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Emotional response, methods of information processing, language and thinking strategies of representatives of different cultures
As we have already written in many of our articles and materials, in our activities and in the field of researching lies, we rely on linguistics, since we understand that the whole human world is encoded in speech.
A person's speech betrays him. Speech makes a person beautiful or disgusting. Words create a different reality. Language is also the deep structure of the thinking of a person and not only of a person, but also of entire ethnic groups. As a person thinks, so he presents himself to society. And if a person has lived in this society for a long time, he willy-nilly adopted both speech constructions or, began to speak differently, something has also changed in his structure of thinking.
Agree, if a person has been living in a different ethnocultural environment for 3-4 years and begins to use a different language, then willy-nilly, his model of behavior changes.
It was interesting for me to observe Russian Jews who emigrated to Israel, and then, 4 years later, returned to Moscow for a short time. During the first three hours of staying in a dynamic city from relaxed people, they turned into a center of concentration of crazy energy of the inhabitants of the capital. The emotion of joy along with the language changed to a state of concentration ...
Let's take a look at the structure of languages.
German is the language of strict discipline, strict logic and rules, which means that it's an internal monologue, thinking will most likely be the same. It will be serious, there will hardly be room for frivolous and airy illusory thoughts.
And if we look at the structure of the American language. No, I was not mistaken. The English and American languages, as well as their thinking systems, are very different. The American language, like a way of life, is more dynamic, full of humor and not very clear linking words with a large number of searches for opportunities and compromises. Unlike the English language, which is a reflection of conservatism in almost everything. Remember how the British reacted to the "unworthy" act of Michelle Obama, who allowed herself to hug Queen Elizabeth.
Language is the deepest structure of every nation and nation. It is a system not only of thinking, but also of survival, as well as a system of doing business and business. The Chukchi are distinguished by more than 40 shades of white, or rather snow. Without this, they would not have survived in the north. The Zulu are distinguished by 39 shades of green, without which they would not have survived in the jungle. The Americans have adapted English to the business environment. The Japanese keep their traditional way of life in this way.
Higher thought processes are conditioned by language. Thought is also reflected not only in language, but also in behavioral characteristics.
Observing the non-verbal language of certain ethnic groups, you can accurately predict many forms of behavior adopted by the people with whom you are communicating.
Even this small observation allows us to understand how and with whom we should behave.
Ethnic profiling: misunderstanding the time
In addition to language, in order to understand the classification of cultures, and therefore predict behavioral stereotypes, you also need to understand the timeline of different peoples. Agree that the differences in the behavior of an American, an Italian and a Japanese will be noticeable not only at the negotiating table, but also in everyday life. The passage of time, or rather, the perception of it, is important for understanding and interaction between people.
Linear time
There are peoples who live in linear time format. Representatives of these peoples know for sure that the past is no longer there, it cannot be returned, something needs to be done at the present time. And the future can be planned, which means it can be predicted. “The train will leave this station tomorrow at 9:30 in the morning,” a German, let alone a Swiss, will calmly tell you.
The Germans, Swiss, Austrians, Americans have made time a cult. Time = money is a basic proverb among Americans. Representatives of these peoples know that the time not filled with making decisions and taking actions is wasted and wasted. In addition, such people are called monochronic, which means that they are able to do only one thing at a time. They switch poorly, since the process approach prevails in business and communication. There is a planned procedure and it needs to be done. Accuracy and regulation allows you to be as efficient as possible.
Such people are annoyed by non-compliance and violation of regulations, schedules and procedures.
Possibility time
If we talk about South Europeans, Arabs and Italians, then they have a completely different idea of time. Life is full of various possibilities and therefore not to use them is the height of frivolity.
For these people, the main thing is association in interpersonal interaction. The main thing is that there is a good person next to them and at this moment they are talking with a good person - that is what matters to them. And the implementation of plans and regulations is not entirely important.
Punctuality can ruin plans and interactions. Among Italians, Spaniards, representatives of the North Caucasian peoples, time is correlated with people and specific events with which one must fully associate. Time is a quantity that can be controlled, it does not matter at all what the clock is showing, and how long your partner is waiting for you. A representative of this way of perceiving time, if he is late from 40 minutes to 2 hours, will say with a wide smile: "But I still came."
People of this type of time seem to live in two realities at the same time.
Cyclic time
In some cultures, time is cyclical. This is typical, as a rule, of Eastern peoples, Japanese, Chinese.
As images and metaphors are a means of expressing their thoughts, so their attitude to time is the same figurative. "Time is a lake around which you can easily walk." No, this does not mean that these peoples do not value time. On the contrary, time is an important and valuable element of life and way of life and is very much appreciated.
Punctuality for these people is an important part of business culture, and therefore they can come to a meeting 20 minutes earlier. At the end of the meeting, it is customary to thank the partners for the time spent. It is considered a rule of good form to warn about this 10-15 minutes before the end of the meeting. However, you need to understand that these are rules of courtesy, but when planning a meeting, you need to take into account that an unspoken rule in the East is to provide sufficient time to discuss all the details and nuances of the necessary agreement.
Eastern culture representatives often complain that Americans and Europeans are in a hurry and "throw up the discussion half way."
For the Japanese, time is not only cyclical, it is also divided into segments for performing rituals. Rituals are an important part of Japanese culture. The ritual of exchanging business cards alone takes 2 minutes for the Japanese. Obligatory rituals at the beginning of the meeting and at the end. It is clear that the American and European model of business communication erases the traditions and customs of the Eastern peoples. But this specificity cannot be ignored at the negotiating table.
Ethnic profiling: how different nations perceive information.
Before we move on to the classification and qualities of cultures, let's talk about one more aspect, in addition to speech and time - about the perception of information. This is a very important point - if you do not understand which nations and peoples how to perceive information, how to present it to them, then your presentation, presentation of your product, and of course, negotiations can easily fail. And you cannot reach agreement. Or it will lead to long and painful negotiations.
By the way, the perception of information is also associated with the peculiarities of the perception of time.
So, the first type of information perception is perception through sensory things and facts. For such ethnic groups, it is important to rely not on explanation, but on actual results. Representatives of such peoples perceive information based on statistics, real numbers, diagrams, Internet data, Internet and other databases.
Fact-based and sensory reasoning cultures.
As a rule, these cultures, these nations operate with linear time. These include: Germans, Swedes, Americans, Swiss, Finns, Norwegians, in general, these are the EU countries without the Spaniards, French, Greeks and Italians. Since these peoples are focused on the dialogue option of interaction. For such people, personal interaction is important. And so for them, if there is no personality, facts and sensory reasoning are just annoying. Moreover, such people begin to simply not notice the information provided in this way and reject it at an unconscious level. When preparing a presentation or selling speech in the interweaving of arguments, it is imperative to include links to authoritative people, and preferably their fellow tribesmen.
Perception of information of cultures, focused on personality and personal relationships.
At one time, we were approached by a lawyer who was in charge of debt collection cases. And part of his work fell on the regions of the North Caucasus. For a long time he was not accepted there, he was a stranger. When we began to analyze his behavior, it became clear that he communicated from the point of view of facts, urged people to follow the rules and laws. When we instructed him how to behave and how to become our own, or rather, "brother", the communication quickly improved. He acquired a team of "relatives", "brothers" and other tribesmen who began to support him. Nations oriented towards personality and personal communication are Arabs, Asian peoples, Greeks, Cypriots, Romanesque peoples (Latin Americans), Italians, the Spaniards and, paradoxically, the French. The French are a kind of mixture of information perception, they are in the middle between facts and personal perception of information. Naturally, the peoples of the North Caucasus are also focused on the personal perception of information. I think you already guessed their timeline.
Another type of information perception is the reflective perception of data, in other words, listening and low-speaking cultures. For such cultures, both the facts and the person who presents these facts are important, as well as the context, that is, the surrounding situation in which these facts are presented.
Context that matters
These nations include the Japanese, Chinese, South Korea, Singapore and a number of other countries in the East Asian region. I think you guessed it that these cultures tend to use a cyclical perception of time.
Why do you need ethnic profiling or how to make presentations correctly?
After the merger of the American and German companies from the automotive industry, the management of the combined company began to receive complaints from German managers. Here is an excerpt from one of the many complaints: “When at the meeting the American manager, Bill Friedman, proposed to consider the“ new ”issue, his German counterpart Tobias Reiser objected to him:“ But we have already discussed this issue, made a decision on it and put it in the minutes ”. Bill looked clearly puzzled. “What protocol? I remember that you wrote down something and recently sent me some papers, but I did not attach much importance to them. "
The Germans were irritated by the unstructured approaches of the Americans, and the Americans believed that the Germans were too bureaucratic and approached all issues formally. The top managers of the department of development and design of new cars in Stuttgart, Hans Schleimacher, had a conflict with an American colleague, who "borrowed" an unfinished rationalization proposal from one of his German colleagues and proceeded to implement it in his production. Moreover, just because an American top manager, Harry Klein, took over the purchasing department, Americans insisted on using their standards and procedures for purchasing in Germany. Hans watched with pain and bitterness as American methods not only reduced purchasing efficiency, but also led to the loss of partners with whom his company had built relationships for decades. Quite a few similar questions have accumulated.
And this story is not the only and completely common one in communications in international teams. The same thing is happening here in Russia. So let's remember what we talked about earlier.
You and I have learned that culture matters, maybe not as strong as the character or thinking strategies of a person's personality, but it still does.
Every culture, among other things, still has limitations or, conversely, opportunities in the form of language. Language is of key importance in the thinking system of every nation. The system of thinking generates a system of behavior that is connected, in one way or another, with emotional response.
We considered three types of time: linear, cyclical and associated, which arises from emotional responses, methods of information processing, language and thinking strategies of representatives of cultures. And, naturally, the reader may have a question - why do we need all this?
The answer is simple - without understanding these deep systems of thinking of each of the three types of cultures, it will be difficult for us to exert the necessary influence on the representatives of these cultures. No, we do not set the task of inciting interethnic contradictions, on the contrary, our task is to do everything possible so that understanding the characteristics of different cultures would lead to a decrease in misunderstanding between them. We are all different, which is great, but back to the business context. This article will be especially important for those who work with foreign companies or top management who is a representative of a foreign state. And now you are faced with a very simple task - to conduct a presentation of a company or a product, or simply convey information to make the decision you need.
So what is important when making a presentation for monoactive crops.
During the presentation, it is possible to use a little humor and jokes (anecdotes) that are appropriate in this context. The exception is Germany, you should not joke there, you came to tell about yourself, about the product, so talk about it, you can joke in the designated place and time. However, Americans, Italians, French and even prim British people are happy to receive emotional outbursts during the presentation. The appearance should be businesslike, but it may not be at all strict, and for Americans it may not matter at all, remember the presentation of Steve Jobs. But that's just for Americans. If the presentation is for the French or Italians, then it is advisable to add a little fashion trends to the appearance. We must not forget that France and Italy are trendsetters. But at the same time, information about the company should be based on clear facts and real achievements. When conducting a presentation attended by the British, it is imperative to focus on maintaining traditions, to demonstrate a certain conservatism. The presentation should have its own logical structure, beginning, main part and ending in the form of a specific proposal, where there is a reasonable combination of price and quality, or in the form of a description of a specific result that you need. Be sure to take care of the benefits of partners. In an American business presentation, it is customary to make direct hard sales, so if you are making a presentation to Americans, do not be afraid to sell right away, they do it. But be careful with direct sales in the countries of the old world, it is customary to take time to think there. Despite the slight differences, the general what you need to remember when giving presentations to representatives of monoactive cultures is a clear goal setting, factual, real numbers and argumentation, mutual benefit. The presentation time is about 30 minutes. We do not recommend it anymore, attention is scattered and unconsciously read, - if you have not conveyed the necessary information in 30 minutes, then you may be an ineffective businessman.
When giving a presentation to representatives of polyactive cultures,Arabs, a number of Asian peoples, representatives of the North Caucasus, the emphasis should be on rhetoric. The speech should be figurative, emotionally colored, the values of Islam play an important role. While presentation structure is important for monoactive cultures, while for polyactive cultures, personalities are important. The speech must necessarily contain references to significant persons in this context. The appearance can to a strict, businesslike, but correspond expensive accessories are required. In other words, "nobody canceled the show-off." During the presentation, be prepared for the fact that you may be interrupted, slide into other topics. This is normal, be aware of the structure of time perception in polyactive cultures. The presentation is about 30 minutes, but be prepared to continue it elsewhere, start over at any time. A decision in your favor will be made, if you turn out to be "your man". People of polyactive cultures look at numbers and arguments secondarily.
For reactive cultures, ritual of behavior is important.
The appearance is strict and businesslike. It is imperative to respect traditions, and the traditions of business etiquette in the first place. It is imperative to show respect for the business partner. Humor and jokes may be considered inappropriate. Mandatory presence, in addition to specific facts and arguments, their graphic design. Presence of diagrams and diagrams is desirable. The presence of graphics in the presentation on an unconscious level conveys not only factual knowledge, but also care for the business partner. Representatives of reactive cultures listen, without interruption, very attentively. The time for the presentation is at least 45 minutes, the structure of the cyclical perception of time and the peculiarities of the perception of information suggests that representatives of reactive cultures make decisions based on analysis and deep processing of information. They need more time to perceive information than other cultures.
Classification of cultures or what qualities need to be considered in communication.
There are a fairly large number of crop classifications. All of them are different - someone takes a civilizational approach as a basis in the form of Western European, Islamic, Orthodox, Japanese, African, Sinaedic. There are many other classifications. What is it for?
This enables us to:
- Better understand the behavior of representatives of these cultures
- Avoid resentment and misunderstandings in different situations
- Reach agreement faster at the negotiating table
- Achieve real governance and standardization in international teams
Representatives of the non-behavioral direction slightly modernized the formula S-> R and added the concept [person = black box] S -> [person] -> R
The distribution of crops into monoactive, polyactive and reactive crops fits very well into this formula. In this case, it is no longer cultures, but the emotional reactions of representatives of these cultures.
culture response
[mono] -> R mono
S -> [poly] -> R poly
[reagent] -> R reagent
All these response models in and of themselves do not bother us much, but what to expect from such a response is the main question that worries specialists in ethnic profiling.
What will be the behavioral qualities or characteristics of representatives of different types of cultures.
Understanding even these few qualities will make communication at the negotiating table more understandable and predictable.
