Cultural Differences in Communication Lecture 6

Problems with lack of Cultural Awareness You may communicate what you don’t wish to You may hurt your credibility You may misunderstand

High Context vs. Low Context Culture/Language High Context Cultures: -“Yes” does not always mean “Yes” - Look at what people are doing not saying - Avoid conflict Low Context Cultures - “No” means “No”… - People say what they mean - Consider business conflict natural and impersonal

High LOW China Britain USA Germany Japan Arab France Thill and Bovee page 70

High vs. low in Business HIGH- Relationships are especially important -Position and status are especially important - Business and Personal are one Low- Ability is especially important - Workers expect very detailed information - Business and personal are seperate

High vs. low in Business High: Written contracts laws etc. flexible Low: Written word is not flexible High: Things like meetings can happen at any minute without conflict Low: Employees expect to be told of an event long before it starts High: Unspoken communication very important Low: Only direct communication important

Men and Women Women -work for agreement -may say “yes” to mean only “I’m listening” -many cultures are not used to doing business with them -are less respected in some cultures

Men and Women Men -are given special respect in some cultures -often aim for quicker decisions rather than consensus -may be less comfortable letting others have some control

Personal Space In the USA we stand about 5 feet apart Germans and Japanese would say “too close” Latin Americans, and Arabs “too far”

Personal Relations and Simple Facts In China and Japan, companies must build up trust before working with each other. In the US, companies only need to look at prices, achievements, and other factual details.

Face Westerners do not naturally think as much about face They view business as impersonal So don’t take it personally

Manners Please and Thank You “Small talk” Asking personal questions Attitude towards strangers In India, when invited to a house “anytime” show up unexpected to be polite In the US, never show up unexpected

Time In US and Germany… -plans are inflexible -time should not be wasted In Asia… -plans are more flexible -there is less emphasis on wasting time

Names In US... -use first names for people you know except higher bosses, doctors, teachers… -people often tell you what to call them In Britain… -be respectful of titles In Japan… -expect to hear a respectful “San” after your name

Morals and Ethics “Good” and “Bad” are often different between cultures Think about: - Women - Status -Connections - Human Rights -Bribery - Friendship

Language is not enough Much of communication does not involve words The differences between cultures are much greater than language Understanding another culture is necessary for full understanding

Avoiding Conflict Do not assume that one culture’s way is right Find ways to build trust Respect cultural differences Understand that we are made a little blind by our culture Be honest and direct if indirect language would not be understood

Avoiding Conflict To be safe, expect difference Study the other culture In business, focus on your shared goals Practice your listening skills

Homework Review section V of chapter 1: “Culture Strategy”