3. Business Communication
The Process of transmitting information
about and within the organization.
An Example of a business communication is an
email to employees with a list of items to be
discussed at the next meeting
5. 1. Understanding Culture
• Because cultures vary so widely across
the globe, understanding the differences in
culture is vital to the business environment.
A person's culture impacts the way he
communicates
6. 2. Communication Errors
• Understanding the local meaning of a
word or phrase is a vital aspect of
international communication. Errors can
cause embarrassment and can show
disrespect.
7. 3. Etiquette and Communication
• Etiquette is a combination of behavior
and communication. Making an error in
etiquette can cause a business deal to fail.
8. 4. Written Communication
• In the Western World, business is
handled by phone calls and emails. Less
formal communication can cause confusion
and misinterpretation due to language
differences.
9. Cultural Communication in Business
Cross cultural communication is defined by
Gotland University as “a process of
exchanging, negotiating, and mediating
one's cultural differences through
language, non-verbal gestures, and space
relationships
10. Importance
• Cross cultural communication in
business plays a vital role in successfully
establishing the product or service in a
different area of the globe.
11. Language Barriers
A common cross cultural barrier in business
communication is the use of language. Not
every business globally does business in English.
Even if they do, there can be different meanings
for the same English word.
12. Culture Barriers
• Each culture has a different set of values,
business ethics, languages, behavior, expected
etiquette and expression. Not knowing the
differences in the country that the company is doing
business in can lead to communication barriers that
prohibit the messages from being effective.
13. Intercultural Communication
Problems in the Workplace
Inaccurate Assumptions in Meaning
• Among different cultures, combinations of
verbal communication and body language can have
different meanings, and this can lead to
misunderstandings
14. Formality Differences in
Communications
• The Western cultures of America, New Zealand
and Australia are informal when addressing a
business associate and will usually use her first
name. More formal cultures such as those found in
parts of Europe use titles such as "Mr.," "Mrs." or
"Dr.," along with with a family name
15. Misinterpretations of Body
Language
In North America, eye contact in the workplace
is an approved method of engaging interaction
and shows confidence and authority. A person
who does not make or return eye contact may
be considered suspicious or insecure
16. Unfamiliar Phrases in
Communications
• Culture-specific phrases in an intercultural
workplace can be easily misunderstood. For
example, in North America, baseball phrases
such as "ballpark estimates," "touch base," and
"out in left field,"
17. How to Improve Communication Among
Different Cultures
• Study the history of the other cultures.
• Learn the nonverbal language by other
cultures.
• Recognize different perceptions of time.