Chapter 4 Cross-Cultural Communication and Negotiation

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Chapter 4 Cross-Cultural Communication and
Negotiation

• Chapter 4(1)- Cross-Cultural Communication2
• Chapter 4(2)- Conflict Negotiation27

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Chapter 4(1)- Cross-Cultural Communication
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Functions of Communication

• Communication is the exchange of meaning.
• In organizations, it has several functions
• Affecting Behavior through both formal and
  informal channels
• Emotional expression - fulfillment of social
  needs
• Information - facilitating decision making

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The Communication Process
Source
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Message
Message
Message
Message
Feedback
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What do you see in the poster?

• A small class exercise

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PERCEPTION
Process by which people organize and interpret
their sensory impressions in order to give
meaning to their environment Perception gt
Attitudes gt Motivation Behavior
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Attitudes
Evaluative statements favorable or unfavorable
about objects, people, or events reflect how
one feels about something
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Perceiver Effects on Perception

• Culture
• Personality
• Values Attitudes
• Motives
• Interests
• Past experiences
• Expectations

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Perceptual Shortcuts
Assumed Similarity
Selectivity
Halo Effect
Stereotyping
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Shortcuts to Judging Others

• Selectivity - choosing bits of data depending on
  the interests, background, experience, and
  attitudes of observer
• Assumed Similarity - perceptions of others more
  influenced by what the observer is like or thinks
• Stereotyping - basing perception on group
  membership or association
• Halo Effect - drawing a general impression on the
  basis of a single characteristic, such as
  intelligence, sociability, or appearance

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Perception, Attitudes,and Personality

• Culturally based stereotypes
• Swiss punctual
• Germans taskoriented
• Americans energetic
• People who hold these stereotypes experience
  surprises when they meet people from these
  countries who do not fit the stereotypes

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Perception, Attitudes, and Personality (Cont.)

• Culturally based stereotypes (cont.)
• Project aspects of own culture onto people and
  situations in a different culture
• Assumes that the new culture mirrors their own
• Example Korean manager visiting Sweden assumes
  all women seated behind desks are secretaries
• Such behavior would be inappropriate and possibly
  dysfunctional in Sweden where many women hold
  management positions

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Helpful Stereotyping

• A stereotype can become helpful when it is
• Consciously held people are aware it describes a
  group norm and not individual characteristic
• Descriptive rather evaluative how people are,
  not whether theyre good or bad
• Accurate based on data or sufficient experience
• First best guess about a group, before acquiring
  specific information on individuals
• Dynamic Flexible modifiable according to
  further observation and experience with concrete
  situations

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Types of Communication

• Verbal
• Oral
• Face-to-face
• Distant (phone, video)
• Written
• Print
• Electronic
• Non-Verbal

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Overall Communication Process

• Verbal Communication Styles
• Context
• Information that surrounds a communication and
  helps to convey the message
• High-context societies
• Messages often are coded and implicit
• Rely on indirect style

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Overall Communication Process

• Low-context societies
• Message is explicit and the speaker says
  precisely what s/he means
• Rely on direct style
• Three degrees of communication quantity
• Elaborate
• Exacting
• Succinct

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High- vs. Low-Context Cultures

• Chinese
• Korean
• Vietnamese
• Arab
• Greek
• Spanish
• Italian
• English
• French
• North American
• Scandinavian
• German
• Swiss

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Overall Communication Process (cont.)

• Verbal Communication Styles (cont.)
• Contextual style
• Focuses on the speaker and relationship of the
  parties
• Personal style
• Focuses on the speaker and the reduction of
  barriers between the parties

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Overall Communication Process (cont.)

• Affective style
• Characterized by language which requires the
  listener to carefully note what is being said and
  to observe how the sender is presenting the
  message
• Instrumental style
• Goal-oriented and focuses on the sender

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Verbal Styles Used in 10 SelectCountries
Indirect vs. Direct
Affective vs. Instrumental
Elaborate vs. Succinct
Contextual vs. Personal
Country
Australia Direct Exacting Personal
Instrumental Canada Direct Exacting Personal
Instrumental Denmark Direct Exacting Personal I
nstrumental Egypt Indirect Elaborate Contextual
Affective England Direct Exacting Personal Ins
trumental Japan Indirect Succinct Contextual Af
fective Korea Indirect Succinct Contextual Affe
ctive Saudi Arabia Indirect Elaborate Contextual
Affective Sweden Direct Exacting Personal Inst
rumental United States Direct Exacting Personal
Instrumental
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Non-verbal Communication

• Body movement (Body Language) adds to, and
  often complicates, verbal communication
• Kinesics - Gestures, facial configurations, and
  other movements of the body
• Intonations - Change the meaning of the message
• Facial expression - Characteristics that would
  never be communicated if you read a transcript of
  what is said
• Physical distance - Proper spacing is largely
  dependent cultural norms

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Cross-Cultural Communication

• Nonverbal communication a major role across
  cultures
• Distance between people
• North Americans stand 5 1/2 to 8 feet apart
• Latin American cultures people stand much closer
• Reactions
• Latin American moves close to the North American
• North American backs away
• Latin American might perceive the North American
  as cold and distant

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Personal Space Categories for Those In the United
States
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Cross-Cultural Communication

• Time orientation
• Latin Americans view time more casually than
  North Americans
• Swiss strongly emphasize promptness in keeping
  appointments
• Egyptians usually do not look to the future

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Cross-Cultural Communication

• Time orientation (cont.)
• Southeast Asians view the long term as centuries
• Sioux Indians of the United States do not have
  words for "time" or "wait" in their native
  language
• Potential misunderstandings are large

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ExerciseIdentifying Emotions
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Emotions National Culture

• Cultural factors influence what is or is not
  considered emotionally appropriate
• Seems to be high agreement of meaning by emotions
  within cultures
• Whats acceptable in one culturemay seem
  extremely unusual or dysfunctional in another
• http//www.hollywoodjesus.com/lost_in_translation.
  htm

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A Cultural Guide to Communication

• Look for the meaning behind the words
• Assume differences until similarity is proved
• Know what you dont know
• Emphasize description rather than interpretation
  or evaluation (of others)
• Practice empathy patience
• Treat your interpretation as a working hypothesis
• Always Observe Listen

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Chapter 4(2)-Conflict Negotiation
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Trust Culture

• Individualistic
• Personal history experience based
• Develops through mutual interest (rational)
• Quicker to trust out-group members
• Consistency emphasized

• Collectivist
• In-group membership based
• Develops more through emotional bonds
• Slow trusting out-group members
• Context is important

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Conflict

• Conflict is where one party perceives that
  another party acting purposefully in a way that
  upsets the first party or blocks its pursue of
  goals and interests
• Why can't the Jews and the Arabs just sit down
  together and settle this like good Christians?
• - Attributed to Arthur Balfour, 19th century
  British statesman, Prime Minister, and Foreign
  Secretary speaking on the Middle-east Crisis

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Differences in Attitudes

• Italian managers bypassing a manager to reach a
  subordinate employee is insubordination
• Swedish and Austrian organizations decentralized
  decision making
• Philippine and Indian organizations centralized
  decision making

Conclusion organizations that cross national
borders and draw managers from many different
countries have high conflict potential.
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International Aspects of Conflict

• Cultures that emphasize individualism and
  competition
• Positively value conflict
• Englishspeaking countries, the Netherlands,
  Italy, Belgium
• Cultures that emphasize collaboration,
  cooperation, conformity
• Negatively value conflict
• Many Asian and Latin American countries
  Portugal, Greece, Turkey

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International Aspects of Conflict

• Cultural differences imply different functional
  conflict levels
• Some cultures favour suppression of conflict with
  little discussion of people's feelings
• Felt conflict likely part of some conflict
  episodes but hidden from public view

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Conflict (Cont.)

• Managers from an individualistic country
  operating in a less individualistic country
• Acceptable to express feelings during a conflict
  episode. Suppression of feelings could baffle
  them
• Increasing conflict can confuse local people.
  Almost immediate dysfunctional results

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Negotiation

• The process in which two or more parties
  communicate and exchange goods or services in an
  attempt to rich a mutually agreeable solution

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Cultural Differences in Negotiations

• Negotiating styles vary among national cultures
  for effective cross-cultural negotiation, you
  need to understand other partys communication
  patterns, time orientations, social behavior and
  idiosyncratic national issues.

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Successful Negotiators Characteristics
US Japanese Taiwanese Brazilian
Preparation planning skill Dedication to job Persistence determination Preparation planning skill
Thinking under pressure Perceive exploit power Win respect confidence Thinking under pressure
Judgment intelligence Win respect confidence Preparation planning skill Judgment intelligence
Verbally expressive Integrity Product knowledge Verbally expressive
Product knowledge Demonstrate listening skills Interesting Product knowledge
Perceive exploit power Broad perspective Judgment intelligence Perceive exploit power
Integrity Verbally expressive Competitive
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Cultural Differences in Negotiations

• Cultural context significantly influences
• History identity in relation to conflict
• Time frame (short/long deadlines)
• Emphasis on rationality/emotion/ideals
• The amount and type of preparation for
  bargaining
• Participants few essential or the more the
  merrier young professional or respectable elder
• The relative emphasis on task versus
  interpersonal relationships and formal vs.
  informal mechanisms (e.g., lawyers)

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Differences in Negotiations

• Where the negotiation should be conducted
  (business/leisure) and emphasis on entertainment
• Communication patterns (verbal/nonverbal) direct
  vs. non-direct rejection
• The tactics used
• Extent of bargaining
• Initial offersextreme or moderate
• Nonverbal behavior

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Verbal Tactics (per ½ hour session)
Behavior US Brazilian Japanese
Promise 8 3 7
Normative 2 1 4
Commitment 13 8 15
Self-Disclosure 36 39 34
Command 6 14 8
Nos 9 83.4 5.7
Profit level 57.3 75.2 61.5
Initial concessions 7.1 9.4 6.5
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Nonverbal Tactics
Behavior US Brazilian Japanese
Silent periods (per 30 min.) 3.5 0 5.5
Conversational overlaps (per 10 min.) 10.3 28.6 12.6
Facial gazing (minutes per 10 min.) 3.3 5.2 1.3
Touching (per 30 min.) 0 4.7 0