BASICS OF BASICS OF CROSS-CULTURAL CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

•Communication definedCommunication defined•Communication processCommunication process•Cross-cultural communicationCross-cultural communication

HIGH CONTEXTHIGH CONTEXT

•Communications have multiple meanings interpreted by reading the situation

•Asian and Arabic languages are among the most high context in the world

LOW CONTEXTLOW CONTEXT

•The words provide most of the meaning

•Most northern European languages including German, English, and the Scandinavian languages are low context

Swiss

Germans

Scandinavians

North Americans

Arabs

French

Italians

Latin Americans

British

Japanese

High Context: MeaningImplicit Languages

Low Context: MeaningExplicit in Language

SurroundingInformation

Necessary forUnderstanding

EX 3.1 High Context andLow Context Countries

Exhibit 3.2 Cultural Differences in

Communication Styles

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% Direct % Formal

NONVERBAL NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION - COMMUNICATION -

COMMUNICATING WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITHOUT WORDSWORDS

KINESICSKINESICS

• Communicating through body movements

• Facial expressions• Body posture

PROXEMICS PROXEMICS

• The use space to communicate• The personal bubble of space - nine

inches to over twenty inches • North Americans prefer more

distance than from Latin and Arab cultures

TOUCHTOUCH

• Basic human interaction • In greeting - shake hands,

embrace, or kiss • Latin European and Latin

American cultures-more touching than Germanic, Anglo, or Scandinavian cultures

Cross-cultural Cross-cultural CommunicationCommunication

• Miscommunication• Misperception

– Perception is selective– Perceptual patterns are learned– Perception is culturally determined– Perception is consistent– Perception is inaccurate

FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY WITH THEEXPERIENCE OF YEARS

Cross-cultural Cross-cultural CommunicationCommunication

• Miscommunication• Misperception• Misinterpretation

–Assumptions–Categories–Stereotypes

TOUCHTOUCH

• Basic human interaction • In greeting - shake hands,

embrace, or kiss • Latin European and Latin

American cultures-more touching than Germanic, Anglo, or Scandinavian cultures

PRACTICAL ISSUES IN CROSS-PRACTICAL ISSUES IN CROSS-CULTURAL VERBAL CULTURAL VERBAL

COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION WITH COMMUNICATION WITH NONNATIVE SPEAKERS NONNATIVE SPEAKERS

• Use the most common words with most common meanings

• Select words with few alternative meanings

• Follow rules of grammar strictly• Speak with clear breaks between

words

Communication with nonnative speakers,

continued

• Avoid “sports” words or words borrowed from literature

• Avoid words that represent pictures • Mimic the cultural flavor of nonnative

speaker’s language• Summarize• Test your communication success

AVOIDING ATTRIBUTION AVOIDING ATTRIBUTION ERRORSERRORS

• Attribution - process by which we interpret the meaning and intent of spoken words or nonverbal exchanges

• Attribution errors

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONNEGOTIATION

• More complex than domestic negotiations

• Why is cross-cultural negotiation so difficult? – Differences in national cultures and

differences in political, legal, and economic systems often separate potential business partners

• Why is it beneficial to negotiate?– Mutual gain

STEP 1: PREPARATION

STEP 2: BUILDING THERELATIONSHIP

STEP 3: EXCHANGINGINFORMATION/FIRST OFFER

STEP 5: CONCESSIONS

STEP 6: AGREEMENT

STEP 4: PERSUASION

STEP 1: PREPARATIONSTEP 1: PREPARATION

•Is the negotiation possible?•Know what your company wants •Know the other side •Send the proper team•Agenda•Prepare for a long negotiation •Environment•Strategy

DIFFERENCES IN DIFFERENCES IN CULTURES IN KEY CULTURES IN KEY

NEGOTIATING NEGOTIATING PROCESSES (EXAMPLES)PROCESSES (EXAMPLES)

• Negotiation goals• Personal style (formal or informal)• Communication styles—direct or

indirect • Sensitivity to time—low or high

Cultural Differences in Key Negotiating Processes,

Continued

• Forms of agreement—specific or broad (EX 3.5)

• Team organization—a team or one leader

Exhibit 3.5 Preferences for Broad Agreements

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% Preference for Broad Agreements

STEP 2: BUILDING THE STEP 2: BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP

• No focus on business • Partners get to know each other• Social and interpersonal exchange• Duration and importance vary by

culture

STEP 3: EXCHANGING STEP 3: EXCHANGING INFORMATION AND THE INFORMATION AND THE

FIRST OFFERFIRST OFFER

• Task-related information is exchanged

• Focus on your interests, not position• First offer

STEP 4: PERSUASIONSTEP 4: PERSUASION

• Heart of the negotiation process• Attempting to get other side to

agree to a position• Numerous tactics used

VERBAL AND NONVERBAL VERBAL AND NONVERBAL NEGOTIATION TACTICSNEGOTIATION TACTICS

• Promise• Threat• Recommendation• Warning• Reward• Punishment• Normative appeal

Negotiation Tactics, Negotiation Tactics, ContinuedContinued

• Commitment• Self disclosure• Question• Command• No• Interrupting

““DIRTY TRICKS” IN DIRTY TRICKS” IN INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONSNEGOTIATIONS

Dirty tricks are negotiation tactics that pressure opponents to accept unfair or undesirable agreements or concessions

PLOYS/DIRTY TRICKS - PLOYS/DIRTY TRICKS - POSSIBLE RESPONSESPOSSIBLE RESPONSES

• Deliberate deception - point out what is happening • Stalling-do not reveal when you plan to leave • Escalating authority - clarify decision making

authority• Good guy, bad buy routine - do not make any

concessions• You are wealthy and we are poor - ignore the ploy • Old friends - keep a psychological distance

• Also,– Avoid using dirty tricks – Be prepared to walk out on the

negotiation if the other side doesn’t play fairly

– Realize that ethical systems differ by cultures and they may not feel they are doing anything unacceptable or wrong

Ploys/Dirty Tricks, Continued

STEPS 5 AND 6: STEPS 5 AND 6: CONCESSIONS AND CONCESSIONS AND

AGREEMENTAGREEMENT

• Final agreement: The signed contract, agreeable to all sides

• Concession making: requires that each side relax some of its demands

STYLES OF CONCESSIONSTYLES OF CONCESSION

• Sequential approach

–Each side reciprocates concessions

• Holistic approach

–Concession making begins after all issues are discussed

Conflict Resolution Conflict Resolution ModelModel

BASIC NEGOTIATION BASIC NEGOTIATION STRATEGIESSTRATEGIES

• Competitive–The negotiation as a win-lose game

• Problem solving–Search for possible win-win situations

COMPETITIVE OR COMPETITIVE OR PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONNEGOTIATION

• Cultural norms and values may predispose some negotiators to one approach (EX 3.10)

• Most experts recommend a problem solving negotiation strategy

A Culturally Synergistic Approach

• Separate the people from the problem

• Focus on interests not positions• Insisting on objective criteria (and

never yielding to pressure• Inventing options for mutual gain

EX 3.10 Preferences for Problem-Solving

Negotiation

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% Win-Win

Whose style to use? Whose style to use?

THE SUCCESSFUL THE SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

NEGOTIATOR: PERSONAL NEGOTIATOR: PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICSCHARACTERISTICS

• Tolerance of ambiguous situations • Flexibility and creativity • Humor• Stamina • Empathy

• Curiosity • Bilingual

Personal Characteristics, Continued

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

• Successful negotiators: –Understand the negotiation steps–Build cross-cultural communication skills

–Understand nonverbal communication–Avoid attribution errors