ENGLISH JALIL SHOPContents Chapter Topics Pages One. Nature and Process of Communication 01-26 (PDC & MC) Two Communicating Inier-culturally 27-47 (BTS) Three Listening Skills and Non-verbal Communication 48-70 (BTS) Four Qualities of Effective Business Communication 71-104 (LP) Five Letter Writing in Business 5.1 Planning a Letter 105-107 5.2 Letter Format * 108-122 5.3 Quotations and Orders izi44 5.4 Claim and Adjustment Letters 145-162 5.5 Credit and Collection Letters 163-166 5.6 Sales Letters 167-172 (RCS & KM) Six Memorandums 173-177 (LP) Seven Job Application Letters 178-192 (RCS & KM) Eight Oral Preseritations Skills 193-214 (BTS) Nine _ Report Writing 215-266 (PDC & MC) Ten Writing Business Proposal 267-293 (IMR, RWR & RJM) PD &MC . D. Chaturvedi & Mukesh Chaturvedi BTS . L. Bovee, John V. Thill & B. E, Schatzman RCS &KM : RC Sharma & Krishna Mohan LP : Raymond V. Lesikar & John D. Pettit, Jr. IMP, RWR & RIM + John M. Penrose, Robert W. Rasberry & Robert J. MyersNature and Process of Communication a For comuunication to be effective, there has to be both information and meaning. And meaning requires.communication. ~Peter F Drucker 3-NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION ROLE OF COMMUNICATION Human beings are poor communicators. The irony is we hardly ever realise that when we fail to achieve our objective in relationships, negotiations, or decision-making, it is, to quite an extent, owing to a failure in communicating our purpose and ideas accurately to the others involved. It may be a failure in terms of the content of the message or the form of the message /communication, or both. Instances of such failures in communication are common in personal and organisational communications. You may have heard your colleagues or friends remark— : “Sorry, I did not realise that you wanted me to...” Or, “I would have changed the arrangement, but nobody told me that it was to be changed in this way.” Or, “I did not know you wanted me to...” Or, “But what was the point of this discussion...” Such remarks show communication failures. And when communication fails, the intended purpose is affected. Each of the above remarks indicates the regret and disappointment felt by the receiver of the communication for having failed to provide the communicator with the expected performance. For example— A vice-president of a company asked his secretary to call an urgent meeting of all the managers. But the VP was surprised to « find that the meeting had been fixed for the next morning. The secretary thought the word “urgent” meant “serious” and not “immediate”. . In the above instance, the receiver missed the purpose of communication because the VP did not clearly and precisely specify the time of the meeting. The secretary must have regretted her failure to accomplish the intended purpose. Sometimes, the failure can be very disappointing. Consider the following, case— Vinay Prasad is an assistant engineer with NIPC, Delhi. He specialises in high voltage power generation. He reads about an upcoming international power conference in Chennai. He is keen on attending it. He immediately writes to his chief power engineer Mr Ashok Jha, describing the conference.BUSINESS COMMUNICATION © The Chief Power Engineer An international conference on power generation whi to us is being held in Chennai. The enclosed brochure shows that the technical information to be presented in the conference would great help in our upcoming projects. The registration fee is just Rs. 5,000 and the cost of travel and stay about Rs. 8,000. Hence, only Rs. 13, 0 m informixig you about the conference now, so that you c ¢ for me tom necessary arrangements for train/‘flight bookings and stay p would of great intere Vinay Prasad The chief power engineer was equally thrilled to receive Vinay Prasad’s memo and reverted immediately — aise sacinseuscnanintainmsiacsescasmsasutichs Vinay Prasad Thanks for informing me about the conference in Chennai. [ will certainly attend it. Please make all the necessary arrangements for me as suggested in your memo, Ashok Jha {source based on Analyse the above situation DEFINING COMMUNICATION ‘The word “communication” is derived from “communis” (Latin), meaning “common. it stands for a natural activity of all human beings to convey opinions, feelings, information, and ideas to others through words (written or spoken), body language, or signs. George Vardman in his book Effective Comm effective communication as “purposive interchange, resulting. in workable understanding and agreement between the sender and receiver of a message”” Robert Anderson, in his concept of communication, adds the element of medium also. In Professional Selling, he observes, “Communication is interchange of thoughts, opinions, or information, by speech, writing, or signs” Emphasising the various processes of communication, Allen cation of Ideas defines a Louis say does whe itinvolve and unde InHw as, “The t to anothe thoughts, that they « a person sometime CLASSIF between ty interview i as audien: reader, wt mind whil communic written. Group like an org retain theit Masse groups of ¢ In this pro almost noc Comm employed. Verbal written or listening, w Non-vert NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION EE) Louis says, “Communication is the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the mind of another; it involves a systematicand continuous process of telling, listening, and understanding.” In Human Behaviour at Work, Keith Davis defines communication as, “The transfer of information and understanding from one person to another person. It is a way of reaching others with facts, ideas, thoughts, and values. It is a bridge of meanings among people so that they can share what they fee! and know. By using this bridge, a person can cross safely the river of misunderstanding that sometimes separates people”. wognd CLASSIFICATION OF COMMUNICATION We classify communication according to the number of persons (receivers) to whom the message is addressed. intrapersonat communication is talking to oneself in one’s nd own mind. Examples are soliloquies or asides in dramatic works. Interpersonal communication is the exchange of messages 72) between two persons. For example a coriversation, dialogue, or an interview in which two persons interact (others may also be present as audience). An author communicates interpersonally with his reader, who is always present as a silent audience in the author's mind while he writes. A letter too is an example of interpersonal cominunication between the writer and the person to whom it is con Witten, munis ty of all ideas to or signs. Group communication can be among small or large groups, like an organisation, club or classroom, in which all individuals retain their individual identity. . Mass communication occurs when the message issent tolarge groups of people, for example, by newspaper, radio, or television. In this process, each person becomes a faceless individual with almost no opportunity for personal response or feedback. defines ting in der and dds the COmmunication can also be classified on the basis ofthe medium oserves, “mployed. tons, or Verbal communication means communicating with words, written or spoken. Verbal communication consists of speaking, listening, writing, reading, and thinking. Non-verbal communication includes using of pictures, signs, mn, Allen 6EX cusiness communication cs gestures, and facial expressions for exchanging information between persons. It is done through sign language, action language, or object Fl language. wi Non-verbal communication flows through alll acts of speaking the or writing. It is a wordless message conveyed through gestures ou (sign), movements (action language), and object language (pictures / clothes) and so on. Further non-verbal communication can be foo identified by personal space (proxemics, body language, and fact kinesics), uch (haptics), eyes (ocuilesics), sense of smell (olfactics), and time (chronemics). All these forms of non-verbal communication need to be understood as they affect and at times contradict the meaning of a verbal communication. We shall discuss them later in detail. Meta communication Here the speaker's choice of words unintentionally communicates something more than what the actual words state. For example, flattering remark “I’ve never seen you so “Ne smartly dressed” could also mean that the regular attire of the Sim listener needed improvement. flexi am . PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION upit = also Broadly speaking, in business we communicate to— cont Inform € * Persuade tow Often, these two goals are present in the mind of the of th communicator. However, he may sometimes seek only to inform, struc just as, all scientific writings do. He would still want the reader to posit be convinced about the validity of his findings. Likewise, the noot communicator may basically seek to persuade the reader as all journalistic writings do. Or the communicator may both informand persuade, as all sales letters / advertisements /announcements do. range E Hlommunication to inform a Communication to inform (expository communication) is unde. directed by the desire to expose, develop, and explain the subject. It focuses is on the subject of the communication. For example, PRO consider the short expository piece of writing given below— — “Farming provides most of the food we eat. Our chief food crops are cereals or grains, Cereals include maize, rice, and wheat. We Bin also grow barley and gram.” re Tt akNATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION ween Or let us analyse the information given below— >bject fies are our deadly enemies because they feed on dirt and rubbish When they come and crawl over meat, sweetmeats, and cakes with aking their dirty legs, they leave all kinds of germs behind arid thus poison tures our food.” ares/ Clearly, in the above passages the focus is on the subject— “our n be food” or “Flies—our deadly enemy” and the logical presentation of ay facts associated with flies convinces us about ‘/ie danger of flies. tics), Mommunication to Persuade 0 be . The communicator may seek primarily to persuade the reader. 38 oF In such a form of communication the focus is on the receiver and not the message. rae For example, consider the “home loan” advertisement by HSBC. suso “Now your dream home is just a step away from being a reality. f the Simply get an HSBC hothe loan and choose from a range of highly flexible repayment options, based on your convenience”. The advertisement is reader-centric. The purpose of this write- up is not just to inform you about the HSBC home loan scheme but also to persuade you that HSBC offers the most flexible and convenient home loan scheme. See how different adverbs and adjectives are chosen and placed towork on you. The adverb “Now” is placed at the head (beginning) the __ of the communication. This is the most important position in the orm, structure of the sentence/paragraph. Placed in the subject (head er to position), the adverb “Now” seeks to persuade you to believe that , the, noother home loan schemes has brought your home dream so close s all to reality as this scheme by HSBC. Similarly, the qualifying phrase and “highly flexible” aims at impressing you with the extraordinary do. range and personal convenience offered by HSBC. Essentially, all communication is a deliberate and intentional act of persuasion. A persuasive communicator wants the reader to a) is__understand the message and to be influenced, as intended by him. iject. ‘ple, PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION ‘Wve | Milne Linear Concept ‘The earliest conceptualisation of communication involved thei svsiness communicanon following five basic questions— « Who? «Says what? © On which channel? @ Towhom? © With what effect? Communication was considered a one-way process marked by the flow of information from a sender to a receiver. According to the linear view, a receiver passively receives the message and acts as directed or desired by the sender. Communication is intended to control/manipulate the receiver. It is assumed that the message, while passing through the medium chosen by the sender, reaches the receiver without any distortion or change. ure 2.4 ‘linear model, Sihannon-Weaver Model CE Shannon and W Weaver were the first to point out that in actual practice, messages can be changed or blocked. Shannon’s model of communication was first published in the Bell System Technical Journal. It was based on the mathematica! or mechanistic view of communication proc biem is that the message received is not equal to the message sent. He attributed the loss to noise. The Shannon model was, later in 1949, brought Out in the mathematical theory of communication, co-authored with Weaver. Weaver introdiiced feedback as a correctiv. However, in the Shannon-Weaver model, feedback was not considered to be an integral component because the model — Encoding Poiana [Bosca | ae proses to noise. co an w wi as of ser fee cy tol infc ite expNATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION conceived the communication process asa linear act and feedback another new act of communication. This is why in the Shannon— Weaver model given below, feedback is shows'in dotted lines ‘The model is based on the idea that communication occurs only when the message has been received and that it should be received, as far as possible, unchanged. This is, of course, a theoretical concept of perfect communication. In real life, filters inthe minds of both sender and receiver affect the content of mess2ve. To an extent, feedback corrects thé distortions, if any, and tenvs to complete the cycle of communication, 1. Source creates >| 2 Selects 3. Sends messages channe! message [Feedback] Noise ( *) |___Figure 23 6. interprets ©. Fiters— “4, Receiver gets messages: + Experience message + Knowledge 2 Feelings Information source (ideation) The communication process begins with the information source. The sender has some raw information. His intention changes that information into a message to be communicated, The source of a message therefore, is the information source of the communication process. Encoding Having thought over the message the sender Pe it into_words (verbal synibols or any other symbolic form of expression). This process is called encoding. Channel (transmission) An appropriate mediumi/channel— oral. written, electronic, in code, or a signaling system—chosen to send the message is known as channel. Decoding The receiver gets the message through decoding — by receiving, understanding, and interpreting the message. Acting The communication process ends with the receiver putting the interpreted message into action, as intended by the sender. . Thus, we see that communication completes a full circle, bringing together the sender and the receiver to become two aspects of a single purpose. It is this unifying process and role ofEi ausiness communicarion communication thathas made modern management organisations and systems consider communication as an essential skill for successful managers. According to Davis, “The only way that management: can be achieved in an organisation is through the “ process of communication.” Noise This process is open to “noise” which prevents or distorts communication. Noise may be described as any distortion or hindrance, preventing transinission of the message from the (mind of) sender to the (mind of receiver. For some communication theorists, noise basically stands for external disturbance in the physical environment surrounding the act of communication, or noise in the machine used for communicating the message, such as telephone, or poor printout, or bad handwriting Communication distortion caused by subjective factors such as mind sets of the sender and receiver are attributed to what is called filters. Filters These are mental in nature. They include attitudes, beliefs, experiences, consciousness of personal status, and the ability to think clearly. Misunderstandings and different problems may arise as the Sender’s message passes through the filters of the receiver, which comprisé the sender filters plus others such as low interest or involvement in the message or distraction and fatigue fe loss of concentration. liwo-Way Communication Process Later conceptualisations of the communication process look at communication as a two-way process. A group of people are involved to complete the cycle of communication, in which the receiver also acts as the sender of the feedback to transmitter (sender). Thus, both the sender and the receiver play reciprocal and reversible roles, as in telemarketing, or call-centre communication. Consider the following two-way flow of communication. The two-way concept.is more contemporary. It considers communication essentially to be a reciprocal process and a mutual exchange of messages. It makes no sharp distinction between the \ roles of sender (source) and receiver, because the same person plays both roles, often simultaneously. The earlier linear view treated the sender as the determiner of message and its meaning. The two-way concept involves receiver as an active agent in the construction of meaning of the message. 4o- M2 BM nee+] Transmitter Communication process, ‘Communication symbols Communic channel The message means as the receiver perceives it, in the light of his/ her experiences, beliefs, and feelings. The intended and received meanings may have common interpretations of situations, ideas, schemes, and events to the extent people have lived and worked together and have developed common attitudes and viewpoints with regards, to the organisation they work in or society they live in. The two-way communication is also known as transactional communication. Example. Communication is purposive in nature. It achieves success by manipulating the target audience through information and persuasion to effect the intended action. The two-way theory of communication can be seen through a concrete example given below. NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION [EER Flow of communication. _Figure 2.4 ~BUSINESS COMMUNICATION. ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION The various elements of communication are briefly described to help you understand the process ofcommunication. Message _ it is information, written or spoken, which is to be sent from one person te another, Here, the word “person” stands for the two ends of asysiem, and may represent an individual, ora group of individuals, oreven electronie machines. The most important characteristic of a message as an element of communication is that it is organised, structured, shaped, and selective — a product of pre-writing or pre-speaking stage. It exists in the mind of the sender (cominunicator). Sender The person who transmits, spreads,or communicates a message or operates an electronic device is the one who conceives and initiates the message with the purpose of informing/ persuading /influencing/changing the attitude; opinion, or behaviour of the receiver (audience/listener). He decides the communication symbols, the channel, and the time for sending the message *fter carefully considering the total situation in which communication takes place. Encouing Encoding is changing the message (from its mental form) into symbols, that is, patterns of words/gestures/pictorial forms or signs (physical or of sounds) of'a specific visual /aural language. in shori, it means putting ideas, facts, feelings, and opinions into symbols, which can be words, actions, signs, pictures, and audio-visuals. The communication symbols are used /selected by the sender, keeping in mind the receiver's ability to understand and interpret them correctly. Channel This is the velticle or medium which facilitates the sender to convey the message to the receiver. The medium of communication can be written, oral, audio-visual, or live projections. Again, the written medium can be in the form of letters, memos, reports, manuals, notices, circulars, questionnaires, minutes, and soon. Similarly, the oral medium can be in the form of a dialogue a face-to-face interview, a telephone conversation, a conference recording, and so on, aThe channel (medium) can be visuals, suchas hoardings, posters, slides, documentary. films, television programmes, and advertisements. Receiver A receiver is the iargeted audience of the message. The receiver gets the message, understands, interprets, and tries to perceive/the total meaning of the message as transmitted by the sender. Decoding This. is the act of translating symbols of communication into their ordinary meanings. However, the total meaning would consist of meanings of the words (symbols) together with the tone and the attitude of the sender as reflected by the structure of the message and the choice of words used by him (the sender). Acting Communication manipulates the receiver to act in a desired manner. A receiver's response action shows that he has uriderstood the message. Finaliy, the receiver completes the chain of communication by responding to the message. “Feedback. This is the loop that connects the receiver in the communication process with the sender, who, in tum, acts as a feedback receiver and, thus, gets to know that communication has been accomplished. In communication, feedback plays an important role. It helps the communicator know if there are any corrections or changes to be made in the proposed action. It also ensures that the receiver has received the message and understood it as intended by the sender. In manageinent, the decision-making process is greatly helped by receiving feedback from those who are directly coneerned with any changes proposed or effected and communicated to them. The Process of feedback assures the initiator of the action about its correctness and possible impact. GENERAL PROBLEMS IN COMMUNICATION ———— . meaning affects behaviour in the © Ensuring thatthe re desired way. © Achieving accuracy in communicating the message + Ensuring that the message conveys the desired meaning. NATURE AND PROCESS OF Communscanion (EZ—2D susiness communicarion COMMON PROBLEMS IN TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION patdesdaceashamaenttcases «No perceived benefit to the audience. Noise, outside disturbance — hard to hold attention. Variations in listening skills. ¢ Cultural differences © Complexity of subject matter/message. Time restraints — real or perceived. Personal biases, hostility, or both. «Responding to difficult questions. e Sidestepping sensitive issues. BARRIERS TO COMMUNCATION tr In communication, as a psycho-semantic process, the word barrier implies, mainly, something non-physical that keeps people apart or prevents activity, movement, and so on. For example social/ ethnic/language barriers or lack of confidence. These negative forces may affect ‘e effectiveness of communication by acting upon any or all of the basic elements of communication act/process and the sender /receiver/channel. ‘The commonly experienced barriers to communication are— e Noise Lack of planning e Wrong /unclarified assumptions «Semantic problems ¢ Cultural barriers ‘* Socio-psychological barriers e Emotions «Selective perception Filtering «Information overload * Loss by transmission Poor retention Poor listening 16NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION ¢ Goal conflicts «Offensive style Time and distance «Abstracting ¢ Slanting Inferring Broadly speaking, some of these barriers can be attributed to the sender and the receiver— Sender— Lack of planning « Vagueness about the purpose of communication ¢ Objectives to be achieved « Choice of wrong language, resulting in badly encoded message ¢ Unshared and unclarified assumptions «Different perception of reality Wrong choice of the channel. Receiver— ¢ Poor listener Inattention ¢ Mistrust «Lack of interest «Premature evaluation +e Semantic difficulties «Bias Different perception of reality © Lack of trust Attitudinal clash with the sender Notina fit physical state common barrier for the sender and the receiver can be created by the absence ofa.common frame of reference affecting the smooth ¥ interpretation of thoughts, feelings, and attitudes from the sender to the receiver in a specific social situation.HED R susmiess copmunicanion The mention of a well-defined social context in which communication takes place helps both the sender and the receiver to perceive the content of the communication in a similar way, as far as possible with similar implications and meaning, The physical noise and other faults in the surroundings and the instruments of transmission of message relate mainly to the channel, but they may not distort the overall meaning of the total message to be communicated Many of the barriers listed above are easy to understand. But a few of them may still need further explanation. (rong and Unciarified Assumptions All communications from one person to another are made under some assumptions, which are never communicated to the persons about whom they are made. They may turn out to be wrong and cause communication failure. For instance, we often assume that others— See the situation as we do. Should feel about the situation as we do. Think about the matter as we do. Understand the message as we understand it. All such assumptions may be incorrect, therefore, one should try to verify them, whenever possible. That would help the communication to be effective. ti J 1 ‘ 1 t « c t f Ls BBlocio-Psychological Barriers Status . Consciousness of one’s status affects the two-way flow of communication. It gives rise to pérsonal barriers caused by the superior-subordinate relationship. A two-way vertical channel is present in every organisation, yet few subordinates choose to a communicate with their superiors. Similarly superiors may be unwilling to directly listen or write to their subordinates. They would seldom acceptif they were wrong. Gi Though, organisations are culturally changing and adopting flat structures, the psychological distance between the superior and the subordinate persists. Lb Perception and reality The most important aspect of human ‘ cormunication is the fact that it takes place in the world of reality 418aie NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION [EEE which surrounds us. This world acts as our sensory environment. While we are engaged in the process of communicating, our sense organs remain stimulated by the signs (objects of the outside world — the so called reality) registering different sensations of smell, taste, Sound, forms and colours, or feelings. All these sense perceptions received by our brain through our senses recreate within eagh one of us the world which exists within our mind as its content. Thus, there are two aspects of the same reality — the one that actually surrounds the communicator from outside and the other which is its mental representation (in his mind) as he sees it or believes that he sees it. The objects which excite our five sense perceptions /sense organs — eyes, ears, nose, tongue (taste), flesh (touch) — are called signs. Our senses respond to these signs and we receive sensations which Pas from the senses into the brain through a network of sensory netves within our brain. Our perceptions, the mental images of the external world, are stored in our brains as our viewpoint, experience, knowledge, feelings, and emotions. They constitute what we really are, or how we really think of something, or how we feel or respond tosomething. These stored perceptions colour and modify whatever our brain receives from any signs or set of signs, fresh data, thoughts, or messages. That is why these conditioning perceptions, existing in the brain, are called “filters”. The mind “filters” the message received from the signs and gives it meaning, according to individual perception. . It is obvious that an individual's filter would be unique. No two individuals have the same or similar experiences, emotional make-up, knowledge, or ways of thinking. Because filters diffe different individuals respond to asign with different understanding. The sign may be word, gesture; or any other object of nature; each individual will respond to it in his/her own way and assign the total meaning to that sign according to his/her filter. ‘The presence of a unique filter in each individual communicator and communicatee (receiver) causes the communication gap (distortion) in the message sent and the message received. In face-to-face communication, this gap can be easily removed. In most cases the speaker does realize that he/she has not been correctly understood through the listener's facial expressions, gestures, or other forms of body language. Or the listener would ‘The objects wi excite ott 18 9BUSINESS COMMUNICATION say, “Sorry, I couldn’t get you.” Of course, much depends on how formally /informally the two are related to each other in office, work place, or life But, in situations in which the audience remains invisibly Present, as in written communications — letters, memos, notices, Proposals, reports, and so on — the semantic gap between the intended meaning and the interpreted meaning remains unknown to the communicator and also to the unsuspecting receiver who misses the total meaning in terms of tone and feelings of concern and seriousness of purpose of the sender. The feedback does help the sender, but it may be too late. CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION et Basically, to communicate is to share “information”, in its widest Sense, with others in an intelligible, participative form through the medium of words — spoken or written, or body gestures, or other symbolic signs. ‘Two basic things stand out here. One, the message is to be both “known” and “understood” by others. Two, communication in its nature'is a symbolic act, verbal or non-verbal. These two aspects — the purpose and nature of communication ~ act as the two determining influences in this theory and practice of communication in all contexts of speaking or writing. Herein lies the crucial critical difference between effective and ineffective communication. If “something” is communicated and it is not fully understood by the receiver, then communication has been just ineffective. Not fully serving its other condition of being understood. The fact that the mesSage has been understood is established by the response of the receiver — the feedback. lute of Five Keith Davis" lays down the Rule of Five to guide the receiver to be an effective element of the communication process. “In the communication process, the role of receiver is, I believe, as important as that of sender. There are five receiver steps in the Process of communication—Receive, Understand, Accept, Lise, and Give a Feedback. Without these steps, being followed by the " Keith Davis, 1993, Human Behavior, Megraw-Hill, New York, pp re su ine con shor with to s¢ weca pose it S is to. oO ae ne NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION receiver, no communication process would be complete and successful”. Communication is successful when— understood. «The message is prop «The purpose of the sender is fulfilled. «The sender and the receiver of the message remain linked through feedback. - ms a ~ on Figure 2.5 ‘Successful ~ a communication. CHARACTERISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION Beeven Cs of Communication Francis J Bergin advocates that there are seven Cs to remember in communication spoken. These are equally applicable to writen communication. They are— 1. Candidness Clarity ‘Completeness Conciseness Concreteness Correctness ~agegenr Courtesy Candidness In all business transactions, our view of a matter should be honest, sincere, and guileless. We should speak and listen without prejudice or bias. Our guiding principle should be fairness to self and to others involved in the situation. For example, when we qualify our observation with the words “My honest opinion” or at‘BUSINESS COMMUNICATION “Frankly speaking”, we are trying to be candid, open hearted, and sincere. Candidness, in a way, implies consideration of the other person’s (listener's) interest and his/her (the listener's) need to know things objectively and fairly. We should share our thoughts without reservation in an unbiased manner, if we want to help the receiver to understand what is communicated. It should be characterized by the “you” attitude, Candid talk also exhibits the speaker's self-confidence. In oral communication the key element that creates impact is confidence. When we say something without hesitation or hitch, we say it ina confident manner. In everyday life or in business, we see persons in power doing things, such as appointing relatives, neglecting merit in assigning jobs/functions or allowing too much closeness to an individual or @ group of individuals. This action is bound to emotionally alienate others from that person. Out of consideration and concern for that person's long-term image and good human relationships in the organisation, if you communicaie your view of his administrative faimness in an unbiased manner, you are being candid in your communication. Clarity The principle of clarity is most important in all . communications, especially when you are involved in face-to-face interaction. It is not always easy to verbalise ideas accurately on the spot during conversation, presentation, or any other form of , interaction. To ensure that we express ourselves clearly, we should-use accurate and familiar words with proper intonation, stresses, and pauses. Our spoken language should vonsist of simple words and short sentences. Thoughts should know what we want to say and why. It is a clear mind that should be clear and well organised. We can talk clearly and effectively. However, in case of doubt or uncertainty, due to lack of clarity Presentations, discussions, planned, and structured. of thought or expression, the listener can, in a one-to-one communication, seek immediate clarification. Completeness Clarity is ensured also by completeness of message. In conversation or oral presentations one can miss some Parts of the communication. It is, therefore, essential that oral or dialogues should be as faras possible, RR we mi bel adcmn NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION Therefore, when we begin the presentation or dialogue or address an audience, we should ensure that we have given all the information that listeners need or expect for understanding the message. The principle of completeness requires that we communicate whatever is necessary, provide answers to all possible questions which could be raised and add something additional, if necessary a8 footnotes, to whatever has been said. We should be careful that we answer all questions put (o us. For example, in an interview, if we leave out answering any question, it would imply that we are deliberately side-stepping 2 particular issue. It could also raise doubts in the audience that there is something to hide regarding that matter. If we have no information or answer or are unwilling to answer or discuss any particular question, we should frankly express our inability to answer. Conciseness In business and professional communications, we should be brief and be able to say whatever we have to say in minimum words. We should avoid being repetitive. We sometimes believe erroneously that by repeating whatever has been said, we add emphasis to our message. Try to use single words for wordy phrases such as— Wordy: At this point of time ... Concise: Now, or at present .. os Wordy: As regards the fact that Concise: Considering Because of the fact that As, or because Are in need of Need Wordy: In due course of time .. Concise: Soon Wordy: Not very far from here Concise: Nearby, or close by The above examples are just to show that, in speaking, we tend to become wordy. Less words should not mean less sense. Rather, we should, without sacrificing essential meaning, achieve intensity and concentration.Bg busivess communicanon ».. Gonereteness Concreteness means being specific, definite in describing events and things. It also means the vivid description of an event or state. Avoid using vague words. In oral communication we cannot draw figures, tables, diagrams, or illustrations to make cour statements vivid and concrete. But we can choose precise words and speak with proper modulation and force to make their sound reflect the sense. For example, in oral communication passive voice is avoided. Active voice verbs reflect force and action. They also sound more natural and direct. For example, no one says, “you are requested by me to .......”. A more vivid way is its active form "T request you to .. Correctness In the spoken form of communication, grammatical errors are not uncommon. The speaker tends to forget the number and person of the subject of the verb if the sentence is too long. Sometimes even the sequence of tense is wrong, And most frequently the use of the pronoun is incorrect especially in indirect narration (reported speech). For example, in conversation the following are very common— Wrong: He said to me that I will surely go there Correct: He told me that he would surely go there Wrong: Being an experienced manager, we are sure you can resolve the conflict Correct: As youare an experienced manager, we are sure you can resolve the conflict Courtesy In conversational situations, meetings, and group discussions, an effective speaker maintains the proper decorum of speaking. One should say things with force and assertiveness without being rude. Courtesy demands that we do not use words that are insulting or hurtful to the listener. In business discussions, it is necessary that we respect the other person by listening to him/her patiently. We should not interrupt. ‘We should wait for our chance to speak and when it is our turn to speak, we should speak with force and clarity. Our tone should reflect our respect for our listener/ audience. And our pitch should not sound as if we are talking at each other and not to each other. The tone we use in conversation should not be aggressive, It should be a level and measured as it can make or break our discussion. 24oo NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION. UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS IN COMMUNICATIO! Ce ——————— “An analysis of the communication process suggests two things about communication, in general. They are— 4. The presence of some universal elements in all human communication. 2. Some basic facts about the nature of communication. The communication environment All communicators act within the sensory environment around them from which their senses keep receiving competing stimuli impinging upon the content of communication. Use of symbols All communicators use verbal symbols/signs such as words, body movements, facial expressions, and so on, to encode (and to decode) message. The mental filter All communicators/receivers of a message, have to register, organise, transmit, receive, and interpret only through their minds that are uniquely structured and set with varying “filters”, which corisist of these entire experience and thoughts. To understand communication better, we should know the following basic facts regarding its process. Merfect Communication is impossible Human communication is essentially imperfect. All our communication encoding /decoding acts are conditioned by the fact that a common mental filter is not humanly possible. Meanings differ because filters differ. No two filters are alike, No two persons, therefore, involved in the act can perceive the same mieaning of a message sent and received. What they tend to have is a “workable understanding”, as Verdman rightly puts it in his definition of communication. Besides the filters, the fact that the symbols used for communicating are imprecise in their associative meanings further contributes to the imperfection of communication. Choosing correct symbols to encode an idea or thought/ feeling is not an easy task. We tend to often pick up imprecise symbols for encoding. This tendency increases the chances of wrong interpretation or miscommunication between the sender and the receiver. Moreover, even the same symbols put in different order /sequence may changeBUSINESS COMMUNICATION the overall meaning. Therefore, both the parties, the sender and the receiver, should possess the same ability to interpret the meaning of symbols (words) and their structure (the order in which they are used). Mileaning is Not Out There By now it must be obvious that meaning is in the mind and not in the symbols. Symbols (except onomatopoeic words) are arbitrary signs. They have no intrinsic meaning. They stand for things. They are not the things themselves. Their meaning is conventional, commonly shared by the people belonging to a linguistic community. But this literal meaning is something that lies printed in the pages of a dictionary. Communication, on the other hand, is a living act performed in specific contexts, in particular situations, and with a definite goal/ purpose in mind. And, thus, an effective communicator createsnew meanings of symbols (words) by structuring them in strings of images of his mind — his mental landscape. Understanding this fundamental aspect of communication can help all receivers to look for the meaning of words (message) that the sender must have thought of when he chose them to communicate with then. They should not be satisfied with the usual approach of “I think it means....” Instead the receiver should search for “what they must have meant to the sender” MBersonality Communicates Walt Whitman, inhis famous “Song of Myself”, poetically brings out the dimension of communication. Of his poetic process — which is an act of communication, he says, “I celebrate myself, and sing myself, and what I assume you shall assume, for every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.” In fact, communication, in its final analysis can be seen as a projection of “myself” — how I think, feel, believe, perceive, and respond to reality. If communication is anything, it is indeed a mental representation of reality. Symbols of communication symbolise the perceptions of the communicator. In this regard, the complexity of communication further arises 26ee NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION [EEE from a truth so aptly stated by © W Holmes in his The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table— ‘There are three Johns: 1. The real John, known only to Maker, 2, John’sideal John, never the real one and often very unlike him, 3, ‘Thomas's ideal John, never the real John, nor John’s John, but often very unlike either ‘The real problem in communication is caused by Thomas's ideal John. The real problem is that it is difficult for people to communicate effectively unless they have a correct knowledge of themselves. To realise how we see ourselves is the first step to improve our ability to communicate; we can improve this understanding by closely examining our own self-concept. ‘According to psychologists, there are three aspects of self-concept — Theme that I know © The me that I wish I were The me that I want others to see Some people are so perfect in projecting images of themselves to others that the real person is never displayed. This art can be of advantage toa manager and his /her personal communication skills, butif practised to the extreme can preventeffective communication and understanding. To be effective as audience (receiver), we should go with Whitman and practise “what I assume you shall assume”. In communication, this process is known as “empathy” — the power or the state of imagining oneself to be another person, and also sharing his ideas and feelings. Empathy is needed not only for “listening”, itis also a necessary state of mind while encoding — to be able to realize the audience's (receiver's) expectations, fears, emotions, needs, level of learning/knowledge, and, above all, the state of mind. It is only through this reciprocal empathy that we can communicate effectively in different contexts of life and work. oFBUSINESS COMMUNICATION Case Study there was'a 25% discount ae nmec imilnoreN is, This chapter deals with the key elements of the nature and process of communication. We began by discussing that human beings are poor communicators but their communicative competence can be improved by learning and practising effective communication skills. We then examined the symbolic nature of communication, which is an act of sharing one’s ideas, emotions, attitudes, or perception with another person or group of persons through words — written or spoken, gestures, signals, signs, or any other mode of transmitting images. This act of transmission of ideas always suffers from barriers. 28Thereafter, we analysed the essential elements of the process of communication—Message, Sender, Encoding, Channel, Receiver, Decoding, Acting, Feedback, and Communication Environment. Next, we examined the role and responsibility of both sender and receiver in making the communication effective. The sender should encode the message accurately after considering the level, expectations and needs of his target audience (receiver); the receiver should try to understand the intended meaning of the sender. Finally, some universal common elements of communication and some basic facts about the nature of communication have been discussed. The common elements of communication are — the communication environment, use of symbols, and mental filters. Some basic facts about communication are that perfect communication is impossible; the meaning of a message is in the mind/ perception of the receiver; and personality affects the effectiveness of communication. To communicate effectively, we should develop not only skills, but also a sense of reciprocal empathy. NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION [ZZ Why is communication important for good relationship and effective management? Why do we communicate? Discuss comriunication as a two-way process of exchange of information. Indicate the critical difference between successful and ineffective communication. Discuss the important barri ers in the communication process What is empathy? How does it contribute to the effectiveness of communication? What is noise? Elaborate the elements of noise in the receiver. How can they be minimized? Do you agree that, in its final form, communication is a manifestation of the personalities of both the sender and the receiver? Discuss. 29After studying this ‘chapter, you will be able to Discuss two trends that hhave made intercultural business communication so important 2, Define cure and subculture, and explain how culture is learned 3 Explain the importance of recognizing cultural differences, and list four categories of ‘cultural differences A Define ethnocentsism and stereotyping, then give three suggestions for overcoming these lioniting mindsets 5 Discus four ways 10 improve communication with people who speak English as a second Ianguage and three ways (0 improve communication with people who don’t speak your language at all 6 tteist recommendations for writing more effectively 7 st 12 guidlines for Speaking across cultures more effectively Communicating Interculturally COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT. SHERATON HOTELS HAWAII www.shcraton-hawaii.com -&Gp_MihiewTamanal and kayoml Kaneda love bringing together peopl om dt 27% erent cultures. Tamana ste director of raining and Kaneda isthe ining J administrator for Sheraton Hotels Hawaii ‘Together, they've taught, thou- sands of Sheraton employees how to improve customer saustaction by being sensitive to cultural differences. As Tamanai sees it, having a broad clr perspective isa necessary skl for businesspeople today. “The business world fs becoming ‘more global’ she says. Distance: and time-wite, we ate closer than ever. But we are Stil learning to understand each others mind set. We need to develop cltursl awareness in order tobe succesful” ‘That’ especally tue inthe hosptalty industry, where success depends on satisfying customers from a variety of cultural backgrounds. In Hawal, the number of Japanese tourists alone doubled Inthe past decade, and today they account for over 60 percent of Sheraton’s guests. 8ut as business has soared, language and cultural barriers have mae It increasingly dificult for employees to meet quest needs, creating fustatin and job ds satisfaction among employees. in response, Sheraton started a program providing all quest contact employees with six hours of japanesé language traning and two hours of cultural sensitivity training. in the past few years, over 3,500 employees have been* he § faction of both employee and customer has increased as af Management isso pleased withthe success of the program thaiplans are un offer employes taining in addtional languages and cultures, ‘According to Kaneda, a common mistake efployees make |s assuming that inggns- tional guests have‘thg same behavior and communication patterns @s themselves, For Instance, guests from the United Staies"usually complain right away when theyrare unhappy about the hotel service, because the United States i alowecontext culture that ists members rely mostly on verbal communication to.convey their messages. On the other hand, quests from high-ZanTent cultures, suchas Japan, rely less on verbal commu nication and mare og cleéumstances and nonverbal actions to communicate their mes- $ages So rather than complain dfectito the fiployes,lapsnese guests expect employ” esto anticipate tele needs. Other behavioral diferences are more overt. For example, when a hotel receplonst pulls out a chair fora Japanese Woman, the womans husband wl ypiealy sit down fest, thinking the receptionist has pulled it out fr him.) Gestures are another big diference. in fact, Japanese guests find some Westen forms of nonverbal communication offensive Including leaning on a wal, using an index. finger _ {o summon someone, ad moving things with ones feet’S0"Tamansl and Kaneda instruct Etnployes to avold these Sfensive behaviors and to communicate in ways that guest a8 2ccustomed to, Afterall, making quests fel comfortable [san important part of Sheraton Hotels Hawalls cultural sensitvaty waning program, But the program has other goals, too. For instance, Tamanal and Kaneda strive to improve communication among Sheratons diverse employees, who come from many cultural backgrounds, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Native Hawaiian, Fino, and American, Their goal is forall employees to teat each other as ohana, or extendedfami, even though the cultural differences are numerous. Achieving this goal is no easy task, but a8 Tamanal sees it, “Businesses need to promote a multicultural work tavirnment for global competitiveness. This means respecing dlfferent cultures, val tes, work syles,and backgrounds." To be successful, Kaneda adds, you must also have patience and a(Gincere desirfor understanding others,” no matter what business you're in.! — UNDERSTANDING THE IMPO?,TANCE OF KK COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES Like Sheraton Hotels Hawaii, more and more companies are facing the challenges of cating across culturesJntercultural communication is the process of sending s between people whose cultural background leads them fo inter t ibutiig co the rapidly. jreasing importance of intercultural communication in the workplace are market globalization and the multiculeural workforae.\ |The Global Marketplace ‘Masks gahalization is che increasing tendency of the world to act as one market, ‘Technological advances in travel and telecomumuivations ave thedeiving for behind market globalization. For instance, new communication technologies allow teams from allover the world to work on procs and share information without leaving thei desks, At the same time, advanced technologies allow manufacturers to produce théie ‘goods in foreign locations that offer an abundant supply of low-cost labor In the global marketplace, natural boundaries and national borders have ared, for the most part, as more and more domestic markets open to worldwide Competition and as businesses look for néw growth opportunities for thee goods and terogssl Even firms that once thought they were too tiny to expand into a Reghborng “city have discovered that they can tap the sales potential of overseas markets with the help of fax machines, overnight delivery services, e-mail, and the Internet. Look at Trek Bicycle of Waterloo, Wisconsin, This small farming town scems an unlikely place for the headquarters of an international bicycle business, yet Trek Bicycle sclls more than halla milion biker annually in more than 70 counties. Over 40 percent of the cons ppany's sales come from international business. Because over 60 percent of the guests of Sheraton Hotels Hawal come from Japan, all hotel employees receive extensive training inthe Japanese culture as part ofthe hotefs intercultural raining program, Learning Objective 1 Discuss two trends that have ‘made intercultural business communication $0 Important Intercultural communication allows the transfer of information bberween people whose culeural backgrounds lead them to. interpret verbal and nonverbal signals differently. ‘Advances in technology help ‘companies cross national borders to find customers, materials, and ‘money, leading te market ae Tobe marke angus When e (RED no ‘coming bred| PAICT 1 Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication FIGURE 3.1 Going Global Has its Barriers ‘challenges that US. and European stnior executives say {hey face when managing across countries: oma TVA A oe aneteal LVM Miesw J. susan pratis /\/\A\/\/\ diferences LM. are Headquarters A\f. ‘4 ‘too remote AMAA aoe wake AMA, “accounting and tax: iy wcommganses FJVAL sen Companies such as Trek Bicycle, Sheraton Hotels Hawaii, and others knowe that to bbe suceessful in the global marketplace, they must minimize cultural and language bar- markerplace, cultural ress among customers and employees (sve Figure 3.1). Ourdoorequipment retailer language barriers must REL, for example, uses custom-designed international websites to recognize and siniauized, ‘accommodate cultural differences in the global marketplace. Similarly, UPS has expanded ics web-based tracking services so that customers in 13 European counties ‘can check-in their own language—to see whether packages have reached thei dest- nations around the world. ‘But you need not “go global” speaks another language oF who thinks, acts, or tran “To be suovessfulin the global ‘or launch a website to interact with someone who sacts business differently than you When Recreational Equipment inc. (RED noticed many orders were ‘coming from Japan, the company ired native speakers to develop a te for that country that adjusts the graphics as wel as the words. For example, when an em is out of stock, the ste displays a ‘graphic of someone politely bowing,CHAPTE} Qo Communicating Inerculerally do. Even if your company transacts business locally, chances are you will be commu- nicating at work with people who come from various national, religious, and ethnic 1 backyrounds. | : The Multicultural Workforce : force is parily composed of immigrants (new artivals from Europe, a Canady Latin America, India, Afriea, and Asia) and people from various ethnic back- a ground (soch as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans) all 5 ul whom bring theit own language and culture tothe workplace. As a result, today's | ok scorklore is increasingly made up of people whe diffe in tae, gender ager sultre, ie family structure, religion, and educational background. Such cultural diversity is the _A company’s eutwal dive 2 second rend contributing fo the importance of imercultural communication: Ieaifcers” Meer awrTs bins messes 7 ow hasan meses ar€ Conceived, planned, sent, received, and interpreted in the _==camET-conpaSa 5 whe wi. “iclivered, recived, and “tic estimated that by 2020, minorities will account for $0 percent of the U.S. pop- _ETBEINT rei vhvon. Hispans will make up about 24 percent; African Americans, 14 percent; dy edTokeoul) Asin Americ:. > percent; and Native Americans, 1 percent. Moreover immigrants C*A@{ 19 Sicoune oc hall fi new US workers? Managing ts changing i Of ge road Sp thes vals, and views fs becoming increasingly difliete A dene weckinese brings, COMIML INL Cad Prefs sith i@vide range of sil radions, backgrounds, experiences, outlooks, and att. tudes t6WaRe Week thar ein affect employee behavior on the job. Supervisors must be Cx LAeAcal able to communicate with and motivate these diverse employees while fostering coop- stn and harmony among hem, ; tae TRE arorty The experiences of Rafael Rodriquez, a stock clerk supervisor ata Target store in . Pasadena, California, typifies the diversity challenges today's employees face. today onrulbersell, Rodrigues is Hispanic, his manager is African American, and the employees that Rodiguez supervises have cultural backgrounds th are as diverse asthe communie CUBA ZONCL CArgedl4 sis served by the nearly 700 Target retail outlets across the United States. Rodrigues « Tinta a language bares ten preven employes rom undeessndingeach © ™7OLOPLES OC ater tt i aca prelens goss Bron dons in ngage Inone bere dog teaee sel adda | sase, a recently immigrated employce was inadvertently making some female co- wets unomfortale by aking personal question about haisyes and nose ieee CALL AY op Him ins questions wore inert but because of hear! background he couln® gp see the invisible boundary that his colleagues had built around their personal lives. Experiences like these are just one of the reasons that Target, Sheraton Hotels-C-LPALAN L0H, Hawai Allstate lsuransey Martius Marquis Hotel in New York, and many other ut he-caloy oe Xo| compatioe 06 hl employes nse tele to eho a cman ru peecbened ym Like Targets Rafael Rodriguce and Sheraton’s Tamanai and Kaneda, you wil be exchanging Business messages with co-workers, customer, supplies, investor, aud competitors who come from culturally diverse backgrounds. To be successful, Ue sensitive ro cultural differences you ust be sensi fo clturl diferenes st you communicate with people ssyeucommaneate ith poe, around the world and within your organization. Glance at the job ads in newspa- __jivoughout he wodd, “ pers, and you wl Find that employment opportunites we everywhere i you have Yo ac Ld eth ee A tt ‘and cult oud interculeura communication skills. In fact, you will be lefe behind if you do. Veali4) «0% - Dore coin fot drlp se sls, Hoyerer, 0 do, yoo mum Bsr understand some bang, V0 nn about euleue. wee te ro oa . Learning Objective 2 Cla PROVING INTERCULTURAL SENSITIVITY Define cure endsubctcre, Hf jae, Culture is a sh of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectatioiys, and learned “Borns far caviar. You belong eo several cultures. The most obvious is the EutUr® Catarina shared sso at GO You share with all te people who live in your own country. In addition, you belong Gabe ‘ oshereultural groups, including an ethnic group, probably 2 religious group, and expecutions ata nek tythape a pofesion that as its own special language and estos. All members of . Whavn. copy Gone Lud kell,PART 1 Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication 4 culture have similar assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate, and they al tend to act on those-assumptions in much the same yay. ‘Guleures differ widely from group to group and may vary in a number of ways, including their rate of change, degree of complexity, and tolerance toward outsides, Subsutuesaredinc groups THES differences can affect she level of trust and open communication that you con maiee wal sa ae el in sable ‘complexity, and vlerance. ndireetly from other members of their group. Exhnoseotdam ihe tendency to __A¥ You grow up in a eulture, you are taught who you are and how bent es faseenny Judge all other groups according, in that eulcure by the group's members. Somerinies yeu ate expliciy sol ator anes own ours suindardy_ehaviors are acceptable, while at other times you lear by observing which Veloce vio and customs and roses work best in a particular group. This multiple learning format encures that coltace . ‘eterna cana ks best in a p soup. This multiple eacning format ensures that cult is passed on from persan to person and from gencration to gencration.” comparison Distinee groups that exist within a major culture are referred 0 as subcultures. For example, Indonesia is home toa Wide variety of ethnis.and religious subcultures, whereas Japan, is much more homogeneous, having only a few subcultures” Groups that might be considered subcultures in the United States are Mexican Americans, Mormons, wrestling fans, Russian immigrants, disabled individuals, and Hlarvard radu ates. As you can imagine, communication is strongly affected by cultuce. You can improve your ability to communicate effec. sively across culeures by eecopnizing culeural differences and then overcoming your own ethnocentrism—the tendency co judge all other groups according to your own group's stan. dards, behaviors, and customs. When making such’ compar- sons, people too often decide that their group is superion?” Recognize Cultural Differences ‘When you write to or speak with someone from another cul- ture, you encode your message using the assumptions of your cad , — ms in Executive positionsis commonplace for Wal-Mart, which was Wn culture. However, members of your audience decode your ‘recently ranked by Fortune mage as one of America’s SO message accordir the Assumptions of their culture, so. your 7, best companies for Asian, black, and Hisoanie Americans. This meaning-may be misunderstood. The greater the difference | verse group of Wat Mar managers clearly understinds the between cultures, the greater the change for misuaderstand: S Importance of being sensitive to others cultures. ing!9 Consider dhese cultural mishapo 1 When Hewlett-Packard (HP) brought its U.S. engineers together with its rench ‘engineers to design software, culeucal differences gor in the way. The nt long, detailed e-mails to their counterparts in Francs. But the ance viewed the lengthy messages as patronizing and replied with q ‘e-mails. That response made the U.S. engincers believe that French engineers were withholding information. The process spiraled out of control until HP hired a con- sulting firm to provide cultural craining so that both sides could learn to work through thei differences.!! ; ‘When Japanese auto manufacturer Mazda opentd a plant in the United States, officiais passed our company baseball caps and told U.S, employees that they sould wear the caps at work, along with their mandatory company uniform (blue (- Leacning Objective 3 . | Explain the importance of recognizing cultural differences, ‘and list four categories of cultural differences (Clits from diferent cultures ean ie "> lad at oF Cio tt ants andl se Th cmpoyss ssl ta he ape mesa soley oO a) accessory, and many decided not to wear them. Japanese managers were upset, garding the decision as a sign of disrespect and believing that emplayees who really cared about the company would want to wear the eaps. However, the US. employees resented being told whar they should wanc to do.! ® Exhibitors at a crade show could not understand stopping by their booth. The exhibivors were wea away as promotion s3¢ people, ‘green hats are associated with infidelity; the Chinese expression “He wears 3 ‘green hae" indicates that a man’s wife has been cheating on him. As soon as the ingentions negates hy Chinese visitors were nor ‘gecen hats and giving ehem items, They soon discovered that for many Ch §m (ia, ot nang Sa ‘Test Your Inrercultural Knowledge Never take anything for granted when you're doing business in foreign country. All socts of assumptions that are valid inane place can trip you up elsewhere if you fil ro consider that estoms may vary. Here are several examples based on teue stories abour businesspeople who blandered by over- looking some simple but important culeural differences, Can $0 spot the erroneous assumptions in each situation? 1 You're tired ofthe discussion and you want to move ‘on to a new topic. You ask your Australian business asoviate, "Can we table this for a while?” To your sisinay, your colleague keeps right on discussing jst what you want to put aside. Are Australians that inconsiderate? made the long trip overseas ro mect the ‘new German dicector of your division. Despite slow traffic, you acive only four minutes late. His door is shut, s0 you knock on it and walkin, The chair is too fac away from the desk, so you pick it up and move it slsee Then you lean over the desk, stick out your hhand and say, "Good morning, Hans, is nice ro ‘ect you.” Of course, you're baffed by his hilly reaction. Why? 3. Your meeting went better chan you'd ever expected. in faci, you found the Japanese representative for your ‘new advertising agency to be very agreeable; she said 18 to just about everything, When you share your ‘enthusiasm with your boss, he doesn’t appear very ‘excited. Why? 4. You've Finally closed the deal, after exhausting both your pationce and your company's travel budget, Now, ‘ovo weeks later, your Chinese customers are asking for special considerations that change the terms of the agresment, How could they do this? Why are they ding it? And, most important, what should you do? CHAPTE fly Communicating totercateurally In cach case, the problems have resulted fram inaccurate assumptions. Here ate the explanations of what went ‘wrong: 1 ‘To “table” something in Australia means to bring it forward for discussion, This is the opposite of what ‘Americans usually mean. The English that's spoken in ‘Australia is closer to British than to American English. Ifyou are doing business in Australi, become familiar with the local vocabulary. Note the tendency to shorten just about any word whenever possible, and adding “ie” to i isa form of familia slang: for exampie, brolly (umbrella) and lollie (candy). And yes, it uuc: *G'day” is the standard greeting, Use it ‘You've just broken four rules of German polite behavior: punctuality, privacy, personal space, and proper grestings. In time-conselous Germany, you should never arrive even a few minutes late, Also, Germans like their privacy and space, and they adhere to formal greetings of “Frau” and "Herr," even ifthe business association has lasted for years. ‘The word yes may not always mean “yes” in the ‘Western sense. Japanese people may say yes t0 confirm they have heard or understood somethitig but snot necessarily to indicate that they agree with it. You'll seldom get a direet no, Some of the ways that Japanese people say no indirectly include “Ie will be Uifficult,” “L will ask my supervisor,” “Pm not sure,” “We will think about it," and “I see.” i. For most US. businesspeople, the conteact represents the end of the negotiation. For Chinese businesspeople, hhoweves it's just the beginning, Once a deal is mace, ‘Chinese negotiators view their counterparts as ( {castworthy partners who ean be relied on for special favors—such as new terms inthe contract. exhibitors discarded the green hats (giving out T-shirts instead), the Chinese attendees began visiing the booth. 13 Problems such as these arise when we assume, weongly, that other people's ati- tudes and lives are like ours (see “Communicatin ‘Across Cultures: Test Your Intercultural Knowledge”). As a graduate of one intercultural training program ssid “1 used to think it was enough to treat people the way I wanted to he treated. st [after taking the course] . . . 1 realized you have to treat people the way they eesti treat people the way ry expect ta be treated. vwant to be treated.” You can improve intercultural sensitivity by recognizing and sccommodating four main types of cultural differences: contextual, ethical, social, and nonverbal. ne of ays people assign meaning to a message is according to cultural context, Caleurat contest physical eves, environmental stimuli and inpiie ‘understanding that vomveys the patten of| the patter of physieal cues, environmental stisuli and implicit understanding that convey meaaing between swo members ofthe same culture. However, from culture to meaning between metsbers uf the 36 eee ee we‘In Low Context Companies In High Context Companies ‘Executive offices are separace with controlled asters. ‘Executive offices ave shared and open to all. ‘Workers ely on detailed background information. Workers do not expect o¢ want detailed information, Information is highly centralized and controlled. Information is shared with everyone. Objective data are valued over subjécive relations Subjective relationships are valued over objestive daca. * Business and social relationships are discrete, Business and social eelationships overlap. ‘Competence is valued as much as position and status. Pusitiowi and status are valued much mose chan competence. Meetings efx age snd pty of vance nti. Meetings are ofc called on shot nos ney people ways accept. High context Cultures, ‘culture, people convey contextual méaning differently. in fact, correct social behavior “ and effective communication ean be defined by how much a culture deperds on con- cextual cues (see Table 3.1), pafcoontest cultures ely on In adhigh-context culture such a5 South Korea of Taiwan, people cely less on verbal ‘ onverhal aston td ee wvethal actions and environmental se etal setting te convey 7 A.Chinese speaker expects the receiver to discover the essence e and uses indirectness and mecapior to provide a web of meaning." In hiigh-context cultures, he rules of everyday life are early explicit; instead, as individu als grow up, they leatn how fo recognize situational cues (such as gestures and cone of voice) and how to respond a8 expected. Ina low-zontest alu sich asthe United States or Gennany, peuple rely more on sto convey meaning. An Bgl speaker els spon efor eansmcng dhe meaning ofthe message and often places sentences in chronological quence to establish a cause-and-effect pattern.!7 in a low-context culture, rules and expectations are usuallyspelled out dhrough explicit Statements sich as "Pkg wat ohm fished” of "You're wekome to browse." Conese way cultures approach situations such as decision in lke le-comtent| celts, which ely heavily on Splice verbal eonimaieation, ares cn rare maha iso cy etal ine jo Ascuions ay quickly and Siaiandy as pomible They are concerned with mmhing an joement on the main points, letving, the details to be worked out later by others approach work! backlive i higher-context cultures such as Greece, faiures the details s being evasive and inack of yuod faith. _teshatigues, Culusres dhiter iv their tolerance for open disagree a ment. Low-cintext US. businesspeople rypivally enjoy controniation and debote, butCHAPTER, Communicotng mercury ontext Japanese executives shun such tactics. Tu avuid the unpleasant feelings br eesult from open conflict, Japanese companies may use a go-between or ‘hit party. Chinese businesspeople also try to prevent public cantlice, making comec, ‘wns slowly and staying away from proposal-counterproposal methods. Ifyou try to fst members af a Chinese team to hack down from their position, you will chuse there 10 hve face—very likely ruining the relationship. ofhatng Styles| Canadian, German, and US, negotiators tend to take a relatively ‘sonal Wow OPiegotiations, Members of these low-contest cultures sce their goals n economic terms and usually presume the other party is trustworthy, at least sah couse. In contrast, high-context Japanese negotiators prefer a more sociable nego sngatiosphee that is conducive to forging personal eat the basis for trust. Te highs sent egodators, achieving invmediate economic gains is secondary to establishing and maintaining a Tong,term relationship. ”? egal and Ethical al context also vaflasnets Tegal and ethical behavior. For example, because low: unten cultures value che written word, they consider written agreements binding. But Igh-contexe cultares put less emphasis on the writen word and consider perconal lees more important than contracts. They also have a tendency to view law with Aesibilty, whereas low-context cultures would adhere to the law stritly. ‘As you conduct business around the world, you'll find that legal systems differ {roo culture to culture, In che United Kingdom and the United States, someone i pre. sumed! innocent until proved guilty, a principle rooted in Englith common few. However ia Mexico and Turkey, someone is presumed guilty until proved innocent, a tvinciple rooted in the Napoleonic code.2! These distinctions can be particuladly ‘mportancif your firm must communicate about a legal dispute in another country. As discussed in Chapter 1, making ethical choices ean be difficult, ven within your ‘on culture, When communicating across cultures, ethics can be even more conplis What does it mean for a business to do the right thing in Thailand? In Africa? In ‘Norway? What happens when a cettain behavior is unethical inthe United States but an ascepted practice in another culture? For example, in the United States, bribing officials {sega bue Kenyans consider paying such bribes a pat of life. To yet something done % they pay kit kidogo (or “something small"). In China businesses pay hil, in Ruosi they pay esyutka, inthe Middle Eas it's baksheesb, and in Mexico ws una mon hts (a small bite")22 The United States has lobbied other nations for 20 years to ovr, Lae trialed nations have signed a treaty that makes pay. coll foreign officials a criminal offense. Of course, bribery won't end just because a ‘weary has been signed, but supporters are optimistic that countries will ratify the teaty, is legislation, and enforce the new laws stringently23 Making ethical choices accor * cultures ean seem ineredibly complicated, but doing so actualy differs litle from the i you choose the most ethical path in your own culture (see Chapter 1). When communicating across cultures, keep your messages ethical by applying four basic principles? {-Aavely seck mutual groundTo allow the clearest possible exchange of informae tion, both parties must be flexible and avoid insisting that an interaction take place stil in terms of one culture ot anothee fo cae Sénd and reccive messages without judgment. To allow information to flow freely, ‘ota apse he ce aematin they must each other, id messages that are honest. To ensure that the information is true, both partis snust sce things a they arc—not as they would like them to be. Both parties must Elly ‘aware of their personal and cultucal biases. Show respect for cultural differences. To protect the basic human eights of both Parties, each must understand and acknowledge the other's needs and preserve «ach other's dignity by communicating without deception, High-context cultures avoid ‘confrontation and dete, whereas k atmosphere when negotiating, ‘wheresslow-context cultures view | ‘negotiations impersonally and focus on economic goals High-context cultures view laws as boing more flexible, whereas low. context cultures tend to value written agreements aad interpret laws strictly, ei Lal ystems differ from culture roculture. é ( Ethical choices can be even more somplicated when communicating across cultures; for example, bribing officials is viewed diferetly from culture 1 eulure. Resp difer inthe Keep your messages ethical by actively seeking mutual ground, exchanging messagce without judgment, sending messages that are honest, and showing fespect for cultural diferences, Entry Da 32fer 1 Undermading te Foundations of Bsns Communication | well defined, but les are learned cheough n-and imitation, from the United States Ise hard work, material ‘sand effisgnsy more than people in other countries do, Rot and Status Culture ARespost and rank ae reflected | differently from culture to culture in the way people are addressed ‘and in their working environment rcoowsion te 1 7 & 27 BO 03 AUG 20 ‘sock bitferences Social behavior is another distinguishing factor among Guleures. in any culture, rules of “social etiquette may be formal o¢ informal. Formal cules are the specifically taught dos and don'ts of how to behave in common social situations, such as table manners at ‘meals. When formal rules are violated, members of a culture can explaia why they feel uupsct In contrast, informal social rules are more difficuk to identify and are usually learned by watching how people behave and then imitating that behavior. Informal : rules govern how males and females are supposed to behave, when itis approprigte to tse a perton’s first name, and so on. When informal rules are violated, members of a caltuee ace likely to feel uncomfortable, although they niay not be able to say exactly why25 Such informal rules are apparent in the way members value wealth, eccognize status, define manners, and think about time. “UAtifades Toward Materialism Although the United States is home to millions of people having difeent eeligons and values, the major social influence isthe Puan Work ethic. The predominant US. view is that money solves many problems, that material comfort (earned by individual effort) sa sign of superiocty, and that people who work hard are beter than those who dos. By and large, people inthe United States assume that people from other culuves also dislike poverty and value hard work, However, many societies condemn materialism, and soine prize a more creece Hfestyle. For example, US. workers ansualy putin almost 300 move hours at work than West Geemans and 60 moce hours than tis Japanese pees (se Figure 3.2) ctates the roles people play, including who communicates with whom, what they communicate and in what way. For example, in many countries ‘women sill don't play a prominent role in business, so female exceutives who visit these countries may find thar they'cé not taken seriously as businesspeople. Whes they're in ‘modem western Europe, women can usually behave as they would in the United Staves, but they should be more cautious in Latin American and eastern European countries, and they should be extremely cautious in the Middle East and East Asia." Culture also dictates how people show respect and signify rank. For example, peo- ple in the United States show respect by addressing top managers as “Mr. Roberts” or “Ms. Gutierrez." However, people in China address businesspeople according to theie official titles, such as “President” or *Manager."2” In addition, a U.S. executive's rank ‘may be reflocted by a large corner offic, deep carpets, an expensive desk, and handsome accessories. But the highest-ranking executives in France sit in the middle of an open area, surrounded by lower-level employces. And in the Middle East, fine possessions are reserved for the home, while business is conducted in eramped and modest quarters FIGURE 3.2 Working Hours Vary from Culture to Culture Spain United Kingdom France aly Eastern Germany Western Germany (a ' i 1,450 1,500 1,550 1,600 1,650 1,700 1.750 1,800" 1,850 1,900 1,950 ‘Annual working hours 35CHAPTER Commun en ‘What is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another. For instance, asking an employee “How was-your weekend?” is a common way of imaking smali talk inthe United States, but the question sounds intrusive to people in cultuces where business and private lives are seen as totally separate. In Arab coun: tres is impolite to take gifts to.a man's wife, bu it's accepeable to take gifts to hig shildren, in Germany giving a woman a red rose is consilered ‘von-—inapproprite if you're wying to establish 2 business reat India, if you" expected time” invitation literally would be an insult, a sign that you don eare to develop the Lucaicepts of Time Conducting business entails schedules, deadlines, and appointe nents hut these matiers are regard differently from culture to culture. Geriman and US. executives see time as a way to plan the business day efficiently, focusing om only ‘one task during each scheduled period and viewing time as limited: Howeves, execu tives from Latin America and Asia sce time as more flexible. Meeting a deadline is less impor chan building a busines elton. So te workday sn expe fo fee schedule2® XT, i fonverbat Differenchs “ance ingle” pice As discussed in Chapter 2, nonverbal communication is in. cxvemelyrelisble when determining meaning, but that Iilty is valid only when the communicators belong to the same culture. The simplest hand gestures change meaning + om culture to eultuce, so interpeting nonverbal elements 2ecordng to your own culture can be dangerous, Nonverbal clement ste appacent in attitudes toward personal space and in body language. cepts of Personal People in Canada and the Ven porene usually stand about five feet apart during a busi- ness conversation. However, this distance is uncomfortably close for people from Germany or Japan and uncomfortably far for Arabs and Latin Americans. Because of these differing, concepts of personal space, a Canadian managee may react negatively (without knowing exactly why) when an Arab col- league moves closer during their conversation. And the Arab colleague may ceact negatively (again, without knowing why) ‘when the Canadian manager backs away, ue OF Body Language Gesture belp members ofa culture ‘Shely confusing messages, bue differences in body language «can be & major source of misunderstanding during intercultural communication. Don't assume that somicone fom another cul- ture who speaks your language has mastered your culture's body language, For example, people in the United States and Canada say no by shaking their heads back and forth, peuple in -Balgaria nod up and down, people in Japan move thee ri hand, and people in Sicily raise their chin, Similarly, US. busi- resspcople assume that-a person who won't mect their gaze is, svasive and dishonest. However, in many parts of Asia, keeping ‘one’s eyes lowered is a sign of respect. People from different cultures may misread an intentional nonverbal signal, may overlook the signal entirely, or may ingless gesture is significant. For example, ficates a romantic interest in a woman by ean be eeppet lan’ ud ap incor lerypheet Lan ing Inter ually The rules fear sowntey Iochavioe vary cn abl a eatonsip with bee. In be eek + Aafe, sit without waiting fora definte nvtavin, Faire to take the sang LOT cages cxdbine rery rpncacicad Oh | ficndship, cada menial ecprecns » pnckOvle ke-tnphert cen (elerallyal Although busivesspeuie inthe ie the bushes say efficiently, ether cures se ime ss more leh, cullen 4 PERE m:SPART 4 Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication [Recognizing cultural differences must be fllgwe by the sincere ee seme tore sunning a hand backward across his hair, but most Westerners would not see the ges {ture as significant. Conversely, an’ Egyptian might mistakenly assume that a Westerner sho expates the sole of his or her shoe is off sul. Calling someone by Taising your hand, then taking your index finger and wiggling it toward you is consid- tred rude in places like China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines. There, if you ‘want o get someone's attention, you put your arm out with your palm down, and then + make scratching motions with your finger. . ‘Recognizing cultural differences helps you avoid sending inappropriate signals and helps you correctly interpret che signals from others—an important step toward improving intercultural sensitivity. But simple recognition isn’ the whole story. Being aware of culeural differences is only the first step in improving your intercultural com- ‘munication. To achieve intercultural sensitivity, you need to balance eultural awareness ‘with cultural flexibility. The diagram in Figure 3.3 shows the relationship of language, exposuce, and technique to conimunication skill all of which are covered in detail in thi chapter). To communicate across cultures successfully, you must be able ro accom Imodate these differences without judging them, which means you must be able to over- ‘come the human tendency toward ethnocentrism, Learning Objective + (Overcome Ethnocentrism/ Define ethnocentrism and | When communicating across culkares, your effectiveness depends on maintaining an’ stereotyping, then give three suggestions for overcoming these limiting mind-sets z eying i the attempt to avior of character Tia partiolae group. E wt open mind. Unfortunately, many people lapse into ethnocentrism. They lose sight of lity that their words and actions can be misunderstood, and ehey forget that they ae likely to misineerpret the actions of others. ‘When you first begin co investigate the culture of another groupy you may attempt to understand the common tendencies of that group's members by stereotyping—predicting individuals’ behavior or character on the basis of cheir membership in a particular group or class. For example, Japanese visitors often fo Lhenk thet pact pve. eulbury attr ‘lf, CURE. Conroe tS er ommenon (Overcoming ethnocentrciy) TGuteural awareness” eattoral Fexbitiy.— iu yard cemeigr exes, | (aman) Da i qucrurat sensmnviry Sy _errecrive wrencutrurat communtcarion gin 7 COMMUNICATION SKILL Yj ol re (“Cultural Languages 1 ‘barriers) | gaturat Exposure (studying other cultures) j 'CHAPTER Qy Communicating Intecculturally steconype Ameticans as people who walk fast ate wasteful in utilizing space, speak sircetly ask too many questions in the classroom and don't respect professes ore slacespecful of age and status, lack discipline, and are extcavagant® Although stereotyping may be useful in the beginning, your next step is to move beyond the stereotypes to relationships with real peaple. Unfortunately, when edhnocers tric peuple stereotype, they cond todo so on the bass of etal, or inaccurate evidence. They frequenty devclop bissed auitudes toward the group, and they fail to [ve heyond chat initial step.¥ So instead of talking with Abdul Karhum, unique hua tring, ethnocentric people aré talking ro “an Arab.” They may believe that all Arabs are ser hagglets so Abdul Karin’ personal qualitis enor alter such prewonceptions «very atin is forced to fit the préconcxived image, even if hat image i wrens, Taovercome ethnocentrism, follow a few sinple suggestions: ee -Acknawledgs distinctions. Don't ignore the differences between another person's _Zxilture and your own, €¥ Aosid assumptions. Dou't assume that others will act the same way you do, that they will operate from the same assumptions ofthat they will wae language rd symbols the same way you do. 5 «Choi judgnens, When people teeny don’t conchae that they are in ‘error, that theie way is invalid, or that their customs are inferior to your own, At Sheraton Hotels Hawaii, Tamanai and Kaneda work hard to move eiployces away from ethnocentrism and toward understanding and tolerance. Too ofter both ‘ties in an intercultural exchange are guilty of ethnocentrism and prejudice, Lite wont, then, that misunderstandings arise when communicating acrone calturee IMPROVING COMMUNICATION ACROSS CULTURES x ‘Once you can fecogrize cultural elements and overcome ethnocentrism, you're ready 4 facus ditectly on your intercultural communication skills. To communicate more «llectively with peuple from other cultures, you need to study other cultures, overcome language barriers, and develop effective intercultural conimunication skills, both writ tenand oral. Study Other Cultures {carning all you can about a particular culture isa good way to figure out how to send ul receive intercultural messages effectively. Read books and articles abou these cal- tures, and talk to people who have done business with members of these cultures, ance rate on learning something about each culture’ history, religion, politics, val, tw, and eustoms. Find out about a country’s subcultures, especially its business sub. tulture, and any special rules or protocol, Studying culuure is especially important i yw interact with people from a variety of cultures or subcultures, ike Sheraton wai and Koned “In dealing with Ametican businesspeople,” says Y. A. Cho, chief operating officer ‘of Korean Airlines, “Vn amazed at how naive most are about other eel way thar others do business." Something as simple as a handshake ture to culture, For example, in Spain a proper hands strokes, ond pulling away too soon may be interpreted as ejection, Howeven in France the preferred handshake is only a single stroke, In Arab countries, you'll fault your hosts if you tuen down fuod, drink, or hospitality of any kind. Bur don't accepe too sickly, cither. A polite refusal (such as “I don’t want to put you to any trouble”) is expected before you finally accept. . ‘This chapter's "Checklist: Doing Business Abroad” can help you start your ‘tion of another culture. However, don't expect to,ever understand another ssomplerely, No matter hew much you study German culture, for example you' bea German or share the experiznces of having grown up in German es ond the ‘Move beyond stersurypes to relationships with real people. avoiding judgments. ‘Learning as much a possible hour le from the United States formed stout the of ether cules, other culture wil enhance «20 ability to communicate with You can’ expect to understand another culture asPART I | 1h. Hw do people react ro strangers? Are they friendly? Hostile? Reserved? 2. Hw do people greet each other? Should you bow? Nod? Shaks hands? zi 3._ How are names used fr introductions? “> What are the artinudcs toward touching people? SS. How do you express appreciation for an invitation to funch or dinner or to someone's home? Should you ‘bring a gift? Send flowers? Wit a thank-you note? 6. How, when, and where are people expected to stn socal and Busines situations? 7._Aee any phases, facial expressions, or hand gestures «_ ewsidered rade? 8. Hovr cle do people stand when ta 9. How do you atractheaxention of a you tp the waiter? 10, When ist rade to refuse an invitation? How do you refuse politely? 11, What are the aeceprable patterns of eye contact? 121, Whar gestures indicate agrcemene? Disagreement? Repos? 13. What topics may or may noe be discussed ina social secing? tna business sting? 14, How sie persived? 415. Whatare the generally accepted work 16. How do people view scheduled appointments? Learn about clothing and food preferences Do are associated with mourning? Love? Joy? 2. Are some types of clothing considered taboo for one sex or the other? 3, What are the attirudes toward human body odors? ‘Are devdoranes or perfumes used? 4. How many times a day do people eat? 'S. How ace hands of urnsils used when eating? 46. Whar types of places, food, and deink are appropriate for business entereainment? 7. Where isthe seat of honor at 4 table? CC. Assess political patterns 11. How stable is the political situation? Docs it aff businesses in and out ofthe country? isa power manifested? Miliary power? What channels are use for expressing official an ‘unotticial political opinion? D. Understand religious and folk beliefs E, Learn about economic and business Understanding the Foundations of Basinese Communication 6. Isit appropriate ro talk politics in social or business 1. "To which raiious groups do people belong? 2. How do religous bei influses daily seivites? 3. Which places, objects, and evens are sacred? 44. there's tolerance for minority religions? 5. How do religious holidays affecr busines and goveenment activites? 6. Does religion affect auitudes toward smoking? Dainking? Gambling? 7. Docs religion raquire or prohibit cating specific foods? At specifi times? Which objets or acrions portend good lack? Bad Ick? 1L. Is the sociery homogeneous? : 2. What minority yroups ace represented? 3. What languages are spoken? 4. Do immigration patterns influence workforce ‘composition? 5. What are the primary resources and principal products? 6. What voeationsttechnological taining is offered? 7. What are the atitudes toward education? 8. Are busineses generally large? Family controlled? Government controlled? 9.. sie appropriate to do business by tekzphone? By fax? By email? 10. Do managers make business decisions unilaterally, or do they involve employees? How are stars and seniority shown in an ‘organization? fv a business mecting? 12, Mus people socialize before conducting business? Appraise the nature of ethics, values, and laws 1. Is money oF gift expected in exchange for arrar business transactions? ‘What ethical or legal isues might affect business }. Do people value competitiveness or cooperation? What are che attitudes oward work? Toward money? {s politeness more important chan factual honesty? What qualities are admied in a business associate? ML. Fearn useful individual neral information while remaining aware of and open to variations and ferences, You can communicate more effecilvely if you follow these tips from successful intercultural businesspeople: = Assume differences until similar is proved. Don't assume that others are more ‘Similar to you than they actually are. ‘ey for communication. Don't assume it’ the other person’ job ro 43CHAPTER 9, Conn Best of the Web B Improve Your Cultural Savvy portance of improving your cultura sayyy? It's the sccrct to an interna 5 Cultural Savoy website, where ing programs, business and cultural tips, and links to imtervicws, profiles, articles, books, and snr learning resourecs. Avoid culture shock by developing your ability to undeestand the traditions, assumptions, ctiquets, and values of other cultures as bel as your own. This site is your business and cultural guide to Asia and the Western world, | vwewculturalsewy.com * Withhold judgment, Lear to listen to the whole story and accept differences in echees without judging chem. Show respect. Learn how respect is communicated in various cultures (through gestures, eye contact, and so on). * Empathize, Before sending a message, put yourself in the receiver's shoes. Imagine the teccivers feelings and point of vic 1 Telcrate ambiguity Lear to connrl you frustration when placed in an unfamiliar or eunfusing situation. # Look beyond the superficial. Don't be distracted by things such as dress, appear ance, or environmental discomforts. 4 Uc patient and persistent. Ifyou want to communicate with someone froin another calture, don’ give up easily. ' Recognize your own cultural biases. Learn to i diferent from the other person's. ' De flexible. Be prepared to change your habits and attitudes when communicating with someone from another culture. hasize common ground. Look for similarities to work from. ® Send clear messages. Make both your verbal and nonverbal signals clear and con * Deal with the individual. Communicate with each person as an individual, not as a stereotypical representative of another group. 1% Learn when to be direct. Investigate each culture so that you'll know when to send ir message ina straightforward manner and when to be ' “Treat your interpretation as a working F~>pothesis. Once you think you understand «a forcign culture, carcfully assess the feedback provided by recipients of your com- ‘munication to see if it confirms your hypothesis. ify when your assumptions are ‘This advice will help you communicate with anybody, regardless of cular, bur it ‘sat enough. Overcoming language barriers is another good way to improve your com- munication across cultures, 5 Overcome Language Barriers ly choosing specific words to communicate you signal that you ure a member of a particular culture or subculture aud that you know the code. The nature of your sode—your language and vocabulary—imposes its own barriers on your message. For ‘xampie, the language of a lawyer differs from that of an accountant or a doctor, and the difference in theit vocabularies affects thei ability to recognize and express ideas, Turis a's exist because words can be interpreted in more than one way. In fac, its ‘ign sid that the United States and the United Kingdom are wo countries divided by -commmon language (ce Table 3.2). The barriers become greater stil when you're com- tmunicating across cultures. To someone from France, for example, the word ‘utastrophe can be used in casual exaggeration to describe a relatively small problem. cating Intercoltwraly Language barriers cam eesle fro sechovos of words {ace that words can be Jn more than one way. fon the expected 4PART A Undorscanding the Foundations of Buiincss Communication Learning Objective 5 Discuss four ways to improve communeition with people who Speak English as a second Tanguage and three ways (0 improve communication with ‘people who dnt speak your Tanguage at all Stang ai ions, Hocal accents 1 pronuvsaion, and vocal ERs Se US. English British English apartment > Aa ceegplane aubers, leaning lady harwomnan levator lie : firs oor ground level Fongedistance call feunk call organization organisation pharmacist chemist race underdone roast joine string bean, French bean sweater pallover But in Germany, the word is often taken literally as an earth-shaking event. You must be able to communicate effectively both with people who speak English as a second language (ESL) and with people who don't speak your language a all Breaking Through ESL Barriers As the US. workforce bexomes more culturally discs, the number af people who Speak English asa second language grows proporsionately. Onc wut of evry seven po- pie in the United Staus now speas a language other than English wen at home. Ater Englahy spanish is by far the most common spoken language, followed by Fee CGerinaty Talia, and Chinese." When U.S, businesspeople deal with individuals who the English as a second language, misunderstanding ar likely to involve vocabulary, Pronunciation, or usaye. ‘Of the many millions of people who ase English as a second language, some are extremely fluent, and others have only an cementary command. When dealing wih those ess fluent in your own language, you can expect your audience co miss a few subtleties, but you are still able to communicate, Even so, don’t assume thar the other person uadersands everything you say. Your mistage can be mangled by slang and idioms, by local accents, and by vocal variations. ‘Avoid Using Slang and Idioms Languages never translate word foc word. They are {diomatic—consteucted wich phrases thac mean more than the sum of thei literal parts. For example, if a US. executive tells an Egyptian executive thar a cectain product doesn't cut the inustard” of chat making the monthly sales quota will be “a pived of ceake," chances are that the communication will fil. When speaking to peuple less fla- tent in your language, try to choose words carefully to convey only their most specific “denorative meaning. Use words that have singular rather than mulciple meanings. The ‘word Ligh has 20 meanings; che word expensive has ane37 Pay Attention to Local Accents and Pronunciation Even when people speak your [anguage, you may havea hard time understanding their pronunciation, After transferring {o'Toyou's US. office, same English-speaking Japanese employees had to enall in. spe- leourse to lear that “Jeat yer?” means “Did you cat yer?” and that “Cannahépya?” ns "Can T help you?" Same nonnative English speakers don’r distinguish between the GFCHAPTER Q, Communicating ltercukuclly fret sounds v and w,s0 they say “wery” for “very. At the same time, many people {rum the United States are unable to pronounce the French r ot te German oh, | le Aware of Voeut Van ‘tw culture. Russian speakers tend fo use fla, level ton sound bored or rude. Middle Easterners tend to speak more loudly chan Westerners and may therefore mistakenly be cone sidered more emotional. On the other hand, people fram Japan are soft-spoken, a characteristic that implies politeness or Respect Preferences for Communication Styles US. work- 5 typically prefer an open and direct communication style and ‘consider anything else to be dishonest or insincere. In Sweden, a slrect approach is also valued as a sign of efficiency, but unlike sliscussions in the United States, heared debates and vonfrontar tions are unusual. Swedish business culture strongly favors com. Promise, Workers from other cultures, such as Japan or China, nish and German workers tend to teen coniniunication instead of face-to-face interaction A levee recognizing employce accomplishments would be most effective in these cultures. Moreover, Italians, Germans, and French executives don’t soften up colleagues with praise belore they criticize, Doing $0 seems manipulative to Europeans.2® mn general, U.S. businesspeople will also want to be some- ‘more formal in their international correspondence th jous Some people use their voices differently from culture | v0 to some US. listeners they 4 people trom another culture, take time to research their preferences for the director inditeet approach to they would be when writing to people in chcir own country. In many cultures, writers fhe 4 more elaborate styl, s0-your audience will expect more formal languag {tte The letter in Figure 3.4 was written by a supplier in German} toa nearby recon Tes Lane is more formal chan would be used inthe United States, but the writer clearly focuses on his audience. In Germany, business letters usually open with a reference to business relationship and close with a compliment to the recipient. Of course; i sarty formality to extremes, you'll sound unnatural. Breaking Through Foreign Language Barriers ‘Yo compete globally, many European busincases are making English thee o ‘uae, Look through the listings for professional and manager ipers and recruitment websites and you'll find that those that souraat (fluent English) ate few and far between. Moreover, t i each other politically and economically, ‘The European Conimission, cial languages, recently switched to English as its official wor Some multinational companies ask all theit employecs to use in your lnernational business eters eneally have a formal tone anda ‘latvely labora style | us e jobs in French tiews- don’t require anglais as more and more the most prevalent {Language in international business, but i’s'a misake to assume that ‘everyone understands it, . | Mk lish when weiting. ha in employees in other countries, regardless of where they'e located. Nisan employece be firexample, use English for internal memos tp colleagues around the world, even though ta, the corporation is based in Japan.*? But requiring employees to use a specific language ‘when they're on the job may be considered discriminatory and ean create tension, Consider Air France's decision to do what was once unthinkable—make its pilots speak English to the control towers. Rather than having bilingual aiewaves than free «wently sonfuse and infuriate Iie fo safery considerations sation language ofthe tower (a ‘aly 15 days. Some pilots were shocked by the sym English in their own country. Others didn’t have suficient Englsh-spesking skills yor? Snill others saw the move as conflicting with the nation’s drive over the let dese le to ‘protect the French language and French industries, lots from other countries, France put aside linguistic i nd decided ta adopt English as the official commun ‘commonplace in many European airports). But the government had underestimated the pilots’ resistance and rescinded the ordet after ls rela tear $6a ra i) Paw 1 Understanding the Foundations of Business Communion FIGURE 3,4 In-Depth Critique: Translated German Business Letter ne ransaton ec Geschatsturer {Gorman Coit, {anion woul be managing detor Raters tothe‘ onguing = |e Dinineas rasan Uses language a be ‘more formal than USS eters do ses aconpiiemany | lve type uf Corman Soaiete evar Enclosed you wil nd 9 copy ol ours weet brochure ann ore form To Stetanlafpanie ne Svan ayer vt ; ‘un eninge Fadia, Lonrgoer i Floater Senpor i Furtwangen at Honderfts onaeese May 18,2002 nein son. would ik to sina he oppor I choo clocks to yo. Laet oat ou aca a recogaon ots ~ shows concer forthe Sedience i hpping conte you orer bolo succoesin your new Sutigat acation, Wo ore 7 lionslewitiyourtoneroxhr™ «..-—-[. Ends wih a compe 1 cpa seg that nt be able conc sins a Lagat oer nish. yam have longterm business relationship with people of anerher eulere, its bell icseweheie Lag Even though English is widely spoken in the global business marketplace, the Ian- tage of business is the language of the customer. And jncreasingly, chat language may nnot he English? So US, eompanies are realizing that they ean no longer get by speak- ing only English, even in eheir own country. When communicating with people who don’t speak your language at all, you have three options: You can learn theie language, ‘se at intermediary oF a tratplator, oF teach them your language. However you choose to overcome langage barriers, remember that effective communication requires @ major commitment-—even on the web (see “Communicating Across Cultures: Commu cing with a Global Audience on the Web"). Learn a Foreign Language Af you're planning to live in another country or co do busines chene repeatedly, you might want co len the language. The sme hols tre i you'll be working closely widh a subculture that has its own languags, such as Viewamese Americans. Even if you're doing busines in your own language, you show espeet by making the effort to learn the subculture’ language, or at least ro learn a few words, One prob is that language courses may take more time and more money than you ean afford han y i a