cross-cultural-communication

Cross-CulturalCommunication第二组contents•Cross-CulturalCommunication•High-Vs.Low-ContextCulture•NonverbalDifferences•LanguageDifferences•PowerDistanceCross-CulturalCommunication•Cross-culturalcommunicationhasbecomestrategicallyimportanttocompaniesduetothegrowthofglobalbusiness,technologyandtheInternet.Understandingcross-culturalcommunicationisimportantforanycompanythathasadiverseworkforceorplansonconductingglobalbusiness.Thistypeofcommunicationinvolvesanunderstandingofhowpeoplefromdifferentculturesspeak,communicateandperceivetheworldaroundthem.•Cross-culturalcommunicationinanorganizationdealswithunderstandingdifferentbusinesscustoms,beliefsandcommunicationstrategies.Languagedifferences,high-contextvs.low-contextcultures,nonverbaldifferencesandpowerdistancearemajorfactorsthatcanaffectcross-culturalcommunication.•Let'stakealookathowcross-culturaldifferencescancausepotentialissueswithinanorganization.JackisamanagerataNewMexico-basedretailconglomerate.HehasflowntoJapantodiscussapotentialpartnershipwithalocalJapanesecompany.Hisbusinesscontact,Yamato,ishiscounterpartwithintheJapanesecompany.JackhasneverbeentoJapanbefore,andhe'snotfamiliarwiththeirculturalnorms.Let'slookatsomeofthewaysthatalackofculturalunderstandingcancreateabarrierforbusinesssuccessbyexamininghowJackhandleshismeetingwithYamato.High-Vs.Low-ContextCulture•Theconceptofhigh-andlow-contextculturerelatestohowanemployee'sthoughts,opinions,feelingsandupbringingaffecthowtheyactwithinagivenculture.NorthAmericaandWesternEuropearegenerallyconsideredtohavelow-contextcultures.Thismeansthatbusinessesintheseplaceshavedirect,individualisticemployeeswhotendtobasedecisionsonfacts.Thistypeofbusinesspersonwantsspecificsnotedincontractsandmayhaveissueswithtrust.•High-contextculturesaretheoppositeinthattrustisthemostimportantpartofbusinessdealings.ThereareareasintheMiddleEast,AsiaandAfricathatcanbeconsideredhighcontext.Organizationsthathavehigh-contextculturesarecollectivistandfocusoninterpersonalrelationships.Individualsfromhigh-contextculturesmightbeinterestedingettingtoknowthepersontheyareconductingbusinesswithinordertogetagutfeelingondecisionmaking.Theymayalsobemoreconcernedaboutbusinessteamsandgroupsuccessratherthanindividualachievement.•High-contextculturesaretheoppositeinthattrustisthemostimportantpartofbusinessdealings.ThereareareasintheMiddleEast,AsiaandAfricathatcanbeconsideredhighcontext.Organizationsthathavehigh-contextculturesarecollectivistandfocusoninterpersonalrelationships.Individualsfromhigh-contextculturesmightbeinterestedingettingtoknowthepersontheyareconductingbusinesswithinordertogetagutfeelingondecisionmaking.Theymayalsobemoreconcernedaboutbusinessteamsandgroupsuccessratherthanindividualachievement.NonverbalDifferences•Gesturesandeyecontactaretwoareasofnonverbalcommunicationthatareutilizeddifferentlyacrosscultures.Companiesmusttrainemployeesinthecorrectwaytohandlenonverbalcommunicationastonotoffendothercultures.Forexample,Americanworkerstendtowavetheirhandanduseafingertopointwhengivingnonverbaldirection.Extremegesturingisconsideredrudeinsomecultures.WhilepointingmaybeconsideredappropriateinsomecontextsintheUnitedStates,YamatowouldneveruseafingertopointtowardsanotherpersonbecausethatgestureisconsideredrudeinJapan.Instead,hemightgesturewithanopenhand,withhispalmfacingup,towardtheperson.•Eyecontactisanotherformofnonverbalcommunication.IntheU.S.,eyecontactisagoodthingandisseenasareflectionofhonestyandstraightforwardness.However,insomeAsianandMiddleEasterncultures,prolongedeyecontactcanbeseenasrudeoraggressiveinmanysituations.Womenmayneedtoavoiditaltogetherbecauselingeringeyecontactcanbeviewedasasignofsexualinterest.Duringtheirmeeting,JackfeltthatYamatowasnotlisteningtohistalkingpointsbecauseYamatowasnotlookingJackintheeyes.However,YamatodidnotwantJacktothinkhewasrude,soheavoidedlookingdirectlyintoJack'seyesduringhisspeech.LanguageDifferences•Thebiggestissuedealingwithcross-culturalcommunicationisthedifficultycreatedbylanguagebarriers.Forexample,JackdoesnotspeakJapanese,soheisconcernedwithhisabilitytocommunicateeffectivelywithYamato.TherearesomestrategiesthatJackcanusetohelpestablisharapportwithYamato.Jackcanexplainhimselfwithoutwordsbyusingemotions,facialexpressionsandothernonverbalcues.Hecanalsousedrawingsandaskforaninterpreter.•Additionally,companiesthathavetodealwithcross-culturalcommunicationcanhireemployeeswithproficiencyinotherlanguages.FortunatelyforJackandYamato,theybothhadexcellenttranslatorswhocommunicatedtheirwords.Thenextcross-culturalissueregardshowindividualsdealwithpowerdistance.PowerDistance•Powerdistancerelatestohowpowerisdistributedwithinanorganization.Typically,Americancompaniesutilizealowpowerdistanceandhavemoreinformalhierarchiesthatallowforinteractionbetweenexecutivesandtheirsubordinates.Managersaskforfeedbackfromemployeesandwillevensocializewithsubordinates.Companieswithhighpowerdistancearetypicallyveryhierarchicalinnatureandhaveseveredifferencesinauthority.SomeJapanesecompaniesmayutilizethispowerstructure.•thatisall!!!–thanks!!