Cross-Cultural

Communications
in Business
MGT 3003, Business Communication
& Professional Development
Dr. Bennie Wilson
University of Texas at San Antonio

Were Going To Talk

About.
A

Communications
Model
What is Culture?
Good Cross-Cultural

Communicators
High-Context

Cultures
Low-Context Cultures

A Communications Model
Channel

Sender

Message

Feedback

Audience

A Better Communications
Model
Context
Channel

Sender

Message

Feedback

Audience

What is Culture???
Provides

patterns of
acceptable behavior &
beliefs.
May be based on.
Nationality
Race and Religion
Historical Roots
All of the Above

Good Intercultural
Communicators Are.
Aware

values &
behaviors not
always right.

Flexible

change.

& open to

And..
Sensitive

to verbal
& nonverbal
behavior.
Aware of values,
beliefs, practices of
other cultures.
Sensitive to
differences within
cultures.

HIGH CONTEXT VS. LOW CONTEXT

CULTURES

High-Context Cultures
Infer information from
message context, rather than
from content.
Asian
Prefer indirectness,
politeness & ambiguity.
Latin American
Convey little information
Middle Eastern
explicitly.
Rely heavily on nonverbal
signs.

Low-Context Cultures
Rely more on content
rather than on context.
European
Explicitly spell out
information.
Scandinavian
Value directness.
North American
See indirectness as
manipulative.
Value written word more
than oral statements.

Some Cultural Scenarios

Japan

China

India

Mexico

JAPAN
To help her American Company establish a
presence in Japan, Mrs. Torres wants to hire a
local interpreter who can advise her on business
customs. Ms. Tomari has superb qualifications
on paper, but when Mrs. Torres tries to probe
about her experience, Ms. Tomari just says, I
will do my best. I will try very hard. She
never gives details about any of the previous
positions she has held. Mrs. Torres begins to
wonder if Ms. Tamari's rsum is inflated.

CHINA
Stan Williams wants to negotiate a joint venture
between his American firm and a Beijing-based
company. He asks Tung-Sen Lee if the Chinese
people have enough discretionary income to afford
his product. Mr. Lee is silent for a time, and then
says, Your product is good. People in the West
must like it. Stan smiles, pleased that Mr. Lee
recognizes the quality of his product, and he leaves
a contract for Mr. Lee to sign. Weeks later, Stan
still hasnt heard anything. If China is going to be
so inefficient, he wonders if his company should try
to do business there.

INDIA
Gloria Johnson is proud of her participatory
management style. Assigned in Bombay on
behalf of her U.S.-based company, she is careful
not to give orders but to ask for suggestions.
But the employees rarely suggest anything.
Even a formal suggestion system she established
does not work. Worse still, she doesnt sense the
respect and camaraderie that she felt at the plant
she managed in Texas. Perhaps the people in
India just are not ready for a woman boss.

MEXICO
Alan Caldwell is a U.S. sales representative in
Mexico City. He makes appointments with Senr
Lopez and is careful to be on time, but his host is
frequently late. To save time, Alan tries to get right
to business, his host wants to talk about sightseeing
and about Alans family. Even worse, the meetings
are interrupted constantly with phone calls, long
conversations with other people, and even customers
children who come into the office. Alans first report
to his home office is very negative. He hasnt yet
made a sale. Perhaps Mexico just isnt the right
place to do business.

Cross-Cultural
Communications
in Business
MGT 3003, Business Communication
& Professional Development
Dr. Bennie Wilson
University of Texas at San Antonio