Intercultural Competence in Business: Cultural Autobiography

This report explores the importance of intercultural competence in personal and professional aspects, focusing on the development of understanding different cultures. It includes a cultural autobiography questionnaire, comparison of biographies, and analysis using Hofstede's cultural framework.

Intercultural
Competence in
Business
Cultural Autobiography

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Intercultural competence is an important aspect in personal and professional aspects. It
requires developing an understanding of different cultures and their approaches to
communication, work and behavior. The present report compared and contrasted the
autobiography with biography of an individual belonging to India. Hofstede cultural framework
provided a basis on which the similarities and differences between the two cultures could be
understood and evaluated. Both India and Romania are countries that have similarities in the
dimensions namely long term v. short term, and restraint vs. indulgence. While Romania is a
feminine society, India is regarded as masculine society on the basis of the Hofstede score.

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
Awareness of self by completing a cultural autobiography questionnaire..................................1
Awareness of different cultures- Interview of a colleague..........................................................2
Comparing and contrasting the two biographies.........................................................................4
Using cultural frameworks for evaluation of similarities and differences..................................5
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural competence is described as the ability with which one is able to work
effectively across cultures. It also encompasses the competence that is required for
communicating and working with people belonging to different cultural backgrounds
(Arasaratnam-Smith, 2017). The present report provides an opportunity to develop awareness
about self and different cultures through completion of a cultural autobiography questionnaire.
Following this, comparison and contrast of the two biographies is carried out. Lastly, Hofstede
cultural framework has been applied for evaluation of the identified similarities and differences.
Awareness of self by completing a cultural autobiography questionnaire
Primary demographic characteristics
Gender- Male
Ethnicity- Romanian
Religion- Roman Catholic
Socioeconomic status- I belong to a middle income family. The socio economic status is
moderate. My mother and father are educated. Both the members of the family are working.
Marriage status- Unmarried
Questions
Where did you grow up?
I was born and brought up in a small city of Romania.
Where did you go to school?
I went to the local school in the city.
Who is in your family?
My family comprises of Mother, Father and two Siblings.
In what ways has your culture been taught to you?
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The culture was taught to me in the form of various Romanian traditions that are
followed by my family. I grew up watching my family following traditions such as Babele in
which I was taught to anticipate for the new year and the blessings that it brings. Other cultural
aspects consist of traditions such as Mucenici and pig sacrificing on Christmas. As a part of my
culture, I follow hierarchy and ay respect to those who are elder to me or those at senior
positions. The eldest person of the family, my father, makes decisions for the family. As a part of
the Romanian culture, I understand the importance of using a person’s title and surname rather
than the first name.
What are your Values and attitude?
I am shy and quiet during my first meeting with people. I possess and admire values such
as modesty and humility in people. I only open up with people after developing a personal
relationship with them.
What is your Leadership and decision making styles?
Romania has a culture whereby decisions are made by the head of the group. As
hierarchy is favored, some decisions require several layers of approval whether in the family or
in a larger societal group.
How is your Social and professional behavior?
I am reserved and formal and given importance to maintaining privacy. We kiss and hug
those who have a close relationship with us. First name is used only for family members and
close friends. I follow a gift giving etiquette when invited to someone’s house. Professional
relationships and behavior are governed by bureaucracies. Humble people are preferred for
business. I value punctuality as being an important professional etiquette.
Awareness of different cultures- Interview of a colleague
Primary demographic characteristics
Name – Raman
Gender- Male
Ethnicity- Brahmin
Religion- Hindu
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Socioeconomic status- Belong to a middle income family. Both of my parents are educated and
have completed graduation. My father is working and my mother is a housewife.
Marriage - Unmarried
Questions
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a small city of Rajasthan.
Where did you go to school?
I completed my education from a private school in the nearby city.
Who is in your family?
My family comprises of Mother, Father, Grandparents and 2 siblings.
In what ways has your culture been taught to you?
My culture has been taught to me through various customs, family interactions and by my
grandparents. I have grown up seeing my family celebrating various festivals and other holy
occasions. Further, the family interactions that provided various examples of mutual cooperation
and division of responsibilities have further assisted me in learning the culture of India. Every
occasion is completed with some rituals which form the basis of my culture.
What are your Values and attitudes?
I believe in following hierarchy and respecting others. From a very young age, I was
taught to pay respect to my elders. I consider it my responsibility to take care of my parents and
grandparents. I value my family and it forms an integral part of my life.
What are your leadership and decision making styles?
Decisions are made by the head of the family. Hence, in my family, my father consults
my grandfather before taking a decision. Hence, for any decision to be executed, mutual
harmony is required.
How is your Social and professional behavior?
I involve in social gatherings organized by the people of the society as well as invite them
to my special occasions. We greet each other by Namaste which is the most commonly spoken
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greeting. I strongly believe in and live with harmony and unity with relatives and other people in
the community. I have supreme trust in my social ties.
Even in the professional front, personal relationships play an important role which can be
seen in my preferences. I would like to work with those people whom I trust.
Comparing and contrasting the two biographies
Comparison
The two biographies can be compared on the basis of various points. Both Abraham and
Raman have similar socio economic status and belong to middle income class family. Both
Abraham and Raman are unmarried and pursuing their career goals. In both the biographies, the
concerned individuals learnt about their culture through various traditions and customs that are
followed in the family. Hence, the culture of Romania is depicted in its various traditions such as
pig sacrifice on Christmas and Babele. Abraham learnt about the culture through observation
over the years. as compared to this, Raman learnt about the culture through various Indian
festivals and holy occasions. He also watched his family and relative celebrate festivals and
interact among themselves. This provided him learning about the cultural values and customers.
Hence, the culture of Romania comprises of various customs as compared to the culture of India
in which there are various family and religious rituals. In both the cultural biographies, hierarchy
is given importance. As a result of this, decisions are taken by the head of the family.
From biography of Abraham, it can be analyzed that Romanians value modesty and
humbleness which is also true for Indian culture. From Raman’s biography, it can be appraised
that people give importance to paying respect to their elders. These values are taught to the
children right from childhood and they learn to respect and follow hierarchies.
While Abraham is a roman catholic, Raman is a Hindu Brahmin. While Abraham’s both
parents are working, Raman’s mother is a housewife. This depicts the contrast in the culture of
Romania and India, where the culture prefers females to fulfill their responsibilities towards the
family and consider it as a priority.
The culture of Romania is different from that of India in terms of greeting approach.
While in Romania, Abraham greets his family members and close friends by hugging them,
Raman greets people by a gesture with folded hands known as ‘Namaste’. Also, the biography of
Abraham shows that a decision needs to pass through several layers of approval as hierarchy is
followed. In contrast to this, biography of Raman indicates that Indian culture is based on
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establishing mutual harmony while taking a decision. Social and professional behavior can be
contrasted in the two biographies. From the biography of Abraham, it can be analyzed that
surnames are used for denoting people rather than the first name. This is in contrast to the culture
depicted from Raman’s biography in which no such obligation is required. The professional
behavior in Romania shows contrast with that in India. As per the biography of Raman, is can be
analyzed that personal relationships are given preference even in the professional front.
However, the culture of Romania does not does not given preference to personal relationships
when dealing in professional front.
Using cultural frameworks for evaluation of similarities and differences
Hofstede’s cultural framework
Geert Hofstede developed this framework for analyzing the differences between cultures
of various countries. The framework comprises of seven dimensions on the basis of which
similarities and differences can determined and analyzed between the cultures of two countries
(Lantz-Deaton, 2017). The similarities and differences between the above two biographies can be
analyzed as follows:
Power distance
The score for this dimension for Romania is 90 while India is 77. This indicates the
reason behind similarities between the two biographies. The high score of India is depicted in the
caste system that divides the population in groups in a definite hierarchy (Zhang and Zhou,
2019). Higher score of Romania on this dimension indicates that hierarchical order is accepted
by people and no further justification is required. The subordinates in Romania accept the orders
as they are given by the seniors.
Collectivism Vs. individualism
For this dimension, the score of Romania is 30 while that of India is 48. This indicates
the differences between the two cultures on this dimension. Low score of Romania indicates that
the culture favors loyalty and it is considered as supreme over other rules of the society. Further,
strong relationships are fostered in the society. India has an intermediate score which depicts that
the society possess traits of both collectivistic and individualistic trait (Ghazal Masarrat and
Varghese, 2020). People prefer to belong to a larger social network. Further it also indicates that
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opinion of family, neighbors and extended family groups influence the decisions of an
individual.
Uncertainty avoidance index
Romania scores 90 on this dimension while India scores 40. This indicates the differences
in the social behavior in the two cultures. With a high score, Romanian culture has a high
preference for avoiding uncertainty (Malea, 2019). Hence, the culture does not tolerate
unorthodox behavior and the codes fo5r beliefs and behavior are rigid. Therefore, the people of
Romania have strict rules whereby they call people with their surnames and do not prefer to be
called by their first names. In contrast to this, the preference of India for avoiding uncertainty is
medium. It has a high tolerance for unexpected events. Also, people have a tendency to settle in
established routines.
Feminist Vs. masculinity
Romania scores 42 on this dimension while India scores 56. This depicts that the
Romanian society can be considered as a feminine society where people focus on valuing
equality and solidarity in their work life. For resolution of conflicts, negotiation is used as a
strategy. In contrast to this, India is considered as a masculine society where there is visual
display of success and power (Engelhard and Garg, 2018).
Short term vs. Long term orientation
The score of Romania for this dimension is 52 while that of India is 51. This indicates the
similarities between the two biographies. It can be analyzed that the culture of the two countries
shows similar traits in maintaining links with the past when future challenges are to be dealt
with. In India there is an acceptance for the various religious views and norms. Similar to this,
the culture of Romania favors a balance between the traditional and modern approach.
Restraint Vs. indulgence
The score of Romania for this dimension is 20 while that of India is 26. This indicates the
similarities between the two biographies which is depicted in the culture of restraint. Much time
is not spent on leisure and efforts are made to control the desires (Malea, 2019). People have a
tendency to take actions on the basis of the restraint imposed by the social norms. Also,
indulging in other activities is considered by the people to be wrong. These culture have a
tendency to follow social norms.
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CONCLUSION
From the report, it can be concluded that there are various similarities and differences
between the culture of Romania and India. Both the cultures have similar scores for the
dimensions of short term Vs. long term orientation and restraint Vs. indulgence. Further, it can
be concluded that both the cultures are similar as they prefer hierarchical structures and follow
social norms. However, Romania is a feminine society while India is regarded as a masculine
society.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Arasaratnam-Smith, L. A., 2017. Intercultural competence. Intercultural competence in higher
education: International approaches, assessment and application.
Engelhard, F. and Garg, R., 2018. The influence of intra-cultural diversity on self-efficacy
beliefs: evidence from India. International Journal of Indian Culture and Business
Management. 16(2). pp.131-155.
Ghazal Masarrat, D. and Varghese, I.K., 2020. EVOLUTION OF INDIAN SOCIETY VIEWED
THROUGH ADVERTISING LENS AND AIDED BY HOFSTEDE’S CULTURAL
FRAMEWORK. PalArch's Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology. 17(7). pp.8283-
8298.
Lantz-Deaton, C., 2017. Internationalisation and the development of students’ intercultural
competence. Teaching in Higher Education. 22(5). pp.532-550.
Malea, L., 2019. Romania’s National Culture in Hofstede’s dimensions through the
Eurobarometer Standard 90 (2018). Journal of Global Politics and Current
Diplomacy. 7(1). pp.5-20.
Zhang, X. and Zhou, M., 2019. Interventions to promote learners’ intercultural competence: A
meta-analysis. International journal of intercultural relations. 71. pp.31-47.
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