Communicating Interculturally

Usman Nazir
Institute of Business Administration
Outline
• Intercultural Communication

• Advantages of a Multicultural Workforce

• Influence of Culture on Communication

• Understanding the Concept of Culture

• Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping

• Types of Cultural Differences

• Improving Intercultural Communication Skills

Intercultural Communication
 Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is the process of sending and
receiving messages between people whose cultural background
leads them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.

Intercultural communication: Send & receive messages among

people from different cultures.
Advantages of a Multicultural Workforce
 Advantages of a Multicultural Workforce

- A broader range of views and ideas

- An understanding of diverse markets

- A broad pool of talent from which to recruit

Influence of Culture on Communication
 Influence of Culture on Communication
• Language

• Nonverbal signals

• Word meaning

• Time and space issues

• Rules of human relationships

Understanding the Concept of Culture
Understanding the Concept of Culture

What is culture?
 Understanding the Concept of Culture
• Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes,
values, expectations, and behavior norms.

• People learn about culture directly and indirectly from

members of their group.

• You belong to several cultures.

• Cultures tend to be coherent and complete.

Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping
 Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping
• Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the
standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group.

• What is Xenophobia?

• Stereotyping is assigning generalized attributes to an individual on the

basis of membership in a particular group.

• Cultural pluralism is the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their

own terms.

• To avoid ethnocentrism and stereotyping: avoid judgments, avoid

assumptions and acknowledge distinctions
Types of Cultural Differences
 Types of Cultural Differences
• Contextual Differences

Cultural context is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli,

and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of
the same culture.

– Low-context culture
• Controlled access, Detail required, Information Centralised , objective, discrete
relationships, competence valued, fixed meeting agendas

– High –context culture

• Open access, Detail not required, Information Shared, Subjective, Business and
social relationships overlap, Position and status valued, meetings on short notice

Recommended:
Beyond Culture, 1976, Edward T. Hall
 Types of Cultural Differences
• Contextual Differences
Lower

Where do you think Pakistan German-Swiss

lies on this scale? German

Scandinavian

American

Canadian

French

Italian

Spanish

Mexican

Greek

Arab

Chinese

Japanese

Copeland & L. Griggs

Higher
 Types of Cultural Differences
• Legal and Ethical Differences

• Social Differences

• Nonverbal Differences

• Age Differences

• Gender Differences
Improving Intercultural Communication
Skills
 Improving Intercultural Communication Skills
• Studying Other Cultures

• Studying Other Languages

• Respecting Preferences for Communication Style

• Writing Clearly

• Speaking Clearly

• Using Interpreters, Translators, and Translation Software

• Helping Others Adapt to Your Culture

 Case Study
Never take anything for granted when you’re doing business in a foreign country. Here are
several examples based on true stories about businesspeople who blundered by
overlooking some simple but important cultural differences. Can you spot the assumptions?

1. You’re tired of the discussion and you want to move on to a new topic. You ask your
Australian business associate, “Can we table this for a while?” To your dismay, your
colleague ignores the request and keeps right on discussing the topic.

2. You finally made the long trip overseas to meet the new German director of your
division. Despite slow traffic, you arrive only four minutes late. His door is shut, so you
knock on it and walk in. The chair is too far away from the desk, so you pick it up and
move it closer. Then you lean over the desk, stick out your hand and say, “Good
morning, Hans, it’s nice to meet you.” Why is his reaction chilly?

3. Your meeting went better than you’d ever expected. In fact, you found the Japanese
representative for your new advertising agency to be very agreeable; she said yes to
just about everything. When you share your enthusiasm with your boss, he doesn’t
appear very excited. Why?
 Short Quiz
• What are the potential advantages of a
multicultural workforce?

• How do high-context cultures differ from low-

context cultures?

• What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be

overcome in communication?
 Assignment
Research and compare your country’s culture
with that of another one you are not familiar
with.
Thank you