Used this at an exam to pitch during a staged role play. The prospect was to convince by an effectful, coherent and concise presentation

1. Intercultural Interaction
-A self-study solution

2. Features
• Who am I?
• Objective
• The Package
• Introductory Course
• Questions

3. Who Am I?
• Martin Sønderholm Eriksen
• Consultant
• MA in International Business Communication
• Priming & Optimizing
• International Business Environment

4. Objective
• Diminish pitfalls
• Enhancing Oral Competencies
• Cultural Background Knowledge
• Importance?
▫ Several understandings
• Shared platform of engagement

5. “The Package”
• Document Folder
• Three-part
▫ Two basic constituents
 Generic material
▫ One flexible constituent
 Situational fitting

6. First constituent
• Manual
• English as Lingua Franca
“Two non-native speakers who engage in
English as contact and trade language to
transfer opinions and make themselves under-
stood in a business situation”
• Goodwill

7. Contents of the manual
• One-way communication
▫ Presentations
▫ Lessen the noise
▫ Clear and concise (level of abstraction)
▫ Create shared platform

8. Contents of the manual
• Two-way communication
▫ Debate
▫ Constructive and respectable
▫ Avoid assumptions
▫ Underpin the platform

9. Pamphlet (Manual)
• Quick-guide
• Describing differences
▫ Do’s and Dont’s
• Prototyping

10. Example
• Don’t:
▫ Charm & Charisma
▫ Don’t be pushy – don’t waste their time
▫ Jokes about religion
• Do:
▫ Facts – Back up all you say with facts
▫ Focus on mutual profits
▫ Professional competence
• Nice to know:
▫ Personalities are separated from opinions

11. Manual
• Exhaustive
• Substantiate and elaborate
• Social differences
• Cultural backgrounds
▫ e.g. Power Distance

12. Example
• China:
▫ High power distance
▫ Unequal distribution of power (hierarchic)
▫ Asymmetric interaction
• Denmark:
▫ Low power distance
▫ Perceive each other as equals – regardles of formal positions
▫ Engage in a more involving manner
• Again - Prototyping

13. Introductory Course
• Hosted by Language & Intercultural Processes
• Four hour session
• Approach
• Q&A

14. Questions?
• Thank you for your time…