1. Communicating across Cultures
Chapter 7
Communicating across Cultures

2. Culture Shapes values, priorities, and practices
Modern business requires dealing with other cultures

3. Successful Intercultural Communicator
Aware of values, beliefs, and practices in other cultures
Sensitive to differences among individuals within a culture
Aware that one’s preferred values
Are influenced by culture
Are not always right

4. Successful Intercultural Communicator, continued…
Willing to ask questions about preferences and behaviors.
Flexible and open to change
Sensitive to verbal and nonverbal behavior

5. Importance of Global Business
Exports are essential to businesses and the economy
Many companies depend on vendors who are located in other countries
Companies adapt products and services for local cultures
Managers often need international experience for top-level jobs

6. Sources of Workplace Diversity
Gender
Race and ethnicity
Regional and national origin
Social class
Religion
Age
Sexual orientation
Physical ability

7. Ways to Look at Culture: High-Context Cultures
Infer most information from social relationships
Convey little information explicitly
Prefer indirectness, politeness, ambiguity
Consider oral agreements more binding than written ones
Rely heavily on nonverbal signs
Latin
American
Japanese
Arabic

8. Ways to Look at Culture: Low-Context Cultures
Rely little on context
Spell out most information
Value directness: may see indirectness as dishonest or manipulative
Value written word more than oral statements
Scandinavian
German
North American

9. Ways to Look at Culture: Cultural Dimensions
Power/Inequality
Individualism/Collectivism
Masculinity/Femininity
Uncertainty Avoidance
Long-term/Short-term Orientation

10. Values, Beliefs, and Practices
Often unconscious
Affect response to people and situations
Different cultures have different views of
Fairness
Groups
Competition
Success
Social status

11. Nonverbal Communication
Communication without words
Signals such as smiles and gestures
May be misinterpreted as easily as words
Important to be conscious of signals sent and received

12. Nonverbal Communication Types
Body language
eye contact – facial expressions – gestures
Touch
how much – who touches whom
Space
personal space
Time
being on time – measuring time

13. X Time Monochronic culture Polychronic culture People focus on clock
Plan their time; avoid wasting it
Polychronic culture
People focus on relationships
Disregard clocks and planners X

14. Other Nonverbal Symbols
Clothing
Colors
Age
Height

15. Oral Communication Requires cultural understanding Be aware of
Understatement and exaggeration
Compliments
Approaches to Negatives

16. Writing to International Audiences
Most cultures more formal than U.S.
Avoid
First names (use titles)
Contractions
Slang
Idioms
Sports metaphors

17. Writing to International Audiences, continued…
Write in English unless fluent in audience’s language
Reconsider patterns of organization
Buffer negative messages; make requests indirect
Re-think audience benefits; ones that motivate U.S. audience may not work
Allow extra response time

18. Learning about International Business Communication
Beyond a set of rules
International business practices are constantly evolving/changing
Seek and talk to people from other backgrounds
Enhance understanding of multiple perspectives