Humor and culture in international business | Chris Smit | TEDxLeuven

Summary

Chris Smit delivers a humorous and insightful talk on the intricacies of humor and cultural differences in international business. He discusses how stereotypes, though often inaccurate, reflect trends in society and influence perceptions. Smit elaborates on various cultural senses of humor, including the British, Dutch, and German. He further explains cultural differences using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, focusing on hierarchy and uncertainty avoidance. Through vivid examples, he illustrates how cultural misunderstandings can impact business interactions and emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural nuances to navigate international landscapes effectively.

Highlights

• Chris Smit humorously reflects on Dutch stereotypes as an entry point into his talk. 🌷
• British, Dutch, and German humor vary significantly, showcasing the diversity in cultural attitudes towards humor. 🇬🇧🇳🇱🇩🇪
• Hofstede’s dimensions—power distance and uncertainty avoidance—are crucial for understanding international business culture. 📏
• An insightful exploration of how cultural perceptions affect business interactions, emphasizing the need for cultural awareness. 🔍
• The presentation ends with Carl Jung’s quote on self-awareness through understanding others. 🧠

Key Takeaways

• Stereotypes, while often exaggerated, give a glimpse into cultural trends and influence perceptions. 🌍
• Humor varies greatly across cultures, shaping and reflecting societal norms. 😂
• Understanding cultural differences is crucial in international business, affecting communication and collaboration. 🤝
• Hierarchy and uncertainty avoidance are vital cultural dimensions that explain behavioral nuances in different countries. 📊
• Cultural insights can lead to better self-awareness and improved business strategies. ✨

Overview

Chris Smit opens his TEDx talk by playfully engaging with Dutch stereotypes, using them as a springboard to discuss deeper themes of culture and humor in international business. His light-hearted anecdotes about Dutch life, from wearing wooden shoes to living in windmills, set an entertaining tone as he transitions into the broader topic of cultural differences.

Through vivid examples, Smit compares the humor styles of the British, Dutch, and Germans, illustrating how these reflect broader cultural attitudes and how they differ despite geographical proximity. He elaborates on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, such as power distance and uncertainty avoidance, to explain why cultures operate differently, especially in business settings.

Smit wraps up his discussion by highlighting the importance of cultural awareness in business. He stresses that understanding cultural differences is key to preventing miscommunication and fostering better international collaborations. The talk closes with a thought-provoking quote from Carl Jung, encouraging the audience to learn about themselves through the process of understanding others.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 02:30: Introduction to Cultural Differences The chapter titled 'Introduction to Cultural Differences' begins with a musical intro and transitions into a discussion about the importance of cultural differences in international work environments. The speaker intends to elaborate on how managing perception plays a crucial role in cultural interactions. The speaker also starts with a brief self-introduction before delving into the main topic.
• 02:30 - 05:00: Stereotypes and Humor The chapter explores the interplay between stereotypes and humor through the lens of nationality jokes. Chris Smith introduces himself and highlights several stereotypes related to being Dutch. He uses humor to convey these stereotypes, stating phrases such as 'if you ain't Dutch, you ain't much' and sharing humorous sayings about Dutch creation stories. By invoking these sayings, Chris illustrates how humor rooted in stereotypes can both reflect cultural pride and contribute to the narrative of national identity.
• 05:00 - 07:30: Perceptions of Humor in Different Cultures This chapter explores the unique aspects of humor across various cultures. The speaker humorously describes common stereotypes about Dutch culture, such as living in windmills and wearing traditional wooden shoes and Dutch dresses. They then transition into a more serious discussion about how humor can serve as a bridge between different cultures, emphasizing the importance of understanding cultural contexts and the role of societal norms in shaping what is considered funny. The chapter concludes with an analysis of how humor can both unite and divide people, depending on the situation and sensitivity to cultural differences.
• 07:30 - 10:00: Understanding Culture in Business The chapter begins with an introduction that touches on the topic of cultural stereotypes. The speaker mentions stereotypes related to the Dutch, such as the national color orange, the idea that the Netherlands will never win the World Cup, and the infamous red light district in Amsterdam. The speaker then hints at exploring stereotypes of Americans, setting the stage for a deeper discussion on the influence and perception of culture in business.
• 10:00 - 15:00: Cultural Dimensions: Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance The chapter titled 'Cultural Dimensions: Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance' begins by discussing common stereotypes associated with different cultures. The examples given include American stereotypes such as 'big' or related to 'hamburgers' and 'trigger happy,' as well as Italian stereotypes like the 'mafia,' 'Mama Mia,' and distinctive hand gestures. The discussion points out that while stereotypes might reflect certain societal trends, they do not necessarily represent truth.
• 15:00 - 22:30: Project Management Across Cultures The chapter titled 'Project Management Across Cultures' explores the concept of culture in the context of project management. It begins by addressing common cultural stereotypes and includes an attempt to infuse humor into the introduction. The speaker acknowledges the potential risk in trying to evoke humor but still attempts it with a visual aid meant to invoke thoughts on the British sense of humor, characterized by its irony, dryness, and self-deprecation.
• 22:30 - 25:00: Conclusion This chapter explores the differences in comedic styles between British and Dutch humor. It mentions that Brits typically have a self-deprecating style, finding humor in their mishaps, while Dutch humor is described as blunt, direct, and often carries sexual undertones. Additionally, it notes that the Dutch are more inclined to joke about others. A Dutch comedian, who is also a songwriter and presenter, is referenced as an example of Dutch humor.

Humor and culture in international business | Chris Smit | TEDxLeuven Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] I'm going to talk to you about why culture cultural difference actually are the management of perception or to put it differently why culture matters when we're working internationally first a bit of an introduction about myself who
• 00:30 - 01:00 who am I um as you can see my name is Chris my last name is Smith my nationality is Dutch and as they say if you ain't Dutch you ain't much or to put it somewhat different is as a Finishing Touch God created the Dutch I know one more which is more along the lines more in reality and that is the the gods created the universe and the earth and the Dutch created Holland maybe that's somewhat closer to the truth because 2/3 of the country is
• 01:00 - 01:30 actually below sea level now if the country is below sea level and where do I live I live of course in a windmill like all the Dutch do where's where's my windmill located it is below sea level like I said 2third of the country is below sea level and what do I normally wear my wooden shoes and the traditional Dutch dress but being in front of a um significant um civilized Crow crowd I decided to wear something different now you can look at this introduction and ask yourself
• 01:30 - 02:00 what's the point I'll tell you what the point was with this sort of introduction I was trying to sort of border on stereotypes stereotypes that you might be missing about the Dutch are maybe the color orange the fact that we never will win the World Cup football or soccer for the Americans and uh maybe the red light district in Amsterdam stuff like that you can go to the Americans and talk about stereotypes there as well what comes to mind first potentially Maybe
• 02:00 - 02:30 the word big um or the word hamburger or tricker tricker happy stuff like that then you could go back to Europe and talk about the Italian um stereotypes or stereotypes about the Italians what comes to mind maybe the word mafia comes to mind Mama Mia the hand gestures that the Italians are so fond of stuff like that are they all true or not are they all true or not I think that stereotypes sort of display a general Trend in society and that's maybe more or less
• 02:30 - 03:00 what culture is about but besides from talking about stereotypes my introduction is also based on humor or at least I was trying to be funny I'm not sure if I succeeded I won't even ask you as as well I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot there um but if I show you this image here and I would ask you how would you describe the typical British sense of humor so not per se what he is doing but the Bri the typical British sense of humor you might come up with ironic with dry self-deprecating
• 03:00 - 03:30 humor a Brit can stumble and fall and look back and say hey that was funny of me stuff like that contrast that with this person and for those of you who do not know him he's a Dutch comedian singer songwriter presenter quite a talented guy and if you would characterize the Dutch sense of humor as opposed to the British sense of humor you might come up with statements like um blunt direct sexually connotated and the Dutch tend to make fun of others
• 03:30 - 04:00 rather than themselves whether they're here or not that doesn't make much of a difference and then finally if you sort of wrap it all up and if you would ask how I if I would ask you how would you characterize the German sense of humor then it might come to mind and I see somebody nodding already no they have no sense of humor is that true however well fundamentally of course not the Germans also have a sense of humor but the contradiction in terms here is is that humor for the Germans is a serious
• 04:00 - 04:30 thing humor for the Germans is a serious thing in other words you don't start something serious with a joke so have a meeting you don't start a meeting with a joke because why would you undermine the seriousness of the meeting by starting it with a joke there's a time and a place to be funny according to the Germans three countries the UK the Netherlands and Germany geographically relatively close to each other and still they have a different sense of humor I believe that jokes don't translate in
• 04:30 - 05:00 language and also that they don't translate in culture so if humor is already not culturally neutral my question to you to ponder on is what is culturally neutral I've done this work for about 18 years and I haven't found anything that is culturally neutral it touches us every day and very often we don't really see it but first of all before I continue There is really nothing good or bad about culture there are only differences that's important to realize and and understanding cultural
• 05:00 - 05:30 differences are often the determining Factor when you're doing business typically when you're doing business internationally the word culture has been mentioned a couple of times let's sort of put a frame around this and a and a definition the collective programming of the human mind in that definition there are two words are important one is collective and the other one is programming when we're talking about culture or cultural differences we talk about groups of people and not about isolated individuals and the second word that's important to
• 05:30 - 06:00 realize in this definition is that the word programming is there because you're not born with your culture culture is so-called taught Behavior so Collective programming of the human mind showing you an image here my question to you is what do you see if you're like most people you would see a face with the glasses the nose and the mouth and a part of the of the the the chin and the neck right but if you read read it
• 06:00 - 06:30 diagonal and pause and wait a little longer you would see that you can also read the word liar the L the I with the dot on the I the A and the R so pausing and waiting and maybe looking a second time at a different culture might actually teach you a lot more as I said culture is about the management of perception if you read the following quotes it's important for a manager to know the exact answers to most of the questions that his subordinates May raise about their work I give you two countries and two
• 06:30 - 07:00 percentages the United States and France match up the countries to the percentages all right the answer is 18% for the United States and 53% for France what this means is is that if a American worker if you want goes to his manager asks him a question to which he doesn't know the answer the American worker is quite okay with an I don't know while in a country like France for instance the answer I don't know from management
• 07:00 - 07:30 doesn't give him a lot of credibility so the expectation of a French manager is that he or she is much more knowledgeable about the content or stuff that he is actually managing to explain this we need two cultural Dimensions from professor H Hof's model of culture one being power distance or hierarchy and the other one being uncertainty avoidance let's start with the first one dealing with hierarchy You could argue that all societies are unequal but some are more
• 07:30 - 08:00 uh are more unequal than others or to put it differently all animals are created equally but some are more equal than others I've given you here a list of countries the Netherlands Belgium the UK Norway and China quickly make up in your make up in your mind which country you actually think scores highest or which country would actually score lowest the answer to that question is you might be right by China
• 08:00 - 08:30 you might have guessed maybe the Netherlands being the lowest one but in this case it is Norway quick word about these numbers uh is that anything more than 10 points difference is something that you would experience internally when you would go to that specific country so if a Dutchman would go to Belgium the Dutchman would experience that there is a stronger hierarchy in this country than in his own country if the Belgian would go to China the Belgian would actually experience that there is a stronger hierarchy in China than in his own country now how does
• 08:30 - 09:00 this work in reality you see two triangles two triangles and under uh on your left hand side you see weak hierarchy or flatten egalitarian on the right hand side of the slide you see that that's strong hierarchy and it it's called Steep and it's sort of hierarchical notice that the circles are equally in size on the left hand side and the top dog if you want on the right hand side is bigger than lower at the bottom suppose you have this situ situation whereby peer-to-peer workers
• 09:00 - 09:30 say somebody from the Netherlands asks a question to his uh cooworker in China can you give me an update on this and this process what do you think is going to happen it's highly likely that it will go up the hierarchy this will take time the perception that the Dutchman on the left hand side might have of his Chinese colleague is is that he might be lazy he doesn't know what he's talking about why is this taking so long right eventually the answer will come but it
• 09:30 - 10:00 just takes time and perceptions are already shaped now turn the situation around where you try to get the Chinese to ask the Dutchmen can you give me an update on this and this project what do you think will happen the Dutch having a relatively low hierarchy has the tendency to answer directly and with a result that the Chinese colleague will actually wonder how did you come up with that answer so fast you're probably trying to cut some corners and you
• 10:00 - 10:30 didn't give me the right correct answer I'm going to ask you again hence the blue line going back that way the second dimension to explain the difference between the United States and France is uncertainty avoidance as they say in Germany everything is forbidden unless it's allowed you can continue like that with in the UK everything is is allowed unless it's forbidden the total opposite there and in France everything is allowed even if it is
• 10:30 - 11:00 forbidden and and mind you there is a fourth one as well which is the Dutch version in the Netherlands everything is tolerated even if it is forbidden there you go this talks about the amount of rules and structure that cultures and people within these cultures appreciate and would like to have again which countes from this list the Netherlands Uruguay Belgium the UK and Germany do you think needs them or has or needs the most structure in detail and which country you think has the least amount of structure and detail
• 11:00 - 11:30 this is a very difficult uh Dimension to actually understand and the answer to this puzzle is that the UK scores the lowest of this list not in the whole list of countries and that Uruguay has a score of 100 again 10 points difference is something that is significant the UK a country that doesn't have a written Constitution but goes with common law for instance and for the belgians present here at
• 11:30 - 12:00 this presentation the score of 95 explains to some extent why all belgians are born with a brick in their stomach does that sound familiar for a lot of you it might be okay if we um sort of put that in a graph and in a practical example what does that mean when we look at project management and doing business different cultures deal with different Pro with project management in different ways so so on the horizontal axis there's time
• 12:00 - 12:30 and on the vertical axis there is action and implementation as a function of time the line that you currently see there is just for reference there Germany first Germany how do you think the line of Germany will run well Germans get their act together they form a group of people of Highly special specialized people around the table they sort out all procedures and eventually will come up with a relatively rapid implementation something like this now when the
• 12:30 - 13:00 Americans and and the Brits come to the table asking the Germans what are you doing and then the Germans looked up look up annoyed at the Americans and say we're planning and the Americans go well what good is that for because the Americans have more of a just Todo it approach a trial and error approach and get going and if you don't understand it at first only then you start reading the manual continuing like this take the country France but you could also
• 13:00 - 13:30 substitute here Spain Italy um Iran China India countries like that the line is somewhat different and I know it usually generates a laugh but it it it needs a little note in a margin here is that what the line should actually look like is pretty much at the beginning here like a small Tremor around the German line so not with a big earthquake but that's just a shortcoming of PowerPoint my apologies for that um so what you what you see in a country like France is that there is a a
• 13:30 - 14:00 preference for doing things organized but sometimes it just doesn't work and that is because of the elbow work and the hierarchy and the in the corridor backstabbing political games going on that's what the Tremor is about now finalizing this slide with the the Dutch line not that the Dutch are so important it is just that the line is so significantly different from the Dutch uh from the rest of the countries here and the Dutch are known for their uh poer or poer the Dutch word or the
• 14:00 - 14:30 consensus building and the line sort of takes this shape right and what you see going back in time is not really going back in time it is more that it is uh doing project management with growing Insight so what we have decided yesterday could change today because of new gained information again all right wrapping it up this presentation with a quote from Carl Yung is that everything that irritates us
• 14:30 - 15:00 about others can actually lead us to a better understanding of oursel thank you