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