Cross-cultural business behavior

meant
Messages are explicit
Words carry most of the information in

communication

High-Context cultures: The context of the message— the message source, his or her standing in society or in the negotiating group, level of expertise, tone of voice, and body language—are all meaningful
Less information is contained in the verbal part of the message
More information resides in the context of communication (background, associations, basic values of communicators)

expressions
Content
Place
Tone of voice
Facial expression
Relationship
Eye contact
Gestures
Relative status
Posture
dress
Silence
Previous interaction

function of giving order, organization and even clues about the

social position of an individual.

There exist several boundaries around us.
Innermost the physical boundary of our body,
outermost our “territorial border”.
Any border beside the physical border is individually perceived and chosen and shaped by culture. Violating or accepting the borders is communication.

committed to the job
are accustomed to short-term relationships
do many things

at once
are highly distractible
are committed to people
tend to build lifetime relationships

Monochronic People Polychronic People

and author.
He claims to speak 11 languages (English, French,

Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish and Japanese).


“When Teams Collide: Managing the International Team Successfully” (2012)
“When Cultures Collide: Leading across Cultures” (2006, 1999, 1996)
“The Cultural Imperative: Global Trends in the 21st Century” (2007, 2003)

Behavior (5th edition 2012), cited in Harvard Business Review, with German, Russian, Chinese,

Polish, Lithuanian, Swedish and India editions.


Richard’s articles on international negotiating have appeared in the Asian Wall Street Journal, Chief Executive Asia, Foreign Trade, Purchasing Executives Journal, Singapore Economic Journal, China Online and many other publications.

Kong
South Brazil
U K
Central &Eastern Europe
Latin Europe
South Africa
North America
Chinese

Examples: India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thai, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines,

from those of East Asia. Their communicative style is more

loquacious than the Chinese, Japanese and Korean, and they are as dialogue-oriented as most Latins.

They make little attempt to conceal their feelings—joy, disappointment and grief are expressed without inhibition.

Indians accept a hierarchical system with its obligations and duties.

Nepotism is way of life in traditional Indian companies. Family members hold key positions and work in close unison.

visible regarding closeness in public. Women are clearly subordinate to

men.

The language of the Indian manager emphasizes the collective nature of the task and challenge.

separation of work from personal life
Results-oriented
Communication is explicit; verbal or

written

High Context Cultures India
Priority = Harmony
Value interdependence, group orientation
Holistic; including work and personal life, interconnected

Process-Oriented
Communication is implicit; often non-verbal

means “Yes.” It’s like a verbal contract.


“Maybe” means “It

might be possible for me to do it, I’m not sure but I’ll try.”

“No” means “No.”

Indian Norm

To save face and not be disagreeable, “Yes” may mean “Yes, I will try.”

Maybe = No, much of the time. It’s less harsh than “No.”


“An absence of “Yes” may mean “No.”

high-context cultures)
If possible, establish face-to-face meetings
Video conferencing
Make small talk before

you start to talk about work
Exchange some personal information
Building a relationship establishes trust

others’ interests

Low
High
High
Avoidance
Compete
Compromise
Accommodate
Collaborate

others’ interests

Low
High
High
Avoidance
Compete
Compromise
Accommodate
Collaborate
Indian Focus -1
Western Focus -1

Try to be flexible.
Make business appointments in the late morning

or early afternoon, ideally between the hours of 11am and 4pm.
Deadlines should not be rushed! Making decisions is often a slow and thoughtful process in Indian culture. Showing impatience is seen as rude and disrespectful.

seat of the soul.

Be careful with your feet. Feet

are considered unclean. Never point your feet at a person. If your shoes or feet touch another person, apologize.

Gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver.

Business lunches are more popular than dinners. Keep in mind, Hindus do not eat beef.

Examples: Japan, China, Korea, Singapore

when negotiating with the Japanese:
✦ The Japanese normally negotiate in

teams, each member of which has a different specialty.

✦ There will be a senior staff member present who will dictate tactics, but he is rarely the one who does the talking. Each member will ask questions within the field of his or her competence, using the best linguist as the interpreter.

✦ Their questions constitute an information-gathering process only. They are not about to make a decision based on your answers.

✦ However strong the team, they will have to refer back to the head office. Therefore, no decision will be made at the first meeting and probably not at the second.

✦ The second meeting tends to go over the same ground as the first, but the questions will be in more depth.

✦ The Japanese are willing to go over the same information many times to avoid later misunderstandings and achieve clarity.

when negotiating with the Japanese:
✦ Their decisions are long-term, for

example: Do we want these people as partners in the future? Do we trust them? Is this the right direction for the company to be heading?

✦ They never say no, never refute entirely another’s argument and never break off negotiations as long as harmony prevails.

✦ They will cancel a meeting if they think the conditions on which it was set up have changed.

✦ Logic and intellectual argument alone cannot sway the Japanese. They must like you and trust you, otherwise no deal!

you disagree, just be silent.
✦ Pushing documents at them until

they are ready.
✦ Trying to extract decisions from them at meetings. Remember, they have to check with the head office.