What can we do?

In my last entry, I talked about some possible communication conflicts that occur if we simply ignore our cultural differences. Now, I am going to talk about some solutions that will help reduce these conflicts.

As I talked about before, it seems to be easier to gain the knowledge of how to handle these cultural conflicts if we grow up in a multicultural city. We can learn from our daily experiences. At the least, we won’t feel too surprised about the different communication habits people have.

However, the concept of the global village is developing at a very high pace. Doing business around the world isn't only important to big, multicultural cities; many cross-national corporations invest in remote areas that are not used to interacting with different cultures. What could we do if we were the local residents, and we were shocked by this huge cultural gap?

Since the local residents do not often deal with other people from different cultures, past experience doesn't seem to be helpful. In this case, doing the following things can help: 

1.  Observe more. A good observation on the greeting or communication habits of a culture can help you learn the appropriate reaction to many different situations.
2. Keep smiling. A polite gesture in our culture may have a totally different meaning in other cultures. However, a smile is generally recognized as a friendly symbol. Keep smiling; it might reduce the chance of causing an argument.

Of course, it is impossible to know all the gestures from every culture, but it is always good to try doing more, knowing more, and accepting more from other cultures.

KK

What about Writing?

So we've talked about how to communicate orally, and the importance of gestures/acts. Now what about e-mail writing?

It's tricky, as anyone that has frequented the internet knows; it's easy for messages to be taken the wrong way. When writing you can't inject the tone of your voice and, when read by someone who didn't come up with the idea in the first place, something harmless can create conflict.

Things simply get lost in translation.

One key thing to remember is not to add humour if the culture prizes politeness. The thing is-as we've said before-different cultures have different values. In some places, typically of more Eastern origin, formality and respect are very important. You can't allow for any problems, like a joke gone bad for instance. Slang can also be taken in different ways, but probably isn't appropriate in a business setting anyway. Best to avoid it.

The formatting of e-mails can also be different depending on the culture. Some cultures will expect a normal address before the main content, while others just won't care.

The main problem though is the most basic: language. If the person you're writing to doesn't understand what you're communicating then there are going to be problems. That also goes the other way around; if you don't understand what they are trying to convey, don't hesitate to send an e-mail back asking for clarification.

LJ

Enhancing Oral Communication

 

There are many barriers within the work place. With our multicultural society and globalization, there are some barriers that cause miscommunication with our fellow employees.

This is because English is the universal language of business communication. Communication is  the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another.

Communication occurs when the information successfully goes from communicator to receiver.   English is their second  language
and they are forced to bridge
that language gap on their own in
that business environment.


To help us enhance communication we need to meet our counterparts halfway by doing the following:

• Educate ourselves in foreign languages 
• Use simple language that others will understand and avoid slang
• Speak slowly and enunciate clearly
• Observe eye messages that show you are listening and show you understand
• Check frequently for comprehension 
• Listen without interrupting

Here is a website that gives the history of different languages so we can learn and understand them:

Link

OB

Bridging the Gap

We often need to change our attitudes in order to be able to develop cultural adequacy. By being exposed to other cultures and being trained, we can learn new attitudes and behaviours, which could help us bridge the gaps between different cultures.

 

The first way is to be tolerant. If we are closed-minded; we cannot look beyond our own ethnocentrism. We would only believe in the superiority of our own culture. We need to learn how to be empathetic; try to see the world through someone else's view. We need to be less judgmental towards others and seek the similarities between them. Scientists could work together with greater tolerance if they could recognize their cultural differences. If we could accept the cultural differences and adapt to them with tolerance and empathy, it could develop into a harmonious agreement.

The second way is to save face. Positive comments can raise a person's social standing, but negative comments could easily lower it. People in various cultures view saving face differently. For example, Germans and North Americans value honestly and directness, while Mexicans and Asians are more concerned with preserving social harmony and saving face. They are indirect and go to great lengths trying to avoid offending others.

The last way is to be patient. To be tolerant also involves being patient. If a foreigner is struggling to express an idea in English, North Americans must avoid the temptation to finish the sentence for them by providing the word they assume is wanted. When done, the foreigners will often smile and agree out of politeness, but our words may not express what they truly wanted to say. Remaining silent is a way of expressing tolerance.

JL

Non-verbal Communication Across Cultures

When we communicate with people from different cultures, we might face problems like not understanding multiple languages. Often, using body language would be a simple solution. However, non-verbal communication across different cultures might lead to further misunderstandings.

In business communication, for example, individuals hold respect as an important aspect of interaction. However, different gestures from different societies represent different levels of respect. One well known example is keeping eye-contact with one another. In North America, we all understand that keeping eye-contact is a symbol of respect to each other; but in many traditional Eastern countries, including China and Japan, they treat eye-contact with the opposite gender as a disrespectful act.

Another example would be handshaking. Generally, we shake hands as a gesture of greeting in Western countries, but many cultures prohibit physical contact. As they have a more conservative culture, they might consider touching each other in public as inappropriate.

Since doing business with people from a variety of cultures is getting more common, we need to learn more about the different taboos held by cultures. Luckily, growing up in a multicultural city can help people accept different gestures, and it can reduce the cultural conflict between people working together. Still, when someone comes from a society that only supports one culture, how can they adapt their habits to interact properly with people across the world?

Here is a video demonstrating cross-cultural communication:

KK

Advice for Achieving Intercultural Competence

Different cultures have different expectations for the way things are done; so there are many things to learn if you want to communicate effectively, and without repercussions, in another culture. However, achieving competence can be done through simple acts and the use of common sense. What's key, is for you to use sensitivity, nonjudgmentalism, and tolerance when interacting with other cultures.

An expert in achieving intercultural competence, M.R. Hammer, outlines three points that should be followed:

     1)  Descriptiveness

• When giving feedback, or commenting on something/someone, you're going to want to be descriptive rather than objective. Being objective in feedback can come across as judgmental and won't help the two individuals get along whatsoever.

     2)  Nonjudgmentalism

• In the end, being judgmental in anyway, will cause problems when trying to interact. Remarking on customs, clothing or speech with your thoughts, will create stress and immediately put the other individual on the defensive; they may take it personally and spend the time trying to explain it to you. Their thoughts may not be on much else for some time, and they may continue to wonder what you might be thinking of them.

     3)  Supportiveness

• Just be supportive in your interactions. Positive non-verbal communication is useful here. Nod your head, keep track of your facial expression and how close you are (some cultures will have varying ideas on personal space), and keep eye contact to show that you are interested in what they are saying.

I'll leave you with some general things to do when out abroad:

• Always follow their lead, and don't do things other people haven't done. Gestures can have different meanings in different cultures.                                                                                          -This'll be expanded in a future post-
• Take a little time to learn basic greetings and words (yes, no, please, thank you, etc).

For a slide show full of useful information on Intercultural Competence visit:

SlideServe

Let me know what you think of the whole topic as well; do you agree with the concept of trying to fit in while working with other cultures, or do you think that other cultures should understand that we are foreigners and should make allowances?

From a business perspective it's just good sense, but what do you feel personally? What would you rather if you were in their shoes?


-A more detailed look at the information covered in this post can be found in Business Communication Process and Product 7th Edition by Mary Ellen Guffey-

LJ

Avoiding Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism, as described at Dictionary.com, is " The belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture." For years, colleges and universities have been preparing students to avoid ethnocentrism and become more aware and open about other cultures.  Not only does this help a business become successful in the long-run, but it also gives companies the advantage of attracting better and even more talented employees with a wider range of skill and expertise.

Intercultural proficiency may be achieved in several ways, one of which includes doing research or reading up on a particular culture or group of people before engaging in business.  It helps because it develops a cultural awareness of the other group.


Communication, or improving intercultural proficiency, can also be achieved by the use of gestures and certain body language.  Body motion that exhibits acknowledgement, for instance, like the nodding of one's head is a good example.

Here are two short Youtube videos posted by Expert Village that relate to the topic:

Avoiding Ethnocentrism by Avoiding Assumptions

Avoiding Ethnocentrism using Gestures/Body Language


Ethnocentrism has been in existence ever since people migrated from their country to others.  History has shown us that because of ethnocentrism; racism, discrimination, and segregation became predominant.  Business practices, in today's global markets, that do not address ethnocentrism will fail.  Like mentioned in the video below, we should look at others' differences in, "different ways or approach in doing the same thing."

Here is a short video on ethnocentrism throughout history and in the present.

Link


NS