COUNTERACTING ETHNOCENTRISM IN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MULTINATIONAL FIRMS

COUNTERACTING ETHNOCENTRISM IN INTER-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN MULTI-NATIONAL FIRMS Courtney Cochran COM 439 – Dr. R. C. Fetzer

INTRODUCTION Courtney Cochran – Senior International Studies and Speech Communication Major December 2010 Graduation Mentor: Irving Williamson – Commissioner US ITC Purpose Research Questions Literature Review Findings Conclusion

PURPOSE Achieve a tangible understanding for the way intercultural communication affects a globalized workforce Define a new method to identify and correct cultural biases that affect communication between multi-national corporations

RESEARCH QUESTIONS What are the implications of ethnocentrism as an element of intercultural communication between multi-national corporations? How can ethnocentrism be recognized? How can ethnocentrism between firms of contrasting cultural backgrounds be neutralized to facilitate communication?

LITERATURE REVIEW Gudykunst and Ting-Toomey, 1988 “Ethnocentrism is a nearly universal syndrome of discriminatory attitudes and behaviors…seeing one’s own group (in group) as virtuous, superior, and standards of value as universal. ” (Hammond & Axelrod, 2006) Approximately 15 sources with various dates

NEGATIVE IMPLICATIONS OF ETHNOCENTRISM ON COMMUNICATION Prevents effective communication; firms lack a shared value base Causes difficult to resolve conflict Stems from groupings – Favors in group members which prevents effective cross cultural collaboration

CREATIVE APPLICATION – MEASURING AND COUNTERACTING ETHNOCENTRISM Two day training proccess Begin and end with ethnocentrism scale test developed by Neuliep and Mc. Croskey (1997) Introduce culture types, and training on how to interact with other culture types, based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions Introduce strategies for avoiding group identifcation

LIMITATIONS Culture tailored training Lack of articles published directly discussing ethnocentrism Natural predispositions to ethnocentrism

CONCLUSION Ethnocentrism is natural, has positive elements, but remains dangerous to intercultural collaboration between multinational corporations and other entities There are tools that can be used to reduce the negative impact of ethnocentrism Future implications

QUESTIONS?