DataArt operates in over 20 countries, so understanding diverse cultures is vital. In our quest to foster effective international relationships, we asked Kseniya Zhytsina, an Instructional Designer and Intercultural Communication expert at DataArt to share her experience. She leads internal training on this subject, and in this article, she shares key insights and research findings to help with work relationships in multicultural companies. Additionally, stay tuned for Kseniya's list of the top three resources to help you deepen your understanding of intercultural communication issues.
Before we delve into the intricacies of cross-cultural communication, let us start with a disclaimer. Although these findings result from scientific research, people are, first and foremost, individuals. Even within the same culture, people can behave in very different ways — however, this article discusses tendencies. Besides, when any culture is described here and compared to another, it is done non-judgmentally, so it does not mean one culture is better than another.
Effective intercultural communication is crucial for building successful global relationships and expanding your business. Research findings can provide valuable insights to enhance your communication strategies.
Now, let us get to the heart of the matter. Here are the top three findings that can help people working in international companies.
1. High-Context Vs. Low-Context Cultures
One of the most common categories in cross-cultural analysis is high- and low-context cultures. In simple terms:
- In low-context cultures, communication is straightforward, and the messages are explicit. Some examples of cultures generally considered to be low-context are Germany, the USA, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Poland.
- In high-context cultures, communication is nuanced and layered; the messages are often hidden between the lines, and you need to be aware of the "context" to decode them correctly. Some cultures generally considered high-context are France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Armenia, and Georgia.
In an international company like DataArt, there may be people from both low-context and high-context cultures on one team.
✔️Advice
Erin Meyer, the author of The Culture Map, a book that analyzes how national cultural differences impact business, offers a simple strategy: Multicultural teams need low-context processes. It is usually easier for people from high-context cultures to get used to low-context communication than vice versa. So, if you are part of a multicultural team, make sure the communication is simple and clear, and the messages are explicit.
2. Direct Negative Feedback Vs. Indirect Negative Feedback
Though it may seem obvious that low-context cultures that value explicit communication would prefer direct negative feedback, sometimes it is not that straightforward.
There are cases when it actually works this way. The Netherlands is a low-context culture, and the Dutch are known for being extremely direct when giving negative feedback. This directness is so well-known that it was written into several episodes of the popular TV show Ted Lasso. It is important to notice that Dutch people do not aim to offend a person but sincerely want to help this person work on their mistakes.
However, often, low-context cultures are not as direct with their feedback. One of the great examples is the US, where feedback sandwiches are quite common. A “feedback sandwich” is a method where positive feedback serves as a cushion to negative feedback. Generally, a manager or superior delivers positive feedback, followed by the critical part, and then closes with positive feedback.
Another example is Ukraine, which is generally considered to be rather high-context when it comes to communication, so one would probably expect indirect negative feedback from the Ukrainians. In reality, Ukrainians speak their mind freely and usually are quite ready to make their negative feedback direct.
✔️Advice
Note that indirect negative feedback may confuse people from a low-context culture, while direct negative feedback may offend people from a high-context culture. When giving negative feedback to a colleague from a different culture, try to find information about how feedback is provided in their culture and adjust your communication style accordingly. Alternatively, agree with this colleague in advance on how exactly you will give feedback to manage both expectations effectively.
3. Egalitarian Vs. Hierarchical
Different cultures have distinct perspectives on authority figures. In some cultures (e.g., Japan), bosses are treated with so much respect they may as well be considered gods. In other cultures, such as Denmark, a boss is simply an equal colleague with the necessary skills and competencies to perform the boss's duties. In cross-cultural comparative research, this is called the power distance index (according to Geert Hofstede) or egalitarian and hierarchical cultures (according to Erin Meyer).
Meyer's country typology provides a clear distinction between egalitarian and hierarchical cultures. In egalitarian cultures, it is acceptable to disagree with the boss in front of colleagues, individuals tend to act without prior permission, and meetings with clients are less focused on matching hierarchical levels, often with no specific seating order. In contrast, hierarchical cultures operate differently; actions typically require the boss's approval, and hierarchy significantly influences all communications, both internally and in external meetings.
It is important to note that company culture is often more important than national culture. For example, DataArt's people-first value is reflected, among other things, in the company's flat (very egalitarian) structure. That is why people from hierarchical cultures (Poland, Ukraine, or Argentina to some extent) may need more time to adapt to the “DataArt way”: They need to learn to question the boss's opinion, ask questions, and openly say if they disagree with something.
✔️Advice
If you are not in a leadership role, adapt to the company culture! Watch, learn, and ask questions. If you are leading a team (or several teams), create a safe environment where colleagues feel comfortable sharing ideas and communicate the principles of cooperation and collaboration to your team as early as possible.
In conclusion, Erin Meyer’s advice remains pertinent: “When interacting with someone from another culture, try to watch more, listen more, and speak less.”
List of Resources
As promised, here is a list of links that will help you enhance your intercultural communication skills:
- The Culture Map book by Erin Meyer
- Country Comparison Tool by Hofstede Insights, an interactive tool that allows you to see the values for the six cultural dimensions created by Geert Hofstede as the result of his research
- The Cultural Atlas, an educational resource with descriptions of some countries
By embracing these insights and resources, you can build stronger relationships, foster cooperation, and thrive in the diverse landscape of international companies.
