1. UNIT 9: INITIAL CONTACTS ACROSS CULTURES
Intercultural Business Communication
Instructor: Hsin-Hsin Cindy Lee, PhD

2. Contents Part 1: Country profile Part 2: Case study
Part 3: Learning points
Part 4: Checkpoint
References

3. Country Profile – Colombia
How much do you know about Colombia?
Part (1/4)

4. Colombia – Hard Facts Full name Population Capital Area Major language
Major religion
Life expectancy
Monetary unit
GNI per capita
Republic of Colombia
46.1 million (UN, 2005)
Bogota
1.14 million sq km
Spanish
Christianity
69 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
1 Colombian peso = 100 centavos
US $2,290 (World Bank, 2006)

5. Overview
Colombia has significant natural resources and its diverse culture reflects the indigenous Indian, Spanish and African origins of its people.
But it has also been ravaged by a decades- long violent conflict involving outlawed armed groups, drug cartels and gross violations of human rights.
The fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent's most populous nations, Colombia has substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal.

6. Colombia

7. Useful Links http://www.internationalist.com/business/Colombia. php
Introduce more a great number of links in Colombia
les/ stm
Provide hard facts and introduction to the country
les/ stm
Provide the timeline/history of the country

8. Case Study – Initial Contact
Part (2/4)

9. Case Study – Getting Connected in Colombia
A bank in Bogota, Colombia decided to improve its computer communications system. The top sales manager of a young but successful communications company in the USA wanted to get the Colombian account.
The sales manager, Peter Knolls, was a young man with an excellent background in computers and US sales. He had been on of the original partners in this small communications company.

10. Looking for agent and key contact
From his office in Chicago, he started to look for the right person to contact. He called the Colombian Association of Banks. The association coordinates bank business and encourages foreign investment. It also acts as a third party to introduce foreign contacts.
An agent of the association named Roberto Coronas as the key contact of the Columbian bank for the account. The agent then suggested they all meet together in Colombia.

11. The first contact on the phone…
Knolls, wanting to be certain that a trip to Colombia would be worthwhile, asked the agent for Coronas’s phone number and called him immediately. He introduced himself to Coronas and began to explain how his company could develop the best computer system for the bank.
Coronas suggested they meet each other in person to talk further.

12. The first face-to-face meeting…
Knolls went with the agent to meet Coronas in person. After a brief introduction, Coronas suggested that the two men have dinner together that evening.
At the dinner the sales manager (Knolls) was ready to talk about business, but Coronas wanted to talk about general topics, such as business friends, and Colombia’s literary and cultural history instead.
Knolls said his interest was in business, not in the arts. The young man explained how he had independently developed a successful communications business without any special help or connections.

13. Knolls lost the important business contact.
The end
Knolls did not make a good impression on Coronas.
At the end of the evening, Coronas said they should stay in touch.
BUT he never contacted Knolls again.
  
Knolls lost the important business contact.
Why? What happened?

14. Your Analysis Why didn’t Coronas contact Knolls later?
What did Knolls do wrong for the initial contact?
Was there any other better way to deal with Coronas in this case?

15. Questions for Discussion
Can you answer the following questions in terms of Colombian, American and Taiwanese cultures?
Is it more common to contact people and get information in person or on the phone?
What are some ways to get introduced to a company? Which way is most common or effective?
In making initial contact, which is more important: the company or the person representing the company? Why?
How important are personal connections? Why?
How much time is spent on getting to know each other? Why?
Can you use the model of synthetic cultures to explain the differences between those national cultures?

16. Learning Points
Part (3/4)

17. Outline Colombian business etiquette
Individualist VS Collectivist Cultures
Further information and examples on getting connected for initial contact
E.g. Egypt; Korea
Intercultural business communication tips for the first meeting – the use of names and titles
E.g. Singapore; England

18. Colombian business etiquette
Family – As a collectivist culture, family is the central unit of Colombian society. Close ties
between extended families and communities can have a major influence on individual behaviour.
The importance of family is also evident in Colombian business culture where often family
members will be found working for the same company and many companies are family owned.
Indirect communication – Colombians tend to communicate in an indirect and subtle manner. It
is important to not offend others and always be as diplomatic as possible. Meaning is conveyed
through non-verbal forms of communication and often a Colombian will say ‘yes’ or ‘maybe’
instead of saying ‘no’ to avoid losing face and maintain harmony.
Time – Colombians approach time in a very relaxed and flexible manner. Punctuality is not
essential and planning things to the minute is not common. Business meetings are often delayed
as a result and sometimes even cancelled at the last minute without any prior warning. If
planning a visit or series of meetings in Colombia, therefore, always schedule extra time in
between to allow for any extra time needed.

19. Dos
DO expect to spend a lot of time getting to know your Colombian business counterparts before any business takes place.
DO translate all your marketing literature, business cards and any other documents you present in your business dealings into Spanish. Failure to do so may jeopardize your business potential.
DO accept invitations from your Colombian business counterparts to social or business occasions. Social events are an ideal time to develop relationships which are an essential part of Colombian business culture. They are also a great opportunity to experience and learn more about Colombian culture.

20. Don’ts
DON’T rush business dealings with your Colombian colleagues and avoid pressing for final decisions.
DON’T be overly aggressive while negotiating business deals, as it is considered rude and often perceived as arrogant.
DON’T ignore formal Colombian dining etiquette as this will reflect poorly on you as an individual and will also negatively impact any business dealings in Colombia.

21. Individualist VS Collectivist Cultures
"We" not "me" orientation.
Each person is encouraged to conform to society, to do what is best for the group and to not openly express opinions or beliefs that go against it.
Group, family or rights for the common good are seen as more important than the rights of individuals.
Rules promote stability, order and obedience.
Fitting in or conforming to group or society is required.
Distinctions made between in-group and out-group.
Working with others and cooperating is the norm.
Everyone often relies on others for support.

22. Individualist VS Collectivist Cultures
"I" identity.
Promotes individual goals, initiative and achievement.
Each person is encouraged to stand out, be unique and express themselves.
Individual rights seen as most important.
Rules attempt to ensure independence, choices and freedom of speech.
Less distinction between in-group and out-group.
Relying or being dependent on others is seen as shameful.
People are encouraged to do things on their own, to rely on themselves.

23. Doing Business in Individualist (American) Culture
Relationships or connections are not essential to success.
Cooperation depends on terms and conditions.
Prefer clear and direct delivery of messages. People do not hesitate to speak for themselves.
People care about their personal performances.
Everyone’s job responsibilities tend to be clearly stated
Prefer to deal with one single task after another.

24. Further information/Examples for initial contact
Egypt
Governmental references are useful
The social relationship is essential
The same respect and social interest should be shown to all person who are in the key contact’s office
Korea
Recommendation from a 3rd party is useful
Contact highly respected Korean
High-level government officials are influential
A person’s status is defined by education, family, birth, address, connections and the size of the company, etc.

25. More Tips on Intercultural Communication for Initial Contact
The Use of Names and Titles
Formal Culture VS Informal Culture
Formal Culture:
Use titles more often
Use first names only with close friends
E.g. Britain, Singapore
Informal Culture
Use first names more often
Titles are used in the working place or first meetings only
E.g. USA

26. Checkpoint
Part (4/4)

27. Checkpoint What is Colombia’s official language?
Give three examples on what you should do while doing business in Colombia?
Give three examples on differences between Colombian and American business cultures.
How shall you make initial contact to do business in Egypt?
How shall you make initial contact to do business in Korea?

28. References
Business Across Cultures. By Laura M. English and Sarah Lynn.
(country profile)
Doing Business in Colombia. By Corao Malinak, Communicaid Consultancy.
CIA The World Factbook 2007

29. -End-
Do you have any questions?
You are encouraged to ask questions!