cross cultural communication importance strategies meaning description types

1. STRATEGIESFOR
SUCCESSFULCROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
K.DHARSHAN

2. ABSTACT
As the communication between different cultures is
becoming more and more frequent, the competence
of cross-cultural awareness and collaboration is
emerging as a key ability in the 21st century. Face to
face communication is the most efficient way to
cultivate the competence of cross-cultural awareness
and collaboration.

3. INTRODUCTION
• Culture is the way of thinking and behaviour shaped
by the members of a community. Hall (1959) equates
culture with communication: “Culture is
communication and communication is culture”. Every
culture is unique and is made up of ideals, values,
beliefs, traditions. Understanding how culture
communicates, allows people to convey messages as
intended and helps to find their identity in differences.
It also defines how the members interact with each
other on a base of common identity

4. Cultural studies cover the areas of anthropology,
high culture, and pop culture. Anthropology is the
study of cultural meanings, including norms and
values. High culture refers to cultural by-products
like art, music, and literature to name a few, and
pop culture refers to contemporary art and trends.
All communications take place in a human
environment, and the communicative behaviour of
the people including their selection of means of
communication and content is influenced by the
context of the communicator.

5. CULTURE
• Group which shapes a persons values and identity.
• Culture is formed
 Race
 Ethnicity
 Gender
 Class & Religion
 Country of origin
 Geographic region

6. 6FUNDAMENTALPATTERNSOFCULTURAL
DIFFERENCES
• Different Communication Styles
• Different Attitude towards Conflicts
• Different Approaches in Completing Tasks
• Different Decision Making Styles
• Different Attitudes towards Disclosure
• Different Approaches to Knowing

7. COMMUNICATION
• Draws on speech patterns, language and non-verbal messages.
• Interactive.

8. CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
• Cross-cultural communication is a field of
study that looks at how people from
differing cultural backgrounds communicate,
in similar and different ways among
themselves, and how they endeavour
to communicate across cultures.

9. Cross
Culture
Age
Customs
Value
Gender
Country
Ethnicity

10. • Important to companies due to the growth of
global business, technology, and the Internet.
• Understanding of how people from different
cultures speak, communicate, and perceive the
world around them.
• Language differences, High-Context vs. Low-
Context cultures, Non-Verbal differences, and
power distance are major factors affect cross-
cultural communication.

11. WHYISITIMPORTANT?
• Business Opportunities
• Job Opportunities
• Globalization
• Sharing of views and ideas
• Talent Improvisation
• Understanding of Diverse Market

12. Cross-culturalMiscommunications
• Cross-cultural communication issues might be many, but
they all point down to the fact that the message is not
delivered across. In worst cases, it might end up in
misunderstanding. For instance, a joke might be
misinterpreted leading to confusion and humiliation during a
presentation in a multicultural setting. The cultural values are
the main source of cross-cultural differences in a
multicultural setting. Values that form the core of the culture
includes communication patterns like etiquette, personal
space, and touch, time orientation, meaning of work,
socioeconomic status, education, clothing, hygiene, family
orientations, interpersonal relationships ranging from
kinships and rivalries, moral, religious beliefs , and personal
traits. The value systems in different cultures serve as a
mechanism of social control by determining the behaviours
of the group.

13. HighVs Low-Context Cultures
High-Context Cultures : Cultures that
rely heavily on non-verbal & subtle
situational cues in communication.
Ex: North America, Western Europe.
Low-Context Cultures : Cultures that
rely heavily on words to convey
meaning in communication.
Ex: Middle East.

15. VERBALCOMMUNICATION
• Use of sounds and words to express yourself.
• Includes
 Face-Face Communication
 Telephone Communication
 Radio / TV

16. NON-VERBALCOMMUNICATION
Communication through sending and
receiving wordless clues.
Includes
 Eye-contact
 Gestures
 Touch
 Voice (paralanguage)

17. EYE-CONTACT
• Some cultures, looking people in the eyes is honesty and straight
forwardness & in others it is seen as challenging and rude.

18. In US, if you have good eye contact with a person,
it generally signifies that you are interested in the
person.
In Middle East, eye contact is much less common
and considered less appropriate.
In many Asian, African and Latin American cultures,
extended eye contact can be taken as an affront or a
challenge of authority.
In Western Europe, it is considered proper and polite
to maintain almost constant eye contact with another
person.

19. GESTURES
• A movement of part of the body, especially a hand or
the head, to express an idea or meaning.

21. TOUCH
• Islam & Hinduism : Touching with left hand is
insulting.

22. COLOURS
• A single color can have many different
meanings in different cultures.
• In Asia orange is a positive, spiritually
enlightened, and life-affirming color.
• In US it is a color of road hazards, traffic
delays, and fast-food restaurants.
• Green is considered the traditional colour of
Islam. It is also the national colour of Egypt.

23. • Green is a symbol of Ireland; green is a strong trend
in the Irish holiday St. Patrick’s Day.
• White is the traditional colour of bridal dresses in Western
cultures.
• China: blue-coloured gifts are associated with death.

24. CLOTHING
• Traditional clothing is an important part of a region’s
history and identity.
• Men tend not to wear suit jackets and ties in Colombia
and the Middle East.
• The traditional dress for an Indian woman is a Sari.
• Gulf countries women's have to wear Pardha &
compulsory for every women who visits Saudi.
• Western Countries, the women's can wear what they
want.

26. greeting
• Bow is the customary greeting in Japan.
• Westerner’s always start with a handshake.
• Most Latinos are more accustomed to physical
contact. Even people who know each other only
slightly may embrace when greeting.
• People from France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal greet
friends by kissing on both cheeks.
• Indian’s usually collide their hands for greeting
others.

28. CULTURALCONFLICTSINWORKPLACE

29. • It arises because of the difference in value and
norms of behaviour from different cultures.
• So this situation create misunderstanding and lead
to conflict.

30. Different situations
• Misunderstanding or conflict between
different nationalities, religious or ethnic
groups.
• Cultural ignorance and insensitivity.
• Lack of awareness of social life style
practises.
• Miscommunication and misinterpretation.
• Perception of illness and treatment.

31. BLOCKS TOCULTURALCOMMUNICATION
1. Ethnocentrism : Inability to accept another
cultures world view. Ex: “ my way is the
best way”
2. Discrimination : Treatment to an individual
due to minority status, actual & perceived.
Ex: “we just aren't equipped to serve people
like that.”
3. Stereotyping: Generalizing about a person.
Ex: “she’s like that …because she is Asian”

32. 4. Cultural Blindness: Differences are ignored
& ne proceeds though differences did not
exist. Ex: ‘there is no need to worry about a
persons culture”
5. Cultural Imposition: Belief that everyone
should conform to majority. Ex: “we know
what's best for you, if you don’t like it you
can go elsewhere”
6. Tone Difference: Formal tone change
becomes embarrassing & off-putting in some
culture.

33. IMPROVINGCROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
• Overcome Ethnocentrism
• Recognize Cultural Variation
• Learn about Cultures
• Remove Language Barrier
• Help others adapt to our culture
• Write & speak clearly
• Improve Communication Skill
• Listen Carefully
• Respect Style Preferences

34. StrategiesFORsuccessfulCROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
1. Slow Down
2. Avoid Negative Questions
3. Separate Questions
4. Take Turns
5. Write it Down
6. Be Supportive
7. Check Meanings
8. Avoid Slang

35. 9. Maintain Etiquette
10. Watch the Humor