You will never know a man till you do business with him
(Scottish Proverb )

3 basic assumptions about human communication:
1.
Communication is rule governed
2.
3.
Context prescribes appropriate communication rules
Communication rules are culturally diverse

 Verbal & non-verbal
 What & how it should be said
 Non-verbal includes touch (who & how), facial expression (where & when to smile), eye-contact
(appropriate to staring), paralanguage (when to whisper, shout)
 Verbal includes turn taking, voice volume, formality of language
 Depending on: context/event, the person you talk with

 Context (place) specifies appropriate rules
 E.g. in classroom, church, mosque, wedding, funeral
 Extreme deviation leads to social sanctions
 Being ignored, asked to leave

 Cultures have many same social setting and context
 Frequently abide by different rules
 Differences on Concepts of time, dress, language, manners, nonverbal behavior, control of the communication flow
 Aware of your own & other culture’s rule

3 communication variables woven in and out of every communication setting:
1.
2.
3.
Formality & informality
Assertiveness and interpersonal harmony
Status relationships

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The forms: how to dress, posture, addressing someone, type of speech used
US  informal & direct
 dress code for office, posture when talking to teacher/superior in the office, directness in delivering the message, the used of
‘hi’, calling the first name, disregard someone’s title
Egypt, Turkey, Japan  formal
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Student - teacher relationship (Egyptian proverb: whoever teaches me a letter, I should become a slave to him forever)
Addressing someone with the title and surname
Affected by culture, number of friends you have, your closeness to friends, what you tell those friends

 The manner in which people present themselves to others
 Directly influence the intercultural setting
 American known as assertive communicator
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Encouraged and taught to be frank, open and direct when dealing with other
American individuals expected to stand up for their rights, and often involves confrontation

 Northeast and Southeast highlighting harmonious relations
 Filipinos’ two terms for harmony: amor propio (harmony) and pakikisama (smooth interpersonal relations)
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Prefer being treated as person than object
Vulnerable to negative remarks affecting the image in society
Seldom criticize and verbally confront others
 Japanese , maintain harmony in personal and professional setting
 Dislike deviation, accept and adopt normative expectations

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Egalitarian (low level of concern for social differences) vs. Hierarchical
(emphasize on status & rank)
Egalitarian
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Informal interaction between subordinates and seniors, minimizing formality
Motivate every individual to increase his social status
Eg. US, Australia, NZ
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The use of first name rather than title
Easy access to the superior
President activities outside oval office
Hierarchical
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Eg. Japan, Spain
 Language style use for someone in a higher position
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Protocols governs interpersonal and organizational activities
Formal interaction between superior and subordinates
Eg. China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
 Teachers get the utmost respect

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Business protocol
Initial contact, greetings behavior, personal appearance, gift giving, office spatial design
Management
Negotiations
Decision making
Conflict management

Initial Contacts
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When?
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Latin America (LA), appointment made at least a month in advance & verified a week before
Select an appropriate date, pay attention on national holidays
How?
 LA: Email, telephone
Who?
 LA: Person in a high position as possible
Use intermediary
 LA, Egypt, Africa, China,
Greeting Behavior
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US; informal & friendly, shake hands, use first name, business card exchange in business settings but not in social gathering
Saudi; handshake, often embrace and kiss on both cheeks, titles are important
China; the use of titles  reflecting the hierarchy; eg.
Lao tse, jaio shou, yi shen, shi fu
Eye contact

Personal appearance
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In international business where language barriers may impede the ability to fully express yourself, personal appearance is important
Dress code: color
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Japan, German formal dress in dark color
Indonesia, Malay,
Philippines more relax; omits tie and suit
Latin America dresses fashionably
Gift Giving
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View
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Greek: Sustain relations, repay past favors, ensure preferable consideration in the future
US: Bribery
What
 China should not give handkerchief
When
How
 Giving Moslem should in right hand

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Group affiliation vs individualism
Business meeting
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When, how long, what to discuss
US: for disseminating information & making decision, conducted when absolutely needed, start – end on time
French: forum for exchanging information, validate decision that has been made by senior manager.
Presentation at meeting
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US, UK; provide conciseness, well-organized presentation related to the topic
Italians: speak expressively , don’t feel constrained by scheduled time
Business contract
 Written vs. spoken

1.
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Participant perspective
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People view on the negotiation process as a whole, perception of their counterparts, conduct the bargaining sessions
US enters directly, quick result – max. profit, short term perspective, long term relation is secondary
JPN & CHN: build the relation, establish level of trust, enter the extended association with other org.
Russian: negotiation = forum for debate
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Age of the negotiators
CHN: great respects to elders
US: competency
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Gender
Sensitive in Arabic countries

2.
3.
External factors
 Formality vs informality
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Status of members
View of time
Role of government
Ethical standards
Display of emotion
Communication style
Expected outcomes
 Agreement vs long-term relation

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International executives are enforced to make decision internationally
 Concern on ‘who’ and ‘how’
Individual vs collective
Power distance (centralize vs decentralize)
Accepting and dealing with confrontation vs avoid conflict
Eg. French, few high-level individuals made all decision; others, groups are actively following the processed
Eg. Japan, group consensus are important for avoiding conflict
Eg. Mexican relies on an individual to make decision

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Conflict can not be avoided
 If not manage properly, it will lead to irreparable breakdowns
Collective vs individualist
 Collective has an aversion to open, direct conflict  seen as a threat for group harmony and stability; criticism expressed indirectly, in passive, accommodating style since it carries the potential loss of face
 Individualist seeing disagreement as natural and valued part of life; openly express to the top management, fight it through arbitrary

 Visit several ATMs in different areas (write down the bank name and location). Check how many different languages available in every ATM. Why those machines use more than one language? If the languages vary between locations, try to decide why.
 To be discussed on the next meeting!

 Try to go to a supermarket selling imported snack
(Ranch / Hokky / Papaya). Check several snacks, how many language available on the packaging. Why they are using more than one language and why most of the snacks choose different languages to be written down.
Try to decide factors influencing the decision in choosing those languages!