Cross Cultural

Communication
COMMUNICATION
“THE LUBRICANT OF
ORGANIZATIONS…….…”
 “The process of conveying information from the
sender to the receiver with the use of a medium in
which the communicated information is understood
the same way by both the sender and the receiver”

 Communication is cultural

 It draws attention on speech patterns, language and

non-verbal messages

 It is interactive

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TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
 VERBAL
 ORAL
 WRITTEN
 E-MAIL
 NON VERBAL
 EXPRESSION
 BODY LANGUAGE

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NON VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
 PROXIMICS

 KINESICS – GESTURES, FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,

TOUCHING, POSTURE, EYE CONTACT

 SILENCE

 APPEARANCE

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 Contact
 Eye Contact
 Gestures
 Turn-taking
 Names
 Formal/Informal
 Distance
 Silence
 Facial expressions
 Self-appraisal

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BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
 Filtering
 Defensiveness
 Language
 Selective Perception
 Information Overload
 Culture

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SOME COMMUNICATION
BLUNDERS…!!
 DOG FOR SALE- EATS ANYTHING AND IS FOND OF CHILDREN
(DOG ADD)

 TIRED OF CLEANING YOURSELF ? LET ME DO IT !

(HOUSEKEEPER ADD)

 WHY GO ELSEWHERE TO BE CHEATED .. COME HERE FIRST !!

(CAR ADD)

 NIXON HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE WHITEHOUSE WHILE GEORGE

MCGOVER HAS BEEN EXPOSING HIMSELF TO THE PEOPLE OF
UNITED STATES (SAID BY THE THEN GOVERNOR OF RHODE
ISLAND, 1972)

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 WHAT IS CULTURE?

 LATIN WORD “CULTURA” - “TO

CULTIVATE”

“THE TOTAL OF THE INHERITED IDEAS,

BELIEFS, VALUES AND KNOWLEDGE,
WHICH CONSTITUTE SOCIAL ACTION”

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 CULTURAL ICEBERG
Ex: dress code, pronounce
etc

Explicit cultural aspects

(definite, visible, taught)
Visible

Invisible
Implicit cultural aspects
(hidden, articulate)
Ex: values,
assumptions etc

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CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

 CULTURE IS …

 SHARED
 LEARNED
 BASED ON SYMBOLS
 INTEGRATED
 EVOLVING

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CONCEPTUALIZATION OF
CULTURE
 HIGH CONTEXT VS LOW CONTEXT

 SPACE

 TIME

 INDIVIDUALISM VS COLLECTIVISM

 MASCULINITY VS FEMINITY

 UNCERTAINITY AVOIDANCE

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HIGH CONTEXT CULTURE VS LOW
CONTEXT CULTURE
 RELATIONSHIP

 EXCHANGE OF IDEAS

 AMBIGUITY

 QUANTITY OF INFORMATION

 STRESS ON HIERARCHY

 SPACE OR PROXIMITY

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 AMERICA JAPAN
 DIRECT  INDIRECT

 DRIVE TO BE EXPLICIT:  DRIVE TO REACH CONSENSUS:

 GIVE / GET THE FACTS  EXPLORE INTEREST OF ALL
 STATE A CLEAR POSITION AND PARTIES
RATIONALE  RESERVE STATING A FIRM
 POSITION OF AUTHORITY POSITION
 ACHIEVE CONSENSUS
 GIVING AND TAKING NEGATIVE
FEEDBACK IS A SIGN OF  PROTECT THE DIGNITY AND
STRENGTH SELF ESTEEM OF YOURSELF
AND OTHERS
 CONFRONT WHEN NECESSARY
WITH  AVOID CONFRONTATION
LOGIC AND PERSUASION
SKILLS  STRIVE TO DEVELOP
HARMONIOUS,
TRUSTING BUSINESS
RELATIONSHIPS

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CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
WHAT IS IT ?

 COMMUNICATION ACROSS PEOPLE

FROM MULTIPLE CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS

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CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

 Typical associations:
 International (across national cultures)
 Multicultural (different ethnicities)

 Less typical:
 Across genders
 Across professions, organizations, departments

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VARIABLES IN CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
 TIME
Monochromic
Polychromic

 SPACE
physical distance between people

 FATE AND PERSONAL

RESPONSIBILITY
Role of destiny in life

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VARIABLES IN CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

 FACE AND FACE SAVING

public image/status/power

 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Body language/non verbal clues
Degree of non verbal communication

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COMMON DIFFERENCES TO
CONSIDER IN CROSS-CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION
 Frequency of eye Contact
 Assertiveness
 Physical Distance between Communicators
 Speed of Speech
 Use of First Names vs. Titles
 Volume of Speech
 Use of Facial Expressions

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GESTURES

 “Never underestimate the importance of local Knowledge”

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FACIAL EXPRESSIONS

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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN
ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE

PUNCTUALITY-
• NORTH AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES – “CLOCK
CONSCIOUS”
• INDIA - NOT SO SERIOUS ABOUT TIME

ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT –
• UK – RELAXED AND INFORMAL
• GERMAN OR JAPANESE - HIGHLY FORMAL

BUSINESS MEETINGS –
• BRITISH - BRAINSTORMING, GAINING CONSENSUS AND
OBJECTIVE CRITICISM
• HIERARCHICAL CULTURES - FORUM FOR DECISIONS TO BE
CONVEYED
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CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN ORGANISATIONS ACROSS THE

GLOBE
COMMUNICATION STYLE -
• USA – EXPLICIT COMMUNICATORS
• JAPAN - IMPLICIT COMMUNICATORS

BODY LANGUAGE –
• USA - ANIMATED AND WILL APPRECIATE HAND GESTURES
• IRAN- EXPECT SPEAKERS TO REMAIN CALM

PERSONAL SPACE
• AMERICANS, GERMANS AND JAPANESE -
STAND ABOUT FIVE FEET
• ARAB AND LATINOS – STAND CLOSER

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WHEN CONDUCTING INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS ONE NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES OF HOW
BUSINESS IS CARRIED OUT IN OTHER
COUNTRIES.

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BLUNDERS MADE BY COMPANIES DUE TO
CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
DIFFERENCES
 KFC

 PEPSI

 COCA COLA

 PARKER PEN

 ELECTROLUX

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IMPACT OF CROSS CULTURAL
MIS-COMMUNICATION
 LOSS OF CLIENTS

 STAFF RETENTION

 LACK OF COMPETITIVE EDGE

 INTERNAL CONFLICTS

 POOR WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

 POOR PRODUCTIVITY

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IMPACT OF CULTURAL
DIFFERENCES ON TEAM
TEAM MEMBERS MAY DIFFER IN:

 THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF THE TEAM’S OBJECTIVES

 HOW THEY VIEW LEADERSHIP
 THEIR WORK HABITS
 THEIR MANNER OF INTERACTING WITH MEMBERS OF THE
OPPOSITE SEX
 THEIR LEVEL OF FORMALITY WITH OTHER TEAM
MEMBERS
 THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SOCIALIZE WITH OTHER TEAM
MEMBERS
 THEIR USE OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
 THEIR RULES FOR CONVERSATION

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PROBLEMS IN CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION

Source: Accenture 2006 survey on cross cultural issues 30

IMPACT OF CROSS CULTURAL
COMMUNICATION TRAINING

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 SUGGESTIONS TO STRENGTHEN AND
RETAIN THE CULTURALLY DIVERSE
WORKFORCE
 LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ABOUT THE CULTURE OF
THE PEOPLE YOU ARE DEALING WITH

 RECOGNIZE THE BROAD ETHNIC DIVERSITY

 RESPECT INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES, ABILITIES AND

PERSONALITIES

 PROVIDE AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM FOR NEW HIRES

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CONTINUED
 CONSIDER HAVING CO-WORKERS SERVE AS
MENTORS

 REFRAIN FROM USING JARGON OR SLANG

 FOR CULTURALLY DIVERSE EMPLOYEES, MAKE

SURE THEY UNDERSTAND YOUR TRAINING
MATERIAL

 BE PATIENT

 PROVIDE SENSITIVITY TRAINING

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SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION
IN COMPANIES

 L & T IN INDIA

 TOYOTA IN FRANCE

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EXAMPLE OF FAILURE OF CROSS
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
 HONDA FACED TROUBLE WHEN TRADE UNION
MEMBERS HIT THE STREETS TO PROTEST
AGAIN SUSPENSION OF CONTRACT WORKERS

 WORKERS WERE BEING SUSPENDED VERY

FREQUENTLY

 NOT GIVEN DIWALI GIFTS

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Thank You

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