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Communication

Chapter 4

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Learning Objectives

Explain the basic communication process and define cross-cultural communication

Understand how language affects communication and how different cultures use the four styles of verbal communication

Discuss various types of nonverbal communication

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Learning Objectives (cont.)

Enhance your cross-cultural communication skills

Identify major barriers to communicating cross-culturally

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Communication

The process of transmitting thoughts or ideas from one person to another

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The Communication Process

Thought Encoding Transmitting Receiving Decoding Understanding

Noise

Feedback

Sender Receiver

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Cross-Cultural Communication Differences

Language Usage

Verbal Communication Styles

Nonverbal Communication

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Major Characteristics of the Four Verbal Styles

VerbalStyle Variation

MajorCharacteristic

CulturesWhere Found

Direct Vs. Indirect

Elaborate Vs. Succinct

Direct

Indirect

Elaborate

Exacting

Succinct

Message is more explicit

Message is more implicit

Quantity of talk is relatively high

Quantity of talk is moderate

Quantity of talk relatively low

Individualistic, low-context

Collective, high-context

Moderate uncertainty avoidance, high-context

Low uncertainty avoidance, low-context

High uncertainty avoidance, high-context

Major Characteristics of the Four Verbal Styles (cont.)

VerbalStyle Variation

MajorCharacteristic

CulturesWhere Found

Personal Vs. Contextual

Instrumental Vs. Affective

Personal

Contextual

Instrumental

Affective

Focus on speaker “personhood”

Focus of role of speaker, role relationships

Language is goal oriented, sender focused

Language is process oriented, receiver focused

Low power distance, individualistic, low context

High power distance, collective, high-context

Individualistic, low-context

Collective, high-context

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Forms of Nonverbal CommunicationKinesicsKinesics Communication through body movements,

including facial expression, gestures, and posture

OculesicsOculesics Communication through eye contact and gaze

HapticsHaptics Communication through the use of body contact

ProxemicsProxemics Communication through the use of space

ChronemicsChronemics Communication through the use of time within a

culture

ChromaticsChromatics Communication through the use of colors

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Barriers to Cross-Cultural Communication

Culture

Perception

Experience

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Convergence or Divergence?

Increasing ease of communication

Widespread use of English

Similar words and concepts in different languages

Number of different languages

Barriers to cross-cultural communication

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Implications for Managers

Cross-cultural communication a critical skill

Awareness of differences can improve communication skill

Important to learn other languages