Cross Cultural

Communication
Submitted To: Dr Noreen Saba
 Participants

Ayesha Nadeem (14007)

Minahal Fatima (13313)
Nimra Arshad (12576)
Ghulam Aamna (14874)
Aiman Rauf (14138)
 Cross-Cultural Communication
• Content List
What is Cross-Culture Communication?
What are Four basic types of Cultural
Communication?
Examples
Importance of Cross-Culture Communication
Strategies for Cross-Culture Communication
Ayesha Nadeem
14007
 What is Culture?
Culture:
Culture can be defined as all the ways of life
including arts, beliefs and institutions of a population
that are passed down from generation to generation.
Culture has been called "the way of life for an entire
society." As such, it includes codes of manners, dress,
language, religion, rituals, art. norms of behavior,
such as law and morality, and systems of belief.
What is Cross Culture Communication?
• Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at
how people from differing cultural backgrounds
communicate, in similar and different ways among
themselves, and how they endeavor to communicate across
cultures. Intercultural communication is a related field of
study.
• Cross cultural communication thus refers to the
communication between people who have differences in any
one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality,
ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. It is how
people belonging to different cultures communicate with each
other.
 Cross-Culture Communication
• Culture is a way of thinking and living whereby one picks up a set of
attitudes, values, norms and beliefs that are taught and reinforced by
other members in the group. This set of basic assumptions and
solutions to the problems of the world is a shared system that is
passed on from generation to generation to ensure survival. A culture
consists of unwritten and written principles and laws that guide how
an individual interacts with the outside world. Members of a culture
can be identified by the fact that they share some similarity. They may
be united by religion, by geography, by race or ethnicity.
• Our cultural understanding of the world and everything in it ultimately
affects our style of communication as we start picking up ways of one’s
culture at around the same time we start learning to communicate. 
Culture influences the words we speak and our behavior.
Minahal Fatima
13313
Types of Cultural communication
• Intercultural Communication
• Cross-Cultural Communication
• International Communication
• Multicultural Communication
 1. Intercultural Communication
• The communication among people of
different cultures is called intercultural
communication. It can occur within a country
among people of different cultures or it can
also happen when a person from one country
goes into another country and interact with
people there.
 2. Cross-Cultural Communication
• Its about dealing with people from other cultures in a
way that reduces any misunderstandings and helps
to build good relationships.
• Cross-cultural communication can be defined as a
dialogue or any kind of interaction (both verbal and
non-verbal) between people of different
nationalities. Applied to a business-oriented context,
cross-cultural communication refers to how well
people from different cultures interact in a business
environment.
 3. International Communication
• International communication (also referred to as
the study of global communication or transnational
communication) is the communication practice that
occurs across international borders. The need for
international communication was due to the
increasing effects and influences of globalization. As
a field of study, international communication is a
branch of communication studies, concerned with
the scope of "government-to-government",
"business-to-business", and "people-to-people"
interactions at a global level.
4. Multicultural Communication
• T​ he Multicultural Communication
concentration focuses on the dynamics of
communication across cultures. It explores not
only what happens when people of two
different cultures meet, but also what
happens when people from a variety of
cultures and ethnicities come together in one
organization, community or country.
Nimra Arshad
12576
 Cross-Cultural Communication
Examples
• It is not considered polite to say 'no' in India. If a person does not
like a proposal or proposition, they would actually agree, but
with a qualifier. They would say yes to an unacceptable proposal,
then counter with a more acceptable one.
• When speaking to a Japanese colleague who has closed their
eyes, do not take offense! They are listening intently, not
nodding off. Closing their eyes shows respect for the speaker's
opinion or interest in what they are saying.
• In many cultures, for example, countries in Asia, it is considered
impolite and aggressive to hold eye contact with a person. This
characteristic contrasts with Americans who hold eye contact as
an indication of engagement and respect.
 Cross-Cultural Communication
Importance
• Cultivating cross-cultural communication in a business setting is
a key factor in a company's viability and revenue growth. Thus,
it becomes essential for employees to gain the necessary skills
to interact with people of cultural backgrounds outside of their
own. Not possessing cross-cultural communication skills could
lead to the loss of reputation, profits, and the ability to attract
and retain good talent among a diversified pool of workers.
• The framework for developing these skills is grounded in
respecting cultural differences. Ignoring differences can lead to
offensive behaviors. It matters what is said and done in
acknowledging and embracing cultural differences to foster
good communication.
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
1. Maintain etiquette :
Many cultures have specific etiquette around the way they
communicate. Before you meet, research the target culture,
or if time allows, do some cross cultural training. For
example, many cultures expect a degree of formality at the
beginning of communication between individuals. Every
culture has its own specific way of indicating this formality:
‘Herr’ and ‘Frau’ in Germany, reversing family and given
names in China and the use of ‘san’ in Japan for men and
women etc. Be aware of these familiarity tokens and don’t
jump straight to first name terms until you receive a cue from
the other person to do so.
Ghulam Aamna
14874
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
2. Avoid slang:
Not even the most educated non-native
English speaker will have a comprehensive
understanding of English slang, idioms and
sayings. They may understand the individual
words you have said, but not the context or the
meaning. As a result you could end up confusing
them or at worst, offending them.
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
3. Speak slowly:
Even if English is the common language in a cross cultural
situation it’s not a good idea to speak at your normal
conversational speed. Modulating your pace will help, as will
speaking clearly and pronouncing your words properly. Break
your sentences into short, definable sections and give your
listener time to translate and digest your words as you go.
But don’t slow down too much as it might seem patronising.
If the person you’re speaking to is talking too quickly or their
accent is making it difficult for you to understand them, don’t
be afraid to politely ask them to slow down too.
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
4. Keep it simple:

In a cross cultural conversation there’s no need to

make it harder for both of you by using big words.
Just keep it simple. Two syllable words are much
easier to understand than three syllable words,
and one syllable words are better than two
syllable words. Say “Please do this quickly” rather
than “Please do this in an efficacious manner.”
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
5. Practice active listening:
Active listening is a very effective strategy for
improving cross cultural communication. Restate
or summarise what the other person has said, to
ensure that you have understood them correctly,
and ask frequent questions. This helps build
rapport and ensures that important information
doesn’t get missed or misunderstood.
Aiman Rauf
14138
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
6. Take turns to talk:
Make the conversation flow more freely by
taking it in turns to speak. Make a point and then
listen to the other person respond. Particularly
when people are speaking English as their second
language it’s better to talk to them in short
exchanges rather than delivering a long monologue
that might be difficult for them to follow.
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
7. Write things down:
If you’re not sure whether the other person
has understood you properly, write it down to
make sure. This can be particularly helpful when
discussing large figures. For example, in the UK
we write a billion as 1,000,000,000 but in the
USA, it’s written as 1,000,000,000,000.
 Strategies for Cross-Cultural
Communication
8. Avoid closed questions

Don’t phrase a question that needs a ‘yes’ or

‘no’ answer. In many cultures it is difficult or
embarrassing to answer in the negative, so you
will always get a ‘yes’ even if the real answer is
‘no’. Ask open-ended questions that require
information as a response instead.
 References

• https://www.marketing91.com/cross-cultural-communication/

• https://www.communicationtheory.org/cross-cultural-communication/

• https://springinstitute.org/whats-difference-multicultural-intercultural-cr
oss-cultural-communication
/