Cross-Cultural Communication

University Degree Business and Administrative studies

John P Jared

BUS 600

Dr. Orlando Rivero, DBA, MPA

June 15, 2009

Understanding cultures and people’s background with greatly enhance someone marketability and future success with people worldwide. Individuals communicate in many variety of ways based on where individuals where raised, education, and exposure to other cultures. Individuals need to do some research about the country and the country’s culture before traveling in that country or interacting with others. If individuals do not do the proper research of other people’s culture, this will cause frustration between both parties because the individuals will not reach the full potential of the interactions or endeavors. Poor cross-cultural communication causes misunderstandings and decreased productivity.

Knowing about people’s culture will help individuals have a broader sense of thinking and behaving. There is no one correct way to communicate and each culture should have everyone respect. Here are a few examples that will provide how people communicate in others countries or culture. According to O’Rourke (2007), In Hungary, men walk on the left side of women or people of high importance. It consider abrasive to ask a man about his family or wife in the Middle East. In South America, everyone expects to be late. No one ever expects anyone to show up on time for schedule events accordingly (p. 278, 279). In China, it is common to add a conclusion sentence to every paragraph. Asia has the largest numbers of languages in the world. “Language barrier is the single largest source of cultural conflict (Hilton, p. 34).” Knowing some of the ways people communicate from other cultures and countries is important but individuals need to also know context and consider the source.

There are some words and gestures that individuals use in their own culture that is consider acceptable but in another culture it is unfamiliar, or not acceptable. In America, holding up two fingers promote peace, the number two, or victory. In the United Kingdom if you hold up two fingers at an individual the gesture implies that the person is insulting them and most people get offended. Certain words that are said in one country are completely different in other country. A “fag” is a cigarette in the United Kingdom. A “fag” is a slang term, used to describe ...

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Body language and non-verbal communication are two things that significantly impact cross-cultural communication. In Asian culture people say, “Yes,” and it implies so many different meanings. Chinese people when they do not have clarity in conversations will say the word yes out of habit. Chinese people also respond to people and reply by saying yes to acknowledge the other person and reveal that the listener respects them and they have heard the conversation. Western culture tends to assume that when people response with the word yes it implies that the individual agrees. This can cause a problem when people in Western civilization do not do the research on Asian culture on how Asian culture communicates with other people (Doucet, p. 46).

Having great communication skills is an ongoing skill. The more communication an individual does on a regular basis, the better of the individual will be in future endeavors. People need to have culture proficiency. People need to know when to listen, when to ask for help, and when to finally speak (Hilton, p. 34). Individuals need to go out of their comfort zone in order to be better communicators. Individuals need to experience other cultures and interact with people of other races to be more effective in cross-cultural communication. Also, when traveling overseas, individuals need to research the country and discover what things are acceptable and what things are not acceptable in that culture. Individuals need to adhere to that culture while traveling in that country. Individuals need to accept the country culture even if the individual does not agrees with that culture. Individuals still need to respect that culture. If individuals can effectively strive to consider other people’s culture other than their own when traveling than individuals will have success in great cross-cultural communication conversations.

In conclusion, individuals need to have an understanding of other people’s culture when interacting with a different race. Body language, verbiage, style, and customs may be different than the individual is accustomed. Individuals need to take consideration of other cultures and do research when traveling abroad. This will help in developing great cross-cultural communication. If individuals can develop great cross-cultural communication this will make individuals more marketable and make individuals assets with the company.

Work Cited