Chapter 6 Communicating across cultures

Cultural Awareness

A shared set of attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and customs passed on and learned by members of a
community

Culture influences the ways we: Act, Speak, Think, Perceive appearance and behavior of others

A Successful Intercultural Communicator

1) Aware of the values, beliefs, languages, and practices in own culture

2) Sensitive to differences among individuals within own culture
- Sensitive to verbal and nonverbal behavior
3) Aware that preferred values and behaviors are not necessarily better or “right”
4) Interested in the cultures of others and willing to ask questions about preferences and behaviors
5) Flexible and open to adapting some of own preferences and behaviors
- Flexible and open to change
6) Aware that English, as the most common language for business communication, is not the first
language of the vast majority of English speakers worldwide

Exports are essential to businesses and the economy

More companies depend on vendors who are located in other countries
Companies adapt products and services for local cultures
Managers often need international experience for top-level jobs

Intercultural Competence

Intercultural competence: set of cognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that
support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts

Ethnocentrism: assuming one’s own culture is the norm while judging different approaches and
behaviors as nonstandard

Caution

When pushed too far, the differences can turn into stereotypes, which can be just as damaging as
ignorance

Global Agility

not about memorizing lists of do’s and don’ts

is learning about own cultural sensitivities and preferences, and then developing a willingness to relax
customary procedures to allow for new ways of interacting

Outsourcing and Offshoring

Outsourcing: sending corporate work to other companies

Offshoring: opening whole operational facilities in other countries

Ways to Look at Culture

High-context cultures: Most information is inferred from social relationships and the context; little
is explicitly conveyed

Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and Latin American cultures

高语境文化：社会关系和语境中推断出来的；很少明确表达

Low-context cultures: Context is less important; most information is explicitly spelled out most
information

May see indirectness as dishonest or manipulative

Value written word more than oral statements

German, Scandinavian, and North American cultures

低语境文化：语境不太重要；明确说明了大多数信息

Characteristics of high-context cultures:

Preferred communication strategy is indirectness, politeness, and ambiguity.

Low reliance on words and high reliance on nonverbal signs to communicate. Relationships are of
high importance and written word is of low importance. Agreements made in writing are non-binding
while agreements made orally are binding. Attention to detail is not important.

Rely heavily on Nonverbal signs

Characteristics of low-context cultures:

Preferred communication strategy is directness, confrontation, and clarity.

High reliance on words and low reliance on nonverbal signs to communicate. Relationships are of
low importance and written word is of high importance. Agreements made in writing are binding while
agreements made orally are non-binding. Attention to detail is important.
Hofstede’s Five Dimensions

Exp: United States

Power/inequality - low

Individualism/collectivism - high

Masculinity/femininity - high

Uncertainty/avoidance – low = fewer rules and greater tolerance

Long-term/short-term orientation

Intersection of Cultures

Diversity in business communication is influenced by organizational culture and personal culture, such
as gender, race and ethnicity, social class, and so forth

Values, Beliefs, and Practices

Values, often unconsciously formed within our cultural experience, affect our response to people and
situations

- Different cultures have different views of Fairness, Groups, competition, success, social
status

Belief systems and traditions affect business communication and business life

Everyday practices differ from culture to culture

Global English

English has transformed from a national language to a lingua franca—a common language used
among speakers of other languages

English has a variety of possible usages, dialects, accents, and vocabulary

Avoid Being “The Ugly American”

Learn some language basics

Learn about the culture and history

Learn basics of oral conversation

Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

Verbal communication provides information

Nonverbal communication adds the flavor of attitude, emphasis, and emotion

Oral Communication

Requires cultural understanding

Be aware of understatement and exaggeration, Compliments, Approaches to negatives

Listening

Reduce listening errors caused by cultural gaps and misinterpretation:

• Paraphrase what speaker has said, giving them a chance to correct your
understanding

• Check your understanding at the end, especially with action items

• Write down key points that affect deadlines or the ways the work will be evaluated

• Don’t ignore instructions or details you think are unnecessary

• Consider the other person’s background and experiences but avoid applying
stereotypes

Body Language

Just as verbal languages differ, body language differs from culture to culture

• Japanese value the ability to sit quietly—they may see the U.S. tendency to fidget and shift as
a lack of mental or spiritual balance

• In the Middle East, avoid pointing fingers at people or showing the soles of the feet when
seated

• Bill Gates made international news when he greeted the president of South Korea by shaking
her hand with one hand and keeping his other hand in his pocket (a sign of disrespect in her
country)

Exp: nodding your head may mean affirmative to you but can signify disagreement for Greeks and
Bulgarians.

Eye Contact

Eye contact norms also differ from culture to culture

• Most North Americans see eye contact as a sign of attention—lack of eye contact is suspect

• Japanese show respect by lowering their eyes when speaking to superiors

• In some Latin American and African cultures, it is disrespectful for lower-status people to
prolong eye contact with superiors

• In China, widening the eyes shows anger, but in the United States, it shows surprise
Facial Expressions

Americans focus on the mouth when interpreting emotions, so smiles are important

Japanese focus on the eyes

This distinction is apparent in their emoticons:

• Americans use :) for a happy face and :( for a sad one

• Japanese use ^-^ for a happy face and ;_; for a sad one

Smiling Isn’t the Same Everywhere

• In Germany and Sweden, smiling is reserved for close relationships and genuine joy—
frequent smiles in other situations would seem insincere

• In Thailand, smiling can create harmony and make situations pleasant

Meaning of Gestures Vary Widely

In India, the raised middle finger means you need to urinate

In Greece, people nod their heads to signify no and shake their heads to signify yes

The V sign with palm facing inward is equivalent to giving someone the finger in the United Kingdom,
Ireland, and Australia

The okay sign is obscene in Brazil and Germany

Personal Space

Personal space: the distance people want between themselves and others

• Culturally specific

• Carefully observe distance between people in conversation

• Pay attention to comfort cues, adjust distance as necessary

NOTE: Do not use crowded elevators, buses, trains, or small conference rooms to measure preferred
personal space

Touch

• In U.S., people shake hands when they meet, but little other touching is appropriate

• In Mexico, men embrace one another, and women kiss one another

• In countries along the Mediterranean, hugs and shoulder pats are common

• In some European countries, greetings include a light kiss on the right cheek and then the left.
In Italy, this pattern stops with two kisses; Belgians may continue for three and the French for
four.

Time

Not all cultures see time in the same way

 • Monochronic cultures focus on clock time (american)

Plan their time, avoid wasting it

• Polychronic cultures focus on relationships

Disregard clocks and planners

Various cultures mentally measure time differently

- North Americans measure time in five-minute blocks, while in other cultures, it is half an hour

Writing Reflects Culture

• Germans appreciate technical data and scientific detail, intolerant of claims that
seem logically unsupportable

• Most cultures use more formal writing than the U.S.

• Response time expectations may also be modified

• Communications that cross cultures have multiple complexities

Common Business Practices Differ

1) Whether small talk is common before a meeting dives into official business.

Common: Brazil, Spain

Minimal: U.S.A., Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Sweden

Not common: Canada, France, Russia

2) Whether participants stick to the meeting’s agenda.

Yes: Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden

No: Brazil, Canada, USA, Russia, Spain

3) Whether direct or indirect communication style is used.

Direct: Brazil, Canada, USA, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Sweden

Indirect: Russia and Spain

A World of Languages

Japanese, spoken in Japan, has 128 million native speakers.

English, spoken in the U S, U K, Australia, South Africa, and Malaysia, has 335 million native
speakers.

Russian, spoken in Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan, has 166
million native speakers.

Hindi, spoken in India, has 260 million native speakers.

Arabic, spoken in Egypt, Algeria, Yemen, Lebanon, and Libya, has 242 million native speakers.

Chinese, spoken in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, has 1,197 million native
speakers.

Portuguese, spoken in Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, France, and India, has 203 million native
speakers.

Spanish, spoken in Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Venezuela, and Cuba, has 399 million native speakers.

Bengali, spoken in Bangladesh and India, has 189 million native speakers.

Other languages, spoken in Pakistan, Indonesia, Germany, Turkey, and India, has 1,002.8 million
native speakers.

Writing Internationally

The opening: In the U S, request action or get reader’s attention; in Japan, offer thanks or apologize;
In Arab countries, offer personal greetings.

Ways to persuade: In the U S, immediate gain or loss of opportunity; In Japan, waiting; In Arab
countries, personal connections or future opportunity.

Style: In the U S, short sentences; In Japan, modesty or minimize own standing; In Arab countries,
elaborate expressions and many signatures.

The closing: In the U S, specific request; In Japan, desire to maintain harmony; In Arab countries,
future relationship and personal greeting.

Values: In the U S, efficiency, directness, action; In Japan, politeness, indirectness, relationship; In

Arab countries, status and continuation

Writing to international audiences

Most cultures more formal than US

Avoid

- First names (use titles)

- Contractions
- Slang
- Idioms
- Sports metaphors

Write in English unless fluent in audience’s language

Reconsider patterns of organization

Buffer negative messages; make requests indirect

Re-think audience benefits; ones that motivate US audience may not work

Allow extra response time

International business

Beyond a set of rules

Constantly changing

Seek and talk to people from other backgrounds

- Enhance understanding of multiple perspectives