1. Communicating across Cultures Module Three Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. McGraw-Hill/Irwin

2. Learning Objectives LO 3-1 Define culture through context. LO 3-2 Compare and contrast dimensions of culture. LO 3-3 Apply strategies for international communication success. LO 3-4 Identify differences among generations. LO 3-5 Apply strategies for workplace discrimination solutions. LO 3-6 Apply strategies for bias-free documents. 3-2

3. Diversity in the WorkplaceGender Race and ethnicity Regional and national origin Social class ReligionAge Sexual orientation Physical ability 3-3

4. Diversity in the Workplace  Valuing diversity is good business as well as good social practice.  Ethnically diverse teams produce more and higher-quality ideas. 3-4

5. What is “culture”?  High-Context Cultures  Most information is inferred from the context of a message.  Little is “spelled out.”  Examples: Japanese, Arabic, and Latin American cultures. 3-5

6. What is “culture”?  Low-Context Cultures  Context is less important than words.  Most information is explicitly spelled out  Examples: German, Scandinavian, and dominant U.S. cultures. 3-6

7. Views of Communication in High- and Low-Context Cultures 3-7

8. How does culture affect business communication?  Culture influences every single aspect of business communication:  how to show politeness and respect  how much information to give,  how to motivate people 3-8

9. Dimensions of Culture 3-9 Values, Beliefs, and Practices Nonverbal Communication Body Language Eye Contact GesturesSpace Spatial Arrangements

10. Cultural Contrasts in Motivation 3-10

11. How does culture affect business communication?  Nonverbal communication  communication that doesn’t use words—takes place all the time.  Body language, the size of an office, or how long someone keeps a visitor waiting— all these communicate pleasure or anger, friendliness or distance, power and status 3-11

12. How does culture affect business communication?  Posture and body movements connote energy and openness  Open positions suggest that people are accepting and open to new ideas.  Closed positions suggest that people are physically or psychologically uncomfortable, that they are defending themselves and shutting other people out. 3-12

13. How does culture affect business communication?  Personal space  the distance someone wants between himself or herself and other people in ordinary, non- intimate interchanges  Touch, spatial arrangements 3-13

14. How does culture affect business communication?  Monochronic cultures  treat time as a resource  Polychronic cultures  emphasize relationships 3-14

15. Oral Communication  Conversational style  denotes our conversational patterns and the meaning we give to them: the way we show interest, politeness, and appropriateness 3-15

16. Conversational Style  How long a pause tells you that it’s your turn to speak?  Do you see interruption as rude?  Do you show interest by asking lots of questions? 3-16

17. Cultural Contrasts in Business Introductions 3-17

18. Cultural Contrasts in Written Persuasive Documents 3-18

19. There are so many different cultures! How can I know enough to communicate?  Being aware that values and behaviors are influenced by culture.  Being flexible.  Being sensitive.  Being aware of the others’ values, beliefs, and practices.  Being sensitive to differences among individuals. 3-19

20. Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate?  Millennials’ strengths include  Optimism  Confidence  Enthusiasm  Organization  Goal Orientation  Technology use 3-20

21. Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate?  Read often to enhance literacy  Edit for grammar and proofread for spelling  Avoid e-mail abbreviations in business correspondence  Use the appropriate tone, format, and language  Build common ground when negotiating  Find a mentor or role model 3-21

22. Dealing with Discrimination  Successfully handling discrimination means understanding the situation and your options:  Not everything is discrimination.  Decide on a strategy.  Chart your own path.  Take the high road. 3-22

23. How can I make my documents bias-free?  Bias-free language  language that does not discriminate against people on the basis of sex, physical condition, race, age, or any other category.  Bias-free language is fair and friendly and complies with the law. 3-23

24. Making Language Nonsexist  Nonsexist language treats both sexes neutrally.  Check to be sure your writing is free from sexism in four areas:  words and phrases, job titles, pronouns, and courtesy titles. 3-24

25. Getting Rid of Sexist Terms and Phrases 3-25

26. Making Language Nonsexist  Use neutral titles which do not imply that a job is held only by men or only by women.  When you write about a specific person, use the appropriate gender pronouns 3-26

27. Making Language Nonsexist  Business writing uses four ways to eliminate sexist generic pronouns  use plurals, use second-person you, revise the sentence to omit the pronoun, and use pronoun pairs. 3-27

28. Making Language Nonracist and Nonagist  Language is nonracist and nonagist when it treats all races and ages fairly, avoiding negative stereotypes of any group. 3-28

29. Making Language Nonracist and Nonagist  Give someone’s race or age only if it is relevant to your story  Refer to a group by the term it prefers. As preferences change, change your usage  Avoid terms that suggest that competent people are unusual 3-29

30. Talking about People with Disabilities and Diseases  People-first language focuses on the person, not the condition  Avoid negative terms, unless the audience prefers them 3-30

31. Choosing Bias-Free Photos and Illustrations  When you produce a document with photographs or illustrations, check the visuals for possible bias.  Do they show people of both sexes and all races? Is there a sprinkling of various kinds of people  Check relationships and authority figures as well as numbers 3-31