COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES Chapter 4 COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Definitions Communication is the exchange of meaning. Communication is the process of transferring meanings from sender to receiver(s). Cross-cultural communication occurs when a person from one culture sends a message to a person from another culture.

Perception & Interpretation Nonverbal Communications Elements of Communication Perception & Interpretation Encoding Decoding Message Channel Nonverbal Communications Sender Receiver

The Communication Process Sender Meaning Encoding Medium Feedback Receiver Interpretation Decoding

A Communication Model Communication Channel Feedback Noise Encodes Decodes Receiver Sender

Transmission through a channel Communications Model with Feedback Stimulus Reality Perception Perception Decoding Interpretation Encoding Interpretation Transmission through a channel Encoding Feedback

Cross-Cultural Misperception Perception is the process by which individual selects, organizes, and evaluates stimuli from the external environment to provide meaningful experiences for himself or herself. Perception is selective, culturally determined, tends to remain constant, and perceptual patterns are learned.

Cross-Cultural Misinterpretation Interpretation is the process of making sense out of perception, and organizes our experience to guide our behavior. The effectiveness of communication is determined by how closely the sender and receiver have the same meaning for the same message Categories & Stereotypes

Sources of Misinterpretation Subconscious Cultural Blinders Lack of Cultural Self-Awareness Projected Similarity

U.S. Proverbs Representing Cultural Values Proverb Cultural Value Time is money Time Thriftiness Don’t cry over spilt milk Practicality Waste not, want not Frugality Early to bed, early to rise, makes- Diligence; one healthy, wealthy, and wise work ethic A stitch in time saves nine Timeliness If at first you don’t succeed, Persistence; try, try again work ethic Take care of today, and Preparation- tomorrow will take car of itself for the future

Cross-Cultural Misevaluation Evaluation involves judging whether some one or something is good or bad.

HIGH CONTEXT Communications have multiple meanings interpreted by reading the situation People depend more on shared codes Agreements tend to be spoken Personal relationships are relatively long lasting Insiders and outsiders are closely distinguished 25

LOW CONTEXT The words provide most of the meaning People depend less on nonverbal codes Agreements tend to be written Personal relationships are relatively shorter in duration Insiders and outsiders are less closely distinguished 24

Cultural Context and its Effects on Communication (Exhibit 4-5) high context/implicit High Japan Middle East Latin America Africa Mediterranean England France North America Scandinavia Germany Switzerland Context low context/explicit Low High Explicitness of communication

Differences between Japanese and American Communication Styles (Exhibit 4-6) Japanese Ningensei Style of Communication Indirect verbal and nonverbal communication Relationship communication Discourages confrontational strategies Strategically ambiguous communication Delayed feedback Patient, longer term negotiators Uses fewer words U.S. Adversarial Style of Communication More direct verbal and nonverbal communication More task communication Confrontational strategies more acceptable Prefers more to-the-point communication More immediate feedback Shorter term negotiators Favors verbosity

Differences Between Japanese and American Communication Styles (Contd Distrustful of skilful verbal communicators Group orientation Cautious, tentative Complementary communicators Softer, heartlike logic Sympathetic, empathetic, complex use of pathos Expresses and decodes complex relational strategies and nuances Exalts verbal eloquence More individualistic orientation More assertive, self-assured More publicly critical communicators Harder, analytic logic preferred Favors logos, reason Expresses and decodes complex logos, cognitive nuances

Differences Between Japanese and American Communication Styles (Contd Avoids decision making in public Makes decision in private venues, away from public eye Decisions via ringi and nemawashi (complete consensus process) Uses go-betweens for decision making Understatement and hesitation in verbal and nonverbal communication Frequent decision making in public Frequent decisions in public at negotiating tables Decisions by majority rule and public compromise is more commonplace More extensive use of direct person-to-person, player-to-player interaction for decisions May publicly speak in superlatives, exaggerations, nonverbal projection

Differences Between Japanese and American Communication Styles (Contd Uses qualifiers, tentative, humility as communicator Receiver/listening-centered Inferred meanings, looks beyond words to nuances, nonverbal communication Shy, reserved communicators Distaste for purely business transactions Mixes social and business communication Favors fewer qualifiers, more ego-centered More speaker- and message-centered More face-value meaning, more denotative More publicly self-assertive Prefers to “get down to business” or “nitty gritty” Tends to keep business negotiating more separated from social communication

Differences Between Japanese and American Communication Styles (Contd Utilizes matomari or “hints” for achieving group adjustments and saving face in negotiating Practices haragei or belly logic and communication More directly verbalizes management’s preference at negotiating tables Practices more linear, discursive, analytical logic; greater reverence for cognitive than for affective

Achieving Communication Effectiveness NEED TO: Improve Feedback Systems Provide Language Training Provide Cultural Training Increase Flexibility and Co-operation

Managing Cross-Cultural Communication Developing cultural sensitivity Careful encoding Selective transmission Careful decoding of feedback Follow-up actions

Behaviors Most Important to Intercultural Communication Effectiveness (as reviewed by Ruben) Respect (conveyed through eye contact, body posture, voice tone and pitch) Interaction posture (the ability to respond to others in a descriptive, nonevaluative, and nonjudgmental way) Orientation to knowledge (recognizing that one’s knowledge, perception, and beliefs are valid only for oneself and not for everyone else) Empathy Interaction management Tolerance for ambiguity Other-oriented role behavior (one’s capacity to be flexible and to adopt different roles for the sake of greater group cohesion and group communication

COMMUNICATION WITH NONNATIVE SPEAKERS Use the most common words with most common meanings Select words with few alternative meanings Follow rules of grammar strictly Speak with clear breaks between words 28

COMMUNICATION WITH NONNATIVE SPEAKERS Avoid “sports” words or words borrowed from literature Avoid slang/words that represent pictures Mimic the cultural flavor nonnative speaker’s language Summarize Test your communication success 29