Communicating Across Cultures

By: Lauren Tarpley, Phil Dahlen, Cole Taylor, Trey Minott, Brittany Self, Kent Ingram, Tyler McGinnis, Brittany Sanford

Cross-Cultural Communication

• Most important and relevant topic• Close relationship between language and music• Cultural factors influence the development of language

Aspects of Communication

• 7% of communication is based on words• 38% is based on how those words are spoken• 55% is based on nonverbal activities

Nonverbal Activities

• Time• The use of space• Eye movement• Body motions• Touching• Physical appearance• Speaking• Smelling

In This Chapter

• Focus on language and the paradoxes associated with it• Examine paradoxes surrounding nonverbal activities• Analyze symbolism’s importance in cross-cultural

communication• Look at mediated communication

How Can Knowing the Language of Another Culture be a Disadvantage?

• Which is more important, knowing the language of a culture, or knowing the norms, values, and behaviors that are expected by its members and abiding by them?• The answer is situational

• Since it is a paradox, both are equally important

Knowing the Language

• Being well acquainted with the language is necessary• But does not assure effective communication

• Being fluent does have negative aspects• If fluent, natives may assume you know their culture norms• Learning a new language is time-consuming

Understanding Norms, Values and Beliefs

• Easy to gain a superficial understanding of these cultural aspects• Through the internet, books, videos, and talking with others

• Important if not familiar with the language• Natives will be more forgiving of your lack of fluency

The Role of an Interpreter

• Useful if executives do not know the language• Interpreters should:• Accompany executives• Translate documents• Help out on advertising• Facilitate relationships• Impart cultural knowledge

The Dilemma

• Emphasizing both language and cultural knowledge is ideal• It is not always feasible to become fluent in a language• In which case executives must learn cultural specifics and key

phrases

• Becoming fluent and obtaining cultural knowledge are each reasonable• This causes the paradox to represent a dilemma

Languages Are Dying, But Becoming More Influential

•Over 15,000 languages 100 years ago•English is language of business •Spanish is the 3rd most used language

Languages Are Dying, But Becoming More Influential - Mexico• As languages diminish in numbers, Spanish gains

dominance• 21 countries list Spanish as their native language,

including Brazil

Are Proverbs Effective Descriptors of a Culture?

•Michael Agar, “Language Shock”. (1994)• Austrian word “Schmah” • Found to be open to interpretation within situation

Are Proverbs Effective Descriptors of a Culture?

• 60 Minutes - “Tango Finlandia”. (1993)• Misinterpretation of Finnish Shyness• Related to low birth rates• Shyness seen as reflective, hard working, etc.• Business deals in Saunas

Are Proverbs Effective Descriptors of a Culture? - Mexico

• Mexican language has old roots, and is derived from Latin based languages• Compared to American Culture, Mexican cultures are

very similar and share many mannerisms• Ex: Sweet 16 and Quinceañera

Are Proverbs Effective Descriptors of a Culture?

• China is less risk averse than US in financial decisions, but more risk averse in social decisions and situations

•Mexico is risk averse in both financial decisions and social decisions.

Personal Space in the USSkin to 18

inches: only few allowed

18 inches to 4 feet:

Friendship

4 feet to 12 feet:Impersonal

business

12 feet and beyond: Individuals recognize one

another and say hello

One of the cultural differences in Mexico is that there is less personal space. People here are very comfortable with being close together in lines, on buses, and at home.

Monohronic Polychronic

•Employees do one thing at a time •Employees do many things simultaneously (multitasking)

•Employees make time commitments (set deadlines)

•Time commitments are flexible and have low priority

•Employees are committed to the job •Employees are committed to people and relationships

•Employees concentrate on the job •Employees get easily distracted

•Employees emphasize promptness •Employees base promptness on relationships

•Employees are accustomed to short-term relationships

•Employees tend to form deep lifelong relationships

•Employees are low context and need explicit information

•Employees are high context and so socialized that they already possess implicit information

Employees adherr to plans Employees change plans often

Can a culture be simultaneously Monochronic and Polychronic?

• Hall treats U.S. culture as monochronic.• Managerial work within it tends to be polychronic.• Manager performed many activities within 2-minute

period.• Managers and employees to perform more activities.• Leading to multitasking or polychronic behavior.• However, Japanese firms in Thailand punctuate the day

with breaks beyond a coffee break.• American firms in Thailand pay more for less breaks,

strategy works.

Can a culture be simultaneously low context and high context?

• Hall seems to suggest no, opposite ends of continuum.• However, his descriptions of cultures argue against this

idea.• He describes the Japanese as high context with one

another and low context when communicating with Westerners.• Japanese innovation of karaoke allows for expression

of low context behavior as an outlet for high context cultures.• Must realize cultures can be both low context and high

context but in different situations and contexts.

Symbolic Meaning in Cross-Cultural Communication

• Complexity of this area is high.• Before visiting new cultures, brush up on diversity of

that culture.• For example:• Asia and Middle East, insulting to show bottom of one’s shoes.• African Americans and Africans tend to avoid direct eye contact.• Anglo-Saxon tend to emphasize eye contact.• Chinese avoid using 4, in Chinese word is similar to death.

• Interpret behaviors from own vantage point.• All cultures possess phenomena that are symbolic in

meaning.• Knowing the symbolism can be very helpful.

How can the same phenomenon represent different symbolic meaning?• Spanish Culture• Looked at for its vitality

• Bullfighting• Associated with blood and gore• Death of Bull/Matador

• Spanish Bullfighting• Celebration of death• Reminder that people should embrace life to the fullest

How can the same phenomenon represent different symbolic meaning?• Portugal Bullfighting• No killing of the bull• King outlawed it because of fatalities• Injuries still occur• Symbolizes Bravery• Unites team and audience

How can the same phenomenon represent different symbolic meaning?• Skull in Mexico’s Day of the Dead: November 2• Happy Colorful Celebration• Spiritual communion between life and death• Celebration of death• transcendence, transformation, and resurrection

• Skull• Skull in Halloween in United States: October 31• The souls of the dead• Scare spirits away • Skull

How can the same phenomenon represent different symbolic meaning?

Day of the Dead Halloween

How can the same phenomenon represent changing symbolic meaning?• Smiling in US• Extroverted country• Vigor and frequency

• Smiling in China, Japan• Seen as lack of self-control or tranquility

How can the same phenomenon represent changing symbolic meaning?• France• Established relationship• Don’t smile when being helpful• Hotel manager’s visit to California Hotel• Implemented smiling and helpfulness in French hotel

How can the same phenomenon represent changing symbolic meaning?• Communicating face to face• Mexico• Stand close together• Showing Discomfort considered rude• Influence from family-oriented culture

• US• Standing further away considered appropriate• Being too close is invasion of space

Technology, Step-up or Downfall?• Mediated Communication• Loss of business• College graduates and overall adult literacy.• Cell phones and multi-tasking

Mediated Communication

• The world is becoming more dependent on mediated communication.• Low-context, explicit communication• Informal, brief• Huge use of linguistic shortcuts

Loss of business

• Informal isn’t best with business• Older generations vs. younger ones• Different cultures expect different things

College Grads and Adult literacy• College grads losing the ability to write effectively• Grammar and spelling are both suffering• Adult literacy is becoming a joke

Cell phones and multi-tasking

• Communication becoming low-context• Multi-tasking doesn’t allow for high-context• Back to informality and briefness

Mediated Communication vs. Face-to-Face

• Advantages and disadvantages• Globalization and geographically distributed teams• Fault lines• Ethnocentrism and cross-cultural learning• Which one is better?

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediated Communication

• Advantages• Time zones and distance aren’t a factor• Reduced role of Status• Reduced gender bias• Personal Power• Expanded audience and customer base

Advantages and Disadvantages of Mediated Communication

• Disadvantages• Ease of becoming antagonistic• Price is the only issue of concern• Failure to consult others• Obsession with winning• Decreased trust levels

Globalization and Geographically Distributed teams

• “Quick trust” in geographically distributed teams• 5 problems with “Quick trust”

Fault lines

• Predictive of earth quakes• Group diversity a large predicator• Heightened conflict and reduced trust

Ethnocentrism

• MY group is the only one that matters• Not the only outcome

Mediated or Face-to-Face

• Functionally equivalent • More major problems from mediated

Is the internet integrating the world or creating wide differences?• Integrating national cultures• Thomas Friedman• Direct and easy communication

• Differentiating • Used for specific needs only • Problematic for globalization

Is colonization or communitarianism winning in the battle for the Internet?• Colonization• Business firms

• Communitarianism• Craigslist, software developers

• Comparable rivals• German engineers, Chinese, Arab League

Information Superhighway

• International problems with the Internet comparison

• Introduction of rainbow metaphor

Conclusion

• Understand the culture you are communicating with• Recognize the heavy importance of body language• Practice effective Internet use when able