Chapter Seven

Cross-Cultural Communication
and Negotiation

McGraw-Hill/Irwin

Copyright 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Cross-Cultural Communication
and Negotiation

The specific objectives of this chapter are to

1. DEFINE the term communication, examine examples of
verbal communication style, and explain importance of
message interpretation.
2. ANALYZE the common downward and upward
communication flows used in international communication
3. EXAMINE the language, perception, culture of
communication and nonverbal barriers to effective international
communications.
4. PRESENT the steps to overcome international
communication problems.
5. DEVELOP approaches to international negotiations that
respond to differences in culture.
6. REVIEW negotiating and bargaining behaviors that may
improve negotiations and outcomes
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The Overall Communication Process

Communication
The process of transferring meanings from sender
to receiver.

On the surface this appears straightforward

However, a great many problems can result in
the failure to transfer meanings correctly

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Verbal Communication Styles

Context
Information that surrounds a communication and
helps convey the message.

Context plays a key role in explaining many

communication differences
Messages often highly coded and implicit in
high-context societies
Japan, many Arab countries

Messages often explicit and speaker says

precisely what s/he means in low context
societies
U.S. and Canada
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Explicit and Implicit Communication

An International Comparison

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Major Characteristics of
Verbal Styles

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Verbal Communication Styles

Indirect and Direct Styles
High-context cultures: messages implicit and
indirect; voice intonation, timing, facial expressions
play important roles in conveying information
Low-context cultures: people often meet only to
accomplish objectives; tend to be direct and
focused in communications

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Verbal Communication Styles

Elaborate to Succinct Styles
Three degrees of communication quantityelaborating,
exacting, succinct
1. Elaborating style most popular in high- context cultures
with moderate degree of uncertainty avoidance
2. Exacting style focuses on precision and use of the right
amount of words to convey message; more common in
low-context, low-uncertainty-avoidance cultures
3. Succinct style more common in high-context cultures
with considerable uncertainty avoidance where people
say few words and allow understatements, pauses, and
silence to convey meaning.

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Verbal Communication Styles

Contextual and Personal Styles
Contextual style focuses on the speaker and the
relationship of parties
Often associated with high power distance,
collective, high-context cultures
Personal style focuses on the speaker and the
reduction of barriers between parties
More popular in low-power-distance,
individualistic, low-context cultures

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Verbal Communication Styles

Affective and Instrumental Styles
Affective style is characterized by language requiring the
listener to note what is said and to observe how the message
is presented
The meaning is often nonverbal and requires receiver to
use intuitive skills to decipher message
Common in collective, high-context cultures
Instrumental style is goal oriented, and focuses on the sender
who clearly lets the other know what s/he wants the other to
know
More commonly found in individualistic, low-context
cultures

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Verbal Styles Used in

10 Select Countries

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Communication Flows
Downward Communication
Transmission of information from manager to
subordinate.

Primary purpose of manager-initiated

communication is to convey orders/information
Managers use this channel for instructions and
performance feedback
Channel facilitates the flow of information to those
who need it for operational purposes

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Communication Flows
Suggestions for Communication

When communicating downward with nonnative

speakers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Use most common words with their most common meanings

Select words with few alternative meanings
Strictly follow the basic rules of grammar
Speak with clear breaks between words
Avoid using esoteric or culturally biased words
Avoid the use of slang
Dont use words or expressions requiring the listener to form
mental images
8. Mimic the cultural flavor of the non-native speakers language
9. Paraphrase and repeat basic ideas continually
10. At the end, test how well the other person understands by
asking him/her to paraphrase what has been said

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Communication Flows
Upward Communication
Transfer of meaning from subordinate to superior.

Primary purposes are to provide feedback, ask

questions, and obtain assistance
In recent years there has been a call for more
upward communication in U.S.
In Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore upward
communication has long been a fact of life
Outside Asian countries, upward communication is
not as popular
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Communication Epigrams

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Communication Barriers
Language barriers
Knowledge of the language used at headquarters is
not enough
Fluency, technical knowledge, and writing skills are
also important

Cultural barriers in language

Cultural distance
Letter writing

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Communication Barriers
Perception
A persons view of reality.

Advertising Messages: countless advertising

blunders when words are misinterpreted by
others
How others see us: May be different than we
think

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U.S. Proverbs Representing

Cultural Values

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The Impact of Culture

Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication
The transfer of meaning through means such as
body language and use of physical space.
Chromatics
Use of color to communicate messages.
Kinesics
Study of communication through body
movement and facial expression.
Eye contact
Posture
Gestures
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Nonverbal Communication
Proxemics
Study of the way people use physical space to convey
messages.
Intimate distance used for very confidential
communications
Personal distance used for talking with family/close friends
Social distance used to handle most business
transactions
Public distance used when calling across room or giving
talk to group

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Nonverbal Communication
Chronemics
The way time is used in a culture.

Two types
1. Monochronic time schedule: things done in
linear fashion
2. Polychronic time schedule: people do several
things at same time and place higher value on
personal involvement than on getting things done
on time

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Personal Space Categories

for Those in the U.S.

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Achieving Communication
Effectiveness
Improve feedback systems
Provide language training
Provide cultural training
Flexibility and cooperation

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Managing Cross Cultural

Negotiations
Negotiation
The process of bargaining with one more parties
at arrive at solution acceptable to all.

Two types of negotiation

1. Distributive negotiation when two parties with
opposing goals compete over set value.
2. Integrative negotiation when two groups
integrate interests, create value, invest in the
agreement (win-win scenario).

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Negotiating Types and Characteristics

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Negotiation Styles from a

Cross-Cultural Perspective

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The Negotiation Process

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Planning
Interpersonal relationship building
Exchanging task related information
Persuasion
Agreement

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Cultural Differences
Affecting Negotiations
When negotiating
1. Dont identify the counterparts home culture too quickly;
common cues such as accent may be unreliable.
2. Beware of Western bias toward doing. Ways of being,
feeling, thinking, and talking can shape relationships
more powerfully than doing.
3. Counteract the tendency to formulate simple, consistent,
stable images.
4. Dont assume all aspects of culture are equally
significant.
5. Recognize that norms for interactions involving outsiders
may differ from those for interactions between
compatriots.
6. Dont overestimate familiarity with counterparts culture.

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Negotiation Tactics
Location
Time limits
Buyer-seller relationship
Bargaining behaviors
Use of extreme behaviors
Promises, threats and other behaviors
Nonverbal behaviors

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