Cross cultural understanding: a handbook to understand others’ cultures

partner.
Chan 
: The deal will be very difficult…
 
Andrew : Well, what can I help to solve the problems, Chan? 
Chan
: ….
 
This is the case of misinterpretation, in which two 
people have interpreted the same statement in completely 
different ways. 
For the Japanese (Chan), the message was quite 
clear. For him, the statement that it would be very 
difficult means there would be no deal. He expresses this 
INDIRECTLY, to be polite, and to avoid ‗loss of face‖. 
The Australian, not being aware of this, thought that 
there were some problems that could be resolved. 
Gudykunst (in Gibson, 2000) suggests three ways of 
checking our interpretation of other people‘s behavior: 

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52 | Cross Cultural Understanding 
1.
Perception checking 
The aim of perception checking is to ensure that 
our interpretation of the other person‘s behavior is 
what he or she meant it to be. First we have to 
describe what we thought the other person‘s meant, 
before asking if this interpretation is correct. Even this 
process is culturally determined, and for people from 
some cultures could be too direct. If you are an 
individualist
communicating with a 
collectivist
, it is 
important to keep in mind that collectivist may not 
feel comfortable answering direct questions. In this 
case you may have to ask your perception checking 
questions more indirectly. 
2.
Listening effectively 
It is important to distinguish between hearing (the 
physical process) and listening which involves much 
more attention, and includes absorbing new 
information, checking it with what you already know, 
categorizing it, selecting ideas, and predicting what is 
coming next. Active listening involves showing the 
speaker that we are involved in the conversation, 
trying to understand them better(by asking questions, 
for instance, or restarting what they have said). 

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Cross Cultural Understanding | 53 
3.
Giving feedback 
This is the verbal or non-verbal response to others. 
Again, the ways feedback is given vary widely across 
cultures, but it often useful to follow the following 
guidelines: 
Be specific 
Separate the feedback from the person 
Present the problem as a mutual one 
Mix negative with positive feedback 
Provide feedback at an appropriate time 
Use ―I‖ statement whenever possible