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Cultural etiquette
- 1. Cultural Business Communication Submitted by:- Ankita Saxena(G) 19BSP0389
- 2. What Is Culture? “The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one category of people from another.” --Dutch sociologist Geert Hofstede’s definition of culture Do you agree? How would you define culture?
- 3. Why Cross-Cultural Communication? •Technological advances, such as interactive and mobile communication, have fueled globalization. •Effective international communication helps you design products that meet global market needs and win business. •Successful communication with international coworkers improves workplace productivity. •Communicating with those from other cultures enriches your business and personal life.
- 4. Why Cross-Cultural Communication? •Advantages in a global marketplace: o Increased profits o Revenue o Market share o More valued employees •Advantages of a diverse workforce: o Broader range of views & ideas o Better understanding of fragmented and diverse marketplaces o Broader talent pool for recruitment
- 5. Challenges of Intercultural Communication •Connecting with and Motivating Diverse Employees •Fostering Harmony in Diverse Teams •Ensuring that Messages are Sent, Received, and Properly Encoded
- 12. Contextual Differences High-Context Culture Low-Context Culture Relies More on Nonverbal Communication Relies More on Verbal Communication Less Emphasis on Verbal Communication Less Emphasis on Nonverbal Communication Indirect Method of Communication Direct Method of Communication Goal is to Build Relationships Rather Than Exchange Information Goal is to Exchange Information Rather Than Build Relationships
- 13. Social Differences Attitudes Toward Work and Success Roles and Status Use of Manners Concepts of Time Openness and Inclusiveness
- 14. Nonverbal Differences Greetings Personal Space Touching Facial Expressions Eye Contact Posture Formality
- 15. Age Differences Cultures that Value Youth Cultures that Value Age and Seniority Cultures with Multiple Generations in Positions of Value
- 16. Gender Differences General Perceptions of Gender Roles Gender Representation in Management Roles Different Communication Styles Outdated Concepts of Gender and Sexual Orientation
- 17. Religious Differences Personal Beliefs Workplace Issues Balancing Act Between: Balancing Act Between: Corporate Culture Upholding and Advancing Corporate Culture Personal Beliefs Respecting Employees’ Personal Beliefs Employee Freedom of Expression Allowing Freedom of Expression while Maintaining Legal Compliance
- 18. Respecting Preferences for Communication Style Level of Directness Degree of Formality Media Preferences
- 19. Writing Clearly Choose Words Carefully Be Brief Use Plenty of Transitions Address International Correspondence Properly
- 20. Writing Clearly Cite Numbers and Dates Carefully Avoid Slang, Idioms, and Business Jargon Avoid Humor and References to Pop Culture
- 21. Speaking and Listening Clearly Adjust Content and Style Be Mindful of Communication Medium and Circumstances Be Aware of Nonverbal Communication Styles and Cultural Norms
- 22. Speaking and Listening Clearly Speak Slowly and Clearly Without Being Condescending Ask for Feedback and Rephrase as Necessary Confirm for Agreement
- 23. Using Interpreters, Translators, and Translation Software Interpreters – for spoken communication Translators – for both spoken and written communication Computerized Translation Tools
- 24. Look for Opportunities to Help Offer Advice on Word Choice Suggest Appropriate Communication Styles and Media Help Simplify the Communication Process Helping Others Adapt to Your Culture
Hinweis der Redaktion
- The nature of social behavior varies among cultures, sometimes dramatically. Social norms can vary from culture to culture in the following areas: ●● Attitudes toward work and success. In the United States, for instance, a widespread view is that people who attain success through individual effort and initiative are to be admired. ●● Roles and status. Culture influences the roles people play, including who communicates with whom, what they communicate, and in what way. Culture also dictates how people show respect and signify rank. For example, it would sound odd to address your boss in the United States as “Manager Jones,” but including a professional title is common in China. ●● Use of manners. What is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another. For instance, asking a colleague “How was your weekend?” is a common way of making small talk in the United States, but the question sounds intrusive to people in cultures in which business and private lives are seen as separate spheres. ●● Concepts of time. People in low-context cultures see time as a way to plan the business day efficiently, often focusing on only one task during each scheduled period and viewing time as a limited resource. However, executives from high-context cultures often see time as more flexible. Meeting a deadline is less important than building a business relationship. ●● Future orientation. Successful companies tend to have a strong future orientation, planning for and investing in the future, but national cultures around the world vary widely in this viewpoint. Some societies encourage a long-term outlook that emphasizes planning and investing—making sacrifices in the short term for the promise of better outcomes in the future. Others are oriented more toward the present, even to the point of viewing the future as hopelessly remote and not worth planning for. ●● Openness and inclusiveness. At the national level as well as within smaller groups, cultures vary on how open they are to accepting people from other cultures and people who don’t necessarily fit the prevailing norms within the culture. An unwillingness to accommodate others can range from outright exclusion to subtle pressure to conform to majority expectations.
- Don’t assume that the gestures you grew up with will translate to another culture; doing so could lead to embarrassing mistakes. When you have the opportunity to interact with people in another culture, the best advice is to study the culture in advance and then observe the way people behave in the following areas: ●● Greetings. Do people shake hands, bow, or kiss lightly (on one side of the face or both)? Do people shake hands only when first introduced or every time they say hello or goodbye? ●● Personal space. When people are conversing, do they stand closer together or farther apart than you are accustomed to? ●● Touching. Do people touch each other on the arm to emphasize a point or slap each other on the back to show congratulations? Or do they refrain from touching altogether? ●● Facial expressions. Do people shake their heads to indicate “no” and nod them to indicate “yes”? ● Eye contact. Do people make frequent eye contact or avoid it? Frequent eye contact is often taken as a sign of honesty and openness in the United States, but in other cultures it can be a sign of aggressiveness or disrespect. ●● Posture. Do people slouch and relax in the office and in public, or do they sit up and stand up straight? ●● Formality. In general, does the culture seem more or less formal than yours?
- In U.S. culture youth is often associated with strength, energy, possibilities, and freedom, and age is sometimes associated with declining powers and the inability to keep pace. Older workers can, however, offer broader experience, the benefits of important business relationships nurtured over many years, and high degrees of “practical intelligence”—the ability to solve complex, poorly defined problems. In contrast, in cultures that value age and seniority, longevity earns respect and increasing power and freedom. For instance, in many Asian societies the oldest employees hold the most powerful jobs, the most impressive titles, and the greatest degrees of freedom and decision-making authority. If a younger employee disagrees with one of these senior executives, the discussion is never conducted in public. The notion of “saving face”—avoiding public embarrassment—is too strong. Instead, if a senior person seems to be in error about something, other employees will find a quiet, private way to communicate whatever information they feel is necessary. The multiple generations within a culture present another dimension of diversity. Each has been shaped by dramatically different world events, social trends, and technological advances, so it is not surprising that they often have different values, expectations, and communication habits. For instance, Generation Y workers (see “Us Versus Them: Generational Conflict in the Workplace”) have a strong preference for communicating via short digital messages, but Baby Boomers and Generation Xers sometimes find these brief messages to be abrupt and impersonal.
- The perception of gender roles in business varies from culture to culture, and gender bias can range from overt discrimination to subtle and even unconscious beliefs. Second, the share of management roles held by men increases steadily the further one looks up the corporate ladder. This imbalance can significantly affect communication in such areas as mentoring, which is a vital development opportunity for lower and middle managers who want to move into senior positions. Third, evidence suggests that men and women tend to have somewhat different communication styles. Broadly speaking, men emphasize content and outcomes in their communication efforts, whereas women place a higher premium on relationship maintenance. Fourth, outdated concepts of gender and sexual orientation continue to be a source of confusion, controversy, and discrimination. Many people do not fit or wish to be fit into a simplistic heterosexual, male/female categorization scheme, but discriminatory company policies and the behaviors and attitudes of supervisors and coworkers can deprive these individuals of a fair and satisfying work experience. In response, many companies have taken steps to ensure equal opportunities and fair treatment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) job applicants and employees.
- As one of the most personal and influential aspects of life, religion brings potential for controversy and conflict in the workplace setting—as evidenced by a significant rise in the number of religious discrimination lawsuits in recent years. Many employees believe they should be able to follow and express the tenets of their faith in the workplace. However, companies may need to accommodate employee behaviors that can conflict with each other and with the demands of operating the business. The situation is complicated, with no simple answers that apply to every situation. As more companies work to establish inclusive workplaces, you can expect to see this issue being discussed more often in the coming years.
- Communication style—including the level of directness, the degree of formality, media preferences, and other factors—varies widely from culture to culture (see Figures 3.4a–d on pages 84–87). Knowing what your communication partners expect can help you adapt to their particular style. Once again, watching and learning are the best ways to improve your skills. However, you can infer some generalities by learning more about the culture. For instance, U.S. workers typically prefer an open and direct communication style; they find other styles frustrating or suspect. Directness is also valued in Sweden as a sign of efficiency, but heated debates and confrontations are unusual. Italian, German, and French executives usually don’t put colleagues at ease with praise before they criticize; doing so seems manipulative to them. Meanwhile, professionals from high-context cultures, such as Japan or China, tend to be less direct. Finally, in general, business correspondence in other countries is often more formal than the style used by U.S. businesspeople.
- Writing clearly is always important, of course, but it is essential when you are writing to people whose first language is not English. Follow these recommendations to make sure your message can be understood (see Figure 3.5 on page 88): ●● Choose words carefully. Use precise words that don’t have the potential to confuse with multiple meanings. For instance, the word right has several dozen different meanings and usages, so look for a synonym that conveys the specific meaning you intend, such as correct, appropriate, desirable, moral, authentic, or privilege. ●● Be brief. Use simple sentences and short paragraphs, breaking information into smaller chunks that are easier for readers to process. ●● Use plenty of transitions. Help readers follow your train of thought by using transitional words and phrases. For example, tie related points together with expressions such as in addition and first, second, and third. ●● Address international correspondence properly. Refer to Appendix A for more Information.
- ●● Cite numbers and dates carefully. In the United States, 12-05-18 means December 5, 2018, but in many other countries it means May 12, 2018. Dates in Japan and China are usually expressed with the year first, followed by the month and then the day; therefore, to write December 5, 2018, in Japan, write it as 2018-12-05. Similarly, in the United States and Great Britain, 1.000 means one with three decimal places, but it means one thousand in many European countries. ●● Avoid slang, idiomatic phrases, and business jargon. Everyday speech and writing are full of slang and idiomatic phrases—phrases that mean more than the sum of their literal parts. Examples from U.S. English include “Knocked one out of the park” and “More bang for the buck.” Your audience may have no idea what you’re talking about when you use such phrases. ●● Avoid humor and references to popular culture. Jokes and references to popular entertainment usually rely on culture-specific information that might be completely unknown to your audience. Although some of these differences may seem trivial, meeting the expectations of an international audience illustrates both knowledge of and respect for the other cultures.
- Languages vary considerably in the significance of tone, pitch, speed, and volume, which can create challenges for people trying to interpret the explicit meaning of words themselves as well as the overall nuance of a message. The English word progress can be a noun or a verb, depending on which syllable you emphasize. In Chinese the meaning of the word mà changes depending on the speaker’s tone; it can mean mother, pileup, horse, or scold. And routine Arabic speech can sound excited or angry to an English-speaking U.S. listener. To ensure successful conversations between parties who speak different native languages or even regional variations of the same language, speakers and listeners alike need to make accommodations. Speakers should adjust the content of their messages and the style of their delivery to accommodate the needs of their listeners and the circumstances of the conversation. For example, if you are speaking in person or over an electronic connection that includes a video component, you can use hand gestures and other nonverbal signals to clarify your spoken message. When you don’t have a visual connection, however, you must take extra care to convey your meaning through words and vocal characteristics alone. Conversely, listeners need to be tolerant of accents, vocabulary choices, gestures, and other factors that might distract them from hearing the meaning of a speaker’s message.
- To be more effective in intercultural conversations, speak slowly and clearly, but avoid talking down to the other person by overenunciating words or oversimplifying sentences. Don’t rephrase until it’s obviously necessary, because immediately rephrasing something you’ve just said doubles the translation workload for the listener. As the conversation progresses, look for and ask for feedback to make sure your message is getting through. At the end of the conversation, double-check to make sure you and the listener agree on what has been said and decided. As a listener, you’ll need some practice to get a sense of vocal patterns. The key is simply to accept what you hear, without jumping to conclusions about meaning or motivation. Let other people finish what they have to say. If you interrupt, you may miss something important. You’ll also show a lack of respect. If you do not understand a comment, ask the person to repeat it. Any momentary awkwardness you might feel in asking for extra help is less important than the risk of unsuccessful communication.
- You may encounter business situations that require using an interpreter (for spoken communication) or a translator (can be used for both spoken and written communication). Interpreters and translators can be expensive, but skilled professionals provide invaluable assistance for communicating in other cultural contexts. Keeping up with current language usage in a given country or culture is also critical to avoid embarrassing blunders. In marketing and advertising, where being in tune with contemporary culture is critical, companies sometimes use transcreation, which essentially amounts to re-creating the material for a new cultural context, rather than simply translating the text. Some companies use back-translation to ensure accuracy. Once a translator encodes a message into another language, a different translator retranslates the same message into the original language. This back-translation is then compared with the original message to discover any errors or discrepancies. The time and cost required for professional translation has encouraged the development of computerized translation tools. Dedicated software tools, mobile apps, and online services such as WorldLingo and Google Translate offer various forms of automated translation. Major search engines let you request translated versions of the websites you find. Although none of these tools can translate as well as human translators, they are getting better all the time.
- Everyone can contribute to successful intercultural communication. Whether a younger person is unaccustomed to the formalities of a large corporation or a colleague from another country is working on a team with you, look for opportunities to help people fit in and adapt their communication style. For example, if a nonnative English speaker is making mistakes that could hurt his or her credibility, you can offer advice on the appropriate words and phrases to use. Most language learners truly appreciate this sort of assistance, as long as it is offered in a respectful manner. Moreover, chances are that while you’re helping, you’ll learn something about the other person’s culture and language, too. You can also take steps to simplify the communication process. For instance, oral communication in a second language is usually more difficult than written forms of communication, so instead of asking a foreign colleague to provide information in a conference call, you could ask for a written response instead of or in addition to the live conversation.