Chapter 3. Communicating Effectively Across Cultures
Sending and receiving information accurately and maintaining cooperative, productive relationships is a challenge for organizations and the human beings who work in them, even in the most homogeneous, mono-cultural settings. Struggles abound, whether bridging departments, genders, or generations. These challenges become exponentially greater when global business adds language and differences in national culture and civilization to the mix. Variations in communication styles, orientations to life, concepts about reality, social norms, economic systems, and rules of etiquette, as well as vocabulary, syntax, grammar, and nonverbal behavior frequently create barriers to understanding and sow the seeds of discord and conflict, as illustrated in the following examples.
A U.S.-born manager in a Japanese firm is admonished by her Japanese boss for giving a "Yes!" cheer at the end of her first successful presentation. He tells her that her behavior is not professional or dignified and erodes her credibility.
A global team member of a U.K.-based organization withers in embarrassment when effusively thanked publicly at a team meeting by her colleague from outside the U.K.
A U.S. manager takes offense at her German colleague's e-mail messages, which to her seem aggressive and pushy to the point of rudeness. Her German counterpart, on the other hand, feels betrayed by what she sees as a lack of responsiveness and support when her American colleague does not follow through.
A Chinese staff member from the PRC demonstrates unusual anxiety when he finds out his performance review will be put in his personal file.
A Dutch manager is viewed as argumentative and difficult by his U.S.-American colleagues because of his direct confrontational style in discussions at meetings.
Phone conference and videoconference staff meetings are scheduled by headquarters-based staff for their convenience, requiring staff members in other time zones to participate in calls well after midnight.
How are relationships and information flow impacted when these kinds of cross-cultural differences play out? More importantly, what can organizations do to help staff members overcome these barriers to effectiveness and productivity?
This chapter sheds light on the cultural differences influencing communication and provides activities and tools to explore these differences and engage others in learning about them. It also offers guidelines and suggestions to bridge cultural differences, build productive relationships across dimensions of diversity, and effectively communicate with colleagues and clients throughout the world.