CHAPTER 5

COMMUNICATION
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
AND NEGOTIATION
NEGOTIATION
COURSE: MULTI-CULTURAL AND TRANSNATIONAL MANAGEMENT
 01 DEFINE communication; examine examples of verbal
communication style; explain importance of message
interpretation
ANALYZE common downward and upward

CHAPTER
02 communication flows of international communication
and EXAMINE language, perception, culture of
communication; nonverbal barriers to effective
OBJECTIVES international communication

03
PRESENT steps to overcome international
communication problems and DEVELOP approaches to
international negotiations that respond to differences
in culture

04 REVIEW negotiating and bargaining behaviors that can

improve negotiations and outcomes
CONTENT
PART 1
OVERALL COMMUNICATION
PROCESS
OVERALL COMMUNICATION PROCESS
§ Communication: The process of transferring meanings from sender to
receiver.
§ On surface appears straightforward
§ However, a great many problems can result in failure to transfer
meanings correctly
§ Even direct and clear translation of words can still carry different
meanings and hence lead to confusion
EXAMPLE: “THE FOURTH FLOOR”
ü The U.S.
§ fourth level of the building
§ The terms “ground” and “first” floor used interchangeably
ü British
§ Fifth level of the building
§ “ground” and “first” floor distinguished
ü In South Korea/China
§ number “four” - “unlucky” (its oral pronunciation sounds
very similar to the word for “death”)
§ many buildings either use the English letter “F” or don’t
have one.
DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNCATION DEVICES

§ Opportunities to § rendering our communication less meaningful and personal

communicate rapidly, § Nicholas Carr:
without delays or filters ü when we go online, “we enter an environment that promotes
§ Can incorporate rich cursory reading, hurried and distracted thinking, and superficial
learning.”
content (photos, videos,
ü the Web: “a technology of forgetfulness.
and links to other
ü Webpages draw us into a myriad of embedded links
information) in our
ü Assaulted by other messages via e-mail, and Twitter and Facebook
exchanges.
accounts.
ü Greater access to knowledge is not the same as greater knowledge;
an ever-increasing plethora of facts and data is not the same as
wisdom
Nicholas Carr, The Shallows (New York: Norton, 2010).
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
§ One major difference in the communication process
ü Some countries use very explicit (exact and precise) communications
ü Others use highly implicit (not plainly expressed or implied)

§ Context plays key roles in explaining many communication differences (Hall,

1994)
§ Context is information that surrounds a communication and helps convey the
message.
§ Hall’s context dimension: High – Low context society
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
High-context society Low context society
§ Messages often highly coded and § Messages often explicit
implicit
§ Speaker says precisely what s/he means
§ Receiver’s job is to interpret what the
§ e.g., U.S. and Canada
message means by correctly filtering
through what is being said and the way
in which the message is being conveyed
§ e.g., Japan, many Arab countries
EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT COMMUNICATION
Figure: Explicit-Implicit
communication: An
international comparison
MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS OF VERBAL STYLES
§ Indirect vs. Direct Styles
§ Elaborate to Succinct Styles
§ Contextual and Personal Styles
§ Affective and Instrumental Styles
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
Indirect and Direct Styles
High-context cultures
§ Messages implicit and indirect
§ Voice intonation, timing, facial expressions play important roles in conveying
information
Low-context cultures:
§ people often meet only to accomplish objectives
§ tend to be direct and focused in communications
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
Elaborate and Succinct Styles: Three degree of communication quantity

Elaborating style Exacting style Succinct style

§ A great deal of talking, § Focuses on precision and § People say few words and
description includes much use of right number of allow understatements,
detail, and people often words to convey message pauses, and silence to
repeat themselves § More common in low- convey meaning.
§ Most popular in high- context, low-uncertainty § More common in high-
context cultures with avoidance cultures context cultures with
moderate degree § Eg. England, Germany and considerable uncertainty
of uncertainty avoidance Sweden avoidance
§ Eg. Arabic countries § Eg. Asian countries
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
Contextual and Personal Styles
Contextual style
§ Focuses on speaker and relationship of parties
§ Often associated with high power distance, collective, high-context cultures
§ Eg. in Asian cultures: use words that reflect the role and hierarchical
relationship of those in the conversation
Personal style
§ Focuses on speaker and reduction of barriers between parties
§ More popular in low-power-distance, individualistic, low-context cultures
§ Eg. In the United States: it is common to use first names and to address others
informally and directly on an equal basis
VERBAL COMMUNICATION STYLES
Affective and Instrumental Styles
Affective style
§ Characterized by language requiring listener to note what is said and observe
how message is presented
§ Meaning often nonverbal
§ Requires receiver to use intuitive skills to decipher message
§ Common in collective, high-context cultures such as the Middle East, Latin
America, and Asia.
Instrumental style
§ Goal oriented
§ Focuses on sender who clearly lets other know what s/he wants other to know
§ More commonly found in individualistic, low-context cultures such as
Switzerland, Denmark, and the United States
INTERPRETATION OF COMMUNICATION
Effectiveness in the international context
§ How closely the sender and receiver have the same meaning for the
same message.
If the meaning is different:
§ Effective communication will not occur
People doing business in a foreign culture often misinterpret the meaning
of messages
§ They arrive at erroneous conclusions
EXAPMLE
§ U.S. firm that wanted to increase worker output among its Japanese
personnel
§ They put an individual incentive plan into effect: workers would be
given extra pay based on their work output.
§ The plan which had worked well in the United States didn’t work in
Japan
§ The Japanese were accustomed to working in groups and to being
rewarded as a group
PART 2
COMMUNICATION FLOWS
Downward vs upward communication
COMMUNICATON FLOWS
Downward Communication
§ Transmission of information from manager to subordinate
§ Primary purpose: convey orders/information
§ Managers use this channel for instructions and performance feedback
§ Channel facilitates flow of information to those who need it for
operational purposes
COMMUNICATION FLOWS
Challenges of downward communication in the international context:
In Asian countries:
§ Less direct than in the United States
§ Orders tend to be implicit in nature
In some European countries
§ Not only direct but extends beyond business matters
In the United States
§ Direct and for work-related matters
COMMUNICATON FLOWS
Upward Communication
§ From subordinate to superior
§ Purposes: provide feedback, ask questions, obtain assistance
§ In recent years a call for more upward communication in U.S.
§ In Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore: upward communication has long
been fact of life
§ Outside Asian countries: upward communication not as popular
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNICATION
1. Use most common words with most common meanings
2. Select words with few alternative meanings
3. Strictly follow rules of grammar
4. Speak with clear breaks between words
5. Avoid using esoteric or culturally biased words
6. Avoid use of slang
7. Don’t use words or expressions requiring listener to form mental images
8. Mimic cultural flavor of non-native speaker’s language
9. Paraphrase and repeat basic ideas continually
10. At end, test how well other understand by asking him/her to paraphrase
 COMMUNICATION

PART 3
BARRIERS
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
LANGUAGE
§ Knowledge of the home country’s language is important. If managers do not
understand the language that is used a headquarters, they likely will make a
wide assortment of errors.
§ Ability to speak English is important
§ Nonnative speakers may know the language but not be fully fluent => asking
§ questions or making statements that convey the wrong message.
§ Poor writing is proving to be a greater barrier than poor talking
§ Problems associated the translation of information from one language to
another
§ Even in English-speaking countries, words may have different meanings.
PERCEPTION
§ Perception: a person’s view of reality
§ Misperceptions can become a barrier to effective communication and thus
decision-making
§ Advertising Messages: countless advertising blunders when words are
misinterpreted by others:
ü Low-cost trucks “Fiera” of Ford means “ugly old woman” in Spanish
ü A top-of-the-line automobile of Ford – the “Cormet” sold in Mexico under the
name “Caliente” – a slang for “a street walker”
§ How others see us: May be different than we think
PERCEPTION
CULTURE
§ These types of values indirectly, and in many cases directly, affect
communication between people from different cultures
§ Example:
ü the way that people use time
ü View on work-life balance
§ Cultural differences can cause misinterpretations
NONVERBAL COMMUNCATION

§ Transfer of meaning through means such as body

language and use of physical space
NONVERBAL COMMUNCATION
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Kinesics (Cử chỉ)
§ Study of communicaAon through body movement and facial
expression
ü Eye contact
ü Posture
ü Gestures
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Proxemics (Khoảng cách)
§ Study of way people use physical space to convey messages
§ Examples: Distance in the U.S
ü Indmate distance used for very confidendal communicadons
ü Personal distance used for talking with family/close friends
ü Social distance used to handle most business transacdons
ü Public distance used when calling across room or giving talk to group
Figure: Personal space categories for those in the United State
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Chronemics (Thời gian)
§ The way Ime is used in a culture
§ Two types:
ü Monochronic (me schedule (Thời gian một chiều): things done in linear
fashion
ü Polychronic (me schedule (Thời gian đa chiều): people do several things at
same Xme and place higher value on personal involvement than on geYng
things done on Xme
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Chroma5cs (Màu sắc)
§ Use of color to communicate messages
§ Colors that mean one thing in the United States may mean something
enIrely different in Asia
ü in morning: American wear black, Indian wear white
ü bridal dresses: red in Hong Kong, white in the U.S
ü Gi[: yellow roses in Chile = “I don’t like you”, opposite meaning in the U.S
 ACHIEVING

PART 4
COMMUNICATION
EFECTIVENESS
COMMUNICATION EFECTIVENESS
§ Improve feedback systems
ü Personal system (e.g., face-to-face meetings,
telephone conversations, and personalized e-
mail)
ü Impersonal system (e.g., reports, budgets, and
plans).
§ Language training
§ Cultural training
§ Flexibility and cooperation
 MANAGING CROSS-

PART 5
CULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS
MANAGING CROSS-CULTURAL NEGOTIATIONS
Nego%a%on: Process of bargaining with one more parIes at at a soluIon
acceptable to all
Two types of nego%a%on:
§ Distribu(ve when two parIes with opposing goals compete over set value
§ Integra(ve when two groups integrate interests, create value, invest in
the agreement (win-win scenario)
STEPS OF NEGOTIATION
1. Planning
2. Interpersonal relationship building
3. Exchange of task related information
4. Persuasion
5. Agreement
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AFFECTING NEGOTIATION
1. Don’t identify counterpart’s home culture too quickly; common cues
such as accent may be unreliable.
2. Beware of Western bias toward “doing”. Ways of being, feeling,
thinking, talking can shape relationships more powerfully than doing.
3. Counteract tendency to formulate simple, consistent, stable images.
4. Don’t assume all aspects of culture are equally significant.
5. Recognize norms for interactions involving outsiders may differ from
those for interactions between compatriots.
6. Don’t overestimate familiarity with counterpart’s culture.
NEGOTIATION TACTICS
§ LocaAon
§ Time limits
§ Buyer-seller relaAonship
§ Bargaining behaviors
ü Use of extreme behaviors
ü Promises, threats and other behaviors
ü Nonverbal behaviors
 REVIEW AND DISCUSS
1. How does explicit communicaXon differ from implicit communicaXon?
2. “He was laughing like hell.” “Don’t worry: It’s a piece of cake.” What are
these expressions and what communicaXon complicaXons might they
present?
3. How is nonverbal communicaXon a barrier to effecXve communicaXon?
4. Kinesics or proxemics? Which nonverbal communicaXon barrier would
be greatest for a U.S. company going abroad for the first Xme?
5. What might a U.S. based negoXator need to know about Japanese
bargaining behaviors to strike a best possible deal?
THANK YOU