PR truyền thông - Chapter 7: Communicating across cultures

Chapter 7Communicating across CulturesCultureShapes values, priorities, and practicesModern business requires dealing with other cultures Successful Intercultural CommunicatorAware of values, beliefs, and practices in other culturesSensitive to differences among individuals within a cultureAware that one’s preferred valuesAre influenced by culture Are not always rightSuccessful Intercultural Communicator, continuedWilling to ask questions about preferences and behaviors.Flexible and open to changeSensitive to verbal and nonverbal behaviorImportance of Global BusinessExports are essential to businesses and the economyMany companies depend on vendors who are located in other countriesCompanies adapt products and services for local culturesManagers often need international experience for top-level jobsSources of Workplace DiversityGender Race and ethnicityRegional and national originSocial classReligionAgeSexual orientationPhysical abilityWays to Look at Culture: High-Context CulturesInfer most information from social relationshipsConvey little information explicitlyPrefer indirectness, politeness, ambiguityConsider oral agreements more binding than written onesRely heavily on nonverbal signsJapaneseArabicLatin AmericanWays to Look at Culture: Low-Context CulturesRely little on context Spell out most informationValue directness: may see indirectness as dishonest or manipulativeValue written word more than oral statementsNorth AmericanScandinavianGermanWays to Look at Culture: Cultural DimensionsPower/InequalityIndividualism/CollectivismMasculinity/FemininityUncertainty AvoidanceLong-term/Short-term OrientationValues, Beliefs, and PracticesOften unconsciousAffect response to people and situationsDifferent cultures have different views ofFairnessGroupsCompetitionSuccessSocial statusNonverbal CommunicationCommunication without wordsSignals such as smiles and gesturesMay be misinterpreted as easily as wordsImportant to be conscious of signals sent and received Nonverbal Communication Types Body languageeye contact – facial expressions – gesturesTouchhow much – who touches whom Spacepersonal spaceTimebeing on time – measuring timeTimeMonochronic culture People focus on clockPlan their time; avoid wasting it Polychronic culture People focus on relationshipsDisregard clocks and plannersXOther Nonverbal SymbolsClothingColorsAgeHeightOral CommunicationRequires cultural understandingBe aware ofUnderstatement and exaggerationComplimentsApproaches to NegativesWriting to International AudiencesMost cultures more formal than U.S. AvoidFirst names (use titles)ContractionsSlangIdiomsSports metaphorsWriting to International Audiences, continuedWrite in English unless fluent in audience’s languageReconsider patterns of organizationBuffer negative messages; make requests indirectRe-think audience benefits; ones that motivate U.S. audience may not workAllow extra response timeLearning about International Business CommunicationBeyond a set of rulesInternational business practices are constantly evolving/changingSeek and talk to people from other backgroundsEnhance understanding of multiple perspectives