An international, interdisciplinary research conference on the diversity of conceptions and cultural images of conflicts:
www.understandingconflicts.net
This event is the first of a series of large international interdisciplinary meetings that will bring together researchers from different cultural background working on the analysis and transformation of conflicts due to cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity.
Johanna Seibt
Philosophy Department
University of Aarhus, Denmark
Mailing address:
Aarhus Universitet
Institut for Filosofi og Idehistorie
Bygn.1467, 6. sal, kontor 620
Nobelparken
Jens Chr. Skousvej 7
8000 Aarhus C
In today’s world the list of qualifications for many management positions is of more and more resemblance to the Renaissance man. Sure you must understand some finance and economics and of course business strategy is a must-have for success. Then throw in some leadership and marketing know-how with a dash of sheer creativity and what do you get? You get someone who still needs to understand how to deal with people from a multitude of different cultures and then capitalize on burgeoning international markets.
Cultural diversity is extremely prevalent in our work force and populations. A company who wants to be successful needs management that both embraces this notion and understands it. The reality is that this is not happening enough. “Many leaders are operating on an old conception of the world around them and of human nature, including the nature of work, the worker, and the management process itself,” John Saee explains.
Lingua-Jobs is proud to announce the official launch of Lingua-Jobs.com, an exciting new job portal dedicated to the entire spectrum of multilingual and bilingual job vacancies on a global level.
The new language job site aims to connect ethnically diverse language groups with employers committed to fostering a diverse workplace or simply having the need to recruit for language speakers.
As the European Union, the Internet and other globalizing forces create new and expanding business relationships throughout the world, Lingua-Jobs.com provides clients with access to talent not found at more generalized job boards. With this focused talent pool, we help our clients leverage the advantages of diversity, filling key positions and increasing the strength of their organizations.
Google Inc. is developing applications for instant language translation and video tools that it hopes to add to its hosted services offerings, a company executive disclosed.
In a recent interview with Computerworld, Matt Glotzbach, Google’s director of product management for Enterprise, said researchers at the firm are working on technology that would enable rapid electronic language translation. The tool would pool data from Google’s massive content repository to help translate languages in real-time for users of its instant messaging and email offerings, he said.
Additionally, he said the search provider is also looking to develop interactive video tools to augment internal training programs and to serve as a hosted alternative to pricey video-conferencing software.
Those of you that follow Kwintessential’s development would know about our continous drive to design, develop and deliver cutting-edge tools and services for our clients and website users. Our industry leading Intercultural Business Communication tool, the Free Website Translation gadget and the Culture Vulture have all seen the www.kwintessential.co.uk website become a genuine hub for intercultural resources.
After months in development we are now proud to announce the launch of our new SMS Translation Service. The concept is simple - you can send text messages anywhere in the world, which we translate into any language for you. Whether it is business personnel needing to send messages to clients in other parts of the world or someone wanting to surprise their Spanish girlfriend, the service is simple, effective and inexpensive.
We are offering all visitors to the Intercultural News free credits if they join within the next week.
An official UK event for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008
In the cities of today and tomorrow, how can people from different cultures really live together - rather than just rub along side one another?
As part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the Intercultural Cities Conference, will look at migration, diversity and urban life in a fresh way. New thinking is needed on how diverse communities can co-operate in productive harmony instead of leading parallel or antagonistic lives.
The conference is organised by EUCLID and Comedia, in association with the Liverpool Culture Company, and with the support of the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
Taking place in this year’s European Capital of Culture the conference will not only provide an opportunity to look at how different cultures can live together but how mixing can be turned to economic, social and cultural advantage - key issues particularly for those responsible for planning and regeneration, the local economy, community cohesion, education and the cultural services.
The three day event will feature various European and international speakers, such as globalisation guru Saskia Sassen, the world authority on diversity and city planning Leonie Sandercock, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, who says it is time to rethink multiculturalism, city leadership expert Carol Coletta, Keith Khan who leads the campaign to make the London 2012 Olympics an unprecedented intercultural festival, and leading European city politicians including Ilda Curti and Pascale Bonniel Chalier.
The conference format will break with convention in pursuit of maximum interaction between delegates and speakers. There will also be the opportunity to get out into Liverpool to see some examples of intercultural dialogue and delegates can also choose from various extra activities, such as a dinner at Anfield, the home of Liverpool Football Club, featuring comedian Shazia Mirza.
Full details can be found at http://inter.culture.info/icc including the early bird booking fee, only available until 31 March
What is the best way to approach the comparison of intercultural business genres? What persuasive orientations can be embedded in English and Chinese cultural and rhetorical backgrounds? What are the main persuasive strategies used in English and Chinese business correspondence? How are they similar or different, and what causes such similarities and/or differences? What are the implications of the research for learning and teaching business language in cross-cultural communication? These major questions underlie the research in Yunxia Zhu’s exciting study, Written communication across cultures.
The volume consists of nine chapters. In addition to a brief introduction to the book, Ch. 1, ‘Introduction and outline’, brings in the necessity for developing a theoretical framework for genre comparison. It discusses genre in relation to a ‘stock of knowledge’ that is shared in a relevant discourse community in specific sociocultural contexts. Ch. 2, ‘Communication across cultures’, focuses on cross-cultural aspects as a part of the theoretical groundwork for comparing Chinese and English genres, and discusses sociocultural, organizational, and interpersonal levels for studying the business genres involved. Specifying the main theoretical framework for intercultural genre analysis, Ch. 3, ‘Conceptual framework: A dual perspective’, proposes a model for genre comparison, emphasizes genre-intertextuality interaction, and promotes cross-cultural genre study from sociocognitive and intercultural viewpoints based on English and Chinese literature related to genre analysis.
The inaugural issue of the Journal of International and Intercultural Communication (JIIC) features five different research studies that focus on a wide array of communication issues, including the exploration of cultural differences in deception.
Research recently published in the journal suggests that deceptive communication can actually serve a functional purpose. The study revealed that a person’s motivation to deceive is influenced by his or her cultural self-identity as well as finding that one’s cultural identity greatly influences whether or not a message was perceived to be deceptive.
The research points out that:
– People who strongly valued their own individuality over the social relationships reported having a lower overall motivation to deceive;
– People who possessed cultural self-identities which emphasize placing group needs over the individual reported having a greater overall motivation to avoid telling the truth;
– When people were presented with a scenario in which deception would serve to benefit them, those who valued their independence were more willing to use deception than in cases where deception would benefit someone else;
– People who valued social relationships over individuality, reported a greater willingness to use deception to benefit others rather than for self-serving purposes;
Western cultures have long been noted to cultivate members who value their individuality. Being a moral and ethical person requires avoiding any communication that would jeopardize one’s own personal integrity, such as lying.
By comparison, East Asian cultures have been well-known for endorsing more indirect styles of communication to protect the image of the other and promote trouble-free relationships. Deceptive communication has and continues to serve as a useful tool in the maintenance and preservation of significant social relationships.
Issue one of JIIC containing five different research studies on a wide array of communication issues, as well as the recently recorded podcast is availablefree online at: www.informaworld.com/jiic
About the National Communication Association
Founded in 1914, the National Communication Association (NCA) is the oldest and largest national organization promoting effective and ethical communication. The NCA supports the communication research, teaching, public service, and practice of a diverse community of scholars, educators, administrators, students, practitioners, and publics.
NCA is a non-profit organization of more than 7,700 members who work and reside in every state and more than 20 foreign countries. NCA sponsors an annual convention and conferences, publishes academic journals and a web magazine, Communication Currents.
Routledge is a distinguished publisher of over 600 journals and 1,000 new books each year with a back list of over 7,000 book titles in print. Part of the academic division of Informa plc, the impressive Routledge portfolio covers many different subjects within social sciences and humanities and is at the forefront of academic publishing in these fields. For journals, the main aim is to provide heightened awareness in the academic, policy and business communities for all SSAH journals, not least by presenting a unified, integrated presence at the thousands of conferences and meetings we attend each year. Routledge is the preferred journal publishing partner for many of the world’s most prestigious learned societies and associations.
According to the latest report from the National Association for Business Economics, 45 percent of economists on its forecasting panel expect a recession this year. If history is any indication, this could spell trouble for U.S. business owners who have seen an average of more than 500,000 businesses fail during each of the 10 recessions that have occurred in the U.S. since the end of World War II.
You’d be surprised at how immediate the results of cultural competency training or a session on workplace communication training will translate into increased profit margin.
Before business owners start handing out pink slips, Lauren Supraner, president and founder of CAL Learning (formerly CAL Culture and Language) recommends taking a good look within for areas where a little improvement can go a long way. “It sounds simple, but having employees and managers who can communicate effectively and appropriately with colleagues and customers from different backgrounds can have a profound effect on bottom line issues like employee retention, productivity and customer satisfaction,” said Supraner. “You’d be surprised at how immediate the results of cultural competency training or a session on workplace communication training will translate into increased profit margin.”
Research shows that businesses stand to gain, or lose, a significant portion of profits from issues like motivation, productivity and employee retention. Gallup polls suggest that over half of employees in the United States report having no enthusiasm for their work. When you consider Gallup estimates that suggest a mere 3.7 percent increase in productivity from every U.S. employee would swell the gross domestic product by $355 billion, factors like motivation and productivity gain instant significance.
Britons enjoying Spanish holidays in the coastal resort of Mazarron can now benefit from a new translation system.
Typically Spanish reports that Mazarron Town Hall is now offering linguistic assistance for visitors and town residents - 46 per cent of whom are non-natives to Spain - by use of a headset.
The system utilises a mobile phone and two types of headsets which provide a simultaneous translation in a variety of languages, including English, French, German and Arabic.
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