Project Organised Learning in a Cross-Cultural Perspective

2Collaboration in Interdisciplinary and

Cross-Cultural Groups

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Gorm Simonsen

M.Sc. in industrial engineeringPh.D student in:Working Environment and Technological Development

Currently teaching in project work, engineering responsibilities, working environment and learning processes.

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Organ isedearningAgenda 020911

•Learning objectives

•Experiences from previous POL-groups

•Short break

•Communication - model/group/supervision

•Short break

•Group life cycle

•Group exercise

•Summing up

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Learning Objectives

Students should be able to•understand the communication process

•identify factors critical for effective communication

•understand the nature of groups

•identify factors critical for effective collaboration

•identify and implement procedures and tools for enhancing task efficiency

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earningStudent experiences with POL

Leo Sigurdsson

10th semester EM-student

Personal views and experiences•pitfalls/dangers•tools and procedures•sharing knowledge within the group•using the supervisors

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Organ isedearningCulture - a definition

- from ancient Greek: kultura - ”to act upon nature”

- coping with problems of nature for survival

Merriam-Webster: ( www.m-w.com )

5 a : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon man's capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations b : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group c : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterises a company or corporation

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Organ isedearningCommunication - a definition

- from ancient Latin: communis - ”common”

- sharing, making commonly known

Merriam-Webster: ( www.m-w.com )

2 a : to convey knowledge of or information about : make known <communicate a story> b : to reveal by clear signs <his fear communicated itself to his friends>

intransitive senses2 : to transmit information, thought, or feeling so that it is satisfactorily received or understood

Communication

Talk - in order to be understood

and

listen - in order to understand

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Communication-model

SENDER (A) RECEIVER (B)

Thoughtsand ideas Medium

Verba-lising

Transmissionof

information

Medium

Processing Thoughtsand ideas

Reaction

Feedback

Intention / objectivesNeeds / interests

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Expectations / needsInterests / intentions

Disturbances at sender

•Intentions not well considered•Conflict between needs and interests•Lack of knowledge of media •Verbalising-problems•Speed•Non-logical sequence•Too much information•Not adjusted to receiver•Bad choice of medium

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Disturbances at receiver

•Refusal of medium•Selection among sensations (needs and interests)•Perception of sensations (needs and interests)•Processing to a meaningful whole•Expectations•Already known•Pre-conceived opinion about sender•Pre-conceived opinion about subject

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Active listening

Has eye contact

Has open posture

Is leaning slightly forward

Nods

Uses encouraging words: ”Yes”,”No”,”I see”,”Hmmm”

Uses openers: ”Tell more”,”How would you” etc.

Is conscious of receiver’s bodylanguage

An actively listening person: LProject

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Elements in bodylanguage

• eyes• facial mimic• gesture• posture• position• dressing• (paralanguage)

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Interpretation of sensations - relative to expectations, needs and interests

Perception LProject

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Worst

Best

EstablishedOutsiders

MM

Elias, Norbert and John L. Scotson: The Established and the Outsiders. London. 1972.

Stereotyping- perceptions and communication patterns

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earningStudent development

1. Ethic dualism - orthodoxy; right or wrong

2. Multiplicity - total relativism; every person his/her truth

3. Contextual relativism - truth within a certain context

4. Commitment in relativism - conscious choices; commitment; responsibility; self-realisation

Perry, W.: Forms of intellectual and ethical development in the college years. Holt, Rhinehart & Winston, New York, 1968.

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earningMulti-cultural man

(multi-cultural learner)

“The multi-cultural identity is based on, not an affiliation demanding membership of a certain culture, but a certain conscious state which continuously negotiates new ways of experiencing and observing reality. To live on the edge of one’s culture or ego is truly not stagnation, but rather moving back and forth with the intention to create a third sphere beyond the settled territories. A sphere where you can stand for a while without feeling closely connected.”

Hansen, F.T.: Kunsten at navigere i kaos. I: KVL-kandidaters arbejdsmetoder og uddannelse i vidensamfundet. Konferencerapport. KVL, København, 1997.

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Organ isedearningCross-cultural spans (cms)

Agrarian vs. Urban

Physical vs. Intellectual

Re-active vs. Pro-active

Tradition vs. Modernisation

Religion vs. Science vs. Experience

Natural Science vs. Social Science

Local vs. Regional vs. National vs. International

Teaching vs. Learning vs. Acting vs. Changing

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Organ isedearningCross-cultural dilemmas

Time: punctuality vs. continuity

past vs. future

Space: distance vs. belonging

Rules: predictability vs. responsibility

perfection vs. learning (failure)

Causation: reason vs. magic

Doing things right vs. doing right things

Types of meetings

• Information• Instruction• Consultation/negotiation• Decision-making• Problem-solving• Exchange of ideas

Talk

Listen

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Moderation of meetings

Prepare

Ask

Listen

Summarize

Conclude

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Communication

- between group and supervisor

How will it be?

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Content

Structure

Problem-oriented supervision Subject-oriented supervision

Product supervisionResult-oriented

Stimulates the analysis and the conclusions.Provides for suggestions to the problemformulation, the analysis, the conclusion etc.Ensures the existence of a unifying principle.

Leads the project towards certain professionalquestions, which are connected to the interest ofthe supervisor. (“Research based supervision”,where the focus is on the supervisor’s research andnot on the group research).

Process supervisionCourse-oriented

Stimulates an independent, self-chosen analysis.Questions problems and problem areas.

Stimulates critical self-chosen use of theories andmethodology.The group is doing the research.

Laissez-fairesupervisionConflict avoidance, uncommitted

Everything goes, as long as the group is workingon their project.The supervisor, who avoids conflicts, will accepteverything written, whereas the uncommittedsupervisor just may not show up or may cancelmeetings.

Everything goes, as long as the group follows thesupervisor’s usual advice, mainly literaturereferences.The supervisor tells them stories about his ownresearch and is satisfied when the group reads andrefers to the literature.Poor quality is accepted.

Control supervisionExam-oriented and resourcedemanding

Keep deadlines and regularly controls that theproject work proceeds.Very active towards the end of the project work.

Discipline/curriculum based supervision.Ensures that the group thoroughly understands thetheories.Very active towards the end of the project work.

Control supervisionCapacity-oriented

The supervisor participates in the work andconfronts the group with the goals and tasks, whichthe group and the supervisor together have set.

Co-reading and co-responsible supervision.Questioning the group about the theories.

Types of supervisionTranslated from: Olsen, Poul Bitsch and Kaare Pedersen (1997) Problemorienteret Projektarbejde – en værktøjsbog. Roskilde Universitetsforlag. P. 164.

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Roleplay between supervisor and group …….

What happens?

Expected types of supervision

ContentStructure

Problem-orientedsupervision

Subject-orientedsupervision

Product supervision Stimulates the analysisand the conclusions.Provides for suggestionsto the problemformulation, the analysis,the conclusion etc.Ensures the existence of aunifying principle.

Leads the project towardscertain professionalquestions, which areconnected to the interestof the supervisor.(“Research basedsupervision”, where thefocus is on thesupervisor’s research andnot on the groupresearch).

Process supervision Stimulates anindependent, self-chosenanalysis.Questions problems andproblem areas.

Stimulates critical self-chosen use of theories andmethodology.The group is doing theresearch.

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Cross-cultural team dynamics

* affected by personalities, levels of knowledge,experience, status, motivation, attitudes,- the organisation, and the task

* the same generic needs to manage the teamdynamics in national teams- but the process is more complex

* issues are to prepare thoroughly and use effective procedures and tools to manage the the cultural factors of the team

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Phase 1:Start-up

Phase 2:Firstmeeting

Phase 3:Mid-point

Phase 4:Closingstages

Interactivesynergy

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Interactive synergy:

”… reweaving the unique threads of cultural differenceinto coherent directions and ultimately a cloth.Participants have to respect each others’ expertise and different cultural backgrounds and create a pattern ofinteraction that involves everyone.” (Davison p. 165)

NOT:* A dominating subgroup* Polite stand-off* One or two people excluded

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How do we achieve synergy ?

What does it mean to be culturally competent?

Prepare in the groups:

3 characteristics of the culturally competentteam-member (eg. attitude, communication…)

3 characteristics of the culturally competentteam (eg. organisation, goals, procedures…)

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The seven cultural factors:

1. Different cultural norms2. Different levels of commitment to norms3. Language fluency4. Different expectations5. Different leadership styles6. Different cultural status7. Geographic spread8. Professional cultures

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earningYour current stages in the group:

Phase 2:Starting up and getting to know each other

Phase 3:Mid-phase - “Keep reviewing what you are doing and align it to the task” (or reviewing the processand the objectives)

moments where the team is at a cross-road possibilities and dangers.

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earningDuring the mid-phase

Feed-back, checking up and communicating :Participation and involvement needs to be carefully defined.

Be careful of strategic moments.Eg. by making detailed observation or using video feed-back,

and/or process reviews.

To prevent stagnation: communicate successes to each other and supervisor

Sponsor’s (supervisor) role: feed-back on project, eg. at the exam

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The honeymoon phase:Dangers: lack of focus and transparencyProcedures: Clarifying goals and objectivesTools: structured rounds, discussions, decisions and minutes

The integrative phase:Dangers: Lack of co-ordination and transparencyProcedures: Develop quality managementTools: Constructive criticism (active listening), supervision

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Examples

The Conflict phase:Dangers: Denial and passivityProcedures: Create overviewTools: Creativity, listening and “giving face”

The maturity phase:Dangers: Group-thinkProcedure: Quality reviewTools: evaluation and supervision

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earningHow will you identify:

* strategic moments?* which phase you are in?* group goals?* which procedures and tools to use?* necessary plans?* time for evaluation?

The goal is to build up a sensitivity towards knowingthe group’s status and building up a collective toolbox.- through active experimentation and learning.

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Today’s main points

Students should be able to•Understand the communication process

•identify factors critical for effective communication

•understand the nature of groups

•identify factors critical for effective collaboration

•identify and implement procedures and tools for enhancing task efficiency

•plan accordingly and act effectively

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Homework

1. Discuss implications for the group – conclude, plan and act

* revise AC ?

* identify relevant procedures and tools to be

experimented with / try out.

2. Discuss with supervisor.3. Prepare for next lecture.

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earning- and remember always:

The three Basic Rules for Project Work and Collaboration

1. Write write write and write again

2. Transparency in the process

3. Evaluate process and products