Fedex

An Assessment of

Cross-Cultural Communication

Thomas Williams

Bus 600

Dr. Lewis

Oct 4, 2010

Summary

Cross-cultural communication is a field of study that looks at how people from different cultural backgrounds communicate, in similar and different ways among themselves, and how they communicate to cultures. In this paper, I will try to answer the questions; How and in what ways do cultures communicate differently? Does it make a difference in the workplace? What are ways in which possible situations can be ameliorated?

Cultures Communicate Differently

According to Susan Kaplan, excellent cross-cultural communication skills are essential in our interdependent world. Communicating successfully with multicultural colleagues, clients, and customers improves business performance, competitive advantage, and talent retention. Every day we work with people from different cultural backgrounds with all their accompanying challenges and opportunities. If handled well, these interactions can increase productivity and improve performance, innovation, and progress. If poorly managed, they may lead to misunderstandings, mistakes, antagonistic feelings, and lost opportunities. Since all communication is complex, it is almost impossible to send or receive any message that does not have an underlying context that can only be understood within a cultural framework. Cultural differences influence both business and personal interactions. When you're working with someone who is not fluent in the same languages you are, there are a number of actions you can take to increase the chances that the message you are trying to send will be understood as you intended and not seen as a sign of disrespect. “For instance, in many Asian countries a smile can often be a sign of embarrassment. The "OK" gesture used in the U.S. means something obscene in Brazil. You have to be culturally curious about nonverbal signals and then be mindful of the message they also...