How to manage intercultural meetings in a globalized business world.
One of the weakest things about mankind is the fact that we get scared when we’re facing something unfamiliar. We systemize and interpret our surroundings, in order to deal with everyday life. This is the reason for us making stereotypes and being prejudice. Every time we meet an individual that doesn’t belong to our own culture we feel some degree of uncertainty and anxiety. In a globalized business world this may even be the reason for big business deals going to waste. William B. Gudykunst has constructed a theory of how to overcome this fear. It’s called Anxiety and Uncertainty Management.
We can take a young, newly educated business traveler for example. In his first meeting with another culture, e.g. his first business trip to China, he’s feeling nervous because he can’t predict how the person he’s going to meet will respond or react to his presence. He doesn’t know that the head of the Chinese company probably will find it unnecessary to listen to the young man, because of the fact that his not in a high position in his company. This is a consequence of how the hierarchic system in China differs from the flat organization that the young man is used to in his home country. Our newly educated friend will be surprised and caught off guard, and won’t be able to tackle this problem. If he had been prepared of the fact that this might happen, he would at least stand a chance to manage the situation.
Anxiety & uncertainty management prepares an individual for this kind of situation. The concept is building on making individuals reach mindfulness, e.g. by learning about different cultures, and controlling their level of uncertainty and anxiety. Curiosity, trust, empathy and self confidence are all key words in the process.
Those who are critical to the anxiety & uncertainty management theory mean that it is all too focused on what problems and chaos an intercultural meeting can lead to. I would personally agree with the criticism, but with some level of reservation. Education before an intercultural meeting is absolutely necessary. Not because all meetings lead to trouble, but because some may. The education should prepare the individual of all possible scenarios, both positive and negative. Another thing important to remember is that that this type of education in no way completely prepares you for meeting another culture. On the contrary, it is very shallow. It should be considered as a preparation and an introduction to other cultures – a push in the right direction, so to speak. In addition, it is very hard to find updated literature about different cultures. The material that you find is all too often written decades ago, and cannot be considered up to date. To summarize; a competent cross cultural communicator has the ability to listen, imitate and adapt to any possible situation. That is what Anxiety & Uncertainty Management is all about.
Ola Runfors, Örebro University