miscommunication or misunderstanding.

• Dealing with the individual. Avoid stereotyping and overgeneralization.

DIFFICULTIES OF INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

The more differences there are between the people who are communicating,

the more difficult it is to communicate effectively. The major problems in

inter-cultural business communication are language barriers, cultural

differences, and ethnocentric reactions.

LANGUAGE BARRIERS

If we're doing business in London, we obviously won't have much of a

language problem. We may encounter a few unusual terms or accents in the 29

countries in which English is an official language, but our problems will

be relatively minor. Language barriers will also be relatively minor when

we are dealing with people who use English as a second language (and some

650 million people fall into this category). Some of these millions are

extremely fluent; others have only an elementary command of English.

Although you may miss a few subtleties in dealing with those who are less

fluent in English, we’ll still be able to communicate. The pitfall to watch

for is assuming that the other person understands everything we say, even

slang, local idioms, and accents. One group of English-speaking Japanese

who moved to the United States as employees of Toyota had to enroll in a

special course to learn that "Jeat yet?" means "Did you eat yet?" and that

"Cannahepya?" means "Can I help you?"

The real problem with language arises when we are dealing with people who

speak virtually no English. In situations like this, we have very few

options: We can learn their language, we can use an intermediary or a

translator, or we can teach them our language. Becoming fluent in a new

language (which we must do to conduct business in that language) is time

consuming. The U.S. State Department, for example, gives its Foreign

Service officers a six-month language training program and expects them to

continue their language education at their foreign posts. Even the Berlitz

method, which is famous for the speed of its results, requires a month of

intensive effort — 13 hours a day, 5 days a week. It is estimated that

minimum proficiency in another language requires at least 240 hours of

study over 8 weeks; more complex languages, such as Arabic and Chinese,

require more than 480 hours. Language courses can be quite expensive as

well. Unless we are planning to spend several years abroad or to make

frequent trips over an extended period, learning another language may take

more time, effort, and money than we're able to spend.

A more practical approach may be to use an intermediary or a translator.

For example, if our company has a foreign subsidiary, we can delegate the

communication job to local nationals who are bilingual. Or we can hire

bilingual advertising consultants, distributors, lobbyists, lawyers,

translators, and other professionals to help us. Even though Vons operates

within the United States, management hires bilingual personnel to help its

Hispanic customers feel more comfortable.

The option of teaching other people to speak our language doesn't appear

to be very practical at first glance; however, many multinational companies

do, in fact, have language training programs for their foreign employees.

Tenneco, for example, instituted an English-language training program for

its Spanish-speaking employees in a New Jersey plant. The classes

concentrated on practical English for use on the job. According to the

company, these classes were a success: Accidents and grievances declined,

and productivity improved.

In general, the magnitude of the language barrier depends on whether you

are writing or speaking. Written communication is generally easier to

handle.

Barriers to written communication

One survey of 100 companies engaged in international business revealed

that between 95 and 99 percent of their business letters to other countries

are written in English. Moreover, 59 percent of the respondents reported

that the foreign letters they receive are usually written in English,

although they also receive letters written in Spanish and French. Other

languages are rare in international business correspondence.

Because many international business letters are written in English,

North American firms do not always have to worry about translating their

correspondence. However, even when both parties write in English, minor

interpretation problems do exist because of different usage of technical

terms. These problems do not usually pose a major barrier to communication,

especially if correspondence between the two parties continues and each

gradually learns the terminology of the other.

More significant problems arise in other forms of written communication

that require translation. Advertisements, for example, are almost always

translated into the language of the country in which the products are being

sold. Documents such as warranties, repair and maintenance manuals, and

product labels also require translation. In addition, some multinational

companies must translate policy and procedure manuals and benefit plans for

use in overseas offices. Reports from foreign subsidiaries to the home

office may also be written in one language and then translated into

another.

Sometimes the translations aren't very good. For example, the well-known

slogan "Come alive with Pepsi" was translated literally for Asian markets

as "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," with unfortunate

results. Part of the message is almost inevitably lost during any

translation process, sometimes with major consequences.

Barriers to oral communication

Oral communication usually presents more problems than written

communication. If you have ever studied a foreign language, you know from

personal experience that it's easier to write in a foreign language than to

conduct a conversation. Even if the other person is speaking English,

you're likely to have a hard time understanding the pronunciation if the

person is not proficient in English. For example, many foreigners notice no

difference between the English sounds v and w, they say wery for very. At

the same time, many people from North America cannot pronounce some of the

sounds that are frequently used in other parts of the world.

In addition to pronouncing sounds differently, people use their voices in

different ways, a fact that often leads to misunderstanding. The Russians,

for example, speak in flat level tones in their native tongue. When they

speak English, they maintain this pattern, and Westerners may assume that

they are bored or rude. Middle Easterners tend to speak more loudly than

Westerners and may therefore mistakenly be considered more emotional. On

the other hand, the Japanese are soft-spoken, a characteristic that implies

politeness or humility to Westerners.

Idiomatic expressions are another source of confusion. If you tell a

foreigner that a certain product "doesn't cut the mustard," chances are

that you will fail to communicate. Even when the words make sense, their

meanings may differ according to the situation. For example, suppose that

you are dining with a German woman who speaks English quite well. You

inquire, "More bread?" She says, "Thank you," so you pass the bread. She

looks confused, then takes the breadbasket and sets it down without taking

any. In German, thank you (danke) can also be used as a polite refusal. If

the woman had wanted more bread, she would have used the word please (bitte

in German).

When speaking in English to those for whom English is a second language,

follow these simple guidelines:

• Try to eliminate "noise." Pronounce words clearly, and stop at distinct

punctuation points. Make one point at a time.

• Look for feedback. Be alert to glazed eyes or signs of confusion in

your listener. Realise that nods and smiles do not necessarily mean

understanding. Don't be afraid to ask, "Is that clear?" and be sure to

check the listener's comprehension through specific questions. Encourage

the listener to ask questions.

• Rephrase your sentence when necessary. If someone doesn't seem to

understand what you have said, choose simpler words; don't just repeat the

sentence in a louder voice.

• Don't talk down to the other person. Americans tend to overenunciate

and to "blame" the listener for lack of comprehension. It is preferable to

use phrases such as "Am I going too fast?" rather than "Is this too

difficult for you?"

• Use objective, accurate language. Americans tend to throw around

adjectives such as fantastic and fabulous, which foreigners consider unreal

and overly dramatic. Calling something a "disaster" will give rise to

images of war and death; calling someone an "idiot" or a "prince" may be

taken literally.

• Let other people finish what they have to say. If you interrupt, you

may miss something important. And you'll show a lack of respect.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

As we know, misunderstandings are especially likely to occur when the

people who are communicating have different backgrounds. Party A encodes a

message in one context, using assumptions common to people in his or her

culture; Party B decodes the message using a different set of assumptions.

The result is confusion and, often, hard feelings. For example, take the

case of the computer sales representative who was calling on a client in

China. Hoping to make a good impression, the salesperson brought along a

gift to break the ice, an expensive grandfather clock. Unfortunately, the

Chinese client was deeply offended because, in China, giving clocks as

gifts is considered bad luck for the recipient.

Such problems arise because of our unconscious assumptions and non-verbal

communication patterns. We ignore the fact that people from other cultures

differ from us in many ways: in their religion and values, their ideas of

status, their decision-making habits, their attitude toward time, their use

of space, their body language, and their manners. We assume, wrongly, that

other people are like us. At Vons, management has spent a great deal of

time learning about the cultural preferences of the store's Hispanic

customers.

Religion and values

Although North America is a melting pot of people with different

religions and values, the predominant influence in this culture is the

Puritan ethic: If you work hard and achieve success, you will find favour

in the eyes of God. They tend to assume that material comfort is a sign of

superiority, that the rich are a little bit better than the poor, that

people who work hard are better than those who don't. They believe that

money solves many problems. They assume that people from other cultures

share their view, that they dislike poverty and value hard work. In fact,

many societies condemn materialism and prize a carefree life-style.

As a culture, they are goal-oriented. They want to get the work done in

the most efficient manner, and they assume that everyone else does too.

They think they are improving things if they can figure out a way for two

people using modern methods to do the same work as four people using the

"old way." But in countries like India and Pakistan, where unemployment is

extremely high, creating jobs is more important than getting the work done

efficiently. Executives in these countries would rather employ four workers

than two.

Roles and status

Culture dictates the roles people play, including who communicates with

whom, what they communicate, and in what way. In many countries, for

example, women still do not play a very prominent role in business. As a

result, female executives from American firms may find themselves sent off

to eat in a separate room with the wives of Arab businessmen, while the men

all eat dinner together.

Concepts of status also differ, and as a consequence, people establish

their credibility in different ways. North Americans, for example, send

status signals that reflect materialistic values. The big boss has the

corner office on the top floor, deep carpets, an expensive desk, and

handsome accessories. The most successful companies are located in the most

prestigious buildings. In other countries, status is communicated in other

ways. For example, the highest-ranking executives in France sit in the

middle of an open area, surrounded by lower-level employees. In the Middle

East, fine possessions are reserved for the home, and business is conducted

in cramped and modest quarters. An American executive who assumes that

these office arrangements indicate a lack of status is making a big

mistake.

Decision-making customs

In North America, they try to reach decisions as quickly and efficiently

as possible. The top people focus on reaching agreement on the main points

and leave the details to be worked out later by others. In Greece, this

approach would backfire. A Greek executive assumes that anyone who ignores

the details is being evasive and untrustworthy. Spending time on every

little point is considered a mark of good faith. Similarly, Latin Americans

prefer to make their deals slowly, after a lengthy period of discussion.

They resist an authoritarian "Here's the deal, take it or leave it"

approach, preferring the more sociable method of an extended discussion.

Cultures also differ in terms of who makes the decisions. In american

culture, many organisations are dominated by a single figure who says yes

or no to every deal. It is the same in Pakistan, where you can get a

decision quickly if you reach the highest-ranking executive. In other

cultures, notably China and Japan, decision making is a shared

responsibility. No individual has the authority to commit the organisation

without first consulting others. In Japan, for example, the negotiating

team arrives at a consensus through an elaborate, time-consuming process

(agreement must be complete — there is no majority rule). If the process is

not laborious enough, the Japanese feel uncomfortable.

Concepts of time

Differing perceptions of time are another factor that can lead to

misunderstandings. An executive from North America or Germany attaches one

meaning to time; an executive from Latin America, Ethiopia, or Japan

attaches another. Let's say that a salesperson from Chicago calls on a

client in Mexico City. After spending 30 minutes in the outer office, the

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