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International Communications
Understanding
Communication
The Importance of
Communication
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There are many different ways to
communicate everyday. Words,
gestures, facial expressions, posture,
the clothes you wear, hair style,
personal hygiene.
Effective communication holds things
together such as relationships, friends,
organizations, and entire nations.
The Importance of
Communication
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Understanding communication in a
single culture is difficult. Trying to
understand communication across
cultures is a far greater challenge.
This chapter will describe the basic
forms of communication and relate
them to international business.
The Importance of
Communication
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Communication- means transmitting,
receiving, and processing information.
When the process takes place between
one person and another, it is
interpersonal communication
When it takes place in a company, it is
organizational communication
The Importance of
Communication
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Language- is the medium of
communication through words,
symbols, numbers, characters, or
nonverbal cues. See figure 3-1 on page
53. (Sender and Receiver)
The Importance of
Communication
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Verbal Communication- is sending
messages by using words that are
either spoken or written.
The Importance of
Communication
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Language and International Business-
See figure 3-2. one country with the
most people speaking 1 language vs
many countries speaking 1 language.
Language and word gender- in
some countries nouns are assigned a
male or female gender. Cat spoken in
Spanish is gato, which is masculine.
The Importance of
Communication
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Adjectives change in order to fit a
noun’s gender.
Using Nouns and Verbs- another
complication in learning a language is
the sequence or order, or order of
nouns and verbs. In English sentences,
the noun usually comes first, and then
the verb follows.
The Importance of
Communication
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In many other languages the opposite
is true.
Using Alphabets and Charactersperhaps the biggest difference between
languages is the form they are written
in. See figure 3.3 on page 55.
The Importance of
Communication
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Using English- Different languages
makes communication more difficult.
Many companies choose to use the
English language when doing business,
or they include text in English on their
Websites. English is becoming the most
dominate language on the internet.
The Importance of
Communication
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Verbal Communication Challengesthere are several challenges that
business people face when speaking
various languages in other
environments, and they are as follows:
How people speak- some people talk
very fast in their native tongues. It may
be hard to understand them.
The Importance of
Communication
Another challenge on how people speak
is their use of slang words which is
speech used on the street, or
recreational situations. A person from
Greece may not understand the word
Bling used here in America.
The Importance of
Communication
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Technical Terms- in world languages
also vary. Everything is unique, from
names for computer parts to math
symbols and terms. A person must
know these terms to communicate well.
Time for Translation- pace of
conversation is important. A person
needs time to digest words spoken.
The Importance of
Communication
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Social Behavior and Communication-
Social behavior affects methods of
communications around the world.
High Context culture vs
Low Context culture.
The Importance of
Communication
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In a high context culture, language is
more figurative, or symbolic, than
literal. The context of words is highly
important. In Japan, avoiding being
embarrassed is a priority. Keeping a
positive public image is crucial. A
Japanese businessperson would never
give a negative response in a direct
manner.
The Importance of
Communication
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In Low context cultures, such as those
in North America, words are taken more
literally, and people are less concerned
with personal embarrassment. Being
self effacing or telling jokes can be
ways to create bonds with people from
this type of culture.
The Importance of
Communication
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Other challenges- complications can
develop when you speak or interpret a
language in a foreign country. These can lead
to incorrect translations. It is important to
pay attention to several language issues.
Noun-Verb agreement- some people may
say, I try hard, instead of, I am trying hard.
Matching the exact noun to the verb is hard
to do.
The Importance of
Communication
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Singular-Plural Issues- sometimes a
person speaking a world language might not
identify something as plural or singular. The
words “my hair” can take on a singular or
plural characteristic depending on who said it.
Whole head of hair vs a single strand. The
use of adding s’s to the end of words can be
confusing. He bought three dozen roses vs he
bought three dozen rose.
The Importance of
Communication
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Imprecise translations- inaccurate
translation of one language to the other
can be a huge problem when
conducting business. In Germany the
slogan for Pepsi was Come alive with
Pepsi. In German it was translated to
Come out of the grave with Pepsi.
The Importance of
Communication
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English as a second languageconsider when speaking to someone is
has English as a second language. Pace
yourself, Be clear, and confirm what
you say.
The Importance of
Communication
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Verbal Communication Strategies- it is
clear that effective verbal communication
skills are a vital part of working with
companies in other countries. To succeed, it
is helpful to apply several strategies:
Learning Key Phrases- know what
language is the most appropriate to use in a
business situation. See figure 3.4 on page 58.
The Importance of
Communication
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Using Names- the use of names,
titles, and rank is very helpful in
conducting business in a foreign land.
Do you use someone’s first name or use
Mr. or Mrs. Do you use Your Honor, Mr.
President, Dr., etc, etc. In some
countries, lower ranked workers never
make eye contact with the upper
management.
The Importance of
Communication
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Using Business Cards- in the U.S., it is
common practice to hand out business cards.
Giving cards without the permission in some
foreign countries is look upon as an insult.
Other Differences to consider are:
Time Zones- Know what time it is, and
when to conduct business.
Currency- know what the exchange rate is
and what currency you are using.
The Importance of
Communication
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The Metric System- Most of the world
except the U.S. uses the metric system.
Meters and Kilometers vs. Feet and
Miles, and Liters vs. Gallons. Know the
conversions to be able to make sound
decisions when working with the metric
System.
The Importance of
Communication
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Trade Documentation- (International
Trade Documentation) is the legal
paper work involved in closing a deal.
The papers must be prepared
accurately and read by all parties
involved before signing on the dotted
line.