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TRAMP – Transnational Mobility of Older People in Europe
162 Part II
Example 5: Project with Ukraine - resolution
• The group might not be up to the task, but cannot find a way of expressing its incapability.
This may be due to the politeness code, which prohibits a direct response to
more senior or superior people. In contrast, the other side will expect the problem to
be addressed directly.
• Another possibility is that the group is waiting for more precise instructions, yet
considers it impolite to inquire directly. Members of the group may only be used to
act upon direct instructions, while the other side assumes a more substantial independence
of the team.
Opposing principles
• hierarchy ↔ Team orientation
• indirect ↔ direct communication
Recommended course of action
• It helps the German side to maintain in constant contact and to continuously inquire
whether everything is running according to plan. It should keep in mind though that
a statement such as “everything is fine” should not be taken literally and that sometimes
detailed questions substantiate clear answers.
• In the run-up to a meeting it could also prove helpful to familiarise with work habits
and hierarchies or to discuss these matters with an appropriate contact person.
Example 6: Time schedule for an international group – resolution
• The reason for the conflict lies in the different understanding of time. In some cultures
every appointment is precisely understood as such, while in other cultures 10
o’clock means 12 o’clock and the 15th of November refers to the end of the year. This
is taken into account by all members of the same culture, but may cause misunderstandings
on an intercultural level.
• While punctuality is socially accepted in one culture, it implies being a slave of time
in others.
• Moreover, there are differences regarding work methods. In some cultures tasks are
successively processed and submitted at an exact point of time (monochromic understanding
of time). In other cultures tasks are processed in a parallel way, where the
time of completion is less important (polychromic understanding of time).
• While the Germans in the case study above think the Greek are lazy, the Greek might
assume that the Germans are petty-minded and want to take everything into their
own hands.
Opposing principles
• polychromic ↔ monochromic understanding of time
Recommended course of action
• In this case it would be helpful to familiarise oneself with the customs of the other
side and not to take the behaviour of others personally. While making appointments,
it would also make sense to discuss whether these refer to specific points in time or
time periods.