Egt1 Task 4 Essay Example

A. Cross-Cultural Differences Company X is considering expanding its business to China. However, prior to moving into a new and foreign market, Company X must understand the various cross cultural differences that are relevant to properly conducting business in China. By being more sensitive to and understanding the cross-cultural differences, Company X's transition into the new market should be less challenging and improve its chances of acceptance. Language, work ethic and material culture are three cultural differences that should, first, be understood prior to pursuing opportunities in China.

Language is a barrier that will greatly influence the ability of Company X to conduct business in China. Included in this category is spoken, written and body language. If not adequately addressed, spoken language barriers will result in miscommunication, the inability to collaborate, and inability to deliver appropriate customer service. Specific to China is that there are 1000's of dialects and it is common for residents of China from various parts of the country to even have difficulty understanding their fellow countryman’s local dialects. However, the spoken language barrier can be overcome by adopting the use of an interpreter to to assist in verbal communication and establishing appropriate relationships (Ball et al, 2009). By leveraging local experts who are fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese, depending on where business is to be conducted, will likely result in a competitive advantage for Company X. it's important to have a interpreter who also understands Company X's industry. Furthermore, it's important to avoid the use of idioms and jargon specific to the organization. When engaged in a conversation, it is important avoid using the word “no.” Instead, an acceptable response to a question might be, “we will take the idea into consideration and get back to you about the item.” In the U.S., its common to respond with and acceptable to respond