In nonwestern cultures it may be less important and seen as a sign of disrespect to engage in steady eye contact with superiors. Learn the basic differences in the way people communicate non verbally across cultures greetings. Individuals from different cultural backgrounds and orientations may have differing values, beliefs, traditions, and practices. What is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another. The language in highest demand among employees are Spanish, Chinese, and English.
There are numerous potential stumbling blocks to cross-cultural communication. Some of these directly involve forms of communication, such as nonverbal communication and differing interpretations of words and concepts across cultures that speak the same language.
Other challenges involve certain business practices, such as cultural interpretations of common concepts like initial meetings, approaches to collaborations, and ways of gaining knowledge. There can also be cultural differences in attitudes toward conflict, decision-making, and disclosure. Cultural intelligence CQ is the ability to communicate with others and work effectively in multicultural environments. One of the foundational elements of cultural intelligence is CQ drive, which is a desire or motivation to acquire knowledge about a new culture.
A third building block, CQ action, is defined as an ability to act appropriately in culturally diverse environments. Finally, CQ strategy is a foundational element marked by implementing knowledge about a culture into a communication strategy. The benefits of putting these CQ building blocks into practice are numerous. They include improved performance, greater employee satisfaction, stronger culturally diverse networks, improved results in cross-cultural negotiations, and better decision-making in cross-cultural situation.
Every aspect of global communication is influenced by cultural differences. Even the choice of medium used to communicate may have cultural overtones. For example, it has been noted that industrialized nations rely heavily on electronic technology and emphasize written messages over oral or face-to-face communication. But Japan, which has access to the latest technologies, still relies more on face-to-face communications than on the written mode.
The determining factor in medium preference may not be the degree of industrialization, but rather whether the country falls into a high-context or low-context culture.
In some cultures, personal bonds and informal agreements are far more binding than any formal contract. In others, the meticulous wording of legal documents is viewed as paramount. High-context cultures Mediterranean, Slav, Central European, Latin American, African, Arab, Asian, American-Indian leave much of the message unspecified — to be understood through context, nonverbal cues, and between-the-lines interpretation of what is actually said.
By contrast, low-context cultures most of the Germanic and English-speaking countries expect messages to be explicit and specific. The former are looking for meaning and understanding in what is not said — in body language, in silences and pauses, and in relationships and empathy. The latter place emphasis on sending and receiving accurate messages directly, and by being precise with spoken or written words. One communication trap that U. In sequential cultures like North American, English, German, Swedish, and Dutch , businesspeople give full attention to one agenda item after another.
In many other parts of the world, professionals regularly do several things at the same time. As a result, the English speaker learned that in Korea people often ask personal questions upon meeting—questions such as, How old are you? Are you married? What do you do for a living? At first, she thought people were very nosy. Then she realized that it was not so much curiosity driving the questions but, rather, the need to understand how to speak to you in the appropriate way. What are the implications of this for interpersonal communication?
What are the implications of this for body language bowing in the South Korean context? What are the ways to be respectful or formal in your verbal and non-verbal language? How can you prepare to work with people from cultures different than your own? Start by doing your homework. How could you prepare for their visit?
If you can find a few English-language publications from Japan such as newspapers and magazines , you may wish to read through them to become familiar with current events and gain some insight into the written communication style used. Preparing this way will help you to avoid mentioning sensitive topics and to show correct etiquette to your guests. For example, Japanese culture values modesty, politeness, and punctuality, so with this information, you can make sure you are early for appointments and do not monopolize conversations by talking about yourself and your achievements.
You should also find out what faux pas to avoid. Also, make sure you do not put your chopsticks vertically in a bowl of rice, as this is considered rude. If you have not used chopsticks before and you expect to eat Japanese food with your colleagues, it would be a nice gesture to make an effort to learn.
Similarly, learning a few words of the language e. If you have a colleague who has travelled to Japan or has spent time in the company of Japanese colleagues before, ask them about their experience so that you can prepare. What mistakes should you avoid?
How should you address and greet your colleagues? Knowing the answers to these questions will make you feel more confident when the time comes. But most of all, remember that a little goes a long way. Your guests will appreciate your efforts to make them feel welcome and comfortable. Most people are keen to share their culture with others, so your guests will be happy to explain various practices to you.
You might find that, in your line of work, you are expected to travel internationally. When you visit a country that is different from your own, you might experience culture shock. Have you ever visited a new country and felt overwhelmed by the volume of sensory information coming at you? From new sights and smells to a new language and unfamiliarity with the location, the onset of culture shock is not entirely surprising.
To mitigate this, it helps to read as much as you can about the new culture before your visit. Learn some of the language and customs, watch media programs from that culture to familiarize yourself, and do what you can to prepare. But remember not to hold the information you gather too closely. In doing so, you risk going in with stereotypes.
As shown in the figure above, going in with an open attitude and choosing to respond to difficulties with active listening and non-judgmental observation typically leads to building rapport, understanding, and positive outcomes over time. Experiencing culture shock does not require you to leave Canada. Moving from a rural to an urban centre or vice versa , from an English-speaking to a French-speaking area, or moving to or from an ethnic enclave can challenge your notion of what it is to be a Canadian.
In one example, one of the authors participated in a language-based homestay in rural Quebec the summer before her first year of university. Prior to this, she had attended an urban high school in Toronto where the majority of her classmates were non-white and into urban music.
When she went to take the train and saw that all the other kids were white, listening to alternative music, and playing hackey sack, she began to worry. When she met her house mother upon arrival, the house mom looked displeased. Out of four students to stay in her home, two were non-white. The students discovered quickly that the house dad was a hunter, evident by the glass cabinet full of shotguns and the mounted moose heads on the wall.
To add to all these changes, the students were forbidden to speak English as a way to help make the most of the French language immersion program. About two weeks into the program, the student from Toronto, a black girl, overheard the house mom talking with her roommate, a white girl from London, Ontario.
The urban to rural transition was stark, the language immersion was a challenge, and the culture of the other students as well as that of the host family was also a big change. With so many changes happening, one outcome that is consistent with what we know about one aspect of culture shock, is that most of the students on this immersion program reported sleeping way longer hours than usual. Despite all the challenges, however, the benefit for the author was a 30 percent improvement in French language skills—skills that later came in handy during bilingual jobs, trips to France, and the ability to communicate with the global French-speaking community.
One helpful way to develop your intercultural communication competence is to develop sensitivity to intercultural communication issues and best practices. From everything we have learned so far, it may feel complex and overwhelming. The Intercultural Development Continuum is a theory created by Mitchell Hammer that helps demystify the process of moving from monocultural approaches to intercultural approaches.
There are five steps in this transition, and we will give a brief overview of each one below.
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