The importance of Intercultural Communication Regardless of the organization you work in you are likely to deal with people

who come from various national, religious & ethnic backgrounds. More & more companies around the world are hopping national borders to conduct business. Technology has made global communication both quick & easy. The globalization of business is accelerating as more companies cross national borders to find customers, materials, and money. Cultural diversity is the degree to which the population is made up of people from varied national, ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds.

Communicating Interculturally

The Basics of Intercultural Business Communication

 Read example of Mazda on p 40  Understanding Culture  Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior  Subcultures are distinct groups that exist within a major culture  Intercultural Communication is the process of sending & receiving messages between people of different cultures

Recognizing Cultural Differences

 The greatest the difference between the senders culture & the receivers culture, the greater the chances for misunderstanding.  Nelson Mandela p 41  Social Values  In USA, a highly diverse society, the predominant view is that money solves problems, that material comfort is a sign of superiority, and that people who work hard are better than those who dont.  As a culture, people in USA are goal oriented.  They think they are improving things if a work previously done by 4  In countries such as India & Pakistan

 Roles & Status  Culture dictates the roles people play, including who communicates with whom, what they communicate, and in what way.  In many countries women still dont play a dominant role  Concepts of status also differ  Most US executives send status signals that reflect materialistic values (big, furnished office in the corner)  In France, boss is in centre  In Mideast

 Decision-making Customs Decision In US & Canada business people make decisions quickly  That would backfire in cultures like Greek  In US & Pakistan cultures decisions are dominated by a single figure  But in Japanese culture, decision is shared  Concepts of time  Executives in US & Germany see time as a way to plan the business day efficiently.  However Latin American & Asian executives see time as flexible. Executives take time to build foundation for business relationship.

         

Concepts of personal space The story of Latin American & US executives People in US & Canada stand 5 ft apart It is uncomfortably close for Germans But uncomfortably far for Asians & Latin Americans Hence executive may react negatively Cultural Context In High-context culture of South Korea & HighTaiwan people rely more on nonverbal actions & environmental settings to convey meaning. In the low- context culture of USA or lowGermany Imagine the confusion of a person from lowlowcontext culture selling a product p. 43

 Body Language
 Differences in body language are major cause of misunderstanding during intercultural Communication.  Dont assume that a person from another country speaking your language has also mastered the body language of your culture.  Instead learn some basic differences:
 E.g. for no people in US & Canada shake their no heads back & forth, in Bulgaria nod up & down; people in Japan move their hands; people in Sicily raise their chin; and many right & left  People in US assume that a person who wont meet their gaze is evasive  However, in Asia & Latin America lowering eyes is a sign of respect

 The more open you are to nonverbal messages, the better you will communicate in your own and other cultures.

 Social Behavior & manners

 What is polite in one culture may be rude in another  In Arab Countries it is impolite to take gifts to a mans wife  In Germany giving a woman a red rose is a romantic invitation  In India you might be invited to visit someones home any time

 Legal & ethical behavior

 In some countries companies are expected to pay government officials  Legal systems also differ: In US & UK you are innocent until proven guilty (English Common Law); in Mexico & Turkey you are guilty until proven innocent (Napoleonic Code)

Dealing with language Barriers

 Language shapes our world view, & dictates our perception of the universe. So potential for misunderstanding cross-cultural interaction is crossgreat.  Even the way information is approached & processed can differ among cultures. E.g Chinese & English  Also misunderstandings involving vocabulary, pronunciation & usage: napkins, jeat yet, cannahepya  If you have a long-term business relationship with longpeople of another culture, it is helpful to learn their language.  Training, course, or translator

 Barriers to Written Communication  Most routine business correspondence is written in English, but marketing messages are generally translated into the language of the country where the product is to be sold.  When documents are translated literally, communication can break down. For example the advertising slogan come live with Pepsi was misinterpreted for German & Thai audiences  To overcome barriers to written Communication:
     Use the skills of bilingual employees or professional translators Write short messages Keep your wording clear & simple Avoid slang Use your fax machines to transmit the information (with speed & clarity)

 Barriers to Oral Communication

          Oral communication presents more problems than written Native & nonnative accents v w r sounds Russian speakers speak in flat level tones Middle easterners tend to speak more loudly than westerners Japanese soft spoken Idiom another source of confusion US executive tells Egyptian: does the product cut the mustard? Offer bread to a German woman in dinner Useful guidelines:
      Try to eliminate noise Look for feedback Rephrase your sentence Dont talk down to the other person Use objective, accurate language Let other people finish what they have to say

Dealing with ethnocentric reactions

 Ethnocentrism: the tendency to judge all other groups according to our own groups standards, behaviors & customs.  You ignore the distinctions between your own culture & another persons culture, & you assume that others will act the same way as you do. Find out 1 or 2 examples of such assumptions????????  Ethnocentric people are often prone to stereotyping, attempting to predict individuals behavior or character on the basis of their membership in a particular group or class or culture. Give examples of stereotyping???  When ethnocentric people stereotype an entire group of people, the do so on the basis of limited, general or inaccurate evidence & they frequently develop biased 45. attitudes towards the group. Read example 45.

Tips for communicating with people from other culture

 You may never overcome completely linguistic & cultural barriers & ethnocentric tendencies, but you can communicate effectively if you work at it. Learning about a culture  When you are preparing to do business abroad, study that culture in advance as Proctor & Gamble do.  Read books & articles about that culture, & talk to people who have done business with members of that culture.  Learn something about the cultures history, religion, politics, values and customs, subculture, special rules & protocols.  Read intercultural communication tips P. 50  Read checklist for doing business abroad thoroughly

 Developing Intercultural Communication Skills

 Never expect to learn a new culture completely  Dont fall into the overgeneralization trap  You may not have the time or interest to learn a lot about every culture, but you can communicate more effectively if you develop general skills that help you adapt in any culture:
        Take responsibility for communication Withhold judgment Show respect Empathize Tolerate ambiguity Look beyond the superficial Be patient & persistent Recognize your own cultural biases

 Be flexible  Emphasize common ground  Send clear messages  Increase your cultural sensitivity  Deal with an individual  Learn when to be direct

Negotiating across cultures

 Formal/impersonal approach vs. personal/sociable approach

 Handling Oral Communication  Handling written communication

(read book) Assignment page 56 Ex. No. 3