Preview

Important Components of Cross-Cultural Communication

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1298 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Important Components of Cross-Cultural Communication
Cross cultural understanding simply refers to the basic ability of people within business to recognize, interpret and correctly react to people, incidences or situations that are open to misunderstanding due to cultural differences. Cross cultural awareness develops from cross cultural knowledge as the learner understands and appreciates a culture internally. This may also be accompanied by changes within the learner's behavior and attitudes such as a greater flexibility and openness. However, cross cultural understanding is based on the basis of comprehending the communication process of the specific culture. The important components of cross cultural communication are verbal, non-verbal and para-language.

1. Verbal Communications
2. Non-Verbal Communications
Eye contact
Facial Expressions
Gestures
Timing in spoken exchange
Touching
Language of space
Appearance
Silence 3. Paralanguage
Vocal qualifiers
Vocalization

Verbal Communication

Spoken language or words enable people to communicate with each other and this structures the way we perceive the world. It is one of the most important characteristics defining culture. Every country has a different language and, in order to develop clear and better understanding of a culture one needs to learn the language of that country. Learning the language of a country yields considerable advantages and not knowing the local language can make major blunders through improper translation. It is necessary to learn the language regardless of the fact that English is the official language and everybody would communicate in English. Whatever country's national language is, one should be familiar with the national language and body language in order to be a part of the group and not to feel left out when others are communicating in their local language.

Non-Verbal Communication

Cross-cultural communication can be difficult in some countries because what is acceptable in one culture may be

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    It is a delivery system that helps employees to listen and remember what leadership has laid out as a strategy (Matha & Boehm, 2008, Chapter 7). The communication that is delivered through the Conversation Platform can be very effective at getting the point across. It can reflect on what the frontline employee sees in the strategy and what issues they have with the strategy. This will allow the leadership to attain a different viewpoint that they could not get if the conversations were not conducted with the…

    • 615 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    To facilitate communication between cultures, it is important to understand that different groups have different values, different ways of communicating, different customs and assumptions. So, while these may conflict with…

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    | Style of communication is most paralinguistic meaning the speaker will change the tone of his or her voice to a higher pitch. Spoken/non-verbal…

    • 891 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Conducting business in China requires speaking in quiet and gentle tones. Emotions of a conversation are not on display. Loud voices and emotions are perceived as lack of self-control.…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are six principals in cross-cultural communication. The first principal states that the greater the cultural difference the greater the chance is for the communication ti break down. The second principal says that when communication breakdowns occur during cross-cultural encounters, the breakdowns are most often attributed to cultural differences. The third principal states that communicating across cultures often leads people to be more conscious about their own communication. The fourth one states that cultures vary with respect to the number and kind of “do’s and taboos” that are required of its members. The fifth one states that a person should remember that learning what is normal in the culture the are communicating with helps you understand that group. The last principal states that as long as you see others as friendly and cooperative barriers will easily be broken down (Cheesebro, O 'Connor, & Rios, Chapter Chapter 3, Cultural Diversity, 2010).…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In any aspect of life, whether it is school, work or home, communication is a critical component of our daily lives. Every career requests candidates to have a strong sense of communication skills, the ability to analyze communication and collaborate effectively with others. In my observations and readings, I found the communication iceberg to be the most applicable tool to apply to my own life.…

    • 796 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The intent here is to emphasize the importance, affects and effects of face-to-face communication (which still ranks number one), technology, the world wide web, and other forms of communication and resources, used in cross cultural communication, and most importantly, the importance of business managers competency and need for planning, and training on the subject of cross cultural communication, and I will also disclose the potential barriers, disadvantages, and advantages of the technologies and resources used to convey messages or share individual and organizational information internationally as well as the communities where you do business.…

    • 3728 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Individualist cultures, such as those of the United States and Western Europe, emphasize personal achievement regardless of the expense of group goals, resulting in a strong sense of competition. Individualistic cultures are those that stress the needs of the individual over the needs of the group as a whole. In this type of culture, people are seen as independent and autonomous. Social behavior tends to be dictated by the attitudes and preferences of individuals. Cultures in North America and Western Europe tend to be individualistic. A few common characteristics of individualistic cultures. . Individualism, as the name indeed suggests, describes the human characteristic of on a deep level thinking in a way where the individual self is prioritized rather than a social institution such as a family, workplace or society when compared to an individual who is more collectivistic. It is typical of an individual who is relatively individualistic to prioritize individual ambitions to a higher degree and strive to fulfill such ambitions even if it doesn’t necessarily equate working toward what is best for his or her related social institutions as wholes. The United States is one of the best examples of a country with culture in which individuals often are regarded more individualistic.…

    • 584 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    International and Intercultural Communications have been of great interest to the Hofstede Centre for many years. In fact Geert Hofstede’s dimensions of culture have been the most widely disseminated of all theories. Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions are, “1) Power Distance, 2) Individualism or Collectivism, 3) Masculinity-Femininity, 4) Uncertainty Avoidance, and 5) Short or Long Term Orientation.” (Donald Baack, 2012, Chapter 2.4). “Professor Geert Hofstede conducted one of the most comprehensive studies of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture. He analyzed a large database of employee value scores collected within IBM between 1967 and 1973. The data covered more than 70 countries, from which Hofstede first used the 40 countries with the largest groups of respondents and afterwards extended the analysis to 50 countries and 3 regions.” (The Hofstede Center, n.d.). In the next few pages I will compare the similarities and differences in scores between the countries of Croatia and Slovenia in relation to Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions as well as provide a scenario involving two organizations, one located in each country and their business practices relating to the different cultural perspectives.…

    • 1327 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Intercultural communication is communication between people with different cultures such as Americans and Europeans. It is used as a means for global communications and businesses. Intercultural communication can be used for communications between people of different religious, social, ethnic, and even educational backgrounds. Body language and history are also a major part of the intercultural communications within different countries.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    A research is not just the study of facts and figures; it is rather a systematic investigation of facts to answer various questions that has been unanswered. It is a systematic quest to identify unexplored areas and answer unanswered questions with supporting evidences and facts (Goddard & Melville, 2006). Research is also a never-ending process; one research leads to another one. There are many steps to complete a research successfully. These steps are necessary to systematically plan and execute different processes associated with researches. First step in the research process is to identify the research area and problem. In this case, the research area is international business environment, and the research problem is the impact of culture in international business. Next process is setting the research question. This research focuses on the impact of culture in the cross-cultural communication in international business, as it is believed as one of the most important elements that decides the success or failure of international businesses.…

    • 5066 Words
    • 21 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    ¡°The moon is a rocky physical sphere that orbits the Earth; yet when looking at this object, many Americans often see a man in the moon, many Native Americans perceive a rabbit, Chinese claim a lady is fleeing her husband, and Samoans report a woman weaving¡±(Samovar 56). For Americans, a ¡°V¡± sign made with two fingers usually represents victory. Australians equate this gesture with a rude American gesture usually made with the middle finger. Most Asians respond negatively to white flowers because white is associated with death. For Peruvians, Iranians, and Mexicans, yellow flowers often invoke the same reaction. In these three examples, the external objects (moons, hands, flowers) were the same, yet the responses are different. The reason is perception. Perception is the means by which we make sense of our physical and social world. That is to say, it is the process by which we become aware of objects, events, and especially people and their behavior through our various senses: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. In this process, we meditate our information about and knowledge of our external physical and social world and thus form our own images of that world. Perception is about the way in which we think about the outside world and can therefore decide the way in which we behave and communicate with other people. In this sense, we can say that perception plays a big role in the process of communication. It not only decides our behavior, but also keeps us doing in that way. Therefore, in order to be an effective communicator, one first has to have a better understanding of perception.…

    • 6884 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    AVOIDING CROSS-CULTURAL MISCOMMUNICATION Abstract International business has been developing fast in the globalization. We can see Chinese businessmen in most of places in the world, from Africa to America, and many…

    • 1904 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Cross cultural sensitivity is the quality of being aware and accepting of other cultures. This is important because what seems acceptable in some countries can be rude or derogatory in others. A person who is culturally sensitive is aware that there could be differences between their culture and another person’s, and that these differences could affect their relationship and the way they communicate with each other. A culturally sensitive person would understand other countries’ traditions and ways of life, or attempt to learn and apply new understandings. Cross cultural sensitivity is seen as an essential skill in today's world. Cross cultural awareness is important when dealing in international relations or trade. It can mean the difference between a brand succeeding or failing in international market. Some cross cultural barriers are body language, etiquette, establishing trust, religious beliefs and social habits. The success or failure of a company, venture, merger or acquisition essentially depends upon people. If these people are not cross-culturally aware then misunderstandings, offence and a breakdown in communication can occur. The need for greater cross-cultural awareness is heightened in our global economies. Cross-cultural differences can…

    • 1763 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Intercultural Communication or Cross-Cultural Communication is about people from different Cultures/ethnicities/religion/societies that interact with each other, when you leave your country you are likely to experience how important is to communicate with people who comes from different backgrounds of societies and speaks different languages.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays