Yoko Adachi is a research associate at Kitasato University School of Pharmacy Department of Biostatistics and Pharmaceutical Medicine. She has worked in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom as a biostatistician and has an interest in multiregional clinical studies.

Cultural diversity brings a spectrum of skill sets, perspectives, and values to a team. Many statisticians are already working alongside colleagues from different countries, and when mutual understanding of cultural perspectives exists among members of a team, it permits the development of a sense of trust and affinity, which ultimately bolsters productivity.

Of course, it is not easy to understand people of different backgrounds. It may, in fact, be difficult to understand people within a country or region, as personalities vary remarkably as a reflection of generational and geographical differences. Strengthening the bond among team members requires profound understanding of one another’s cultural background, more so for a multinational group. In spite of this, once given a chance to brew some team chemistry, the effort often pays off. Many studies show that highly diverse groups outperform moderately diverse ones.

No culture is completely homogeneous or static, but certain generalizations are helpful in understanding cultures. Dutch anthropologist Geert Hofstede, whose principles have been applied in areas such as marketing and global communications, introduced the notion of cultural dimensions, which quantified the following cultural aspects:

• Power distance index
• Individualism vs. collectivism
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Masculinity vs. femininity
• Long-term vs. short-term orientation
• Indulgence vs. restraint

Power distance index is a measure of the extent to which less-powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. In a lower power distance culture, people typically call their superiors by their first name and gather at the same table for a meal. Countries such as Austria, Germany, and the United States tend to have lower power distance indexes, while countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, China, and Russia tend to have higher power distance indexes.

Anglo countries such as Great Britain, Australia, and the United States have individualistic cultures, while countries such as China, South Korea, and Indonesia have collectivistic cultures. While individualism places a premium on the needs and achievements of the individual, collectivism emphasizes the good of the group.

Moreover, countries such as Greece, Portugal, and Russia tend to have relatively low tolerance for uncertainty. Hence, to reduce uncertainty, low-tolerance countries often rely on rules and regulations. On the other hand, countries such as Singapore, China, and Great Britain have high tolerance for uncertainty, and people tend to accept unstructured situations and opinions that are different from what they are used to.

In a masculine society, men are supposed to be assertive, tough, and focused on the traditional notion of success, while women are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. In a masculine society, social roles are closely linked to gender, while in a feminine society, gender roles overlap. A feminine society places high value on quality of life and relationships among people. A masculine society believes boys don’t cry, girls don’t fight, and failing (especially in the academic sense) is a disaster, while a feminine society believes both boys and girls cry, neither should fight, and failing is a minor incident.

Finland, where both the prime minister and president are women, is considered to be one of the most feminine countries, along with other Scandinavian countries, while the Slovakian Republic, Japan, and Germany are considered to be masculine countries.

Long term–oriented societies tend to focus on future gratification, especially in terms of humility, perseverance, and saving. Short term–oriented societies tend to value past and present and emphasize the importance of fulfilling social obligations and respecting tradition. China, South Korea, Japan, and other East Asian countries tend to be long term–oriented, while the United States, Great Britain, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and other African countries tend to be short term–oriented. Highly long term–oriented countries tend to have deep Confucian roots (although there are exceptions such as India) and, interestingly, tend to perform well in mathematics. This is thought to be due to long term–oriented cultures nurturing those who solve pragmatic, well-defined problems requiring analytical thinking.

Finally, while some societies believe leisure and enjoying life are important, other societies are more stoic and try to restrain human drives in order to maintain social norms. Latin-American countries such as Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and El Salvador score high in terms of indulgence, while Eastern European countries and Middle Eastern countries such as Ukraine, Latvia, Egypt, and Pakistan tend to score high in terms of restraint. While smiling is a norm in countries that value indulgence, a stern face is regarded positively as a sign of seriousness in countries that value restraint.

American anthropologist Edward Hall provided another insightful guide to understanding culture. In the late 1970s, he introduced the notion of high-context versus low-context communication. China, Japan, Spain, and Latin-American and Arab countries tend to engage in high-context communication, characterized by valuing implicit exchange of information, confidence in the unspoken, and eagerness to avoid confrontation. Collectivist societies are relatively culturally homogeneous, usually engaging in high-context communication. On the other hand, individualistic societies such as the United States, Canada, Germany, France, and Scandinavian countries are usually culturally heterogeneous and tend to engage in low-context communication. In low-context communication, very little is taken for granted. Accountability is important, and being able to convey one’s opinion effectively is a valued skill. Awareness of and sensitivity to these tendencies in communication styles should help build understanding among people of different cultural backgrounds.

While translating and interpreting what has been said from one language to another is challenging, it is even more difficult to translate what is not said. There is a saying, “Speech is silver, but silence is golden.” However, silence may leave a lot of room for interpretation. Qui tacet consentire videtur is a Latin proverb meaning that silence gives consent, particularly when one was able and ought to have spoken. To avoid misunderstandings, one should say something, rather than nothing.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery said, “Language is the source of misunderstandings.” Indeed, communication is more than simply mastering words, as cultural barriers exist even within regions that share the same language, such as the United States and the United Kingdom. Communication tools such as email, Internet phones, smart phones, and social networking sites have brought great convenience. The cost and time for reaching out to people has been greatly reduced compared to the days of the telegraph, snail mail, and travel by ship and propelled plane. Still, conveying our ideas to others requires thoughtfulness, as there are more opportunities for us to meet people from around the world.

Principles of low-context versus high-context communication and the six cultural dimensions provide a guide for people who want to explore other cultures. Furthermore, culturally adequate translations are indispensable assets. Many people may have encountered the difficulty of finding a quality translation or interpretation of highly technical terms and documents, such as statistical terms and analysis reports. Should professional statisticians be trained in language translation, or should professional translators be trained in statistics? Either way, finding someone who is proficient in both is not easy, particularly depending on the choice of language.

If a statistician is eager to learn from and is respectful of another culture, then he or she can increase his or her dimensions of thinking. Statisticians who understand multiple cultures and languages can make unique contributions to this globally close-knit world.