1. Cross-cultural Communication and Negotiation
Chapter 7

2. Chapter Outline The communication process
Noise in communication
Direct vs. formal communication
Non-verbal communication
Body movement and gestures
Space
Eye contact
Touching

3. Chapter Outline (2) Monochronic vs. polychronic time
Practical issues in communication
Using interpreters
Communication with non-native speakers
Avoiding attribution errors

4. The Communication Process
Communication is the process of transferring meaning from sender to receiver.
Medium
Receiver
interpretation
Sender
meaning
Encoding
Decoding
Feedback
The Communication Model

5. The Communication Process
Encoding: The sender expresses a meaning in a message
Medium: the means that a sender uses to transmit the message
Decoding: the receiver gets the message
Interpretation: the receiver tries to understand the meaning of the message
Feedback: The receiver responds to the message

6. Noise in Communication
Noise is a factor that causes the receiver to misunderstand the hearer's message.
"I wonder if you realize that what you think you heard is not what I meant to say".
"Yes" does not always mean "yes".

7. Basic Communication Styles
Direct communication: communication that comes to the point and lacks ambiguity
Formal communication: communication that acknowledges rank, titles, and ceremony in prescribed social interaction

8. Exhibit 12.2: Cultural Differences in Communication Styles

9. Context of Communication (1)
Context is the information that surrounds a communication and helps to convey the message
Low-context societies – U. S. and most northern
European countries
Message is explicit and the speaker tries to say precisely what is meant
Direct style: focus on speaker's statements
Silence may make people uncomfortable
Facial expressions and body language may be easy to interpret, if you understand the gestures of the speaker's culture
Business meetings are often focused on objectives.

10. Context of Communication (2)
High-context societies – most Arab and Asian countries
Business meetings with new contacts focus on relationships first. Business comes later.
Indirect style: speaker does not spell out his message
Avoid saying "no"
Avoid embarrassing people

11. Context of Communication (3)
High-context societies (continued)
Messages often are implicit: Listener is expected to de-code verbal and non-verbal cues, such as voice, intonation, timing, body language
Silence is used to understand received messages and decide how to reply
If the culture is neutral (Asia), control body language and facial expressions – if you do not, people will not trust you or respect you.

12. Exhibit 12.1: Country Differences in High-Context and Low-Context Communication

13. Nonverbal Communication
Communication without words
Gestures and body language
Space
Touching
Eye contact
Non-verbal behaviors differ in different cultures
Major source of "noise" or misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication.

14. Body Movement Communication through body movements
E.g., facial expressions, body posture
Most Asian cultures use bowing to show respect
No universal code for what body movements mean
Easy to misinterpret gestures

15. Space Use of space to communicate
Each culture has appropriate distances for communication
North Americans prefer more distance than Latin American and Arab cultures
Closed offices vs. open offices

16. Space (2)
Distance
Intimate distance is used for very confidential communications
Personal distance is used for talking with family and close friends
Social distance is used to handle most business transactions
Public distance is used when calling across the room or giving a talk to a group

17. Personal Space in the U.S.
Intimate distance
18”
Personal distance
18” to 4’
Social distance
4’ to 8’
Public distance
8’ to 10’

18. Seating in a Typical Japanese Office

19. Touching
Shaking hands, embracing, or kissing when greeting one another. Touching to emphasize a point
No touching or low touching
E.g., Japan, U.S., England, and many Northern European countries
Moderate touching
E.g., Australia, China, Ireland, and India
Touching
E.g., Latin American countries, Italy, and Greece

20. Eye Contact Communication through eye contact or gaze
U.S. and Canada: people are very comfortable and expect eye contact to be maintained
China and Japan: eye contact is considered very rude and disrespectful

21. Monochronic Time Things are done in a linear fashion.
Manager addresses Issue A first and then moves on to Issue B
Time schedules are very important. Time is viewed as something that can be controlled and should be used wisely
Be on time for appointments.
Perform services or deliver goods when promised.
Meetings have stated objectives and include only the people that need to be there.

22. Polychronic Time People tend to do several things at the same time
People place higher value on personal involvement than on getting things done on time
Schedules are less important than personal relationships
People should be understanding about delays.
In Arab countries, several meetings may be going on in the same room at the same time.

23. Practical Issues in Cross-Cultural Business Communication
Interpreter’s role: to provide a simultaneous translation of a foreign language
Require greater linguistic skills than speaking a language or translating written documents
Have the technical knowledge and vocabulary to deal with technical details common in business transactions
Have to ensure the accuracy and common understanding of agreements

24. Successful Use of Interpreters
Spend time with the interpreter
Go over technical and other issues with interpreter for proper understanding
Insist on frequent interruptions when it’s necessary
Look for feedback and comprehension by watching the eyes

25. Successful use of Interpreters (2)
Discuss the message beforehand
Request that your interpreter apologize for your inability to speak in the local language
Confirm that all key components of the message have been properly comprehended

26. Communication with Non-native 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
Avoid sports words or words borrowed from literature

27. Communication with Non-native Speakers (2)
Avoid words or expressions that are pictures
Avoid slang
Mimic the cultural flavor of the nonnative speaker’s language
Test your communication success
Repeat basic ideas using different words when your counterpart does not understand
Confirm important aspects in writing

28. Avoiding Attribution Errors
Attribution: process by which we interpret the meaning of spoken words or nonverbal exchanges
Attribute meaning based on our taken-for-granted cultural expectations
Easy to make mistakes of attribution
Need to observe carefully
Avoid subtleties of a foreign language
Avoid complex nonverbal behaviors