You will never know a man till you do business with him (Scottish Proverb )

Rule in interacting and communicating Different rules applied for different culture Problem when cross-culture communication occurred

3 basic assumptions about human communication: 1. Communication is rule governed 2. Context prescribes appropriate communication rules 3. Communication rules are culturally diverse

Verbal & non-verbal What & how it should be said Non-verbal includes touch (who & how), facial expression (where & when to smile), eye-contact (appropriate to staring), paralanguage (when to whisper, shout) Verbal includes turn taking, voice volume, formality of language Depending on: context/event, the person you talk with

Context (place) specifies appropriate rules E.g. in classroom, church, mosque, wedding, funeral Extreme deviation leads to social sanctions Being ignored, asked to leave

Cultures have many same social setting and context Frequently abide by different rules Differences on Concepts of time, dress, language, manners, nonverbal behavior, control of the communication flow Aware of your own & other culture’s rule

3 communication variables woven in and out of every communication setting: 1. Formality & informality 2. Assertiveness and interpersonal harmony 3. Status relationships

The forms: how to dress, posture, addressing someone, type of speech used US  informal & direct dress code for office, posture when talking to teacher/superior in the office, directness in delivering the message, the used of ‘hi’, calling the first name, disregard someone’s title Egypt, Turkey, Japan  formal Student - teacher relationship (Egyptian proverb: whoever teaches me a letter, I should become a slave to him forever) Addressing someone with the title and surname Affected by culture, number of friends you have, your closeness to friends, what you tell those friends

The manner in which people present themselves to others Directly influence the intercultural setting American known as assertive communicator Encouraged and taught to be frank, open and direct when dealing with other American individuals expected to stand up for their rights, and often involves confrontation

Northeast and Southeast highlighting harmonious relations Filipinos’ two terms for harmony: amor propio (harmony) and pakikisama (smooth interpersonal relations) Prefer being treated as person than object Vulnerable to negative remarks affecting the image in society Seldom criticize and verbally confront others Japanese, maintain harmony in personal and professional setting Dislike deviation, accept and adopt normative expectations

Egalitarian (low level of concern for social differences) vs. Hierarchical (emphasize on status & rank) Egalitarian Informal interaction between subordinates and seniors, minimizing formality Motivate every individual to increase his social status Eg. US, Australia, NZ The use of first name rather than title Easy access to the superior President activities outside oval office Hierarchical Eg. Japan, Spain Language style use for someone in a higher position Protocols governs interpersonal and organizational activities Formal interaction between superior and subordinates Eg. China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan Teachers get the utmost respect

1. Business protocol Initial contact, greetings behavior, personal appearance, gift giving, office spatial design 2. Management 3. Negotiations 4. Decision making 5. Conflict management

Initial Contacts When? Latin America (LA), appointment made at least a month in advance & verified a week before Select an appropriate date, pay attention on national holidays How? LA: , telephone Who? LA: Person in a high position as possible Use intermediary LA, Egypt, Africa, China, US; informal & friendly, shake hands, use first name, business card exchange in business settings but not in social gathering Saudi; handshake, often embrace and kiss on both cheeks, titles are important China; the use of titles  reflecting the hierarchy; eg. Lao tse, jaio shou, yi shen, shi fu Eye contact Greeting Behavior

Personal appearance In international business where language barriers may impede the ability to fully express yourself, personal appearance is important Dress code: color Japan, German formal dress in dark color Indonesia, Malay, Philippines more relax; omits tie and suit Latin America dresses fashionably View Greek: Sustain relations, repay past favors, ensure preferable consideration in the future US: Bribery What China should not give handkerchief When How Giving Moslem should in right hand Gift Giving

Group affiliation vs individualism Business meeting When, how long, what to discuss US: for disseminating information & making decision, conducted when absolutely needed, start – end on time French: forum for exchanging information, validate decision that has been made by senior manager. Presentation at meeting US, UK; provide conciseness, well-organized presentation related to the topic Italians: speak expressively, don’t feel constrained by scheduled time Business contract Written vs. spoken

1. Participant perspective People view on the negotiation process as a whole, perception of their counterparts, conduct the bargaining sessions US enters directly, quick result – max. profit, short term perspective, long term relation is secondary JPN & CHN: build the relation, establish level of trust, enter the extended association with other org. Russian: negotiation = forum for debate Age of the negotiators CHN: great respects to elders US: competency Gender Sensitive in Arabic countries

2. External factors Formality vs informality Status of members View of time Role of government Ethical standards Display of emotion Communication style 3. Expected outcomes Agreement vs long-term relation

International executives are enforced to make decision internationally Concern on ‘who’ and ‘how’ Individual vs collective Power distance (centralize vs decentralize) Accepting and dealing with confrontation vs avoid conflict Eg. French, few high-level individuals made all decision; others, groups are actively following the processed Eg. Japan, group consensus are important for avoiding conflict Eg. Mexican relies on an individual to make decision

Conflict can not be avoided If not manage properly, it will lead to irreparable breakdowns Collective vs individualist Collective has an aversion to open, direct conflict  seen as a threat for group harmony and stability; criticism expressed indirectly, in passive, accommodating style since it carries the potential loss of face Individualist seeing disagreement as natural and valued part of life; openly express to the top management, fight it through arbitrary

Visit several ATMs in different areas (write down the bank name and location). Check how many different languages available in every ATM. Why those machines use more than one language? If the languages vary between locations, try to decide why. To be discussed on the next meeting!

Try to go to a supermarket selling imported snack (Ranch / Hokky / Papaya). Check several snacks, how many language available on the packaging. Why they are using more than one language and why most of the snacks choose different languages to be written down. Try to decide factors influencing the decision in choosing those languages!