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Intercultural communication in managing global interdependence

Vasile PUŞCAŞ, PhD

“BABEŞ-BOLYAI” UNIVERSITY, CLUJ-NAPOCAFACULTY OF HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY

INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

International Congress on „Soft Power”, Cultural Diplomacy and InterdependenceBelin, November 6th – 9th 2009

I. Contemporary international system

The fall of the Berlin Wall, generated the conditions forre-structuring the international system.

Removing the wall between East and West Berlin,represented the signal for Germany’s reunification butalso the break down of European barriers. From thismoment on, the international system had been in acontinuous process of changing

The changes generated by the fall of the Berlin Wallcreated a huge window of opportunity.


Our contemporary world can be imagined as a spider websystem, typified by a growing interdependent network.

There are two basic characteristics that are re-shaping thecontemporary international system: the dynamics ofdistribution of power and the deepening of globalinterdependence.


I. Contemporary international system

II. Interdependence

Interdependence is high and implies strategic interactionsamong entities that are not arranged in formal hierarchies.

Interdependence can be defined as “situations in whichactors or events in different parts of a system affect eachother”. (R.O. Keohane, J. Nye, 1977).

Today interdependence in the international system ismanaged through the creation and development of inter-governmental and international institutions.


II. Interdependence

Managing interdependence means to break downthe barriers of communication between cultures,between various sectors of the international system,between societies and especially building a commonlanguage for dealing with interdependence.


III. Intercultural communication in managing global interdependence

Economic change

An increased appreciation by companies that managingcultural differences properly can be a key factor in gettingthings done effectively across borders.

There is a growing demand for businesses to understandand manage the diverse values, perceptions, businessworldviews and behaviour of corporations, staff, and itscustomers.



Changes in the personal lifestyle

These changes ask for intercultural communicationin developing skills and tools to managedifferences creatively.



Institutional change

The increasing prominence of transnational governmentnetworks

Therefore, problem solving very often means internationalcooperation and coordination in the framework of the lightmultilateralism.

Intercultural communication contributes to the protectionof human rights and spreads democracy, good governanceand the rule of law.



Institutional change

Actors of the international system make use of interculturalcommunication as instrument for creating an internationalinstitutional framework in pursuing their interests andachieving their goals at a global level.

The actors of the international system are harmonizingtheir interests by adopting intercultural communicationcodes: agreements, treaties, protocols etc.



Therefore, meeting the challenges of global governanceimplies intercultural communication in: building capacity for governance and increasing partner

countries' input into the formulation of the relevantreform programs;

ensuring synergy and consistency between the variousinstruments and policies;

reinforcing the development of partnerships with a viewto achieving coordination between donors' priorities andpartner countries' agendas by means of policy dialogue,as well as complementarities between fund providers.


IV. Europe and the intercultural communication

European Union = a model of efficient intercultural communication in interdependence management. Managing the intercultural communication in EU means: managing “cultural diversity” the ability to experiment with new forms of governance for the Member States and their regions = a further developing of their

policies in these areas with reference to common objectives a close engagement in dialogue with EU institutions and support for the

development of new EU policies and actions, as well as developingdialogue among themselves;

a renewed sense of partnership and ownership of EU action to achievethese objectives.

building the EU identity, Europeans share not only common values, acommon history, but also a common future in the integration process.

promoting the European Public SpaceInternational Congress on „Soft Power”, Cultural Diplomacy and Interdependence

Belin, November 6th – 9th 2009


Council of Europe= defined the intercultural dialog/communication as ‘a

process that comprises an open respectful exchanges ofviews between individual and groups with differentethnic, cultural, religious and linguistic backgroundsand heritage, on the basis of mutual understanding andrespect’.



Council of Europe Promotes five interrelated dimensions to the

management of intercultural dialog/communication: democratic governance of cultural diversity;

democratic citizenship and participation;

learning and teaching intercultural competences;

space for intercultural dialog;

intercultural communication in international relations.



Democratic governance of

cultural diversity

Learning and teaching

intercultural competences

Intercultural communication in international

relations

Space for intercultural

dialog

Democratic citizenship and

participation


The Council

of Europe

V. Main goals of managing interdependence and intercultural communication

The strategic international management deals with theglobalization vs. national responsiveness issue.

The international management also emphasizes that twoforces are at work: globalization (borderless economics) anddiverse cultures.

Big market players must take in consideration the reality ofnational cultures which greatly affect organizationalculture.

The main objective of international communication iscreating competitive advantages



Intercultural communication transforms/converts localtraditions, values and norms in resources and capabilitiesthat enhance global competitiveness.

The aim of intercultural communication is to transformcertain differences and cultural diversity into positive factors forthe global development of companies and, correspondingly,for the promotion of economical development in a largernumber of host countries and regions.



Intercultural communication develops competitiveness by several means as: understanding the worldwide political, cultural and

business environment from a global perspective; developing multiple cultural perspectives and

approaches to conducting business; being skilful at working with people from many cultures

simultaneously; adapting comfortably to living in different cultures; learning to interact with international partners as equals.



Intercultural communication

develops competitiveness

by several means

developing multiple cultural

perspectives and approaches to

conducting business

being skilful at working with people from

many cultures simultaneously

adapting comfortably to

living in different cultures

learning to interact with international partners as

equals

understanding the worldwide

political, cultural and business

environment from a global

perspective


The effectiveness of every international negotiation depends on intercultural skills, such as: understanding barriers to cross-cultural communication

and intercultural communication; analyzing the Weltanschauung of the negotiation

partner; forecasting the impact of communication message that

touch core values of the other cultures; understand what behaviours can damage or increase

negotiation effectiveness across cultures; defining the action line


Conclusions

In the recent years practitioners in a wide varietyof fields—scientific cooperation, academic research,business, management, education, health, culture,politics, diplomacy, development, and others—haverealized just how important intercultural communicationis for their everyday work.

The management of cultural diversity deals with the issueof sensible adaptation to others and also efforts to establishcommon ground.


Conclusions

Interdependence poses problems of coordination,emphasises the interests within countries, and initiatestransnational coalitions, often linked to the activities ofintergovernmental institutions.

An efficient management of global interdependence relieson intercultural communication and on its capability ofperpetually renewing itself in concordance with these newchallenges. , interdependence was related to the economy, todaywe can easily say that it comprises the reciprocal perception ofpartners: (cultural) identity, harmonisation, communicationalinteraction, the study of competitive and cooperative behaviour.


Conclusions

This is why intercultural communication is an important toolin general management of global interdependences.

Intercultural communication in managing interdependencescan be more of a mean for exchanging information, can buildcollaboration and even conflict mediation.


Conclusions

Hans J. Kleinstenberg’s typology of different version ofinternational communication:

a.) glocal communication;

b.) intercultural communication;

c.) transcultural communication.

In order to avoiding the domination of the market, it isnecessary to strenghten the two other types of actors –intercultural and transcultural


Conclusions

„That active policy has to concentrate on the revival ofintercultural as well transcultural activities in the world.”Why? Because international cultural relations is a resourcefor power in international relations .“

(Alleyne, 1995).


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