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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SEM IV

MODULE 1

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IMPORTANCE OF CULTURE IN COMMUNICATION

Intercultural Communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently.

Effective intercultural communication Opens up business opportunities round the world. It improves the contributions of employees in a diverse workforce.

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Treat people the way they expect to be treated, not the way you expect to be treated.

The diversity of todays workforce brings distinct advantages to businesses: 1. 2. A broader range of views and ideas A better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets 3. A broader pool of talent from which to recruit.
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4. 5.

Recognize the changing environment Adapt to the environment without compromising principles

6.

Dont assume problems will magically disappear.

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Keep corporate communication connected to strategy.

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John Bodley (1994):Definitions of Diverse Dimensions

Topical:

Culture consists of everything on a list of topics, or categories, such as social organization, religion, or economy Culture is social heritage, or tradition, that is passed on to future generations Culture is shared, learned human behavior, a way of life Culture is ideals, values, or rules for living Culture is the way humans solve problems of adapting to the environment or living together Culture is a complex of ideas, or learned habits, that inhibit impulses and distinguish people from animals Culture consists of patterned and interrelated ideas, symbols, or behaviors Culture is based on arbitrarily assigned meanings that are shared by a society
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Historical: Behavioral: Normative: Functional:

Mental:

Structural: Symbolic:

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Principles
1. Culture is learned: Culture is transmitted through the process of learning and interacting with ones environment, rather through the genetic process. 2. Culture influences biological processes 3. Culture universals 4. Culture changes
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DEVELOPING COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

Concentrate on long term relationships, not short term contracts. Focus on the interests and perceptions of the recipient. Be realistic about others view. Acknowledge distinctions. Avoid over reliance on cultural generalizations. Avoid assumptions; generalizations. Be sensitive to timing. Remain flexible, but prepare your messages carefully. Learn to listen, Not just speak.
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Communication and Culture

Culture gives meaning to the visible communication process.

2 trends that have made intercultural business communication so important: A) Market globalization, that allows people from different cultures to interpret their verbal and non verbal signals . B) Advances in technology help companies cross national boundaries. Sheraton hotels Hawaii.

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MODULE 2

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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ROADBLOCKS
Classification of barriers: Intrapersonal Interpersonal Organizational Roadblocks 1. Differences in perspective 2. Differences in knowledge levels 3. Lack of common language 4. Tendency to stereotype and jump to conclusions. 5. Strong emotions 6. Self centeredness
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7. Ethnocentrism: greatest single obstacle to understand culture. Literally means culture centered.

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Strategies to overcome the Barriers

Get to know the people you communicate with. Learn to look at things from others perspectives. Seek and offer feedback. Choose the right medium and the right channel. Mind your tone. Talk less, listen more. Ethno relativism i.e. ability to relate and adapt to others culture
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Some pointers to good word usage Be positive Dictionary and Thesaurus A wide choice Who is your audience Social setting Jargon New words Sentence construction Understand word structure Enjoy the language
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MODULE 3

CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

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Characteristics of culture
Culture guides individual and collective behavior. It influences: The decision making The style of management Relations and behavior patterns Cultures are integrated wholes: cultures are coherent and logical systems, the parts of which to a degree are interrelated.

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Language mirrors values Successful corporate culture manages to: integrate symbols (such as a corporate logo), legends (stories about past successes and failures), heroes (influential managers from the past) and shared experiences (such as working together on successful projects).
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The process of developing a corporate culture involves the following:

1.Identifying common beliefs among employees 2.Gaining consensus 3.Documenting the essential features 4.Making the culture visible to other employees on a regular basis. 5.Providing explicit training in the corporate culture for new employees.
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Cross-cultural Values
Americans
Freedom Independence SelfSelf-reliance Equality Individualism Competition Efficiency Time Directness Openness

Japanese
Belonging Group harmony Collectiveness Age/seniority Group consciousness Cooperation Quality Patience Indirectness GoGo-between
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Edward T. Hall's Model

High-context cultures HighLongLong-lasting relationships Exploiting context Spoken agreements Insiders and outsiders clearly distinguished Cultural patterns ingrained, slow change LowLow-context cultures Shorter relationships Less dependent on context Written agreements Insiders and outsiders less clearly distinguished Cultural patterns change faster
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Strategies for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication:

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Social Differences
Formal rules of etiquette are explicit and well defined but informal rules are learned through observation and imitation e.g. table manners. Attitude Towards Materialism People from US emphasize hard work, material success and efficiency more than many people in other countries do.

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NON VERBAL DIFFERENCES

NVC is important in delivering meaning but only if communicators belong to the same culture. It varies from place to place and culture. Types of NVC: Kinesics Proxemics Oculesics Chronemics Body language: People from the other culture who speak your language have not mastered your cultures body language e.g looking in the eye eye U.S: positive Asia :disrespectful
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THANK YOU
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