Transcript An Overview of Global and Regional Trends and Challenges

International Business Negotiations
Communicating
Effectively
Across
Cultures
Learning Objectives
• Identify trends in international business
communication
• Be aware of the role of language in
international business
• Understand the many different ways to
communicate across culture, including
nonverbal communication
Overview
• Value of communications savvy
• Spoken and written communication
• Nonverbal communication
Value of Communications Savvy in
International Setting
• Negotiations
• Decision making
• Strategy
• Understand and interpret behavior
• Leadership
Communication Styles
• A common style of communicating that is
tacit and difficult for people in other
cultures to appreciate
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Use of irony
Sarcasm
Understatement
Body language
Spoken & Written Communication
• Language most important way to
communicate
• Language impacts culture
• Over 2,500 languages
• 8,000 dialects
• 10 languages represent majority
The Ten Most Widely Used Native
Languages in the World
Speaking Other Languages
• International managers must either
• Speak the language or
• Trust a translator
• Dealing with language can be expensive
• Definition of language competence varies
Americans on Foreign Languages and
Foreigners on English
English & the International Environment
• Few U.S. citizens speak a second
language
• English most popular second language
• Many MNCs use English
• Technology & publications often in English
• Some resistance to English dominance
Percentage of World Output Tied to
Language Group
Relative Ranking of Developed and Developing
countries on Knowledge of Foreign Languages
and Cultures
Relative Ranking of Developed and Developing
countries on Knowledge of Foreign Languages
and Cultures (Cont’d)
Communicating in a Foreign Language
• Advantage
• Language proficiency ≠ Effective
communication
• Accent and usage variations
• Many dialects
• Multiple languages within a country
Implications for Business
• Translation errors
• Cultural communication context
• i.e., ways to say no
• Missed meaning in local context
Ways to Avoid Saying No in Japanese
Embarrassment & Apology
• Dealing with miscommunication
• Loss of face
• Embarrassment
• Shame
Embarrassment & Apology (Cont’d)
• Responses to miscommunication
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Direct or indirect
Justifications and attributions
Admission of guilt
Show of humility
Apologies in the U.S. and Japan: Study of Conduct
Manuals
• U.S.
• Japan
• 39 modifiers
• most frequent
• sincere
• brief
Adapted from: Naomi Sugimoto. (1998). Norms of apology depicted
in U.S. American and Japanese literature on manners and etiquette.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations 22, 3.
• 79 modifiers
• most common
• sunao–submissive,
compliant, obedient
• seii o motte–in
good faith, with
sincerity
• kokoro kara–from
the heart
Content of Apologies
U.S
Japan
Emphasize originality of words
Construction, and linguistic formula
is emphasized
Little repetition is used
Repetition is used as a marker (i.e.,
Sorry, sorry)
Includes accounts for behavior
There is not consensus on the
inclusion of accounts
Expressions of desire to maintain
relationship
Self-castigation and references to
violations of the victim’s “face”
are often included
Message adopted to the individual
recipient
Message adopted based on the
nature of the relationship with the
recipient
Adapted from: Naomi Sugimoto. (1998). Norms of apology depicted in U.S. American and Japanese literature on manners and etiquette. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations 22, 3.
Embarrassment & Apology
• MNCs should prepare employees to
handle
• Apologies
• Face management
• Accounts and explanations
Compliments as Communication
• Variations in use of praise
• Tied to underlying cultural norms
• Individualist use more than collective
cultures
Criticism as Communication
• Differences in use of criticism
• High- versus low-context cultures
• Group orientation and importance of “face”
Monitoring Others
• Receiving and interpreting cues from
others
• Effective tool for understanding
• Self-monitoring—differences in ability to
understand how one is perceived by
others in a social setting
• Individualist more self-focused
• Collectivists more focused on situational cues
Written Communication
• Volume (e.g., e-mail)
• Can be as difficult as verbal
• Formality, courtesy, directness, & length
are impacted by culture
• Bypassing—same word, different
definitions
An Analysis of Letters Written to and
Received From Foreign Countries
Nonverbal Communication
• Subtle cures used to communicate within
and across cultures
• Conveying messages without words or
writing
Nonverbal Communication (Cont’d)
• Can include
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How one stands
What one wears
Facial expressions
Body posture
– Eye contact
– Movements
– Gestures
– Alignment
Nonverbal Communication (Cont’d)
• Interpersonal space—physical space
between people
• Haptics—use of touch as communication
tool
• Vocal qualities—characteristics of voice
such as speed & loudness
Context and Nonverbal Communication
• High-context
• Setting, surroundings & cultural norms
provide input
• Low-context
• Require explicit statement of facts to convey
message
Characteristics of Communication in Lowand High-Context Cultures
Improving Your Cross-Cultural Communication
Skills: Four Basic Suggestions