Focus on CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

SUGGESTED SOLUTION to Test your potential for cross-cultural success

1. Mention three major factors that affect cross-cultural communication. (high context versus low context, direct versus indirect verbal communication, non-verbal differences)
2. If a company has employees who are direct, individualistic and base decisions on facts they are an example of what type of culture? (low-context culture/deal-focused culture)
3. Niels made a business mistake when he asked his Indian subordinates about their ideas on how to solve problems. The management structure that Niels tried to implement in the company's Indian subsidiary is an example of what? (Scandinavian egalitarian structure based on consensus building)
4. What is the type of communication called where the overall goal is getting and giving information? (direct verbal communication)
5. If a company relies on written agreements and 'cold calling' they are an example of what type of culture? (deal-focused)
6. Mention three non-verbal clues that are related to high-context cultures. (context, facial expressions, gestures, mood/tension)
7. In which culture does age play an important part? (hierarchical culture)
8. Mention some of parts of the world where losing and saving face plays an important part. (Asian countries, Latin America, the Arab world)
9. To which cultural tendency is the phrase 'That might be difficult' meaning 'No' related? (indirect verbal communication)
10. In which countries is excessive gesturing 'part of the game'? (Southern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America)
11. Which communicators may think that their business partners are evasive, maybe even dishonest? (direct communicators doing business with indirect communicators)
12. Which types of cultures attach great importance to individualism and independence? (low-context cultures & egalitarian cultures)
13. Which types of cultures attach great importance to group harmony and avoiding conflict? (relationship-focused cultures, high-context cultures, cultures with indirect verbal communication tendency)
14. Mogens made a mistake when he interpreted Kumar's answer "Yes, yes, we will do our best" and replied "Thanks, Kumar. I knew we could count on you!" Which type of communication is Kumar's answer an example of? (low-context (indirect) communication).

2.
World map of deal- and relationship-focused cultures
Go to http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=15558, for example, and click on a country to see which pattern is the dominant one.

3.
Trade and intercultural communication 04:43
Pre-reading: You have just landed a job in an international company. Your English is good and you feel confident that you can easily communicate with anyone, anywhere. But what else do you need to know to do a good job in an international environment? Go to http://ndla.no/en/node/45975 and choose Trade and intercultural communication (in the column to the right). Listen to the text on deal-focused and relationship-focused cultures being read aloud.
With the above-mentioned in mind, click on the account of Mr. Halliwell's business trip (at the bottom of the page) and analyse where it went wrong by carrying out the following tasks:

1. Discuss what mistakes Mr. Halliwell made and how he should have approached customers in Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia and France.

2. Choose a culture other than those mentioned in Mr. Halliwell's trip and make a presentation where you present differences compared to Norwegian culture:

• whether they are deal-focused or relationship-focused in their concept of time
• communication (direct versus indirect)
• the importance of socialising, including protocol (dress, formality versus informality, respect for age, gift giving, use of titles and first names versus last names).1

3. Do the following countries have deal-focused or relationship-focused cultures?

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA.¹
Adapted from: NDLA (Nasjonal Digital Læringsarena).
¹If you need more information about a certain country go to:
Business culture on the world stage on http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/, for example. Select a country and then choose among the items at the top of the website.

4.
Interpersonal communication: High- and low-context teaching tool 04:56


GeneralJ2
Get a better understanding of high- and low-context cultures. Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

5.
Non-verbal communication – The documentary 10:15
GeP PettoTV
A documentary that explores the world of non-verbal communication and its impact on the world today.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

6.
Cultural differences video wmv 09:39 (Americans interpreting East Indians)
Danielle R
This video looks at how cultural differences can get in the way of communicating. It focuses on the misunderstandings that some Americans may have with understanding and interpreting East Indians. The video uses some general cultural norms and discusses how the Ladder of Inferences comes into play in making assumptions about our interactions.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

7.
Cross-cultural communication 05:16 (A British engineer in South America)
LearnComTraining
As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, people increasingly encounter problems when communicating with people from other cultures. This can lead to problems ranging from employee frustration and decreased efficiency, to losing billion dollar deals.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

8.
Chinese business culture - Business in China requires patience 03:29
InBusinessTV
Doing business in China requires an understanding of Chinese business customs.
Chinese business culture is different from the West in some subtle and some not so subtle ways.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

9.
10 Tips on Arab culture for successful business in the Middle East 04:07
nettresults
For executives who are looking to build business in the Middle East or professionals looking to move their career or job search to the Arab World, this video gives you a simple overview of Arabic Business Culture.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

10.
Cultural Dimension: me or we 02:55

InterfacetTraining
Some cultures focus on the individual as a unique, independent person, properly operating for his or her own benefit. Others focus primarily on the group, assuming that the group's well-being comes first, and the individual is expected to conform to the group's needs.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

11.
Cultural gaffes beyond your borders 08:14

T Han WOO
This entertaining eight-minute video shows you how easy it is to commit a blunder, a gaffe, a slip-up in another culture. Things that are simple and normal to you may be insulting in another country. See 14 examples of cultural gaffes acted out, and get some advice on how to try to avoid making such mistakes when you travel to another culture.
Go to this link, for example. Listen and learn.

12.
Richard Gesteland seminar about Cross Culture

by kom1en -14:59 Richard Gesteland speaks about Danes Managing Across Cultures in the BRIC Countries. A speach from Speakers Corner at the fair Træfpunkt - Human Resources held in Øksnehallen, Copenhagen Oct. 5 2011. Presented by AIS Sprog. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQTu6sqbfXk, for example. Listen and learn.

13.
Richard Gesteland's full lecture at the Norwegian School of Management BI Oslo

by vimeo – 56:28
This is a video of Richard Gesteland giving a lecture on cross-cultural communications at the Norwegian School of Management BI Oslo. Mr. Gesteland's website is http://glomgt.com.
Go to https://vimeo.com/23993515, for example. Listen and learn.