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Managing Cross-Cultural Business Communication
- 1. Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4-1 Ninth Edition
- 2. Chapter Learning Goals 1. To recognize the cultural variables in the communication process and what factors can cause noise in that process 2. To appreciate the cultural variables that affect communication for both the sender and the listener 3. To learn how to manage cross-cultural business communications successfully 4-2 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 3. Introduction Culture is conveyed and perpetuated through communication in one form or another. Communication is the process of sharing meaning by transmitting messages through media such as words, behavior, or material artifacts. 3
- 4. Verbal and non – verbal communication Verbal communication Face to face Telephone Written letters Non -verbal communication Style of dressing Time (The waiting game) The use of space Facial expression Eye contact Paralanguage (voice tone, silence etc.)
- 5. Communication and Intercultural Mgt Communication, whether in the form of writing, talking, listening, or via the internet, is an inherent part of a manager’s role and takes up the majority of a manager’s time on the job. Managers communicate to co-ordinate activities, to disseminate information, to motivate and to negotiate future plans 5
- 6. Intercultural communication The ability of a manager to effectively communicate across cultural boundaries will largely determine the success of international business transactions or the output of a culturally diverse workforce. When a member of one culture sends a message to a member of another culture, intercultural communication occurs Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 6
- 7. Noise in intercultural communication Anything that undermines the communication of an intended message is referred to as noise. Noise exists because people filter, or selectively understand, messages consistent with their own expectations and perceptions of reality, and their values and norms of behavior. As such, the more dissimilar the cultures of those involved, the more likely it is misinterpretation will 7
- 9. Intercultural communication The message contains the meaning intended by the encoder, but the decoder’s culture ends up becoming part of the meaning as he/she interprets the message. Attribution is the process in which people look for an explanation of another person’s behavior. When someone does not understand another, he/she usually blames the confusion on the other’s “stupidity, deceit, or craziness.” 9
- 10. Cultural Noise in International Communication Exhibit 4-2 4-10 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Behavior Attribution American: “How long will it take you to finish this report?” American: “I asked him to participate.” Greek: “His behaviour makes no sense” “He is the boss” Why doesn’t he tell me? Greek: “I don’t know. How long should it take?” American: “He refuses take responsibility?” Greek: “I asked him for an order.”
- 11. Effective communication depends on the informal understandings among the parties involved that are based on the trust developed between them. When trust exists, there is implicit understanding within communication, cultural differences may be overlooked, and problems can be dealt with more easily. The meaning of trust and how it is developed and communicated vary across societies. Copyright ©2014 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall 11 The Culture-Communication Link: Trust in Communication
- 12. Trust in Communication Guidelines for building trust Create a clear and calculated basis for mutual benefit There must realistic commitments and good intentions to honor them Improve predictability Strive to resolve conflicts and keep communication open Develop mutual bonding Through regular socializing and friendly contact 4-12
- 13. The Culture-Communication Link: The Globe Project (Javidan and House) • Present objective information directly and specifically High Performance Orientation: United States • Two-way discourse and friendly relationship Low Assertivenes s: Sweden • Avoid conflict, be supportive High Human Orientation: Ireland 4-13
- 14. Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4-14 Chapter Learning Goals To appreciate the cultural variables that affect communication for both the sender and the listener
- 15. Cultural Variables in Communication Attitudes Stereotyping Social Organization Worker unions, Religious sects Thought Patterns The meaning of double lines 4-15 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 16. Cultural Variables in Communication Roles Decision making and responsibility Language “come out of the grave with Pepsi” “rendez vous” in a US Airline 4-16 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 18. Cultural Variables in Communication …behavior that communicates without words “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Subtle messages account for between 65 to 93 percent of interpreted communication Minor variations in body language, speech rhythms, and punctuality often cause mistrust and misperception of the situation among cross-cultural parties 4-18 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. Nonverbal Communication
- 19. The Media for Nonverbal Communication Kinesic behavior—communication through body movements in China sticking out the tongue indicates surprise, whereas widening one’s eyes indicates anger. Occulesics are a form of kinesics that includes eye contact and the use of the eyes to convey messages e.g. eye contact Britain. Proxemics—the influence of proximity and space on communication—both personal space and office space or layout High-contact cultures: prefer to stand close and to experience a “close” sensory involvement Low-contact cultures: have a “distant” style of body language Paralanguage—how something is said rather than 4-19 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 20. The Media for Nonverbal Communication Object language/material culture—the way we communicate through material artifacts e.g., architecture, office design and furniture, clothing Monochronic cultures (Switzerland, Germany, United States): time is experienced in a linear way. Time orders life, and people tend to concentrate on one thing at a time Polychronic cultures (Latin Americans, Arabs): tolerate many things happening simultaneously and may focus on several things at once, and change 4-20 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 21. Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4-21 Context Personal and business relationships are diffused Feelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressed; key information is embedded in the context Personal and business relationships are more compartmentalized, communication has to be more explicit. Feelings and thoughts are expressed in words High Context Cultures Low Context Cultures
- 22. Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4-22 Cultural Context and Its Effect on Communication
- 23. Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc. 4-23 Chapter Learning Goals To learn how to manage cross- cultural business communications successfully
- 24. Managing Cross-Cultural Communication Develop cultural sensitivity Anticipate the meaning the receiver will get Careful encoding Use appropriate words, pictures, and gestures Avoid slang, idioms, regional sayings Selective Transmission Build relationships, face-to-face if possible Careful decoding of feedback Get feedback from multiple parties Improve listening and observation skills Follow-up actions 4-24 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 25. Facilitating Intercultural Communication • Open mindedness, tolerance for ambiguity, and extrovertedness Openness • Having an internal locus of control, persistence, a tolerance for ambiguity, and resourcefulness Resilience 4-25 Copyright ©2017 Pearson Education, Inc.
- 26. Terminologies in intercultural management Monochronic - A rigid orientation to time, in which the individual is focused on schedules, punctuality, and time as a resource. Polychronic - A flexible, nonlinear orientation to time, in which the individual takes a long term perspective and is capable of attending to multiple tasks simultaneously. Ethnocentric orientation - Using our own culture as the standard for judging other cultures. Polycentric orientation - A host-country mindset where the manager develops a greater affinity with the country in which she or he conducts business. Geocentric orientation – A global mindset where the manager is able to understand a business or market without regard to country boundaries. Acculturation - The process of adjusting and adapting to a culture other than one’s own. Cultural metaphor - A distinctive tradition or institution strongly associated with a particular society. Low-context culture - A culture that relies on elaborate verbal explanations, putting much emphasis on spoken words. High-context culture - A culture that emphasizes nonverbal messages and views communication as a means to promote smooth, harmonious relationships.
Editor's Notes
- Communication is the process of sharing meaning by transmitting messages through media such as words, behavior, or material artifacts. As shown in this figure, there are several stages in this process in which meaning can be distorted. Anything that undermines the communication of an intended message is referred to as noise. Noise exists because people filter, or selectively understand, messages consistent with their own expectations and perceptions of reality, and their values and norms of behavior. As such, the more dissimilar the cultures of those involved, the more likely it is misinterpretation will occur.
- When a member of one culture sends a message to a member of another culture, intercultural communication occurs. The message contains the meaning intended by the encoder, but the decoder’s culture ends up becoming part of the meaning as he/she interprets the message. Attribution is the process in which people look for an explanation of another person’s behavior. When someone does not understand another, he/she usually blames the confusion on the other’s “stupidity, deceit, or craziness.” This slide illustrates miscommunication and cultural noise by highlighting a portion of the example in Exhibit 4-2.
- In China and Japan for for e.g. business transactions are based on networks of long-standing relationships based on trust rather than on the formal contracts typical of the US
- Effective communication depends on the informal understandings among the parties involved that are based on the trust developed between them. When trust exists, there is implicit understanding within communication, cultural differences may be overlooked, and problems can be dealt with more easily. The meaning of trust and how it is developed and communicated vary across societies. Similarly, some cultures have a greater propensity to be trusting than others.
- The GLOBE research discussed in Chapter 3 also illustrates culturally appropriate communication styles and expectations. These examples show how to draw implications for appropriate communication styles from research on cultural differences.
- These cultural variables (and those on the next slide) can affect communication via a person’s perceptions. The effects of these variables are interdependent and inseparable. Attitudes underlie our behavior, communication, and interpretation. Ethnocentric attitudes are a particular source of noise. Stereotyping occurs when a person assumes that every member of a society or subculture has the same characteristics. Astute managers deal with people as individuals. The kinds of social organizations we belong to can influence our perceptions. Examples of social organizations include one’s nation, tribe, religious sect, or profession. The logical progression of reasoning varies widely across cultures. Managers cannot assume others use the same reasoning processes. The text provides an example of a Canadian who misunderstood the meaning of double lines on the road in Thailand. He automatically assumed the lines meant “no passing”—just as they do in Canada.
- Cultures differ in terms of their perceptions regarding who should make decisions and who has responsibility for what. When two people do not share a common language, communication problems arise. Even in countries that share the same language, problems can arise from the subtleties and nuances inherent in language. Because of increasing diversity, managers often have to deal with workforces that speak a variety of languages—even within a single country. Translation can be problematic as well. Pepsi provides one example of translation problems. As another example, when many Asians say “yes,” it often means only that they have heard you and are too polite to disagree. Sometimes how something is said is more important than what is said.
- Nonverbal communication is behavior that communicates without words—though it often may accompanied by words. Nonverbal communication has been shown to account for between 65% and 93% of interpreted communication.
- Kinesic behavior is communication through body movement—e.g., posture, gestures, facial expressions and eye contact. The meaning of such behavior varies across countries. For example, in China sticking out the tongue indicates surprise, whereas widening one’s eyes indicates anger. Occulesics are a form of kinesics that includes eye contact and the use of the eyes to convey messages. For example, the British will look away from you while speaking in order to keep your attention. When they have finished speaking, they will signal it is your turn to talk by looking at you. Proxemics concern the influence of proximity and space on communication (e.g., in terms of personal space and in terms of office layout). For example, space communicates power in the US and Germany. Executives in the US may have large, private corner offices. French executives, however, communicate their central position by working in the middle of subordinates. In high-contact cultures, people stand close and touch a great deal when communicating. People in low-contact cultures prefer less sensory involvement when communicating. Often people from cooler climates and individual cultures are low-contact communicators. People from warmer climates and collectivistic cultures tend to be high-contact communicators. Paralanguage refers to how something is said, rather than the content of what is said—e.g., rate of speech, tone and inflection of voice, other noises, laughing, yawning, and silence. For example, the Chinese tend to spend about 30 seconds thinking before they speak. Americans are only comfortable with 10 to 15 seconds of silence. Object language or material culture refers to how we communicate through material artifacts—e.g., architecture, office design and furniture, clothing, cars, cosmetics, and time. In monochronic cultures, time is experienced linearly and as sometime to be spent, saved, made up, or wasted. Time orders life, and people tend to concentrate on one thing at a time. In polychronic cultures, people tolerate many things happening simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people. In these cultures, people may be highly distractible, focus on several things at once, and change plans often.
- Object language or material culture refers to how we communicate through material artifacts—e.g., architecture, office design and furniture, clothing, cars, cosmetics, and time. In monochronic cultures, time is experienced linearly and as sometime to be spent, saved, made up, or wasted. Time orders life, and people tend to concentrate on one thing at a time. In polychronic cultures, people tolerate many things happening simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people. In these cultures, people may be highly distractible, focus on several things at once, and change plans often.
- The context in which the communication takes place affects the meaning and interpretation of the interaction. High context cultures do not express feelings and thoughts explicitly. Rather, one has to read between the lines and interpret meaning from one’s general understanding. Low context cultures usually compartmentalize personal and business relationships. As such, communication must be more explicit. To illustrate, Germans will expect considerable detailed information before making a business decision. Arabs will base decisions more on knowledge of the people involved.
- There are several things a manager can do to encourage effective cross-cultural communication. One can attempt to anticipate the likely meaning a receiver will attach to a message by internalizing honest cultural empathy with that person. The latter includes thinking about the context of the communication—e.g., societal, economic, and organizational. Keep in mind that communication is both verbal and nonverbal. Encoding a message in multiple ways can help ensure the receiver gets the right meaning—especially when language differences are an issue. For instance, it may be helpful to provide a written summary as a supplement to a verbal presentation. The medium chosen for the message depends on a variety of factors. The key is to find out how communication is transmitted in the local organization—e.g., how much is downward or upward, how much is vertical, how the grapevine works. Of course, cultural variables need to be considered as well. Face-to-face relationships often are best for relationship-building. Personal interaction also allows for immediate verbal and visual feedback. When face-to-face communication is not possible, teleconferencing and telephone calls may be more desirable than email. Just as multiple media and sources are important for encoding, they can help ensure a message is accurately decoded. It can be useful to ask colleagues to help interpret what is going on. To keep lines of communication open, managers must follow through with what has been discussed and agreed upon. Contract follow through can be particularly difficult given that cultures have different ideas about what constitutes a contract.
- There is a connection between a person’s personality traits and the ability to adapt to the host-country’s environment—including the ability to communicate within that environment. Two key personality traits are openness and resilience. Openness includes traits such as tolerance for ambiguity, extrovertedness, and open-mindedness. Resilience includes having an internal locus of control, persistence, tolerance for ambiguity, and resourcefulness. These factors, combined with the person’s cultural and racial identity and level of preparedness for change, comprise that person’s potential for adaptation.