Business communicators feel more confident and make better impressions when they are aware of current business etiquette and proper workplace manners. But how do you know the right thing
Verbs
Review Guides 4–10 in Appendix A: Grammar and Mechanics Guide (Competent Language Usage Essentials), beginning on page A-3. On a separate sheet, revise the following sentences to correct any errors in verbs. For each error that you locate, write the guide number that reflects this usage. If a sentence is correct, write C. When you finish, check your answers on page Key-1.
Example: I wish I was the vice president for just one day.
Revision: I wish I were the vice president for jut one day. [Guide 5]
1. Our team leader said she seen the computer the day before it was stolen.
2. One of the most frequently requested employment skills are writing proficiency.
3. If I was the team leader, I would have gone to the training meeting.
Chapter 3
Communicating Across Cultures
OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to
1 Understand three significant trends related to the increasing importance of intercultural communication for business communicators.
2 Define culture, describe five noteworthy cultural characteristics, and compare and contrast five key dimensions of culture including high and low context.
3 Explain the effects of ethnocentrism, tolerance, and patience in achieving intercultural proficiency.
4 Identify techniques for improving nonverbal and oral communication in intercultural environments.
5 Identify techniques for improving written messages to intercultural audiences.
6 Discuss intercultural ethics, including business practices abroad, bribery, prevailing customs, and methods for coping.
7 Explain the challenges of, dividends of, and techniques for capitalizing on workforce diversity including being sensitive to racial and gender issues.
© C Squared Studios/Photodisc/Getty Images
Recognizing the Increasing Importance of Intercultural Communication
The “global village” predicted many years ago is increasingly a reality. To succeed in this global village, business communicators will want to become more aware of their own culture and how it differs from others. In this chapter you will learn basic characteristics and dimensions of culture, as well as how to achieve intercultural proficiency. We will focus on techniques for improving nonverbal, oral, and written messages to intercultural audiences. You will study intercultural ethics and techniques for capitalizing on workforce diversity at home.
National and even local businesses now peddle their products across borders and seek customers in diverse foreign markets. Especially in North America, this movement toward a global economy has swelled to a torrent. To better compete, many organizations form multinational alliances, such as that between Wal-Mart, the U.S. super discounter, and Seiyu, Japan’s fifth-largest food and retail chain. But many expanding companies stumble when they are forced to confront obstacles never before encountered.
Significant obstacles involve misunderstandings and contrary views resulting from in- tercultural differences. You may face such intercultural differences in your current or future jobs. Your employers, fellow workers, or clients could very well be from other countries.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1 Understand three significant trends related to the increasing importance of intercultural communication for business communicators.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1 Understand three significant trends related to the increasing importance of intercultural communication for business communicators.
Learning how culture aff ects behavior helps you reduce friction and misunderstandings.
Learning how culture aff ects behavior helps you reduce friction and misunderstandings.
It’s 8:15 a.m. and 50 managers of the Seiyu supermarket in Japan are performing the Wal-Mart morning ritual. “Give me an S!” shouts a Japanese boss. The resounding “S!” reverberates through the second floor headquarters. The chant is repeated until the group spells “S-E-I-Y-U.” “Who’s No. 1?” bellows the cheerleading boss.
“Customers!” boom the Japanese managers as they punch the air with their fists.1
Routines like this boost employee morale in the United States.
If they work here, they must work in Japan, figures Wal-Mart. Seiyu employees are learning Wal-Mart routines because Wal-Mart has purchased and is revamping the Seiyu food and clothing chain to gain a foothold in Japan. Since joining with Seiyu, however, Wal-Mart has lost over $1 billion, and sales are sluggish.2 The giant retailer has already pulled out of South Korea and Germany, where shoppers failed to warm up to the Wal-Mart way.
Why expand into Japan, where consumers are notoriously fickle?3 Expanding its international market is a primary push for Wal-Mart because sales growth is declining at home. With fewer new stores opening in the United States, global expansion is a must for Wal-Mart. The Japanese market is especially attractive because it is the second largest economy in the world, and its consumers are Asia’s richest. What’s more, Japanese consumers are becoming more price conscious, and discounting is increasingly appealing.
Although hugely successful in the United States, Wal-Mart must overcome significant distribution, location, and cultural barriers to become profitable in Japan. Costly real estate and cramped space make it difficult to build the big stores common in the United States. In addition to restricted space, its hallmark “everyday low prices” strategy is confusing to local shoppers accustomed to por- ing over newspaper ads and scurrying around town for the best buys.
Equally disturbing is the resistance of employees to sell the Wal-Mart way. For one thing, they balk at the “10-foot rule,” which
Mighty Wal-Mart Woos Famously Finicky Japanese Consumers
Communicating at Work Part 1
© Fuminori Sato / The New York Times / Redux
encourages them to offer assistance to any customer within 10 feet.
To overcome these hurdles, workers are receiving a heavy dose of “culture training.” They’re being taught to be more outspoken, upbeat, and goal oriented. You will learn more about this case on page 80.
Critical Thinking
● What domestic and global changes are taking place that encourage the international expansion of companies such as Wal-Mart?
● What other U.S. businesses can you name that have merged with foreign companies or expanded to become multinational in scope? Have you heard of any notable successes or failures?
● Should multinational companies impose their local culture on employees in other countries?
http://www.wal-mart.com
You may travel abroad for your employer or on your own. Learning more about the power- ful effect that culture has on behavior will help you reduce friction and misunderstanding in your dealings with people from other cultures. Before examining strategies for helping you surmount intercultural obstacles, let’s take a closer look at three significant trends:
(a) the globalization of markets, (b) technological advancements, and (c) an intercultural workforce.
Globalization of Markets
Doing business beyond borders is now commonplace. Frito-Lay pushes its potato chips in China.4 Finnish cell phone maker Nokia promotes its mobile phones in the world’s fastest- growing markets of India and China. Newell Rubbermaid offers stylish Pyrex cookware to European chefs, and McDonald’s and Starbucks serve customers around the world.
Not only are market borders blurring, but acquisitions, mergers, alliances, and buyouts are obscuring the nationality of many companies. Bridgestone/Firestone is owned by a Japanese conglomerate; Sylvania is controlled by German lighting giant OSRAM; and for- mer premier U.S. textile maker Dan River is now owned by an Indian company.5 Two thirds of Colgate-Palmolive’s employees work outside North America, and Nike is raking in more revenue overseas than in the United States. Procter & Gamble now has 3 billion customers worldwide and plans to add 1 billion more by 2010, primarily by expanding into develop- ing markets.6 What’s more, 7-Eleven is the highest-grossing retailer in Japan and has nearly twice as many outlets there as it has in the United States.7
To be successful in this interdependent global village, American companies are increas- ingly finding it necessary to adapt to other cultures. In China, Frito-Lay had to accommodate yin and yang, the Chinese philosophy that nature and life must balance opposing elements.
Chinese consider fried foods to be hot and avoid them in summer because two “hots” don’t balance. They prefer “cool” snacks in summer; therefore, Frito-Lay created “cool lemon” po- tato chips dotted with lime specks and mint. The yellow, lemon-scented chips are delivered in a package with breezy-blue skies and rolling green grass.8
In promoting its shoes and apparel to kids from Rome to Rio De Janeiro, Nike features Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, rather than a U.S. basketball star.9 To sell its laundry products in Europe, Unilever learned that Germans demand a product that is gentle on lakes and riv- ers. Spaniards wanted cheaper products that get shirts white and soft, and Greeks preferred small packages that were cheap and easy to carry home.10 To push ketchup in Japan, H.
J. Heinz had to overcome a cultural resistance to sweet flavors. Thus, it offered Japanese homemakers cooking lessons instructing them how to use the sugary red sauce on omelets, sausages, and pasta.11 Domino’s Pizza catered to the Japanese by adding squid to its pizza toppings.12
When upscale sandwich chain New York NY Fresh Deli opened a franchise in Dubai, it had to replace all salad dressings that contained vinegar. Considered a spirit, vinegar and other alcoholic beverages can be served only in hotels and to non-Muslims.13 In Taiwan, Dunkin’ Donuts catered to local palates with flavors such as pineapple, sweet potato, and green apple.14
Why are the businesses of America and other countries rushing to expand around the world? What is causing this dash toward globalization of markets and blurring of national identities? Many companies, such as Wal-Mart, are increasingly looking overseas as domes- tic markets mature. They can no longer expect double-digit sales growth at home. Another significant factor is the passage of favorable trade agreements. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) promotes open trade globally, and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) expands free trade among Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
NAFTA creates the largest and richest free-trade region on earth. In addition, the opening of Eastern Europe and the shift away from communism in Russia further expanded world markets. In Asia, China’s admission to the World Trade Organization unlocked its economy and suddenly provided access to a huge population.
Beyond favorable trade agreements, other changes fuel globalization. Parts of the world formerly considered underdeveloped now boast robust middle classes. These con- sumers crave everything from cola to smart phones and high-definition TVs. What’s more, countries such as China and India have become less paranoid about foreign investment and free trade. Rules and red tape previously prevented many companies from doing
National boundaries mean less as businesses expand through acquisitions, mergers, alliances, and buyouts.
National boundaries mean less as businesses expand through acquisitions, mergers, alliances, and buyouts.
American companies in global markets must adapt to other cultures.
American companies in global markets must adapt to other cultures.
Favorable trade agreements, declining domestic markets, and middle-class growth fuel the expansion of global markets.
Favorable trade agreements, declining domestic markets, and middle-class growth fuel the expansion of global markets.
business at home, much less abroad. Of paramount importance in explaining the explo- sive growth of global markets is the development of new transportation and information technologies.
Technological Advancements
Amazing new transportation and information technologies are major contributors to the development of our global interconnectivity. Supersonic planes now carry goods and passengers to other continents overnight. As a result, produce shoppers in Japan can choose from the finest artichokes, avocados, and apples only hours after they were picked in California. Americans enjoy bouquets of tulips, roses, and exotic lilies soon after harvesting in Holland and Colombia. In fact, 70 percent of the cut flowers in the United States now come from Colombia in South America. Many of us remember when aspara- gus and strawberries could be enjoyed only in early summer. Today we expect to see these items and other fruits and vegetables in our markets nearly year-round. Continent- hopping planes are so fast and reliable that most of the world is rapidly becoming an open market.
The Internet and the Web are changing the way we live, the way we do business, and the way we communicate. Advancements in communication and transportation have made markets and jobs more accessible. They’ve also made the world of business more efficient and more globally interdependent. High-speed, high-capacity, and relatively low-cost com- munications have opened new global opportunities and have made geographical location virtually irrelevant for many activities and services. Workers have access to company records, software programs, and colleagues whether they’re working at home, in the office, or at the beach. As discussed in Chapters 1 and 2, technology is making a huge difference in the workplace. Wikis, blogs, wireless devices, and intranets streamline business processes and improve access to critical company information.
The Internet permits instantaneous oral and written communication across time zones and continents. Managers in Miami or Milwaukee can use high-speed data systems to swap marketing plans instantly with their counterparts in Milan or Munich. IBM relies on 5,000 programmers in India to solve intricate computer problems and return the solutions over- night via digital transmission.15 Employees at Procter & Gamble send their payroll questions to back-office service centers in England, Costa Rica, or Manila.16 Fashion designers at Liz Claiborne can snap a digital photo of a garment and immediately transmit the image to manufacturers in Hong Kong and Djakarta, Indonesia.17 They can even include a video clip to show a tricky alteration.
Intercultural Workforce
As world commerce mingles more and more, another trend gives intercultural communi- cation increasing importance: people are on the move. Lured by the prospects of peace, prosperity, education, or a fresh start, persons from many cultures are moving to countries promising to fulfill their dreams. For generations the two most popular destinations have been the United States and Canada.
Because of increases in immigration, foreign-born persons are an ever-growing por- tion of the total U.S. population. Over the next 50 years, the population of the United States is expected to grow by nearly 50 percent, from about 275 million in the year 2000 to an estimated 394 million people in 2050. Two thirds of that increase will be the result of net immigration.18 Estimates also suggest that immigrants will account for half of all new U.S.
workers in the years ahead.19
This influx of immigrants is reshaping American and Canadian societies. Earlier immi- grants were thought to be part of a “melting pot” of ethnic groups. Today, they are more like a “tossed salad” or “spicy stew,” with each group contributing its own unique flavor.
Instead of the exception, cultural diversity is increasingly the norm. As we seek to accommo- date multiethnic neighborhoods, multinational companies, and an intercultural workforce, we can expect some changes to happen smoothly. Other changes will involve conflict and resentment, especially for people losing their positions of power and privilege. Learning to accommodate and manage intercultural change is an important part of the education of any business communicator.
Advancements in transportation and information technologies contribute to global
interconnectivity.
Advancements in transportation and information technologies contribute to global
interconnectivity.
Immigration makes intercultural communication skills
increasingly necessary.
Immigration makes intercultural communication skills
increasingly necessary.
Learning to adapt to an intercultural workforce and multinational companies is an important requirement for business communicators.
Learning to adapt to an intercultural workforce and multinational companies is an important requirement for business communicators.
Understanding Culture
Every country or region within a country has a unique common heritage, joint experience, or shared learning. This shared background produces the culture of a region, country, or society. For our purposes, culture may be defined as the complex system of values, traits, morals, and customs shared by a society. Culture teaches people how to behave, and it con- ditions their reactions. The important thing to remember is that culture is a powerful oper- ating force that conditions the way we think and behave. The purpose of this chapter is to broaden your view of culture and open your mind to flexible attitudes so that you can avoid frustration when cultural adjustment is necessary.
Characteristics of Culture
Culture is shaped by attitudes learned in childhood and later internalized in adulthood. As we enter this current period of globalization and interculturalism, we should expect to make adjustments and adopt new attitudes. Adjustment and accommodation will be easier if we understand some basic characteristics of culture.
Culture Is Learned. Rules, values, and attitudes of a culture are not inherent. They are learned and passed down from generation to generation. For example, in many Middle Eastern and some Asian cultures, same-sex people may walk hand-in-hand in the street, but opposite-sex people may not do so. In Arab cultures conversations are often held in close proximity, sometimes nose to nose. But in Western cultures if a person stands too close, one may react as if violated: “He was all over me like a rash.” Cultural rules of behavior learned from your family and society are conditioned from early childhood.
Cultures Are Inherently Logical. The rules in any culture originated to reinforce that culture’s values and beliefs. They act as normative forces. For example, in Japan the original Barbie doll was a failure for many reasons, one of which was her toothy smile.20 This is a country where women cover their mouths with their hands when they laugh so as not to expose their teeth. Exposing one’s teeth is not only immodest but also aggressive. Although current cultural behavior may sometimes seem silly and illogical, nearly all serious rules and values originate in deep-seated beliefs. Rules about exposing teeth or how close to stand are linked to values about sexuality, aggression, modesty, and respect. Acknowledging the inherent logic of a culture is extremely important when learning to accept behavior that dif- fers from one’s own cultural behavior.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2 Define culture, describe five noteworthy cultural characteristics, and compare and contrast five key dimensions of culture including high and low context.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE 2 Define culture, describe five noteworthy cultural characteristics, and compare and contrast five key dimensions of culture including high and low context.
Understanding basic
characteristics of culture helps us make adjustments and accommodations.
Understanding basic
characteristics of culture helps us make adjustments and accommodations.
© AP IMAGES
Marketers of Crest toothpaste face numerous challenges in communicating the value of their brand across cultures—especially Chinese culture. China’s citizens traditionally have ignored toothpaste products, choosing instead to freshen up the mouth with green tea. An estimated 57 percent of rural Chinese residents have never brushed their teeth.
Though China is currently experiencing a beauty boom, decades ago the country frowned upon personal care products.
How might understanding the characteristics of culture help marketers sell toothpaste to China’s over one billion people?