CULTURAL DIFFERENCS

IN BUSINESS
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

AMARA AFTAB SOOMRO

  Compare and contrast race and ethnicity
 Discuss how cultural differences among races may influence
communication
 Discuss how cultural differences among individuals from
Learning different countries may influence communication
Outcomes  Discuss how cultural differences among individuals from
different religions may influence communication
 Describe strategies to adapt communication for an intercultural
audience
  One of the most fundamental ways that members of a particular
culture bond and indeed perpetuate their culture and traditions

Discuss how is through a shared language—not only the written and spoken
word but through gestures and interactions.
different cultures
impact the  In this section, we will consider the concepts of race and
workplace ethnicity and the implications of culture—be it based on
country, race, or religion—for effective cross-cultural business
communication.
  The concept of race has changed across cultures and eras
ranging from being based on ancestral and familial ties to

Race and
theorists assigning categories of race based on geographic
region, ethnicity, skin color, and a wide range of other factors.
Ethnicity These assumptions were reflected in their labels; for example,
people would be categorized based on region (e.g., Chinese or
German) or skin tone (e.g., black or white).
 Ethnicity is a term that describes shared culture—the practices,
values, and beliefs—of a group. Common cultural elements may
include a shared language, religion, and traditions. Like race,
ethnicity is a complex concept, and its meaning has changed
over time. And as with race, individuals may be identified or
self-identify with ethnicities in complex, even contradictory,
ways. For example, members of ethnic groups such as Irish,
Italian-American, and Russian are generally included in the
“white” racial category. Conversely, the English ethnic group
includes citizens from a multiplicity of racial backgrounds:
including black, white, Asian, and a variety of racial
combinations. These examples illustrate the complexity and
overlap of these identifying terms. Ethnicity, like race, continues
to be an identification method that individuals and institutions
use today—whether through the census, affirmative action
initiatives, nondiscrimination laws, or simply in daily
interactions.
  Whether we realize it or not, we use language as a way to
classify people into social categories, just as it is common to
Language, use physical variations like race to distinguish people. We all
Communication, and have an idea in our heads of what a “standard” version of a

Diverse Social Groups language sounds like based on how and where we grow up and
our early social influences. It is easy to pick up on very small
characteristics in spoken language that can differentiate it from
what is considered standard.
 Imagine a group of five people talking after a staff meeting. As
you walk by, you overhear a snippet of their conversation. You
notice all are speaking the same language together, for example
English, and you are able to hear several different varieties of
English at once. This means you are hearing different types of
intonation, pronunciation, or regional accents. Someone’s voice
and language can provide information about their geographical
locality, socio-economic status, and ethnicity or racial groups.
 To add to the complexity of this topic, people often ascribe
certain language characteristics to racial groups. Since many
individuals have dual or mixed heritage, they can belong to
many different language groups or varieties. For perspective on
this point, watch “tri-tongued orator” Jamila Lyiscott’s spoken-
word essay “Broken English,” presented at TEDSalon New
York as “3 Ways to Speak English.”
 Unfortunately, people’s perceived racial differences
can create a type of language barrier. This can then
influence how individuals communicate in the
workplace. Sometimes at work people may adopt a
particularly “professional” way of speaking, be it
jargon or a certain level of vocabulary or elaborate
coded language. This can be off-putting and sound fake
to other individuals who use different ways of speaking
and may find some types of “professional language”
difficult to understand.
 Some individuals may take the opposite approach. Especially in
marketing, we see individuals using “street” language or new
slang (or even memes) in an attempt to connect with their target
audience. This approach almost always fails, as it is nearly
impossible to correctly mimic this type of dialect. It can also
alienate those targeted by these tactics by making them feel like
their identities are being flattened and commodified.
 Beliefs about what
Beliefs about what is emotions are appropriate to
considered polite be expressed in a public
setting

Beliefs about how to Beliefs about how to make

interact with someone if a request or to offer
Depending on racial or ethnic there is a large age assistance in a direct or
difference indirect manner
background, people from
different groups may approach
public communication in a Beliefs about the
appropriateness to talk
work setting differently: Beliefs about what is
considered humorous or in
about someone who is not
there or to speak for
poor taste
someone else who is not
present

Beliefs about eye gaze or

physical touch from non-
family members (such as
giving a hug to a co-worker
if they look upset)
  With the possible exception of math, there is no universal
Countries language. Each country—and, in some cases, regions of
countries—has different languages, business practices, and
social customs. What is a common or established
communication behavior or business practice in the United
States cannot be assumed to be appropriate behavior or
communication elsewhere. And, as we will see in the next
section, the expectations of other cultures can have a
significant impact on how American businesses communicate
and operate not only abroad but at home.
 Differences in business etiquette and nonverbal communication
account for the majority of culturally-related communication
errors. In her “Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette” article for
Chron.com, Lisa Magloff highlights the five primary areas of
difference and potential miscommunication:
Clothing: managing the first impression

Conversation: appropriate business and ice-breaker conversation

Greeting: local customs and expectations, including greeting style—the

distinctions that inspired the title of the best-selling guide to business
etiquette and practices, Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands

Forms of address: level of formality and use of titles and degrees

Time and Space: interpretations of “on time,” personal space, and physical
contact.
 Different countries may also have different interpretations of
nonverbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes
gestures; body movement, including eye contact; and decorative
and functional objects, from clothing and equipment to furniture
and furnishings. To illustrate the differences, let’s focus on
gestures. The relative brevity of a gesture as communication belies
its potential impact.
 For many Americans, gestures are a cross-cultural communication blind
spot. For example, flashing a peace sign, a benign gesture meaning “peace”
or “goodbye” in the United States is perceived as insulting and a provocation
in Australia, New Zealand and the UK.[5] Another translation failure: the
thumbs up sign. In America, “thumbs up” is a positive gesture, conveying
“good job!” or agreement. In a number of countries and regions including
Greece, Latin America, Russia, Southern Italy, and West Africa, the thumbs
up gesture is tantamount to giving a person the middle finger.
 As Jolie Tullos concludes “as a form of language, a gesture can be
just as if not more powerful than words themselves” [and] the
miscommunication of hand gestures can be the difference between
a greeting or the invitation to a fight.”
  Religion is an area steeped in tradition and conventions, and
Religion is, therefore, fraught with potential for error for the
uninitiated. For example, in the summer of 1977, Nike
launched a Summer Hoops campaign to introduce a line of
basketball shoes with an air logo based on stylized letters with
flame detailing. When the shoes went into distribution in
Saudi Arabia, the logo was questioned and modified, but not
enough to avoid a backlash.
 At issue: the logo was perceived to resemble the Arabic word for
Allah, or God, and some Muslims considered the association with
shoes specifically to be disrespectful. Facing a global Muslim
boycott, Nike recalled the shoes in distribution and agreed to
discontinue sales. As reported by Caryle Murphy for the
Washington Post, “Nike’s action came after weeks of negotiations
with the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR), an Islamic advocacy group that had threatened
to urge a boycott of Nike products by the world’s 1 billion
Muslims.”[7] A chastised Nike spokesperson acknowledged, “Our
company has to be more vigilant and work more with
communities on issues of sensitivity.”
 Fear or apprehension of the unknown is a large contributor to inadvertently
creating communication barriers. This is especially common when faced with
new or different spiritual beliefs and practices. Sometimes, a person may feel
uncomfortable communicating with people from other religions because of
assumptions about the other’s beliefs and opinions. One main communication
barrier stemming from religion is individuals’ lack of knowledge or
information about other religions and belief systems.

Due to the extensive variations in
religious and spiritual beliefs,
people who identify as religious or
spiritual may have vastly different
ideas and opinions about what
constitutes appropriate life
practices and behaviors. These
beliefs, or discrepancy between
beliefs, can impact how people
communicate with one another.
These beliefs include the following:
 Beliefs about what topics are appropriate to talk about
 Beliefs about what amount of physical touch by non-family members is
appropriate
 Beliefs regarding what is considered appropriate clothing (this can include head
coverings, wearing form fitting uniforms, etc.)
 Beliefs about time off from work to attend religious gatherings
 Beliefs about breaks for rituals, such as prayer at certain times of the day or
needing a specific day off each week to go to a spiritual gathering place like a
temple, mosque, or church
 Beliefs about food allowances including, but not limited to, consumption of
alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes, meat or specific types of meat, and going without
food or fasting for specific periods of time
 Beliefs about the role of family in personal, social, or work life

Depending on religious
background, people with
different spiritual beliefs and
practices may approach
public communication in a
work setting differently as
well. Here are a few
language specific areas to be
aware of:
 What topics may be referred to in a humorous or flippant way
 Specific words or phrases that may be prohibited, such as saying the
name of a deity in an irreverent manner
 Different connotations of religious terminology or jargon
 Unfamiliar or new religious terminology and vocabulary
 Use of religiously approved communication methods. For example,
some religious factions may dissuade the use of social media as a
means to preserve one’s modesty, to prevent access to material that
would lead to impure thoughts, or to avoid potentially inappropriate
conversations between non-married or unrelated individuals
 If you are worried about contributing to a communication
barrier or if you notice a breakdown in communication in the
workplace, the way you approach it can make all of the
difference. Above all, approach the situation or individual(s)
with empathy, curiosity, and respect. Ask questions, define
terms that are unfamiliar or understood differently, use clear
language with neutral terminology, avoid jargon, and avoid
judgment. Taking the time and effort to listen and learn about
other’s spiritual beliefs can help facilitate more open and
effective communication channels.
  Culture and communication are inextricably linked, and
Culture and messages can be misconstrued without an awareness of a

Communicatio particular cultural or subcultural context. As Richard Bucher

notes in Diversity Consciousness: Opening Our Minds to
n People, Cultures and Opportunities, “Communication takes
place whenever meaning is attached to a message.” However,
because of differences in how a message is interpreted, the
intended meaning or message may not be what is received.
When people attach different meanings to gestures, symbols
or words, miscommunication can result, with significant
financial repercussions.
 In the aftermath of the Air-Allah incident, Nike Communications
Manager Roy Agostino reflected “As our brand continues to expand,
we have to deepen our awareness of other world communities.”[8]
The way Nike responded to this incident provides perspective on how
to adapt communication for an intercultural audience. Two of the
keys to effective communication—and business—are cultural
awareness and respect. Although well intentioned, Nike’s initial
fumble was making a slight modification in the air logo design
without additional testing or review. Alerted (or confronted,
depending on the point of view) to the offense by CAIR, Nike
attempted to do damage control and divert the Air shoe stock from
“sensitive” markets. CAIR issued a demand for a total recall,
referring to the proposed diversion as a cost-benefit analysis
proposition that didn’t show respect for Muslims and stating that the
logo was offensive regardless of where the shoes were sold. Nike’s
subsequent actions reflected its intent to work toward the cultural
awareness and engagement end Agostino identified.
  NIKE apologized to the Islamic community for any unintentional offense to
their sensibilities.
 NIKE implemented organizational changes to their design department to
tighten scrutiny of logo design. Responsibility has been centralized into one
department, and all graphic designs must now be approved by a design
review board.

Timeline  NIKE has taken measures to raise their internal understanding of Islamic
issues. Specifically:

Excerpts…  Worked with CAIR to identify reference materials to include in their Design
Library
 Scheduled a discussion on Islamic imagery at their next Design Summit
 Centralized the graphic design process to ensure those with familiarity in
Islamic issues evaluate all graphic designs
 Conducted a formal investigation into this issue, and CAIR is satisfied that
no deliberate offense to the Islamic community was intended.[9]
  Although Nike was ultimately “cleared” of any ill intent by
Note CAIR, twelve years later the perceived offense was still being
heard in the court of the Internet, with agitators “calling into
question the faith of people who do not then forward the email
on to an x number of other Muslims.”[10] Perspective point:
In the case of cultural relations, the sales adage “it is better to
ask forgiveness than permission” does not apply.
  Generalizations about people’s appearance and cultural identity
help us understand where they are coming from, but it’s critical to
focus on understanding the individual as a person. As one of the
Key testimonials on Nike’s Equality page puts it: “I am not a color. I am
not a race. I am an individual. I am me.” While we may not be able
takeaways.. to visualize or connect one-on-one with each person we
communicate with, we can choose language that allows people to
see themselves in the picture.