CROSS-CULTURE COMMUNICATION

“The reasonable person adapts himself to the world,

while the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt
the world to himself”
 What is a culture?
• Culture is the "lens" through which you view the
world.
• It is central to what you see,
• How you make sense of what you see,
• How you express yourself.

"Culture is the arts elevated to a set of beliefs."

– Tom Wolfe
Four Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Difference

What is different?

1. Communication Styles
2. Attitudes toward conflicts
3. Decision making style
4. Approaches to knowing

What is hidden below the surface?

1. Beliefs
2. Values
3. Expectations
4. Attitudes
The Cultural Iceberg
 Cross Culture Communication

Intercultural Communication is the process of sending and

receiving messages between people whose cultural
background could lead them to interpret verbal and non-
verbal signs differently.
CODES USED IN COMMUNICATION

Verbal Communication
 Words
 Voice
Non-Verbal Communication
 Gestures
 Postures
 Facial Expressions
 Eye Contact
 Vocal Characteristics
 Personal Appearance
 Touch
 Why Cross Culture
Communication is important ?

Globalization: Cross border movement of people, goods and data

brings more and more cultures into contact with one another and
increases the potential of cross culture communication.

◦ Business Opportunities
◦ Job Opportunities
◦ Improves the contribution of employees in a diverse
workforce
◦ Sharing of views and ideas
◦ Talent improvisation
◦ An understanding of diverse market
Consider: An 8:00 meeting

(pp. 210-211)
Challenges facing non-native speakers

(p. 212)
Cultural differences in interpersonal
communication

(pp. 215-228)
1. Cultural influences on message content

• Appropriate topics for discussion: What topics

are taboo for discussions? (family? illness?
politics?)
• Affirmations and rejections: Must you agree?
Can you say “no”? How do you say “no”?
• Openness to express opinions: Can you really
express your opinions? (speaking to “superiors”?)

(p. 216)
2. Cultural influences on message context

• On average, verbal communication only carries

about 7 percent of message content in a two-way
conversation.
• This suggests that non-verbal communication can
be critical in filling in the blanks in a two-way
exchange. (55% - 38% - 7%)
• Cultures can be differentiated based on the extent
to which they generally emphasize high or low
context in their communication patterns.

(p. 218)
2. Cultural influences on message context

• Facial expressions: Is it acceptable to show joy or

anger?
• Personal space: How close should we stand to one
another?
• Body language: Is it acceptable to point at
someone? If so, how? What are the implications of
bad posture?
• Secret communication: Do we use secret codes or
symbols to convey meaning that others cannot
detect?
(p. 218)
Blocks to Cultural Communication

1. Ethnocentrism : Inability to accept another culture's world view;

"my way is the best."

2. Discrimination : Differential treatment of an individual due to

minority status; actual and perceived; e.g., "we just aren't equipped to
serve people like that."

3. Stereotyping : Generalizing about a person while ignoring presence

of individual difference;
4.Cultural Blindness: Differences are ignored and one proceeds as
though differences did not exist; e.g., "there's no need to worry about a
person's culture

5.Cultural Imposition: Belief that everyone should conform to the

majority; e.g., "we know what's best for you, if you don't like it you can
go elsewhere."
 Improving cross-cultural
communication
1. Enhance message clarity
– Message content
– Language clarity
– Delivery style
2. Enhance message comprehension
– Inquiry
3. Minimize communication breakdowns
 1. Enhancing message clarity
• State message clearly; slow down.
• Repeat message using different words, if
possible.
• Back up spoken message with written materials.
• Speak in the other’s language, if possible.
• Avoid using idioms, jargon, or ambiguous words.
• Convey message in ways that are not offensive or
threatening to others.
 2. Enhancing message
comprehension
• State your expectations and assumptions clearly.
• Restate the positions of all parties during discussions to
clarify common understanding.
• Deal with questions and concerns as they arise.
• Be patient; repeat message as often as needed.
• Ask each side to state the other’s position as he/she sees
it.
• Avoid being so polite or subtle that message context gets
lost.
• Write down any agreements of additional information to be
sought.
 3. Recognizing and responding to
communication breakdowns

• Observe body language for signs of distress,

anger, or confusion.
• Be patient and understanding. Take a break when
appropriate.
• Mentally change places with others, asking
yourself how they would respond to what you are
saying.
• Notice your own reactions to the situation.
 Think about it:
Communicating across cultures

1. Have you ever had an experience speaking with people

whose native language was different than your own?
2. How did these conversations usually turn out?
3. With hindsight, what might you have done to make these
conversations run more smoothly?

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