Intercultural Communication in Business 2024-01-21

Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education

Faculty of Foreign Languages

Intercultural Communication in
Business Unit 2 Universal Systems
Lecturer: Tin T. Dang, PhD
Email: tin.dang@hcmute.edu.vn

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Outline
Economic systems
Political systems
Educational systems Economic Systems
Marriage & family systems
Social hierarchies & interactions

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Economic Systems Economic Systems

ECONOMIC
ECONOMY SYSTEMS

capitalism socialism agrarianism barter

production distribution consumption
Laos
USA Sweden Belize
Marshall
Japan Vietnam Cambodia
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Intercultural Communication in Business 2024-01-21

Economic Systems Economic Systems

Practice INTERNATIONAL
What kind of behaviors and attitudes do people in each of the TRADING
following economic systems tend to appreciate?
▪ Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes one and
gives it to your neighbor. import export
▪ Capitalism: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

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Economic Systems Economic Systems

Countries Export Import
Germany Cars, steel, aluminum, Petroleum, cheese, coal, Practice
televisions, and other broadcasting equipment, Importing and exporting require communications across the
manufactured goods medicaments, computer
countries. Do the cultural values of importers or exporters
France Wine, milk, butter, cheese, Computers, vehicles, mineral
potentially dominate in these communications? Justify your
barley, wheat, steel products fuels, plastics
responses.
Vietnam Rice, coffee, wooden Electronics, phones, steel,
products, shoes, textile metals
products, plastics
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Political Systems
POLITICAL SYSTEMS

Political Systems
inherited elected
dictatorship consensus conquest
rights procedures

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Political Systems Political Systems

Practice
nationalism
Elections can be found in the political system of both Vietnam
and USA. Prior to each election, there should be several public Multinational
affected by supernationalism
talks and debates in USA, but not that many in Vietnam. Identify Company
the political values which tend to be appreciated in each culture.

subnationalism
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Political Systems
Valuing the dominance of a nation in one
Nationalism
company and ignoring national boundaries

Supernationalism
Appreciating the superior dominance of a
group of nations in one company Educational Systems
Uniting diverse people of the company into a
Subnationalism
subset of one government

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Educational Systems Educational Systems

EDUCATIONAL Type of
SYSTEM Training

technical
formal informal liberal arts apprenticeships
training

Focusing on the specialized

Focusing on humanities &
textbooks words of mouth the importance of learning
fields such as marketing, Focusing on practical
management, finance, & experience and theory
process
economics
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Intercultural Communication in Business 2024-01-21

Educational Systems Educational Systems

Classroom Practice
Interactions
non-interactive very interactive The educational system in Japan is very competitive. Entrance
(teachers & (teachers & exams to private schools and universities are rigorous. Education
students) students) is only free for students until 15. Education is expected to be
difficult and sometimes unpleasant. What are the cultural values
transferring knowledge constructing knowledge
does Japan tend to appreciate?

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Educational Systems

Marriage & Family

Practice
Use your understandings to describe the educational system in
Vietnam and identify the cultural values that the nation would like
to promote in its educational system. Systems
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Marriage & Family Systems Marriage & Family Systems

Marriage &
Family FAMILY

attitudes beliefs practices

nuclear extended blended family by
joint family
family family family choice
Initiating marriage
Taking responsibilities of families
Raising children 23 24

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Marriage & Family Systems Marriage & Family Systems

MARRIAGE Practice
Patriarchal Matriarchal In Italy, the ability to be hired and work depends on your
(father oriented) (mother oriented) relatives. Nepotism and favoritism are considered a way of life.
However, in U.S. corporations, nepotism and favoritism are
viewed with disfavor. Job seekers must go through an objective
group symbolic fixed-term
monogamy polygyny polyandry
marriage marriage marriage
evaluation process. What cultural values are focused in each
situation for business success?

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Marriage & Family Systems

Practice
In Canada, dating begins before age 16 and many couples
choose to live together. If they do marry, it is generally after 30 Social Hierarchies &
Interaction
years of age. Parents often work outside the home. The average
family size is two children. One-third of marriages end in divorce.
Compare these details with those of Vietnamese families. Do you
want to integrate any of these values into Vietnamese families?

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Social Hierarchies & Interaction Social Hierarchies & Interaction

SOURCES of FAMILY’S
EXPOSURE FUNCTIONS

children’s television providing

transmitting transmitting
folk games emotional
literature shows support
culture identity

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Social Hierarchies & Interaction Social Hierarchies & Interaction

SOCIAL SOCIAL
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE

social group social group

intermediaries formality property intermediaries formality property
reciprocity membership reciprocity membership

The way in which formal & informal communications are handled. People can belong to many, some ,or a few groups. This indicates the
People either avoid commitment or are indebted to others. level of personal freedom & group affiliation that people want to devote
to.
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Social Hierarchies & Interaction Social Hierarchies & Interaction

SOCIAL SOCIAL
STRUCTURE STRUCTURE

social group social group

intermediaries formality property intermediaries formality property
reciprocity membership reciprocity membership

People acting as go-betweens with other people. If intermediaries The degree of preciseness, regularity, or conformity expected within the
are not used, people are direct & independent. If intermediaries are society.
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Social Hierarchies & Interaction Social Hierarchies & Interaction

SOCIAL
STRUCTURE SOCIAL
HIERARCHIES
social group
intermediaries formality property
reciprocity membership

power wealth privilege

Possession of properties. Properties should be private, utilitarian, or
community such as land ownership in Vietnam vs. China.
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Social Hierarchies & Interaction Social Hierarchies & Interaction

HIERARCHICAL rules of
speed efficiency time
DIVISIONS work
work-role social
kinesics friendships expectations acceptance
social ethnic body
gender caste tribe respect knowledge skills
class groups
posture
role management ambiguity
empathy
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Social Hierarchies & Interaction

Practice T HANK YOU

D
In many cultures, friendships are necessary before any business

D
is ever conducted. In many others, when business starts,
friendship must stop. As the director of an international hospital
in Vietnam, how would you consider the role of friendship in your
business? Justify your response.

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