3.

CHAPTER 3
Communicating
Interculturally

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.2

Chapter 3 Objectives
 Discuss trends that have made
intercultural business
communications so important.
 Discuss culture and subculture and
culture’s four basic characteristics.
 Delineate the differences between
high-context and low context cultures.
 Recognize cultural differences.
 Discuss ethnocentrism and
stereotyping.

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.3

Chapter 3 Objectives
continued

 Discuss three ways to improve

communication with people who speak
English as a second language; then
discuss three ways to improve
communication with people who do not
speak your language at all.
 Explain why studying other cultures
helps you communicate more
effectively.
 Illustrate how word choice affects
communication among people from
other cultures.
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.4
Quick
Quiz Some Key Definitions
Define each of the following terms:
Intercultural communication
Intercultural communication

Market globalization
Market globalization

Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity

Culture
Culture

Subculture
Subculture
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.5
A Few Basic
Concepts About Culture

 Culture is learned.
 Cultures vary in stability.
 Cultures vary in complexity.
 Cultures vary in tolerance.

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.6

Cultural Differences

 Cultural Context: physical cues,

environmental stimuli, and implicit
understandings that convey meaning
 High-context culture: majority of the
message is communicated indirectly
(nonverbally)
 Low-content culture: majority of message
is communicated directly (words)

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.7

Creating Ethical Messages

When communicating across cultures,
apply these four basic principles:
Seek mutual
Seek mutual ground
ground to
to allow
allow clearest
clearest
possible exchange
possible exchange of
of information.
information.
Send and
Send and receive
receive messages
messages
without judgment.
without judgment.

Send messages
Send messages that
that are
are honest.
honest.

Show respect
Show respect for
for cultural
cultural differences.
differences.
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.8
Recognizing
Cultural Differences
Negotiating styles
Decision-making process
Problem-solving techniques
Ethics
Status
Manners
Time
Personal space
Body language
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.9
Let’s
Discuss
Communicating across
Culture Differences
Thinking about your own experiences,
what are some examples of the ways
people differ culturally?

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.10

Overcoming Ethnocentrism

 Ethnocentrism is the belief

that one’s own cultural
background is superior to
that of others.
 Stereotyping is predicting
behavior based on particular
groups or classes.
 To overcome ethnocentrism,
 Acknowledge distinctions
 Avoid assumptions
 Avoid judgments
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.11
Unfortunate Translations in
International Marketing
Company/product English Translation
Dairy Association “Got Milk?” “Are you lactating?”
(Mexico)

Chevrolet - car Nova “No va” = “doesn’t

go” (Latin America)

Coors Beer “Turn It Loose” “Suffer from diarrhea”

(Latin America)

Pepsi Cola “Come Alive with “Pepsi brings your

Pepsi ” ancestors back from
the grave” (China)
Clairol – curling “Mist Stick” Sounds like slang for
iron manure (Germany)

Secured from the Internet

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.12
Overcoming
Language Barriers
Breaking Through
Breaking Through Breaking Through
Breaking Through
ESL Barriers
ESL Barriers Foreign Language
Foreign Language
Barriers
Barriers
Avoid
Avoid using
using slang
slang
and idioms.
and idioms. Learn
Learn aa foreign
foreign
language.
language.
Pay
Pay attention
attention to
to local
local
accents and
accents and Use
Use anan intermediary
intermediary
pronunciation.
pronunciation. or translator.
or translator.

Be
Be aware
aware of
of vocal
vocal Offer
Offer language
language
variations.
variations. training programs.
training programs.

Study
Study other
other cultures.
cultures.
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.13

Activity Increase Intercultural

Communication Awareness

With a partner, list all the

tips you can think of from
successful intercultural
businesspeople
(including those in the
textbook).

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.14
Developing Intercultural
Communication Skills
• Assume differences. • Be flexible.
• Take responsibility. • Emphasize some
common ground.
• Withhold judgment.
• Send clear messages.
• Show respect.
• Deal with the individual.
• Empathize.
• Know when to be direct.
• Tolerate ambiguity.
• Avoid the superficial.
• Recognize bias.
• Evaluate feedback to
• Learn patience and assess your hypothesis.
persistence.

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.15
Writing Effective Messages to
International Audiences

 Use plain English.

 Be clear.
 Avoid slang and idioms.
 Be brief.
 Use short paragraphs.
 Use transitional elements.
To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall
 3.16

Improve Your Oral Skills

 Try to eliminate noise.

 Look for feedback.
 Rephrase sentences when
necessary.
 Clarify your true intent
with repetition and
examples.
 Don’t talk down to the
other person.

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.17

Improve Your Oral Skills

continued

 Use objective, accurate language.

 Listen carefully and patiently.
 Adapt your conversation style to
the other person’s.
 Clarify what will happen next.

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.18
Let’s Test Your
Discuss Knowledge
 How have market globalization and
cultural diversity contributed to the
increased importance of intercultural
communication?
 What is the relationship between
culture and subculture?
 What are the four basic
characteristics of culture?

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.19
Let’s Test Your
Discuss Knowledge continued

 How do high-context cultures differ

from low-context cultures?
 In addition to the contextual
differences, what other categories of
cultural differences exist?
 What four principles apply to ethical
intercultural communication?
 What is ethnocentrism, and how can it
be overcome in communication?

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall

 3.20
Let’s Test Your
Discuss Knowledge continued

 Why is it a good idea to avoid slang

and idioms when addressing a
multicultural audience?
 What are some ways to improve oral
skills when communicating with people
of other cultures?
 What is the purpose of back-translation
when preparing a message in another
language?

To accompany Excellence in Business Communication, 5e , Thill and Bovée © 2002 Prentice-Hall