Deck 2: Team and Intercultural Communication

Question 1

Improve how you use a wiki.
Review a wiki you or another team used recently for a project. In retrospect, how could you have organized the files differently to improve the work process What tools could you have used but didn't (e.g., the chat feature or the calendar) To prepare for a possible future team project, send an email to your former team members with your ideas for how you could use a wiki next time. If you have time, meet with your team to discuss your ideas for your next wiki experience.

Answer 1

Following features should be integrated to improve wiki:
• The information should be structured in more systematic manner. Hyperlinks should be added to improve the experience of using wiki and make it user friendly.
• It is beneficial to provide details of related articles, and other literary material at the bottom of the page..
• Additional features, such as chat, should been provided.

Question 2

Interpret two messages from international offices.
Imagine that you work for the law firm Dewey, Wright, and Howe as an intern. With a team of employees, you are working on an orientation program for new interns. Part of your plan is to have interns do research online about the firm before their date of hire. You believe this research, which will take about two hours, will give new interns a jump start before they start working.
In response to your draft Orientation Plan, you receive two emails from partners in the firm-the first from the German office and the second from Japan. From these messages, you realize that Mr. Yamashita misunderstood your intent: he thought your plan was for interns to come to the office before their start date, whereas you meant only for them to do research online.
Working in small groups, discuss how you interpret these messages. What feedback are the partners giving you Consider cultural differences discussed in this chapter.

Answer 2

In the email the partner is suggesting that he is not in favor of the interns being present in the office prior to their date of joining.
The second email is more comprehensive and detailed. It correctly addresses the sender (Mr. Z ) and ends with a pleasant sign (Warm regards).
There is huge difference in both the email. The first one is very brief. In their culture, work is considered more important than words and thus adopts direct communication method. This was against the cultural norms of the Japanese. Most Asians prefer to indulge in pleasantries prior to business related discussions, and are more comprehensive.
Most Asians prefer to indulge in pleasantries prior to business related discussions and are more comprehensive, while the first e-mail is more brisk.

Question 3

Adapt to cultural differences in email responses.
After you discuss your interpretation of the emails in the previous exercise, individually write separate email responses to Ms. Zimmermann and Mr. Yamashita. How can you address their concerns about the Orientation Plan, while adapting your communication style for cultural differences

Answer 3

The e-mails should be drafted keeping in view the cultural differences of the individuals being addressed.
Sample e-mails are as follows:
To: Team Members
From: KZ
Subject: Re: Feedback on Proposed Orientation Plan
The proposed idea is for the interns to engage in online research regarding the firm prior to the hire date. This will aid the interns in gaining essential knowledge about the firm and will also help in improving their work quality. As they will not be present in the office premises there is no requirement for payment.
To: AY
From: Team members
Subject: Re: Feedback on Proposed Orientation Plan
We are happy to acknowledge your positive feedback for the orientation plan. It is hoped that proposed idea to engage interns in online research prior to the hire date will be beneficial for the company.
We greatly appreciate your approval.
Warm regards

Question 4

Research international communication and write an advice memo.
Working with a teammate, select a country for your research. Using three or more Internet sites, outline cultural differences of the country that might impact international business dealings. Look for differences regarding customs, use of space, hand gestures, time orientation, social behavior, how business is conducted, and other businessrelated issues. Write a memo with your advice to someone planning to travel to this country for business.

Question 5

Present cultural differences to the class.
Choose one or two students from your class to discuss their experience traveling internationally. The students may use the following questions to guide their ten-minute presentation:
• What country did you visit, and what was the reason for your trip
• What surprised you most about the people What were the most obvious differences you noticed from your own culture
• How do you interpret the cultural values of the region Review the following dimensions discussed in this chapter: individualism, time orientation, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, formality, materialism, and context sensitivity.
• What observations did you make about the people's feelings about space and group-oriented behavior
• What advice would you give to someone planning to do business in the region

Question 6

Analyze a team's communication.
Think about a recent situation when you worked as part of a team. In retrospect, what worked well about the communication, and what could have been improved Call or meet with one of your former team members to talk through your assessment and find out how he or she viewed the experience. What can you learn from this experience that may help you work with teams in the future

Question 7

Analyze an intercultural situation.
Joe arrived 15 minutes late for his appointment with Itaru Nakamura, sales manager for a small manufacturer to which Joe's firm hoped to sell parts. "Sorry to be late," he apologized, "but you know how the local drivers are. At any rate, since I'm late, let's get right down to brass tacks." Joe began to pace back and forth in the small office. "The way I see it, if you and I can come to some agreement this afternoon, we'll be able to get the rest to agree. After all, who knows more about this than you and I do " Joe sat down opposite his colleague and looked him straight in the eye. "So what do you say Can we agree on the basics and let our assistants hammer out the details " His colleague was silent for a few moments, then said, "Yes."
Discuss Joe's intercultural skills. Specifically, what mistakes did he make What did Nakamura's response probably mean

Question 8

From studying Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions, what differences exist between the United States and Brazil that may be relevant to your communication

Question 9

Analyze how well a company adapts to international audiences.
Choose a large, global company and explore their website. Do you find multiple versions of the company's site for different countries In what ways does the company adapt its writing style, use of graphics, and other features to adapt to different cultures Write a brief report on your findings, and include screenshots of the company's website(s) to illustrate your points.

Question 10

Explain a team's communication.
After analyzing a team's communication, briefly describe for the class (in two or three minutes) the purpose of the team and how well you functioned. Describe how the variables of group communication-conflict, conformity, and consensus-were or were not incorporated. Was groupthink an issue How did the other team member view the experience In what ways was this similar or different from your own, and why do you think this might be

Question 11

Learn about someone's cultural background.
Interview a partner about one aspect of his or her cultural background. First, ask your partner which aspect of his or her cultural identity (e.g., race, ethnicity, sex, religion, socioeconomic background, age) he or she feels comfortable discussing. You might ask questions such as the following:
• In what ways do you identify with this characteristic
• How, if at all, do you think this characteristic distinguishes you from other people
• How do you feel similar to others who share this characteristic Within your group, what differences do you observe
• In what ways does your background influence how you communicate with others
• In a work environment, in what ways have you seen this characteristic contribute to your performance and business relationships
Next, switch roles, so you can share information about one aspect of your own background.

Question 12

What images will you use for your Brazilian website

Question 13

Respond to domestic intercultural issues.
As a manager, how would you respond to each of the following situations What kind of helpful advice can you give to each party
a. Alton gets angry when several of the people he works with talk among themselves in their native language. He suspects they are talking and laughing about him. As a result, he tends to avoid them and to complain about them to others.
b. Jason, a slightly built office worker, feels intimidated when talking to his supervisor, a much larger man who is of a different racial background. As a result, he often is unable to negotiate effectively.
c. Raisa is embarrassed when she must talk to Roger, a subordinate who has a major facial disfigurement. She doesn't know how to look at him. As a result, she tends to avoid meeting with him face to face.
d. Sheila, the only female manager on staff, gets incensed whenever her colleague Alex apologizes to her after using profanity during a meeting.
e. When Jim arrived as the only male real estate agent in a small office, it was made clear to him that he would have to get his own coffee and clean up after himself-just like everyone else. Yet whenever the FedEx truck delivers a heavy carton, the women always ask him to lift the package.

Question 14

Provide feedback.
Imagine that you're working as part of a team to create a five-year marketing plan. Everyone had agreed to have his or her part drafted by the time your team met today. What would be an appropriate response to each of the following situations at today's meeting Discuss your responses in small groups.
a. Fred did not have his part ready (although this is the first time he has been late).
b. Thales did not have his part ready (the third time this year he has missed a deadline).
c. Anita not only had her part completed but also had drafted an attractive design for the final document.
d. Sunggong was 45 minutes late for the meeting because his car had skidded into a ditch as a result of last night's snowstorm.
e. Elvira left a message that she would have to miss the meeting because she was working on another report, which is due tomorrow.

Question 15

Use inclusive language.
Revise the following sentences to eliminate biased language.
a. The mayor opened contract talks with the union representing local policemen.
b. While the salesmen are at the convention, their wives will be treated to a tour of the city's landmarks.
c. Our company gives each foreman the day off on his birthday.
d. Our public relations director, Heather Marshall, will ask her young secretary, Bonita Carwell, to take notes during the president's speech.
e. Neither Mr. Batista nor his secretary, Doris Hawkins, had met the new family.

Question 16

What language will be most effective in targeting this audience

Question 17

Discuss your views of using inclusive language.
In small groups, discuss your views about the previous sentences. If you worked for a company and read or overheard each of these statements, would you be offended Do you believe others might be offended Discuss the value-and potential downsides-of using inclusive language.

Question 18

Identify poor team behavior.
Watch an episode of The Office on NBC. This crew lacks many skills for effective teamwork! See how many flaws in their interactions you can identify. For example, what incidents of disruptive, interpersonal conflict do you observe How do individuals demonstrate a lack of respect for each other How do they provide feedback to each other

Question 19

Improve diversity training.
On The Office , the company holds "Diversity Day," a misguided attempt at diversity training for the staff. Watch Season 1, Episode 2, and see all that goes wrong. Then, be prepared to talk in class about how a diversity training program could be successful. (Watch an excerpt of the episode on YouTube: http://bit.ly/uayAf3.)

Question 20

Comment on a peer's writing.
Use the "Tips for Commenting on Peer Writing" to provide feedback on another student's writing. Exchange draft documents with another student and use "Track Changes" in Microsoft Word to make comments. After you have commented on each other's work, review each other's suggestions. Then, discuss your reactions to the other's feedback. To what extent do you feel that your partner followed the tips presented in this chapter How could your partner have given you better feedback

Question 21

Use gender-neutral language.
Identify at least one gender-neutral word for each of the following words:
a. Policeman
b. Clergyman
c. Fireman
d. Salesman
e. Mailman
f. Bellman
g. Handyman
h. Repairman
i. Manhole cover
j. Waiter.

Question 22

Create a project plan.
Working in groups of four or five, imagine that you are creating a new website for a local business. First, choose a business that all of you know well. Next, complete the first two steps for team writing: identify project requirements and create a project plan.

Question 23

Discuss your views about a potentially insensitive party.
A Penn State sorority held a Mexican-themed party. Sporting ponchos, sombreros, and a few mustaches, women held signs that read "Will Mow Lawn for Weed + Beer" and "I Don't Cut Grass. I Smoke It." Read more about the situation (http://bit.ly/121zuGE), and then, in small groups, answer these questions:
• What's your reaction to the party Is it offensive, just plain fun, or something else
• What, if any, action do you think the university should take

Question 24

Contribute to Wikipedia.
To experience a wiki, contribute to an article on Wikipedia. Find a topic that you consider yourself an expert on, for example, your college, your neighborhood, a sport, or a game. Make one or two changes to a relevant article on Wikipedia. In one week, track your contribution: did it hold, or was it changed by someone else

Question 25

Set up a wiki.
Set up a wiki for a class project or campus organization. Take the lead to structure the site, post initial content, and encourage everyone to participate. If you have already used wikis with teams, try a different site (e.g., Wiggio, Google Sites, or Wikispaces) to experience a new approach and to see whether you prefer one to another.