A1

Rui Lin
1043959
Prof. Swid
Fall 2014 - M01 - International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior
Assessment A1
October 15, 2014

Cross-cultural Communication

Communication is the process of speaking, writing by which people exchange information or express their thoughts and feelings. And cross-cultural communication means communication between the people which speaks different language and cultural backgrounds.

Q: what are the barriers to effective cross-cultural communication?

The main characteristic of cross-cultural communication is the diversity. It is the process that mix of the different perceptions, values, norms, beliefs and attitudes from the people which is different cultural backgrounds into the communication. The key factor in the impact of cross-cultural communication is cultural similarities and differences, some information from the different culture always be understood that accordance with their own cultural background and decide by the own cultural background. Because of cultural differences, the people from different cultural background may experience the "Culture Shock" when they communicated with other guys, also known as "Cultural Conflict." The "Culture Shock" will lead to cross-cultural communication barriers.
① Cognitive factors
When people with the different cultural backgrounds exchange the information, they often lead the barriers of cross-cultural communication on a cognitive level, it will hindering the establishment of good relationships between each other. Barriers of Cross-cultural communication caused by cognitive factors are: (1) similar-to-me effect: From the communicator point of view, regardless of different culture or scene, people always assume that other guys have the similar way of thinking and behavior. The frame of reference in according to their own cultural norms and standard to assess another guys which in different culture the way of thinking and behavior is very common. In fact, the difference between people is exist. (2) First impressions are strongest: people become stereotypes and create the cognition through the mass media. Under the asymmetric information situation, it will easily lead to barriers of cross-cultural communication by discriminatory mass media and result in first-in effect and the halo effect and seriously affect the quality of communication between different people, even will hinder the communication.

② values
Values represent the fundamental belief: Different cultural backgrounds have their own different values, even within the same culture. People's values are not the same. Do not understand each other's values, will inevitably result in cross-cultural communication barriers. For example, the cultural values of collectivism and individualism, the culture of collectivist emphasizes harmony communities and groups, means closing to the social and stronger interdependence, but the culture of individualistic emphasizes self and personal achievement, it loose to social relations and collective, weak in the interdependence.
③ Linguistic factors and Non-linguistic factors
Different languages comes from different cultures, each language has its unique cultural connotation. In cross-cultural communication, the diversity and complexity of the language is the main cause of communication barriers. Beside the language level, there are also obstacles in the non-language level. In the process of cross-cultural communication, people use more non-verbal forms of communication, and different countries with different cultural backgrounds of non-verbal communication preferences.
④ Legal norms and custom
Legal norms is a mandatory code of conduct, it is usually developed or recognized by the country and ensure to implement by the agency of the country. Due to different national legal norms guiding system is not the same as the theoretical basis and legal norms in different countries and therefore are not compatible with each other, even opposition. Therefore, in the cross-cultural communication, everyone must comply the international law and relevant provisions of the international organizations and the production and business activities should adapt the laws regulation of the host country. The aspect of custom, it is not in the law but majority people abide the code of conduct within a certain range and it performance in all aspects of diet, housing, etiquette and other social life. Custom in different countries of the world is diversity, and these differences will penetrate and affect in cross-cultural communication than it will creates the barriers of communication across culture.
⑤ Culture shock
“Culture Shock” is that when people enter different cultures, people will feel confuse the anxiety because of the novelty of environment. Culture shock is a feeling of anxiety while people loss of social awareness of all familiar signs and symbols suddenly, which is guide our daily lives of symbols and implied. These imply that we have obtained in the growth process may be words, posture and gestures, facial expressions, customs, social norms, they are set up like the language and the belief that we are using the same, it is a part of our culture. We often rely on these thousands of hints to maintain peace of mind and improve efficiency, but we usually no aware of hints. When international staff come to the different cultures usually encounter the culture shock such as homesickness, restlessness, irritability, fear of the host country. Effects of culture shock on the management of cross-cultural communication is obvious. While suffering the culture shock, managers will into chaos, blind and overwhelmed or do not have energy to engage the business communication. Even communication activities to be carried out reluctantly, but the effect is very bad.

Q: How might these be surmounted?

The basic principles of cross-cultural communication is mutual respect, mutual understanding, seek common ground and common develop. Under the guidance of the basic principle, we should work together and take some effective measures to seek the synergies of culture.

① identify cultural differences
We want to understand the other cultures correctly and contact with other people’s cultures on a reasonable expectation. We must strengthen us own learning including language learning and non-verbal learning. The requirements on the language learning is to be able to use language to communicate fluently, mainly English to eliminate the barrier of language communicate. Secondly, we must learn the semantics and usage of the language correctly and understand the special meaning of represent in other cultures. Only in that way, we will not use the wrong context and avoid unnecessary mistakes of semantic misunderstanding and loss. Non-verbal learning including the body language and basic etiquette of international business, and learning the common way of greeting such as shaking hands, bowed, hands clasped together and other the correct meaning. In addition, we also learn the nation’s culture, history, humanities and social knowledge. We need to understand the rich connotation of other cultures so we can respond freely to communicate in other cultural backgrounds.
② understanding other cultures
We should develop the common sense. Firstly, we must recognize that there are many differences between different individuals and different cultures. To recognize the existence of this difference, find a correct direction for the development of common. Secondly, we must understand ourselves correctly, eliminate the superiority and prejudice of ethnocentric. Finally, we should stand the point of view of others and nurture the aware of transposition. To exclude the interference of various stereotypes of different cultures and put yourself in other people's point of view to understand standing cultural phenomenon. Only with an objective and comprehensive way to understand the different cultures, we will eliminate the barriers of the various cultural factors in the process of cross-cultural communication.
③ weaken cultural conflict
In the cross-cultural communication, the differences between each cultures is objective existence which is a prerequisite for us to cross-cultural communication. In order to communicate across culture effectively and avoid the unnecessary conflicts of value or misunderstand communication, the basic requirement is treating the culture in a correct way. We must to face the differences of the different culture and seek common ground and accurately diagnose the cause of cultural conflicts. Then we should discern the conflict that is differences of culture and diversity of culture brought. What’s more, under the clear source of conflict, the premise of personal preference and the environment, we must be able to select the appropriate ways of cross-cultural communication. Specifically, the two sides of the communications at least understand the cultural differences before the implement of the communication and make relevant mental preparation. The more details, the more better. In the process of communication, we should take the measures as flexible as possible and identify the barriers of communication accurately. At the end of communication, we should try to sum up the experiences and explore the relevant rule of the communication.
④ set up principles of communication
In order to achieve effective communication, we must following certain principles as a guide in the communication process. Some authoritative communication experts agree that to achieve effective management of cross-cultural communication, we must adhere to the following guidelines:
⑴ Integrity: Integrity includes three requirements: First, we should provide all the information that he need so the other sides can be understand the information completely and accurately. The second is to answer all the questions raised by the other side. Third, we need to provide additional information that he need.
⑵ Simplicity: Simplicity or conciseness means without prejudice to other aspects of information with as few words to convey information, that information is necessary to complete and no extra modification ingredients.
⑶ Caring: Caring means always put each other in mind during the process of communication. Don’t angry and abuse.
⑷ Polite: Refers to the communication process to care about each other and respect each other.
⑸ Correctness: In general, the correctness of the language including grammar, punctuation, spelling, pronunciation and other requirements

Q: Identify at least 2 theories of cross-cultural communication that can shed light on your own experience of communication across culture
Theories:
1. Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck --Variations in value orientations
2. Geert Hofstede --- Cultural dimensions theory

This is my first year in NYIT and also is my first year in the USA to study, I am not accustomed about the class atmosphere in here. The teachers always pose a question for students to discuss instead of teaching the question. Unlike my Chinese classmates in china, the American classmates usually discuss with the professor loudly even blush. It’s an impolite behavior in china. And I always be embarrassed when I made a report in class. And my landlord in NY is an ethnic Chinese, I know my neighbor is his wife's mother, but he also charged rent to her. It’s unimaginable in China and it’s very not filial behavior in my hometown.
The first case can use the "Power Distance" to explain. Chinese culture means collectivist cultures, but also a "great power distance culture." American culture is individualistic culture, but also a "small power distance" culture. In such a culture, it does not distinguish between age, seniority, lower or higher levels of communication on different sides to treatment. And the case also show the "Culture shock” in class, because of entering the another new cultural environment in the study of life.it will lead a negative impact by a series of events such as psychological anxiety, emotional instability, and even depressed. The second case can use the time-oriented and individual / collective to explain. American culture is individualistic culture, this culture emphasizes the mutual independence of the group members. So it’s rarely to see borrowing and lending money between relatives and friends. Chinese culture is a collectivist culture, this culture is to emphasize the interdependence of the various members of the groups. Help each other is the appreciation of this culture. In addition, the United States is the future Orientation culture, the future represent the young people, it educates people to care about the future, rather than focus on the history, but China is the last Orientation culture, past represent the elderly.

Q: What do these theories explain?
1. Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck --Variations in value orientations.
People's attitudes are based on the relatively few, stable values they hold. Values Orientation Theory proposes that all human societies must answer a limited number of universal problems, that the value-based solutions are limited in number and universally known, but that different cultures have different preferences among them. Suggested questions include humans' relations with time, nature and each other, as well as basic human motives and the nature of human nature. It suggested alternate answers to all five, developed culture-specific measures of each, and described the value orientation profiles of five cultural groups. By talking with the people under different cultural backgrounds, it found that people who grow up in the Western industrialized cultures was emphasized the dominance of nature and as future as the center, they also emphasizing behavior and individualism. While people in the non-industrial cultures emphasize harmony between man and nature, as of now or in the past as the center, let it develop themselves and emphasize cooperative relationships with others.

2. Geert Hofstede --- Cultural dimensions theory
The original theory proposed four dimensions along which cultural values could be analyzed: individualism-collectivism; uncertainty avoidance; power distance (strength of social hierarchy) and masculinity-femininity (task orientation versus person-orientation). It describes the effects of a society's culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behavior, using a structure derived from factor analysis.
1. Power distance (the degree of inequality among people which the population of a country consider as normal)
2. Individualism versus collectivism (the extent to which people feel they are supposed to take care for or to be cared for by themselves, their families or organizations they belong to)
3. Masculinity versus femininity (the extent to which a culture is conducive to dominance, assertiveness and acquisition of things versus a culture which is more conducive to people, feelings and the quality of life)
4. Uncertainly avoidance (the degree to which people in a country prefer structured over unstructured situations)
5. Long-term versus short-term orientation (long-term: values oriented towards the future, like saving and persistence, short-term: values oriented towards the past and present, like respect for tradition and fulfilling social obligations)

Q: What are the implications of your insight for cross-cultural communication in international business organization ?

Under China entry into the WTO, internationalization becomes frequently used terms. More and more people recognize that internationalization has been the determined tendency of enterprise development in future. In times of rapid economic development and internationalization of business, effective cross-cultural communication among international business organization remains a challenge. Today's global marketplace emphasizes the importance of cross-culture communication in global business and also in international business organization. And the ability to communicate effectively and multi-culturally cannot be underestimated. For every businessman, communicating in a correct way that values your co-worker's or customer's culture can means the difference between your business flourishing or faltering. With the gradual expansion of international business organization, they have absorbed more and more people of different races and different nations from different areas, Cross-cultural communication in business plays a very important role in successfully establishing the product or service in a different area of the globe. When the communication is effective, the product or service is appropriately tailored to the cultural norms and expectations resulting in the use or purchase of the product. Ineffective communication cross culturally can offend, confuse or send a misunderstood message which could lead to broken relations with investors or employees.