboration between multi-national corporations and other entities

There are tools that can be used to reduce the negative impact of ethnocentrism

Future implications

CONCLUSION

QUESTIONS?