This presentation on the subject "Intercultural Communication" is related to the field of service and communications. It is an introduction, and as such it is based on a broad view on intercultural paradigms - but it also gives you a short, helpful introduction to communication in intercultural contexts. The presentation can be supplied by a teacher's own practical workshops, and the slides can be used as study materials as well. Fully validated with a bibliography and references/links. Enjoy :-) Dave

1. Service and
Communication
4
Intercultural
communication
COMMUNICATION

2. communication 4
What is culture?
Culture is the philosophy of life, the
values, norms and rules, and actual
behavior – as well as the material and
immaterial products from these –
which are taken over by man from the
past generations, and which man wants
to bring forward to the next generation
– eventually in a different form – and
which in one way or another separate
individuals belonging to the culture
from individuals belonging to other
cultures. (Gullestrup 2002: 2)
N IF
MA
ESTATIO
CORE
CULTURE
N
Visible
Invisible
Simple model of
layers of culture (ibid.)

3. communication 4
What is culture?
Symbols are words, gestures, pictures
or objects that carry a particular meaning which is only recognized by those
who share the culture. The words in
a language or jargon belong to this
category, as do dress, hairstyles etc.
New symbols are easily developed
and old ones disappear.
Heroes are persons who possess
characteristics which are highly prized
in a culture, and who thus serve as
models for behavior. It can be real
heroes or imaginary heroes (from
popular culture).
SY M B O L S
HEROES
R IT U AL S
ES
TIC
RAC
P
VALUES
Hofstede’s Onion Diagram
(via Busch 2011: 218)

4. communication 4
What is culture?
Rituals are collective activities within a
culture that are considered as socially
essential: they are therefore carried
out for their own sake. Ways of greeting and paying respect to others, social
and religious ceremonies are examples.
Symbols, heroes, rituals can be subsumed under the term practices.
The core of culture, according to hofstede, is formed by values. Values are
preferences, and they have a plus and
a minus side in specific contexts:
evil vs. good, dirty vs. clean, ugly vs.
beautiful, unnatural vs. natural, abnormal vs. normal, paradoxical vs. logical,
irrational vs. rational (etc.).
SY M B O L S
HEROES
R IT U AL S
ES
TIC
RAC
P
VALUES
Hofstede’s Onion Diagram
(via Busch 2011: 218)

5. communication 4
Paradigms in culture theory
Neo essentialists
Critical Cosmopolitans (non-essentialists)
Represented by: Hofstede (among others)
Represented by: Adrian Holliday (among others)
Culture is: essential features of ethnic, national and international groups (“The Chinese are ...”) There are specific
cultures with essential features which can be mapped.
We each belong to ‘a culture’: essentialism.
Culture is: related to cohesive behavior in activities within
any social grouping. Essentialist practices are social constructions (ideology and political interests). Framing the
Other is control. We are different in many ways: even in
our “own” cultural contexts we may feel alien. We belong
to many complex cultures/sub-cultures
Macro-view
Micro-view
Research methodology on culture:
• ixing cultural features via categories: normative approach
F
• oal: Understanding/framing the unfamiliar
G
• ultures have specific “onion skins”: research begins by
C
identifying categories (like “Japanese politeness”)
• uantitative and qualitative: prescriptive end
Q
Research methodology on culture:
• ritical interpretivist methodology: explorative approach
C
• oal: bracketing of qualitative, singular features
G
• “onion skins”: enterpreting emergent behaviour
No
in contextual settings
• ualitative and critical: interpretive process
Q
Via Adrian Holliday (2011).

6. communication 4
Intercultural communiction strategy
THE WORLD YOU MEET
EXPERIENCED WORLD
YOUR STRATEGY for
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
ETHNOGRAPHIC
APPROACH
RECONSTRUCTIONS
DEVELOPING
THE GRAMMAR
… creates the framework of
your understanding. Learn from
conversations and behaviour in
coherent, specific forums.
… that take on a life of their own
Connections / Complexities
Caution about being too specific
Inspired by Adrian Holliday’s presentation: “Developing an action theory for intercultural communication”, http://goo.gl/0xUxSi

7. communication 4
Busines storytelling as
intercultural communication
Company
YOU
You are often in a professional position
in which you must convey the brand
essence of your company: You must, as
this representative, reflect a positive
company culture. You must be a part of
that company’s story and culture.
Client

8. communication 4
Busines storytelling as
intercultural communication
“Who-I-Am” stories explain who you
are as a person. They tell others about
your dreams, goals, accomplishments,
failures, motivations, values, or history.
“Values-in-action” stories reinforce
the values that you want your audience
to demonstrate or think about. These
stories can be positive or negative. You
can tell stories that demonstrate integrity, compassion, and commitment, or
“Teaching” stories create an experitell ones that highlight attitudes that
ence that transforms the audience;
you don’t want to see − for example,
how a change in behavior, perspective, cynicism, stereotyping of cultures or a
or skills can lead to meaningful results. weak work ethic.
“Why-I-Am-Here” stories communicate why you’re here. People want
to know, “What’s in it for me?” and
“What’s in it for you?” These stories
explain that you don’t have a hidden
agenda, and that you’ll both get something fair out of the situation.
“Vision” stories inspire people, and
encourage them to feel hope or happiness. Here, you convince your audience that their hard work and sacrifice
is worth the effort. You need to link
their actions to a specific, valuable, and
worthy outcome.
Via “Business Storytelling”: http://goo.gl/wIiEa3
“I-know-what-you-are-thinking”
stories allow you to address others’
questions or concerns before they
voice them. You need to anticipate
your audience’s point of view, so you
choose a story that deals with their
unspoken concerns.

9. communication 4
Bibliography
References
Background literature/resources
Anne Mette Busch et al. (2011):
Kommunikation i multimediedesign.
Hans Reitzel/Gyldendal Akademisk.
Hans Gullestrup (2002):
Graphic design by D. Engelby
“The Complexity of Intercultural
Slideshare profile:
Communication in Cross
http://www.slideshare.net/engelby
Cultural Management.”
In Intercultural Communication, issue 6.
Adrian Holliday’s presentation:
“Developing an action theory for
intercultural communication”:
http://goo.gl/0xUxSi
Business Storytelling:
http://goo.gl/wIiEa3
Adrian Holliday (2011):
Intercultural Communication
and Ideology. Sage Publications.