Cross-Cultural Communication

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Cross-Cultural Communication

• Issues and Strategies

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What is it?

• Typical associations
• International (across national cultures)
• Multicultural (different ethnicities)
• Less typical
• Across genders (Tannen)
• Across professions, organizations, departments

3
How do cultures differ?

• Surface Variables
• Language
• Economic system
• Political system
• Legal system ( respect for law)
• Business and social customs
• Importance of religion

4
Submerged Attitudes

• Low context vs. high-context
• Work vs. quality of life
• The individual vs. the group
• Heirarchy vs. equality
• Directness vs. indirectness
• Formality vs. informality
• Status vs. achievement

5
So what?

• Relevance to Business Writing may affect
• Form of communication
• Content (what to include)
• Organization
• Graphics
• Style and wording

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May affect

• 1. Patterns of organization

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May affect

• 2. Choice of graphics
• Color
• Orientation (right to left?)
• Icons (electrical plug, phone, mailbox)

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• (C) Picunique http//www.travelers.jp/

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May affect

• 3. Language used
• Translate or use English?
• If English, consider
• Word choice (simplified? Unambiguous?)
• Unidiomatic
• Cultural baggage (crusade)
• Humor and metaphor may not translate