Cross-culture communication management

Verbal Communication Differences

• 1.Words
• 2.Voice
• 3. Delivery

• High Context and Low Context Cultures

• High Context Culture:- Cultures that rely heavily on non-verbal and subtle situational cues in communication.
• Low Context Culture:- Cultures that rely heavily on words to convey meaning in communication.

Non-Verbal Communication Differences

Case In Point : Eye Contact

• In some cultures, looking people in the eye is assumed to indicate honesty and straightforwardness; in others it is seen as challenging and rude.

• In the USA, most effective way to connect with people is to look them in the eye.

• Most people in Arab cultures share a great deal of eye contact and may regard too little as disrespectful.

• In American culture, a certain amount of eye contact is required, but too much makes many people uncomfortable.

• In South Asian and many other cultures, direct eye contact is generally regarded as aggressive and rude.

• How can a Gestures distort the message………………..

• A motion of the hands, head or body to emphasize an idea or emotion.

• Perfect! OK!

• Zero! Worthless!

• Rubbish!

• Case in Point: Gestures

• USA=OK

• JAPAN=MONEY

• RUSSIA=ZERO

• BRAZIL=INSULT

• How the same gestures can be treated differently in different cultures . . .

• Gestures – Around the World

• Argentina - “Do you have a telephone ?”
• Brazil - Cuckold (“Your wife is cheating on you.”)
• USA - Sign for the Texas Long Horns