PowerPoint PresentationDEFINE the term communication, examine some examples of verbal communication styles, and explain the importance of message interpretation.
ANALYZE the common downward and upward communication flows used in international communication.
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Cross-Cultural Communication and Negotiation
PRESENT the steps that can be taken to overcome international communication problems.
5. DEVELOP approaches to international negotiations that respond to differences in culture.
REVIEW different negotiating and bargaining behaviors that may improve negotiations and outcomes.
The specific objectives of this chapter are:
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Communication
Verbal communication styles
Context is information that surrounds a communication and helps convey the message
Messages are often highly coded and implicit in high-context societies, such as Japan and many Arab countries
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High-context/implicit communication cultures
Low-context/explicit communication cultures
Phases of Multicultural Development
Adapted from Table 7–1: Major Characteristics of Verbal Styles
Indirect vs. direct
Exacting
Succinct
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Phases of Multicultural Development
Adapted from Table 7–1: Major Characteristics of Verbal Styles
Cultures in Which Major Interaction Focus Characteristic It Verbal Style Variation and Content Is Found
Contextual vs. personal
High power distance, collective, high context
Personal
Low power distance, individualistic, low context
Affective vs. instrumental
Collective, high context
Individualistic, low context
Indirect and direct styles
Voice intonation, timing, and facial expressions play important roles in conveying information
In low-context cultures, people often meet only to accomplish objectives and tend to be direct and focused in their communications
Verbal communication styles (continued)
Elaborate and succinct styles
Three degrees of communication quantity— elaborate, exacting, and succinct.
The elaborating style is more popular in high-context cultures that have a moderate degree of uncertainty avoidance
The exacting style focuses on precision and the use of the right amount of words to convey the message and is more common in low-context, low-uncertainty-avoidance cultures
The succinct style is more common in high-context cultures with considerable uncertainty avoidance where people tend to say few words and allow understatements, pauses, and silence to convey meaning.
Verbal communication styles (continued)
Contextual and personal styles
Contextual style is one that focuses on the speaker and relationship of the parties
Contextual style is often associated with high-powerdistance, collective, high-context cultures
Personal style focuses on the speaker and the reduction of barriers between the parties
Personal style is more popular in low-power-distance, individualistic, low-context cultures
Verbal communication styles (continued)
Affective and instrumental styles
Affective style is common in collective, high-context cultures and is characterized by language that requires the listener to note what is said and to observe how the message is presented
The meaning is often nonverbal and requires the receiver to use his or her intuitive skills to decipher the message
Instrumental style is goal oriented and focuses on the sender who clearly lets the other party know what he or she wants the other party to know.
The instrumental style is more commonly found in individualistic, low-context cultures
Verbal communication styles (continued)
Primary purpose of manager-initiated communication is to convey orders and information
Managers use this channel for instructions and performance feedback
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Basic Business Principles
To recognize our responsibilities as industrialists, to foster progress, to promote the general welfare of society, and to devote ourselves to the further development of world culture.
Employees Creed
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The Seven Spiritual Values
National service through industry
Communication Barriers
Language barriers
Cultural barriers
Suggestions that can be of value to American managers who are engaged in international communications include:
Be careful not to use generalized statements about benefits, compensation, pay cycles, holidays, or policies in your worldwide communications.
Since most of the world uses the metric system, be sure to include converted weights and measures in all internal and external communications.
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Communication Barriers
Remember that letterhead and paper sizes differ worldwide. The 81⁄2 by 11-inch page is a U.S. standard, but most countries use an A4 (81⁄4 111⁄2-inch) size for their letterhead, with envelopes to match.
Dollars are not unique to the United States. There are Australian, Bermudian, Canadian, Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and New Zealand dollars, among others. So when referring to American dollars, it is important to use “US$.”
Language barriers
Cultural barriers
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Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal communication
The transfer of meaning through means such as body language and use of physical space
Kinesics
The study of communication through body movement and facial expression
Eye contact
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Proxemics
The study of the way that people use physical space to convey messages
Intimate distance is used for very confidential communications
Personal distance is used for talking with family and close friends
Social distance is used to handle most business transactions
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Personal Space in the U.S.
Adapted from Figure 7–3: Personal Space Categories for Those in the United States
Intimate distance
Things are done in a linear fashion.
Manager addresses Issue A first and then moves on to Issue B
Time schedules are very important and time is viewed as something that can be controlled and should be used wisely
Polychronic time schedules
People tend to do several things at the same time
People place higher value on personal involvement than on getting things done on time
Schedules are subordinated to personal relationships
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Achieving Communication Effectiveness
Improve feedback systems
Two basic types of feedback systems between home office and affiliates
Personal (e.g., face-to-face meetings, telephone conversations and personalized e-mail)
Impersonal (e.g., reports, budgets, and plans)
Language training
Cultural training
Table 7–7
Negotiation Styles from a Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Table 7–7
Negotiation Styles from a Cross-Cultural Perspective
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Managing Cross-Cultural Negotiations
Negotiation: The process of bargaining with one or more parties to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all
identify the objectives negotiators would like to attain and explore the possible options for reaching these objectives
Set limits on single-point objectives
Divide issues into short- and long-term considerations and decide how to handle each
Determine the sequence in which to discuss the various issues
Planning
Managing Cross-Cultural Negotiations
Negotiation: The process of bargaining with one or more parties to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all
Get to know the people on the other side
“Feeling out” period is characterized by the desire to identify those who are reasonable and those who are not
Planning
Managing Cross-Cultural Negotiations
Negotiation: The process of bargaining with one or more parties to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all
Each group sets forth its position on the critical issues
These positions often change later in the negotiations
Participants try to find out what the other party wants to attain and what it is willing to give up
Planning
Managing Cross-Cultural Negotiations
Negotiation: The process of bargaining with one or more parties to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all
Success of the persuasion step depends on
How well the parties understand each other’s position
The ability of each to identify areas of similarity and differences
The ability to create new options
The willingness to work toward a mutually acceptable solution
Planning
Managing Cross-Cultural Negotiations
Negotiation: The process of bargaining with one or more parties to arrive at a solution that is acceptable to all
Planning
Grant concessions and hammer out a final agreement
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Cultural Differences Affecting Negotiations
Do not identify the counterpart’s home culture too quickly. Common cues (e.g., name, physical appearance, language, accent, location) may be unreliable.
Beware of the Western bias toward “doing.” Ways of being (e.g., comportment, smell), feeling, thinking, and talking can shape relationships more powerfully than doing.
Counteract the tendency to formulate simple, consistent, stable images.
Do not assume that all aspects of the culture are equally significant.
Recognize that norms for interactions involving outsiders may differ from those for interactions between compatriots.
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Nonverbal behaviors
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