Introduction
When a company starts to do business in a foreign country, there are often many business practices that are different and difficult to understand. Cross-cultural communication refers to communication conducted by people from different ethnic, social or gendered backgrounds, that is, communication between people who do not share the common linguistic or cultural values. Through identifying some most important influential factors in cross-cultural communication, the paper points out some steps and sugestions which can be use to make a successful meeting between an Australian young business women and a traditional Japanese manager and discusses how those factors can lead to cross-cultural communication failures. After that, it provides solutions for main types of cross-cultural communication breakdown and strategies for enhancing effective communication. Finally, the paper ends with a restatement of the main points, which is also the conclusion part.
Influential factors on cross-cultural communication
Socio-cultural influence
An important factor which also influences cross-cultural communication is the socio-cultural effect. From the meaning of “culture” mentioned above, it is not difficult to see that socio-cultural influence is crucial to a successful cross-cultural communication. Gumperz (2002) once wrote that “…socio-cultural assumptions concerning role and status relationships as well as socialvalues associated with various message components also play an
My research is focused on the problems associated with cross-cultural communication and how awareness of culture, language, tradition, and business practices can increase the advantages to globalization. This report will be field specific in
In modern society, interpersonal communications refer to communication betwee two or more people. Meanwhile the verbal interpersonal communication is one of the major element for interpersonal communication, such as sounds and word choice, and it is the oral, spoken and unwritten way of the communication (Beebe, 2002). During the process of communication, most people will meet the situattion about the cross-cultural. cross-cultural can be defined as the interaction and comparison of different cultures (Beebe, 2002). Therefore, the verbal interpersonal communication and cross cultural awareness will be useful. In the following, I will reflect on the verbal interpersonal cultural based my experience and analyse how to develop cross cultural awareness.
Intercultural communication: A discourse approach attempts to explain the discourse approach and points to the authors ' distinction between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication. The chapter underlines the authors ' approach and theory to intercultural communication. It covers several explanations and the distinction between cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication. The chapter discusses the many varieties of culture that exist. It also clarifies that intercultural communication can occur in conversations not necessarily when two people are from different countries.
Abstract The ability of managers to interact with individuals from cultures other than their own, requires a concerted effort on the part of business educators and academics to ‘train’ and ‘educate’ today’s students and tomorrow’s managers in the area cross-cultural communication. This is not necessarily an easy task. Teaching cross-cultural communication requires a multidisciplinary approach, which goes beyond what is traditionally offered by trainers and educators. It requires the educator to design a course that includes not only culture-general but also
Businesses and business communication could be greatly impacted by cultural differences, especially when conducting business internationally or with people of various cultures. Understanding cultural differences is a key to succeed at communicating or conducting businesses since culture influences how people think, communicate and behave (Salacuse, 2005). Having a deep comprehension and adapting to a new culture become more significant when someone is traveling overseas to re-locate him or herself and work at a different country.
Intercultural communication is about distinctions and variances that refer to traditional, and everyday life. In this reflection paper I will display supporting factors that contribute to my understanding of cultures. I will present my understanding of my background, experiences, culture, and perspectives. In addition. give my understanding of acceptance and differences in background, experience, culture and perspectives outside of my culture by giving my understanding of cognitive and behavioral strategies and personal experiences that have been effective and ineffective in regards to intercultural communication. I have listed the order of importance to myself as it relates to intercultural communication.
In today’s world, globalization is rapidly dominating and mobilizing multicultural interactions among leaders (Bücker & Poutsma, 2010). The Eurocentric Germanizing authoritative leadership approach is no longer dominating in a colorful society of people (NewsBlaze, 2007). As globalization comes into realization, more and more people of various gender, race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, and even disability will continue to change the course of leadership (Nahavandi, 2014; NewsBlaze, 2007). Successful leaders are challenged to adapt new methods to seek out effective communication and address every human being with compassion and empathy (Harvard Business Review, 2011).
Whether we realize it or not, the way that we communicate with others has been a total of all that we have learned and the way that we perceive it. People's cultural upbringing conjures up different images, attitudes, and behaviors. Cultural beliefs, values, norms, and practices all influence communication. This analysis will describe examples of how culture’s can influence communication styles and patterns.
Nowadays, it is found that the world is more connected and diverse in accordance with internalization and globalization which means that the world has become the one large village that everyone can communicate without regard to the time, location and cost even in business area. According to the rapid improvement of technologies and the change of time, many organizations have difficult task in relation to the importance of intercultural communication as each member of their organization have their own experiences, values, cultural backgrounds and languages throughout their life which lead them to see and perceive things in various ways. Misinterpretation of cultural differences and the lack of communication conflict
Language can be loaded with meaning, beyond its dictionary definition. The meaning of language is often encapsulated in culture from micro interpersonal to macro international. Culture defines who we are and it is expressed in the language we use. When culture is defined as a set of customs, traditions, beliefs, etc., it is more than just a national identity: it is a Sunday social group, a visible minority or youth group, a family run company, a corporate entity, a community. Culture encompasses that which we identify with as a member of society whether it be a large or small group within society. In today’s world of business communication using a common lingua franca such as English helps to make communication more fluid but it is often not enough to bridge cross cultural gaps and common misunderstandings. In our communication we need to be careful in the language we use and the meaning we either knowingly or unknowingly impart on our listeners. (Czako,K., 2015)
Communication, and the difference therein, is one of the most important aspects of life to understand in both our business and personal lives. Communication styles and methods vary between different cultures. Communication is perhaps the most important cultural pattern to understand, if we are to succeed in doing business on a global scale. According to Walker (2015), “Depending on the country and the individual, this dimension of communication cab be ether more direct or more indirect” (p. 98). Because of vast cultural pattern differences, communication apprehension will often become a barrier in conducting business in the global arena.
Cross-cultural communication is the process of exchanging meaningful and unambiguous information across cultural boundaries, in a way that preserves mutual respect and minimizes antagonism, that is, it looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds endeavour to communicate. The study of cross-cultural communication was originally found within businesses and the government both seeking to expand globally. Communication is interactive, so an important influence on its effectiveness is our relationship with others. All communication is cultural -- it draws on ways we have learned to speak and give nonverbal messages. We do not always
As Jeane Kirkpatrick once said, “Cross cultural experience and communication teaches us not simply that people have different beliefs, but that people seek meaning and understand themselves and others in some sense as members of a universe ruled by God.” Effective cross cultural communication with people of different cultures can be especially challenging. Culture itself provides human beings with different ways of thinking and responding, which includes a variety of different ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world. While there are ways of translating the language of other cultures in order to have the ability to effectively use cross cultural communication (most specifically for collaborative purposes), the same words can mean different things to different people from different cultures, even when they speak the same language. In fact, when languages are diverse, and translation has to be used to communicate (cross cultural), the potential for misunderstandings and difficulty rises. In the case of “Strategies for Smooth and Effective Cross-Cultural Online Collaborative Learning” written by Junfeng Yang, Kinshuk Huiju, Sue-Jen Chen, and Ronghuai Huang, describes the difficulties with cross cultural communication and the findings of a study done by Hangzhou Normal University (China), Athabasca University (Canada), and University of North Caroline (United States) about this difficult subject and its gravity
New marketplaces are opening up as a result of modern technology and the internet. It is making businesses to expand to new geographic locations that possess new culture. Cross-cultural communication has become the new norm of essentially interacting with people remotely. Electronic information makes it easier to work with individuals in another country like working with someone in a closer location. Although English seems to be a global language, incomprehension arises sometime between individuals from different English-speaking nations. Cross-cultural communication is thus effective to bridge such gaps. Cross-cultural communication skills development is thus essential and not limited to observing other individual cultures and effective communication skills. The paper evaluates the necessary skills in cross cultural management of a global business.
Successful communication is a fundamental aspect of advancing interests in the business world. However, hindrances to a favorable transaction between both the sender and receiver are prevalent. These barriers to team-based and intercultural workplace communication come in forms like competing messages, distractions, or even improper etiquette bestowal. These can affect the growth rate of a company, and even morale within an organization resulting in losses and deficiency. Therefore, when engaging in communication in a business setting, barriers are in existence, and unless known and dealt with, can be a great inhibitor to a successful communicative undertaking.