1. Chapter- 2 Cross-Cultural Communication
Md. Al-Amin
BUS 251

2. What Is Culture? Culture is the learned behaviour
“Culture is the way we do the things around here” (Deal and Kennedy, 1982)

3. Importance of Cross-Cultural Communication
Being able to communicate across cultures is necessary for business operations.
It helps in-
selling products internationally
understanding and satisfying customers’ needs
attracting and recruiting a wide variety of good employees

4. Problems of Cultural Differences
Ethnocentrism: viewing own culture as normal and other cultures as bad, wrong, peculiar
Miscommunication is not always the main problem
We tend to over-generalize cultural practices
We fail to figure out the cultural differences

5. Factors Affecting the Culture
Role of religion
Religious values largely shape the cultures
Think for a moment about how “100% halal soaps” turned the things around for Aromatic
Think of the impact of Ramadan on the business organization and their policies

6. Factors Affecting the Culture (cont.)
Topography
Determine what types of people live in a particular place
Life under a broiling sun creates different habits and values than life in a darker and colder place
Food habits, clothes and life styles are largely determined by the area you live in

7. Factors Affecting the Culture (cont.)
Country’s History
Consider certain events or systems of the country that have affected the national memory
Our liberation war, 21st February and so forth

8. Dimensions of Cultural Differences
Physical Dimensions
Mental Dimensions

9. Physical Dimensions of Cultural Difference
Body positions and Movements
Physical behavior differ by culture and the difference can affect the culture

10. How do our our body positions and movements differ from others?
Squatting
Steps
Standing up when someone enters the room
Up-and-down and side-to- side movement of the head
Two fingered- sign

11. How do our our body positions and movements differ from others. (cont
Ok sign
Bow on meeting
Pointing out
Eye Contact
Handshakes
Greetings/ smile

12. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences
Attitudes of different cultures toward various factors of human relationships play the vital role
A good communicator involves studying the embedded mental dimensions or attitudes of people
If you fail to measure these dimensions, you would fail to manage them

13. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Time
In some countries (e.g. UK, USA), people tend to be monochronic
In some countries (e.g. Bangladesh, India) people tend to be polychronic
Attitude toward space
How much distance?
Close or far?

14. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Attitude toward body odors
Some cultures view these as unsanitary
Some cultures view these as something that friends should experience (breathe the breath/ feel the presence by smelling)

15. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Frankness
Low- context cultures: communicates explicitly (e.g. American and German cultures)
High- context cultures: communicates implicitly (e.g. Bangladesh, Indonesia)

16. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Social Hierarchy
Some cultures hold strict social classes
Classes will determine how people are treated in communication
Income, title, occupation and origin might be asked

17. We are done with part 1

18. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Workplace Values
Attitude toward hard work and planning
Americans vs. Spanish workplaces
Attitude toward relationship with the employers
Japanese vs. Bangladeshi workplaces

19. Mental Dimensions of Cultural Differences (cont.)
Expression of emotion
Public displays of affection
Asians vs. Westerns
Display of laughter
Western vs. Japanese
Display of sorrow
Middle Eastern vs. Western cultures

20. Problems of Language
Languages are established based on the concepts, contexts, experiences and views of particular cultures
Even a word that seems the same in 2 languages may have different meanings
The meaning of the word “florist” has different meanings in different languages
Sometimes a word in one language has no corresponding word in another (e.g. supermarket; French have no words to distinguish between brain and mind, and men and gentlemen; Russians have no words for efficiency and challenge; Italians have 500 words for types of pasta)

21. Problems of Language (cont.)
Grammatical differences can have the impact on communication
Some languages (e.g. Urdu) don’t have gerunds, and some have no adverbs and/ adjectives.
More than one meaning for many words (The Oxford English Dictionary uses over 1500 words to define what)

22. Problems of Language (cont.)
Manners of expression can make the differences
Business couldn’t be better
We could never be too nice to our customer
What does YES mean? (Chinese YES often means “I’m listening”)

23. Difficulties with English
Two-Word Verbs
Nonnative speakers of English struggle with the use of TWO- WORD VERBS
A wording consisted of (1)a verb and (2) a second element, combined with the verb, produces a meaning that the verb alone doesn’t have
Give (verb)+ up (a second element), give (verb)+ away (a second element), break+ away, break+ down

24. Two-Word Verbs Identify the substitutes for the following verbs:
Convert two-word verbs into one-word verbs when communicating with nonnative speakers of English
Identify the substitutes for the following verbs:
Give up
Speed up
Go on
Put off
Take off
Come in, go in, get in
Figure out, sort out
Take away
Blow away
Think up

25. Two-Word Verbs Substitutes
Give up
Surrender
Speed up, hurry up
Accelerate
Go on, keep on
Continue
Put off
Defer
Take off
Depart, remove
Come down
Descend
Go in, come in, get in
Enter
Blow up
Explode
Think up
Imagine
Figure out, sort out
Solve

26. Slang Slang can problems if the audiences are not familiar with them
Examples-
Basket case
Cake-walk
24/7
Kickoff
Out in the left field
Strike out
Get the ball rolling

27. More Examples This is just off the top of my head
He frequently shoots from the hip
They couldn’t make the heads or tails of the report
Your prediction was right on target
Don’t let him get your goat

28. Slang Don’t: This is just off the top of my head
Do: Here is a quick idea
Don’t: He frequently shoots from the hip
Do: He frequently acts before he thinks
Don’t: They couldn’t make the heads or tails of the report
Do: They couldn’t understand the report
Don’t: Your prediction was right on target
Do: Your prediction was correct
Don’t: Don’t let him get your goat
Do: Don’t let him upset you

29. Advice for Communicating Across Cultures
Do your research
Study the topography, climate, location, religion and history
Learn something about the language and learn to speak if you can
Learn about the values, beliefs, manners and lifestyle
Know yourself and your company well
Some people forget to research themselves
Always try to understand the business you represent

30. Advice for Communicating Across Cultures (cont.)
Adapt Your English to Your Audience
Try to simplify your English
Talk slowly, especially if you have a strong accent
Avoid the questions that can be answered with a YES/NO
Avoid negative questions
Be open to Change
Openness and tolerance will help to broaden to your experience and conduct effective communication
Mutual respect is the key to successful cross cultural communication

31. We are done!
Thank you!