The importance of cultural

awareness in Business
 Content list

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

Mind Map ........................................................................................................................ 2

1. Get in context ............................................................................................................ 3

2. Vocabulary Builder.................................................................................................... 4
Cultural manifestations................................................................................................ 4

3. Let’s listen ................................................................................................................. 8

4. Let’s talk..................................................................................................................... 9
International Business Etiquette .................................................................................. 9
 Introduction

The truly global dimension of the modern economy has redefined the way which
international companies compete. The ability to offer the right products and services in
the right markets at the right prices is no longer the only factor of success.

Having the right people with a high level of cultural awareness and intercultural
competence is now essential when working across borders and cultures. Having
cultural awareness as an optional skill can come at a cost for a company working
globally. Cultural awareness is vital for all employees working across cultures.

Cultural awareness is a skill that can be developed at both professional and social
levels, and can make an international business meeting or cross-cultural negotiation a
successful one. On the other hand, a lack of cultural awareness can lead to major
miscommunication or misunderstandings and, ultimately, rejection by host-culture
colleagues, clients, acquaintances and neighbors.

Within the current material we will explore the meaning of cultural awareness and we
will review some tips to identify cultural differences accordingly in order to avoid
miscommunication across cultures.

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 Mind Map

The following mind map will show you what the distribution of topics for this material is:

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 1. Get in context

Camila

Hey! Ready for your trip?

Esteban Hey! English? Globish?
Yeah…I think I’m ready… although I’m quite
nervous.

Camila Hahaha…. Globish! You know… the International

etiquette. Now that you’re going abroad you will
need to speak English, but also be careful with
cultural differences.
Esteban
What do you mean?
Camila Well… You’re a Colombian visiting a foreign
country and our customs or our etiquette is different
from people from other places…
Esteban Well…. Etiquette is a pretty universal thing, isn’t it?
Camila Not so much… it changes according to your culture
and you should be aware of those cultural
differences if you want to avoid misunderstandings.

Fuente: SENA
Esteban
I haven’t really thought about that
Camila Well… maybe, you should. You don’t want to be
extremely polite like English people (people from
UK) or extremely rude… you’d better add some
globish to your English…
Esteban As usual… I think you’re right… I’ll get on it right
away! Thanks!
Camila
Anytime, dear! Have a safe trip!
Fuente de imágenes: SENA

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Welcome back, dear student.

As part of our training to become Physical Distribution Managers, we need to have in

mind, not only the international business language and the regulations and policies from
those countries we are interested to trade with, but also their culture. Being aware about
our own culture and someone else’s culture will help us to be more efficient when
negotiating because we will be able to establish a meaningful and close communication
with our international partners.

Being conscious about the possible cultural differences between different countries will
enable us to break cultural barriers and this can be extremely beneficial for all your
current and future businesses.

Within this material we will study the impact of cultural differences and how to identify
them.

2. Vocabulary Builder

Cultural manifestations

Let’s start by identifying cultural manifestations and defining what culture is. This will
help us to be aware of cultural differences when facing them.

Think about your culture, and according to it, determine which of the following actions
are manifestations from your culture.

Hugging Kissing Shaking hands

Fuente de imagines: SENA

Hugging, kissing and shaking hands are all manifestations of your culture. According to
each individual’s cultural history or background, they will hug, kiss or shake hands in

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some situations, but not others. That is why in business scenarios, it is very important to
know a proper situation in which you could hug, shake hands or kiss.

Let’s check YOUR cultural background. In which of the following situations will you
shake hands, hug or kiss? It is possible to mark more than one option for each case.

Celebrate new year’s eve Greet someone you know End a fight or conflict

SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE

HUG KISS HUG KISS HUG KISS
HANDS HANDS HANDS

Show friendship Acknowledge good work Say thanks for a good game

HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE

HANDS HANDS HANDS

Congratulate someone for a Meet a new person

Show someone that you achievement
love them in public

HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE

HANDS HANDS HANDS

Fuente de imagines: SENA

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Now compare your answers with Aaron’s answers. Aaron is from Scotland, in the United
Kingdom.

Greet someone you know End a fight or conflict

Celebrate new year’s eve

HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE

HANDS HANDS HANDS
Acknowledge good work Say thanks for a good game

Show friendship
HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE
HANDS HANDS HANDS

Show someone that you Congratulate someone for a Meet a new person
love them in public achievement
HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE HUG KISS SHAKE
HANDS HANDS HANDS

Fuente de imagines: SENA

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Were your answers different from Aaron’s?

If you’re a Colombian or Latin American person, it is very probable that you have
marked many events with “Kissing” where an English person, like Aaron would only
mark “Hugging”. This happens because we are culturally different.

What does it mean to be culturally different?

By definition, culture is what has been cultivated. It is the product of many years of
continuous history and civilization of a group of people. It is essentially what has grown
from the minds and creativity of a group of people that share a common heritage. The
cultural differences among individuals arise because of the influences they have been
subjected to. These influences are of two categories: (a) Those that act in the early
stages of ones’ formation; and (b) those that arise later as a result of education,
reading, travel, and other similar activities.

So… What’s culture?

Culture is a shared set of practices and traditions that characterize a society or group of
people. Culture can include clothing, food, traditions, ceremonies, spiritual practices and
beliefs, language, family structure, and communication styles. Culture is often, though
not necessarily, correlated with ethnicity and racial identity. Culture plays an important
role in individual identities.

What’s cultural awareness?

Cultural awareness is sensitivity to the similarities and differences that exist between
two different cultures and the use of this sensitivity in effective communication with
members of another cultural group.

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 3. Let’s listen

Whether you have traveled a lot before or not,

you should know that there are big differences in
communication between people from one country
to another. In some cultures, people are loud,
direct or even blunt and tend to interrupt others
during a conversation. In others, people are
typically soft-spoken, use flowery or indirect
language and wait patiently for others to finish
their sentence. Let’s watch the following video to
get to know how to address or face those cultural
differences. (Don’t forget to enable its subtitles)

Fuente: SENA

Let’s recap what we learnt through the video “Cultural Diversity - Tips for
communicating with cultural awareness”, belonging to the complementary documents of
this project activity. Determine if the following statements are True (T) or False (F):

Statement TRUE / FALSE

Eye contact is a manifestation of cultural diversity. For instance,
in some countries people don’t use eye-contact as a sign of
respect, while in other cultures they establish eye-contact to
show you’re paying attention
Cultural diversity basically means understanding that people all
around the world communicate in the same way.
When we talk about cultural diversity, we should have in mind
differences in behavior, attitude, values, beliefs and gender,
among many other differences.
The interviewee lists five tips to interact with someone coming
from a different cultural background.
The observation of other people’s behavior, interactions and
body language will help you to mirror them or imitate them to
ease the communication process.
Leaning your body forward or backwards is an example of body
language.
Appreciating cultural difference means that you must
understand that some attitudes can be derogatory, so you
should just ignore those attitudes. You don’t need to adapt to
those differences.
Timekeeping and the way people communicate are examples

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of cultural differences.
Stereotypes are greatly useful when interacting with individuals
coming from specific cultures.
Patience is a key element when interacting with someone from
a different cultural background than yours.

In the business world, communication is imperative for the successful execution of daily
operations. Thus, after watching the previous interview, we could tell that:

 Understanding cultural differences and overcoming language barriers are some of

the considerations people should have when having business with people of various
cultures.

 When doing business with an affiliate from another country, consider the cultural
differences that may be presented. This includes basic customs, mannerisms and
gestures. For example, If a salesperson approaches a meeting with knowledge of a
customer’s cultural background, then his words, body language and actions can all
be adapted to better adapt those of the customers. This in turn may lead to being
better liked by the customer, ultimately increasing the salesperson's opportunity to
close the negotiation.

 When interacting with people from different cultures, speaking in a neutral tone and
making a conscious effort to be considerate of others' opinion, even if it is given in a
manner to which you are not accustomed, can help foster effective business
communication.

4. Let’s talk

International Business Etiquette

To avoid cultural misunderstandings, it is advisable to

follow some neutral etiquette that will assure your
communication to be successful and polite.

Email Etiquette

1. Keep messages clear and brief.

2. Use proper English, spelling and grammar. Avoid

email specific abbreviations (i.e. BTW, ASAP, FYI
etc.). Fuente: SENA

3. Return emails promptly – within one business day.

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4. Include a subject line to clearly identify the purpose of your message.

5. Review the content of your email before sending it out. You cannot get your message
back once it is sent.

6. Avoid sending jokes and other personal emails through your workplace email - you
may be monitored.
Telephone and Voice Mail Etiquette

1. When calling someone, be prepared. Identify yourself and the purpose of your call.
Be conscious of the other person’s time.

2. When leaving a voice mail message, include your name, phone number and briefly
mention the purpose of your call.

3. Speak clearly.

4. Answer voice mail messages promptly - within one business day.

5. When answering calls, identify yourself immediately.

6. Do not place callers on hold for more than a few seconds.

7. Keep your personal voice mail message current (ideally, identify yourself, your
department name, the date and why you cannot be reached). When on holiday,
identify an alternate number where someone can receive assistance.

7. Avoid personal calls.

Verbal Communication

1. Every encounter offers a chance to impress the other person. Keep in mind that:

• Someone who talks too much may be seen as nervous or insensitive.

• Someone who ignores others could be considered snobbish.

• Someone who only discusses work may come across as limited.

2. Make sure you find a professional balance during your interactions with colleagues
and clients.

3. Safe topics for small talk include weather, traffic, sports, non-controversial current
events (i.e. the Oscars), travel.

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4. Avoid slang and foul language. Be careful with humour and sarcasm. Do not
express your opinions on politics, religion, culture, and ethnicity.

5. When addressing superiors, colleagues or clients, follow the norms of the workplace
(first name only or title and last name, i.e. Mr. Smith).
Non-verbal Communication
1. Body language communicates more than what you say. Gestures, facial expressions,
posture and physical contact are also powerful forms of communication.

2. Maintain eye contact and avoid distracting mannerisms such as: fidgeting, yawning,
clicking pens, chewing gum among others.

Personal Space

People have an invisible bubble of space around them that is a form of personal
territory. The size of the space expands or contracts depending on level of intimacy,
situation, and cultural background. Make sure you observe that distance when in a
foreign culture and make sure you don’t intrude anybody’s personal space.

Business Etiquette Quiz

Check the complementary material “global guide to business etiquette” and review all
the information we’ve covered so far and let’s test your knowledge of international
business norms.

1. When making a business introduction between two people, the most important rule to
remember is:

a) Say your own name before introducing the two people

b) Use the name of the most important person first in the introduction.
c) Repeat the names of the people involved in the introduction twice so they’ll
remember each other’s names and their proper pronunciation of those names.

2. It is appropriate to stand close to a business contact and frequently touch his/her arm
while talking.

a) True.
b) False.

3. When breaking the ice with a contact at the beginning of a meeting it is appropriate
to discuss such things as the weather, politics and traffic.

a) True.
b) False.

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4. When doing business in India, during a negotiation,

a) You should be highly legalistic and stick to contracts.

b) You should be aggressive.
c) Concessions are expected in terms and price.

5. If you schedule a meeting in Mexico, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., you should:

a) Expect people to arrive before 7:00 p.m.

b) Schedule the meeting from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
c) Arrive after 7:00 p.m.

6. Which two countries place strong emphasis on detail and facts?

a) Iranians and Danish.

b) South Africans and Brazilians.
c) Germans and Japanese.

7. In Canada, by law all imported goods are required to have labels written in:

a) English.
b) French.
c) Both English and French.

8. In Spain, the main purpose of a business meeting would be to:

a) Make decisions by discussing in the length the pro's and con's of an issue.
b) Reach agreements by consensus.
c) Brief the team on a decisions already taken.

9. You are making a proposal to a group of Japanese executives when you notice a few
of them sat with their arms folded and eyes closed. They are:

a) Listening intently.
b) Tired and catching up on some sleep.
c) Pretending to be asleep to show you that they think your presentation is poo.

10. Your German colleague says about a proposal you have put together, "no offense
but this idea is ridiculous". He/she:

a) is merely expressing their opinion and means no harm.

b) is being blunt and has no etiquette.
c) is being rude to undermine your position.

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 Document control

Nombre Cargo Dependencia Fecha

Centro de Gestión de
Autor Mercados, Logística y
Karen Yolima Experta Agosto de
Tecnologías de la
Torres Tafur técnica 2017
Información. Regional
Distrito Capital
Andrés Felipe Guionista -
Centro Agroindustrial. Diciembre
Adaptación Velandia Línea de
Regional Quindío de 2017
Espitia Producción

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