4-* Communicating Across Cultures

4-*The Communication Process Cultural communications are deeper and more complex than spoken or written messages. The essence of effective cross-cultural communication has more to do with releasing the right responses than with sending the right messages.Hall and Hall

4-*The Communication ProcessManagers spend between 50% and 90% of their time talking to peopleManagers communicate to:Coordinate activitiesDisseminate informationMotivate peopleNegotiate future plans

4-*The Communication Process

4-*Cultural NoiseCultural Noise cultural variables that undermine the communication of intended meaningIntercultural communication when the member of one culture sends a message to a member of another cultureAttribution the process in which people look for an explanation of another persons behavior

4-*Cultural Noise

4-*Trust in CommunicationEffective communication depends on informal understandings among individuals that are based upon trustWhen there is trust between individuals an implicit understanding in communication is present

4-*Trust in CommunicationGuidelines for developing trustCreate a clear and calculated basis for mutual benefitHave realistic commitments and good intentions to honor themImprove predictability: resolve conflicts and keep communication openDevelop mutual bonding through socializing and friendly contact

4-*Cultural VariablesAttitudes ethnocentric and stereotypical attitudes are a particular source of noise in cross-cultural communicationSocial Organization nations, tribes, religious sects, or professions can influence our priorities and valuesThough Patterns the logical progression of reasoning varies by culture

4-*Cultural VariablesRoles the perception of the managers role differs considerable around the world, consider the conversation between the American and GreekNonverbal Communication behavior communicated without words; even minor variations in body language, speech rhythms, and punctuality can cause mistrust

4-*Cultural VariablesLanguage an inability to speak the local language, and a poor or too literal translation are often causes for mistrustPepsis slogan Come Alive with Pepsi translated into German as Come out of the grave.Rendezvous lounges on 747s were not used on airlines because in Portuguese rendezvous refers to prostitution

4-*Cultural Variables - LanguageBritain and America are two nations separated by a common language.- George Bernard Shaw

4-*Cultural Variables -TimeMono-chronic Cultures Time is experienced in a linear manner; generally mono-chronic people concentrate on one thing at a time and adhere to time commitmentsPoly-chronic Cultures Many things occur simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people

4-*ContextContext in which the communication takes place affects the meaning and interpretation of the interactionCultures are either high- or low- context

4-*Context

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with ArabsArabs are warm, emotional, and quick to explodeThe language aptly communicates the Arabic culture one of emotional extremesContains means for over expression Words that allow for exaggerationMetaphors that emphasize a positionMany adjectivesWhat is said is not as important as how it is said

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with ArabsThe core of the culture is friendship, honor, religion, and traditional hospitalityFamily and friends take precedence over business transactionsHospitality is a way of life and is highly symbolicWomen play little or no role n business or entertainment it is a male-dominated society

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with ArabsSociety values honor which is brought about when conformity is achievedShame results not just from doing something wrong but from having others find out about itHigh contact and High context

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with Arabs

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with ArabsBe patient. Recognize the Arab attitude toward time and hospitalitytake time to develop friendship and trust, for these are prerequisites for any social or business transactions.Recognize that people and relationships matter more to Arabs than the job, company, or contractconduct business personally, not by correspondence or telephone.

4-*Comparative Management Focus: Communicating with ArabsAvoid expressing doubts or criticism when others are presentrecognize the importance of honor and dignity to Arabs.Adapt to the norms of body language, flowery speech, and circuitous verbal patterns in the Middle East, and dont be impatient to get to the point.Expect many interruptions in meetings, delays in schedules, and changes in plans.

4-*Information SystemsCommunication varies according toWhere and how it originatesThe channels and the speed which it flowsWhether it is formal or informalThe nature of the organizations information system are affected byOrganizational structureStaffing policiesLeadership style

4-*Information TechnologyThe Internet as a global medium for communication allows companies to develop a presence in markets globallyCompanies must adapt their web communication to deal with local cultural variables

4-*Managing Cross-Cultural CommunicationCultural SensitivityCareful EncodingSelective TransmissionCareful DecodingAppropriate Follow-up Actions

4-*Appropriate Follow-Up ActionsRespect (eye contact, posture, tone, etc)Interaction posture ability to respond in a descriptive, non-evaluative, and non-judgmental wayOrientation to knowledge understand that your beliefs and perceptions are only valid for you and not everyone elseEmpathy

4-*Appropriate Follow-Up ActionsInteraction managementTolerance for ambiguityOther-oriented role behavior capacity to be flexible and to adopt different roles for the sake of the greater group cohesion/communication

4-*High Context CultureFeelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressedMeaning is found in the general understanding of the other person and their surroundingsMost communication takes place within a context of extensive information networks resulting from close personal relationships

4-*Low Context CultureFeelings and thoughts are expressed n words, and information is more readily availableNormally these cultures compartmentalize their business and personal relationshipsReturn

4-*Nonverbal CommunicationKinesic Behavior refers to communication through body movements like posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact

4-*Nonverbal CommunicationProxemics deals with how space influences the communication processHigh contact preferring to stand close, touch, and experience a close sensory involvementLow-contact prefer much less sensory involvement, standing farther apart and touching less

4-*Nonverbal CommunicationParalanguage refers to how something is said rather than the contentRate of speech, tone, inflection, other noises, laughing, yawning, etc.Silence is a powerful communicatorObject language refers to communication through material artifactsOffice design, furniture, clothing ,cars, etc.

4-*

4-*Cultural SensitivityWhen sending a message make it a point to know the recipientEncode the message in a form that will most likely be understood as it is intendedThis means the manager mustBe aware of their own cultureThe recipients cultureThe expectations surrounding the situation

4-*Careful EncodingThe sender must consider the receivers frame of reference to make the best choice regardingWordsPicturesGesturesRemember that language translation is only part of the process, consider the nonverbal language as well

4-*Selective TransmissionThe channel medium should be chosen after considering:The nature of the messageLevel of importanceContext and expectations of the receiverTiming involvedPersonal interactions

4-*Careful Decoding of FeedbackBest means for obtaining accurate feedback is face-to-face interactionsBest means for avoiding miscommunication is to improve your own listening and observation skillsThree types of miscommunicationsReceiver misinterpreted the messageReceiver encoded response incorrectlySender misinterprets the feedback

*Communication is a critical factor in the cross cultural management issues discussed in this book, particularly those of an interpersonal nature, involving motivation, leadership, group interactions, and negotiation. Culture is conveyed and perpetuated through communication in one form or another. Culture and communication are so intricately intertwined that they are, essentially, synonymous. By understanding this relationship, managers can move toward constructive intercultural management. And, communication whether in the form of writing, talking, listening, or via the Internet, is an inherent part of a managers role and takes up the majority of a managers time on the job.

*The term communication describes the process of sharing meaning by transmitting messages through media such as words, behavior, or material artifacts. It is of vital importance, then, for a receiver to interpret the meaning of a particular communication in the way the sender intended. Unfortunately, the communication process involves stages during which meaning can be distorted. Anything that serves to undermine the communication of the intended meaning is typically referred to as noise. The primary cause of noise stems from the fact that the sender and the receiver each exist in a unique, private world thought of as her or his life space. The context of that private world, based largely on culture, experience, relations, values, and so forth, determines the interpretation of meaning in communication. After the receiver interprets the message and draws a conclusion about what the sender meant, he or she will, in most cases, encode and send back a response, making communication a circular process.

*Cultural noise occurs in intercultural communication because the message intended by the sender (encoder) was transformed by the cultural lens of the receiver (decoder). This process of transformation is do in part to attribution.*An example of how attribution can effect the communication process.*On a different level, it is also useful to be aware of cultural variables that can affect the communication process by influencing a persons perceptions; some of these variables have been identified by Samovar and Porter and discussed by Harris and Moran,and others. These variables are as follows: attitudes, social organization, thought patterns, roles, language (spoken or written), nonverbal communication (including kinesic behavior, proxemics, paralanguage, and object language), and time. Although these variables are presented separately, their effects are interdependent and inseparableor, as Hecht, Andersen, and Ribeau put it, Encoders and decoders process nonverbal cues as a conceptual, multi-channeled gestalt.1

*People will usually believe what they see over what they hearhence the expression A picture is worth a thousand words. Studies show that these subtle messages account for between 65 and 93 percent of interpreted communication. The media for such nonverbal communication can be categorized into four types: (1) kinesic behavior, (2) proxemics, (3) paralanguage, and (4) object language. The hyperlink will take you to three slides that discuss these four areas further.

*The way people use and regard time is another cultural variable that must be considered. For example: To Brazilians, relative punctuality communicates the level of importance of those involved. To Middle Easterners, time is something controlled by the will of Allah. To initiate effective cross-cultural business interactions, managers should know the difference between monochronic time systems and polychronic time systems and how they affect communications.

Monochronic cultures like Switzerland, Germany and the United States view time as a liner event. There is a past, a present, and a future, therefore time is treated as something to be spent, saved, made up, or wasted. Classified and compartmentalized, time serves to order life. This attitude is a learned part of Western culture, probably starting with the Industrial Revolution.

In Contrast Polychronic Cultures will emphasize relationship over time commitments. For example: Two Latin friends, for example, will put an important conversation ahead of being on time for a business meeting, thus communicating the priority of relationships over material systems. Polychronic peopleLatin Americans, Arabs, and those from other collectivist culturesmay focus on several things at once, be highly distractible, and change plans often.

*A major differentiating factor that is a primary cause of noise in the communication process is that of contextwhich actually incorporates many of the cultural variables.

*This figure shows the relative level of context in various countries.

*Arabs do business with people, not companies, and they make commitments to people, not contracts. A phone call to the right person can help to get around seemingly insurmountable obstacles. An Arab expects loyalty from friends, and it is understood that giving and receiving favors is an inherent part of the relationship; no one says no to a request for a favor. A lack of follow-through is assumed to be beyond the friends control.

*Illustration of how noise affects communication.*In short, Americans need to realize that, because most of the world exchanges information through slower message media, it is wise to schedule more time for transactions, develop patience, and learn to get at needed information in more subtle waysafter building rapport and taking time to observe the local system for exchanging information. We have seen that cross-cultural misinterpretation can result from noise in the actual transmission of the messagethe choice or speed of media. Interpreting the meaning of a message can thus be as much a function of the transmission channel (or medium) as it is of examining the message itself.

*As an international manager it would be wise to follow the five steps suggested on this slide to become more effective in intercultural communication.*Managers communicate through both action and inaction. Therefore, to keep open the lines of communication, feedback, and trust, managers must follow through with action on what has been discussed and then agreed upontypically a contract, which is probably the most important formal business communication. Unfortunately, the issue of contract follow-through is a particularly sensitive one across cultures because of the different interpretations regarding what constitutes a contract (perhaps a handshake, perhaps a full legal document) and what actions should result. Trust, future communications, and future business are based on such interpretations, and it is up to managers to understand them and to follow through on them. These are the behaviors that researchers suggest are the most important when dealing with intercultural communications

*Many businesspeople and visitors react negatively to what they feel are inappropriate facial expressions, without understanding the cultural meaning behind them. In his studies of cross-cultural negotiations, Graham observed that the Japanese feel uncomfortable when faced with the Americans eye-to-eye posture. They are taught since childhood to bow their heads out of humility, whereas the automatic response of Americans is look at me when Im talking to you!

*Space communicates power in both Germany and the United States, evidenced by the desire for a corner office or one on the top floor. The importance of French officials, however, is made clear by a position in the middle of subordinates, communicating that they have a central position in an information network, where they can stay informed and in control. Personal space is culturally patterned, and foreign spatial cues are a common source of misinterpretation. When someone seems aloof or pushy, it often means that she or he is operating under subtly different spatial rules.