1. Western managers in Asian countries have a lot to do with this. Asians are generally used to doing what the manager tells them to do and not showing initiative. When a Western manager asks an (Asian) employee for his opinion, the Asian is anxiously silent. The Western manager will think, "Why doesn't he say anything when I ask him something?" The Asian worker, in turn, will think, "Why is he asking me that, he is the manager, he should know what to do."
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3. This could be the beginning of a conflict between the two people, so it is important to reduce ethnocentrism and take into account cultural differences. In practice, everyone is ethnocentric, so ethnocentrism can also be a major barrier in intercultural communication. But there are different levels of ethnocentrism, you don't have to be discriminatory or racist right away if you consider habits other than one's own 'weird'.
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5. High and low ethnocentrism
6. Of course there is a difference between respecting your own culture and feeling superior to everyone else. That's why people change between low ethnocentrism and high ethnocentrism, depending on the situation. Litches (1978) distinguishes three different types of ethnocentrism: low, moderate and high ethnocentrism.
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8. Low ethnocentrism means that a person is insensitive in communicating with people from other cultures and only treats them differently by speaking slower or louder, thinking that the other person will understand it better. It is also characterized by the use of disparaging words for other cultures.
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10. Moderate ethnocentrism tries to minimize contact with out-groups and to communicate only with the in-group as often as possible. The most extreme form of ethnocentrism is high ethnocentrism or 'cultural navigation', which is practically equivalent to discrimination. High ethnocentrism ignores strangers and is insensitive to other cultures, which they demonstrate by making racist jokes and using hatred and violence.
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12. Consequences of ethnocentrism
13. Ethnocentrism has many negative consequences for communication and is therefore a major barrier in intercultural communication. Ethnocentrism ensures that people base their communication on their own cultural norms, which can lead to misunderstandings and ultimately to miscommunication and conflict. Another consequence is that, because something is different, the other culture is seen as wrong and indecent, and this becomes a stereotype for everyone of this culture. Ethnocentrism also exaggerates the differences between cultures. An ethnocentric person feels superior to people with different values ​​and habits, the out group is often treated inferiorly which increases the distance between groups.
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15. Ethnorelivism
16. Ethnorelativism is the opposite of ethnocentrism. It refers to the idea that a particular culture can only be judged by taking that culture's norms as the measure of judgment. We have to remember that our own culture is not the only and by no means always 'the best', because everything we consider 'normal' is often found strange in another culture. In order to properly deal with cultural differences, we must try to look from a different perspective than our own culture.
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18. Dealing with ethnocentrism: Cultural awareness
19. To reduce ethnocentrism, one must become aware of his cultural values, norms, customs and perceptions. Everyone has different values ​​and norms and it is important to think about this when communicating with people from other cultures, this is called cultural awareness. Stephanie Quappe and Giovanna Cantatore from Culturosity.com have divided cultural awareness into different stages:
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21. 1. My way is the only way
22. This phase refers to the ignorance of cultural differences. The people at this stage are only aware of their own way, and see it as the right way.
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24. 2. I know their way, but my way is better
25. At this stage, people become aware that there are other approaches, but they continue to do it their own way, because they think that's the best way.
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27. 3. My way and their way
28. People are now becoming aware of the different ways of doing things and no longer just stick to their own way, but choose the best depending on the situation. Also, people at this stage are more positive about other cultures and use different ways they learn to come up with good solutions and create alternatives.
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30. 4. Our way
31. The last stage is called "our way" because at this stage people from different cultures create a new culture with shared values, norms and customs. The people at this stage are ready