Cross-culture communication

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CROSS-CULTURE COMMUNICATION
“The reasonable person adapts himself to the world,
while the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt
the world to himself”

2. What is Cross cultural Communication?
• Cross communication refers to the
effective communication between
people/ workers/ clients of different
cultural background.
•Cross-cultural communication is a
field of study that looks at how
people from different cultural,
backgrounds communicate, in
similar and different ways among
themselves.

3. Need for managing
• Staff retention-less recruitment costs
• Working together – more productivity
• Resolving Conflicts
• Team Management
A workforce where people communicate
effectively is more productive

4. Two trends of Intercultural Communication
• Globalization
• Multicultural
Workforce

5. GLOBALIZATION
• Globalization refers to
the reduction and
removal of barriers
between national
borders in order to
facilitate the flow of
goods, capital,
services and labour.

6. MULTICULTURAL WORKFORCE
• The phrase
"multicultural
workforce" refers to
the changing age,
gender, ethnicity,
physical ability, and
race, of employees
across all types and
places of work

7. Need for Intercultural Communication
• Success of any International
business.
• Allows workers from different
cultures to work together as a
group.
• An increase in international
Business.

8. Examples for Cultural differences
Arabic language
is written from
right to left and
almost all other
languages are
written from left
to right

9. In America,
people shake
hands ,and
even hug each
other. But in
India we just
join hands to
say namaskar.

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Case In Point : Eye Contact
In some cultures, looking people in the eye is assumed to indicate
honesty and straightforwardness; in others it is seen as challenging and
rude.

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In USA, the cheapest, most effective way to connect with people is
to look them into the eye.

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"Most people in Arab culture share a great deal of eye contact and may
regard too little as disrespectful.

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In English culture, a certain amount of eye contact is required, but too much
makes many people uncomfortable.

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In South Asian and many other cultures direct eye contact is generally
regarded as aggressive and rude.

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Case in Point : Gesture

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How can a Gestures distort the message………………..
•A motion of the hands, head or body to emphasize an
idea or emotion.
Perfect! OK! Zero!
Worthless!
Rubbish!
Gestures

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USA=OK JAPAN=MONEY
RUSSIA=ZERO BRAZIL=INSULT

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How can the same Gestures be treated differently in
different cultures

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Gestures – Around the World
Western - “Do you have a telephone ?”
Brazil - “Cuckold (Your wife is cheating to you)”

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• Understanding Body Language
United States of America
•Americans tend to refrain from greetings that involve hugging and other close physical contact.
•When sitting, U.S. citizens often look very relaxed. They may sometimes sit with the ankle of one
leg on their knee.
Arab Countries
•The left hand is considered unclean in the Arab countries.
•When sitting, keep both feet on the ground.
•The "thumbs up" sign is offensive throughout the Arab world.
South Korea
•Bows are used for expressing appreciation, making apologies and requests, as well as for
greetings and farewells.
•When the Japanese want to give the impression that they are in deep thought, they will
sometimes fold their arms.

25. Behaviour Across Cultures

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• Unwrapping gifts
Saudi Arabia - Gifts are opened in private.
USA - Gifts are opened in public
•Appreciated Gifts
Indonesia - Gifts, such as tokens memento of your country or your
company logo
Turkey - Wine or liquor if you are sure your hosts drink alcohol,
Candy, pastries & Roses, Glassware, such as a vase, goblet, or decanter make
prized gifts
• Gifts to avoid
UAE - Alcohol / perfumes containing alcohol and pork and pigskin
products to be avoided
China - Do not give anything in sets of four or gifts that carry the
association of death, funerals such as clocks, cut flowers, white objects.

27. Culture Determines Behaviour
• Cultural values tell us what is most dear to our
hearts
– American - freedom (to choose one’s own
destiny-success or failure)
– Japanese - belonging; one must belong to
and support group in order to
survive
– Arab - family security and relying on
god for destiny
– Indians - family values, religion

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Welcome Topics & Topics to Avoid
during Conversation
Welcome Topics & Topics to Avoid
during Conversation

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• Welcome Topics of Conversation:
Indonesia: Family, travel/tourism, sports, praising the local
cuisine, future plans and success of the group or
organization
Germany: Sports--particularly soccer, tennis, current events,
politics, among those who imbibe, beer is often a good topic
of conversation

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•Topics to Avoid:
Indonesia: Politics, corruption, criticism of Indonesian ways, commenting on
Indonesian customs that you find peculiar, religion
Saudi Arabia: Middle Eastern politics and International oil politics, Israel,
criticizing or questioning Islamic beliefs, women/ inquiries or complimentary
remarks about the female family members of your Saudi associates
South Korea: Korean politics/local politics, The Korean War, Socialism and
Communism, Japan and your contacts in Japan, your host's wife, Personal
family matters
Germany: World War II, personal questions

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Skills To Overcome Differences
• Respecting Differences and Working Together

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Skills To Overcome Differences
• Building Trust Across Cultural Boundaries

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Skills To Overcome Differences
• Connecting with people

34. Cultural ConfliCt
Jonathan H. Turner defines it as:
“Differences in cultural values
and beliefs that place people at
odds with one another".
In another words, conflict may
arise whenever there are cultural
differences.
Prentice Hall 2003 Chapter 4 34

35. Causes of ConfliCt
 Misunderstandings through language, attitude and way of
communication.
 Cultural ignorance and insensitivity
 Lack of awareness of different societal lifestyle practices
 Differences in cultural practice
 Differences in perception
 Misinterpretation can take place
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36. Achieving cross-cultural
communication effectiveness
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37. DO’S OF INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
• Avoid Assumptions, jokes which are misunderstood
• Use symbols, diagrams and pictures.
• Avoid using slang and idioms, choosing words that will
convey only the most specific denotative meaning;
• Investigate their culture's perception
• Take cultural and local differences into account.
• Say what you do and do what you say. Make sure that
your communication is line with the audience; use
understandable language.
• Find out what cultural factors

38. DONT’S OF INTERCULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
• Using the same approach world-wide.
• Considering traditional knowledge and practices
as ‘backward’.
• Letting cultural differences become a source of
conflict that hinder the process or work.
• Fail to ignore culturally-dependent enabling and
counteracting forces.
• Fail to take language barriers into account.

39. ConClusion
Effective cross culture communication is a vital skill for international
managers and domestic managers of multi cultural work forces
because miscommunication is much more likely to occur among
people from different countries or racial backgrounds that among
those from similar background. So it is important to be alert to how
culture is reflected in communication.
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Business in Today’s Scenario is not a
“National Match” but is a
“Olympics”, where there are
International Players. Only that
Individual / Company can survive
which has done its homework well &
developed its uniqueness.

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