INTERCULTURAL

COMMUNICATIONS
 Process of transferring meanings from sender
to receiver
 Organisational communication : both internal
& external flow of information
 Communication process is the same whether
internal or external communication takes
place
ORGANISATIONAL
COMMUNICATION
Internal External
communication communication
 Between parent company  Between organization &
executives & employees of any other element
subsidiaries & among  Negotiations between a
subsidiaries firm & another firm
 Meetings between a
company & a foreign
government
 Cultural differences are
barriers
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES:
WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CONVEY INFORMATION

 Context
 Elaborate &
Succinct styles
 Contextual &
personal styles
 Affective &
Instrumental styles
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES:
WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CONVEY INFORMATION
 Information that surrounds
 Context a communication
 High context societies
 Elaborate & highly coded & implicit
Succinct styles (Japan , Arab )
 Low context societies
 Contextual & message is explicit (US)
personal styles
 Affective &
Instrumental styles
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES:
WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CONVEY INFORMATION
 Elaborate : high context
 Context societies, detail oriented &
people repeat themselves
 Elaborate & (Arabs)
 Exacting : focus on precision
Succinct styles & use of right amount of
words. England , Sweden &
 Contextual & Germany
personal styles  Succinct Style tend to say
very few words & allow
 Affective & understatements, pauses &
Instrumental styles silence to convey meaning
(Asia)
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES:
WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CONVEY INFORMATION
 Contextual style focuses on
 Context the speaker & relationship of
the parties
 Elaborate &  Asian cultures use words that
reflect the role
Succinct styles  Personal style focuses on the
 Contextual & speaker & the reduction of
barriers between the parties.
personal styles  US use 1st names address
 Affective & others in formally & directly
on an equal basis
Instrumental styles
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES:
WAY IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS CONVEY INFORMATION
 Affective style is
 Context characterised by language
which requires listeners to
 Elaborate & carefully note what is being
said & observe how the
Succinct styles sender is presenting the
message ( Asia, Latin
 Contextual & America & Middle East)
personal styles  Instrumental style is goal
oriented & focuses on the
 Affective & sender (US, Denmark &
Instrumental styles Switzerland)
COMMUNICATION FLOWS
Downward Upward
 From manager to  Subordinate to superior
subordinate  ask questions, obtain
 Convey orders , assistance from high level
information ,what is to be manager.
done, how well they are  In Japan,Hongkong &
doing. Singapore seen in
 Asian countries it is less extensive usage of
direct than in US suggestion systems &
 European countries direct quality circles to get
but also extends beyond employee input.
business matters
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

 Language barriers

 Cultural barriers

 Perceptual

barriers
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Knowledge of language
used at headquarters
 Language barriers  Non native speakers may
know the language but not
fully fluent making
statements conveying
 Cultural barriers wrong message
 Poor writing proving to be
a great barrier
 Perceptual  Problem with translation
 Ford –Fiera low cost truck
in Spanish meant “ugly old
barriers woman”.
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Same language used
differently by people of
different cultures
 Language barriers
 Non-native speakers use
exaggerated politeness ,
unnecessary professional
 Cultural barriers & personal information
 Different approaches in
writing letters
 Perceptual  Detergent company
 Japanese cards exchange

barriers
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
 Persons view of reality
 Language barriers  Influence their judgement &
decision making
 Americans feel they are
friendly, kind & outgoing
 Cultural barriers  German & US mangers
 Western managers
favourable attitude toward
women managers than Asian
 Perceptual & Saudi managers
 This affects their way of
communicating with their
barriers female counterparts
ACHIEVING COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVENESS
 Improve feedback
systems

 Provide language
training

 Provide cultural
training
ACHIEVING COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVENESS
 Feedback systems
 Improve feedback between parent
systems companies & their
affiliates
 Personal feedback : face-
face meetings ,telephone
 Provide language conversations &
personalised email.
training  Impersonal : reports,
budgets & plans
 Provide cultural
training
ACHIEVING COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVENESS
 Oral & written
 Improve feedback communication
systems specifically in English or
headquarters desired
language

 Provide language
training

 Provide cultural
training
ACHIEVING COMMUNICATION
EFFECTIVENESS
 Important for MNC’s
 Improve feedback having Operations
systems throughout the world
 Save communication break
downs
 Provide language
training

 Provide cultural
training