Download Presitage PPT Chapter 7

 Cross-Cultural
Negotiation

Prestige Worldwide
Communication and
 Many
MNC’s now prescribe English as
the common language for international
communication
 Being fluent in the language for a country
is helpful but also need skills
• Ability to interact with others
• Technical knowledge demanded by the job
 Research
by Sims and Guis about letter
writing
• Non-native speakers of English tended to use
over exaggeration while writing letters.
• English speaker writing letters in Korean
seemed to be overly direct and rude
-Korean’s writing in english seemed vague and
skirting around the point
 Perception
– A persons view of reality.
 Often times Problems in
Miscommunication between companies
and people of foreign countries.
• Advertising messages Exp. Ford “Fiera” truck in
Spanish speaking countries, “Fiera” is slang for
ugly old woman
 Perceptions
influence how people “see”
one another.
• American think themselves friendly, after the
war on Iraq in 9/11 other countries didn’t think
so.
• Western manager have more favorable attitudes
toward women managers, influences their
interaction with women.
• Asian, Saudi, and Japanese managers still regard
women as superfluous do not treat them as
equals
 Crayola
Article
“Five Times Crayola Fired Their
Crayons” by Paul Davidson
Crayola Crayons were first introduced in
1903 and have adapted to an ever-changing
World.
Crayola has facilities in 6 countries
Flesh crayon changes to peach
Prussian Blue becomes midnight blue
Indian Red becomes chestnut
 Culture
can affect communication in a
number of ways.

Cultural Values
• People in different countries communicate in a
•
•
•
•
different way.
Jobs that coincide with a person’s class.
Negotiating with managers from other cultures.
The way that people use time.
Various values are reinforced and reflected in
proverbs that Americans are taught from an early
age.
 Table
7-5 U.S. Proverbs Representing
Cultural Values
 Culture
can affect communication in a
number of ways
 Misinterpretation
• Businesspeople in different cultures address
each other in different ways.
• Day-to-day activities in corporate
communications.
• Interpreting the effect of national values on work
behavior.

Suggestions that can be of value to American managers who are engaged
in international communications include:
•
Be careful not to use generalized statements about benefits, compensation, pay cycles,
holidays, or policies in your worldwide communications. Work hours, vacation accrual,
general business practices, and human resource issues vary widely from country to
country.
•
Since most of the world uses the metric system, be sure to include converted weights and
measures in all internal and external communications.
•
Keep in mind that even in English-speaking countries, words may have different meanings.
Not everyone knows what is meant by “counterclockwise,” or “quite good.”
•
Remember that letterhead and paper sizes differ worldwide. The 8 ½ X 11 inch page is a
U.S. standard, but most countries use an A4 ( 8 ¼ X 11 ½ inch) size for their letterhead, with
envelopes to match.
•
Dollars are not unique to the United States. There are Australian, Bermudian, Canadian,
Hong Kong, Taiwanese, and New Zealand dollars, among others. So when referring to
American dollars, it is important to use “US$.”
 Kinesics
 Proxemics
 Chronemics
 Chromatics
 Study
of communication through body
movement and facial expressions.
 Oculesics – communicating through use
of eye contact
 Haptics – communicating through use of
bodily contact
 Study
of the way that people use the
physical space around them to convey
messages
 Intimate
distance
 Personal distance
 Social distance
 Public distance
 Middle
East vs. Americans




The way in which time is used in the culture.
Monochronic – linear: time is important and
viewed as controllable and should be used
wisely
Polychronic – characterized by people tending to
do several things at once and placing higher
value on personal involvement.
Meetings in monochronic cultures vs. meetings
in polychronic cultures
 The
use of colors to communicate
messages
 Mourning:
• Black – US
• White – India
 Wedding
• White – US
• Red – Hong Kong
 Half
of executives at global companies
believe language barriers have spoiled
cross border deals and caused financial
losses
 Companies based in Brazil & China- most
affected by misunderstandings
 Lost productivity
 Adopt English as an official language
 89% language and custom challenges
are stifling international plans