intercultural communication saudi arabia, japan and brazil

ADU-BOAHEN PETRAAKBAY DERYA

DURAND SÉBASTIENROSYNSKI MARGARETHE

SCHWARZ TABEA

Cultural norms

Outline

1 2 3

Saudi Arabia Japan Brazil

USE OF SILENCEEYE CONTACT

TOUCHINGSPACE

PRIVACYDOS

DON’TS

Saudi Arabia

Use of silence

S

Emphasis on tone of voice, use of silence, facial clues and body language.

Silence is often used for contemplation.

Eye contact

Be aware of the importance of

good, strong eye contact!

A man's sincerity and

honour can be judged by their ability to look

you in the eye, it also indicates

respect

Touching

No touching between men and women in public places.

Decent amount of touching

between members of the

same gender during

conversations. 

Space

Comfort zone: a little less than an arms length

People stand close together and touch each

other while conversing.

Privacy

Never ask a Saudi about his

wife!

The Saudi Constitution does not provide for a right to privacy.

Dos

Address your counterparts with appropriate titles.Abide by local standards of modesty and

dress appropriatelyMaintain strong eye-contact Do use your right hand for gift giving etc.

Don’ts

DON’T appear loud or overly animated in

public

DON’T rush your Arabian counterparts

during business negotiations

DON’T use the german ok sign

DON’T assume during business meetings that

the person who asks the most questions

holds the most responsibility.

USE OF SILENCECONVERSATIONAL OVERLAPS AND

INTERRUPTIONSEYE CONTACT

TOUCHINGPRIVACY

DOSDON'TS

Japan

Use of silence:

Silence is a virtue

Never interrupt or break the silence.

Eye contact

Limit eye contact.

Uncomfortable for Japanese

Touching

• Bowing to each other.

• More touching than a handshake is not comfortable

Combination of both

Privacy

Cultural environment

Social environment

Society not very sensitive to protection of privacy

Dos and don’ts

- Do take things slowly- Do take care of your posture.- Do take business cards with you.

- Don’t blow your noise noisily- Don’t be late.- Don’t hog the conversation.

USE OF SILENCECONVERSATIONAL OVERLAPS AND

INTERRUPTIONSEYE CONTACT

TOUCHINGPRIVACY

DOSDON’TS

Brazil

Use of silence:

Taking turns to speak is not the rule

Use of silence only in groups

Eye contact

Eye contact is important.

Touching

Touching is common

Handshaking & kissing are common forms of greeting

Space

Brazilians tend to get close to each other

Privacy Brazilians display their

emotions openly and don’t hold back their feelings

It’s common to see young people showing feelings in public places

Dos

DO schedule extra time in between meetings

DO expect to spend a lot of time getting to know your Brazilian business counterparts before any business takes place.

DO accept any food or coffee offered to you

DO make eye contact as this shows you are paying attention, interested and honest.

Don’t

DON’T rush business dealings with your Brazilian colleagues and avoid pressing for final decisions

DON’T show feelings of frustration or impatience as this will reflect poorly on you as an individual counterpart.

DON’T publicly criticize your Brazilian counterparts

ANY QUESTIONS?

Thank you for your attention!