ACTIVATING
Activating background knowledge
1. International businesses with a highly diverse workforce in terms of nationality and cultural background face challenges from the differences in language, values, belief systems, business ethics, business practices, behaviour, etiquette and expectations.
What do you know about other cultures? Do the quiz. Choose the answer you think is correct.
1) Compared to people from most other cultures, US Americans appreciate arguments based on:
a) еmotion.
b) logic and reasoning.
c) statistics and empirical evidence.
2) The concept of “face” – a person’s image or value in the eyes of other people – is important in China, and because of that the Chinese often:
a) like to do business with small, unknown companies.
b) don’t like to give business to friends or relatives because it creates a bad image.
c) don’t say “no” directly, even if it’s really what they are trying to communicate.
3) When negotiating, a German supplier’s first offer is usually:
a) high because they are very competitive and want to “win” the negotiation.
b) realistic because they don’t like to spend a lot of time bargaining.
c) very low, and then they find excuses to continually raise it.
4) What statement is NOT true about gift-giving in Columbia?
a) They may not open the gift in front of you (it could seem greedy).
b) They usually don’t give effusive thanks (a question of pride).
c) It’s not recommended to give foreign beer (they make very good beer in Columbia).
5) Match the country with the percentage of women on Executive Boards of companies:
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Greece Japan Norway Spain US |
0.4 (23rd of 23 countries) 3.8 (20th) 6.5 (12th, between Germany and France) 12.8 (4th) 21.1 (1st) |
6) In Japan, it is considered bad manners to write on:
a) a napkin.
b) someone’s business card.
c) a printed meeting agenda.
d) a newspaper.
7) Do not compliment an Arab’s personal possession because he or she might:
a) think you are envious.
b) feel that you’re being condescending.
c) feel obliged to offer it to you.
d) consider it bad luck.
8) If you are invited to dinner in a Spanish home, which two of the following flowers should you not bring as a gift? Do you know why?
a) Roses.
b) Chrysanthemums.
c) Dahlias.
d) Lilacs.
2. Nowadays, there are more people who speak English as a second or third language than there are native speakers of English. In business, English is being used as the main medium of communication across many cultures. However, knowing the English language doesn’t necessarily mean that people will be able to communicate effectively. What do you need to consider when you are communicating across cultures? Do you know any cultural rules which should be obeyed in cross-cultural communication?
In the following extract, trainer Yvonne Evans talks about the problems which can arise when people from different cultures meet to discuss business. Before you read the extract think about a film you have seen recently. This needs to be a film from a different country. How did the people in the film greet each other? How did they talk to each other? Can you see any differences between the way they behaved with each other and the ways people in your country behave in the same situation?
When you are meeting with people from different countries, it’s very important to be aware that communication might not go smoothly just because you both speak English. This is because lots of our communication is non-verbal – this means we communicate a lot through gestures, and facial expressions – and a lot of it depends on a shared cultural understanding. One example is when you shake hands. In the UK, it is quite complicated: depending on your generation, you may or may not automatically shake hands with someone you meet at work. The rules for this are generally unspoken but understood – and if you come from a different culture, they may be impossible to understand. There are other things too. Eye contact is a key one. In some cultures, you are expected to make eye contact with the people you are talking to, in others it can be seen as offensive. That’s why knowing something about different cultures, and being open minded about the differences between cultures is so important. It’s not just language that makes us effective communicators!
What two examples of non-verbal behaviour are given in the text? Find two examples of culture-based ‘rules’.
Culture note
Five top tips for communicating effectively across cultures:
- If you are working with colleagues from different cultures, try to find out something about those cultures. Being informed about different cultures can help you identify where misunderstandings have occurred.
- Be observant. If you are watching foreign films or TV programmes, watch how people communicate with each other. Can you identify any differences from the ways people communicate in your country?
- Be open-minded. Problems can arise when people don’t respond or act in the way we expect them to, but this might be a result of cross-cultural interference. Try to be aware of those differences, and help others to be aware too.
- Choose your language carefully. Try to avoid very informal or slang expressions, or too many idioms. Using simple, clear language will help you convey your message clearly.
- Share information about your own culture with visitors from other countries. It is often small things which can be confusing: for example, in your country, do you take your shoes off before you enter the house? Try to be aware of the little things which make your culture special.
Activating language
1. Read this article about cultural differences, paying special attention to modals, expressing degrees of necessity.
WHAT WE SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T HAVE DONE
Recently my wife and I had a cross-cultural experience that taught us about some things we should have done differently. Six months ago my company sent me to work at our branch office in Japan. My Japanese co-workers have been friendly and gracious, and last week one of them invited my wife and me to his house for dinner. We were honored to be invited, and the food was delicious. But even though Masayuki and Yukiko, his wife, were most polite and friendly and never gave an indication that anything was wrong, we felt a bit uncomfortable about the evening. I decided to ask my friend Junichi about it. He’s lived in both Japan and the United States, so he knows the differences between the two cultures. He gave me a lot of pointers. Now we know what we should and shouldn’t have done.
The first tip was about taking off our shoes. We knew that you’re supposed to take off your shoes when you enter a Japanese home, so we did. We didn’t know we were supposed to arrange them so they’d be pointing toward the door when we left so that we’d be able to put them on without having to turn around. But this wasn’t a big mistake, Junichi said.
The second pointer was about gifts. Helen and I knew you’re supposed to take a gift to a Japanese home. Masayuki and Yukiko seemed a little shocked, though, when we pulled the present out of a plastic bag and said, “We thought you’d like this CD. It’s rock and roll.” Junichi chuckled and said, “Well, you should have wrapped the CD. It’s OK to bring it in a plastic bag, but the gift itself has to be wrapped. And you mustn’t say anything about the gift. Just give it to your hosts. The main problem, though, was the gift itself.”
“You mean we should have taken something different?”
“Yes. A rock and roll CD isn’t really an appropriate gift.”
“Well, what should we have taken?”
“Maybe a box of chocolates. Or you could have taken some flowers.”
After that I told Junichi about what happened before dinner. Masayuki and Yukiko had invited us to sit down for some tea and snacks. The tea was delicious, but we had trouble eating the raw sushi. I was able to finish mine, but Helen couldn’t finish hers. Masayuki and Yukiko seemed a little puzzled. Junichi chuckled again and said, “Well, in Japan it’s considered impolite to leave half-eaten food on a plate.”
“You mean you’ve got to eat everything that’s offered to you?” I asked.
“You don’t have to. But if you take something, you must finish it.”
After we ate, Helen asked Yukiko if she could help her in the kitchen. This is the way we do things back in the United States, but Junichi says you are not to do this in Japan. According to the rules of Japanese culture, visitors aren’t allowed to go into the kitchen.
The other thing you probably shouldn’t do, he says, is praise pictures or ornaments in the house. If you do, your Japanese hosts might feel they have to give the object to you. Fortunately, we didn’t do that. At the end of the evening, Masayuki asked us if we’d like to have another drink. We thought it wouldn’t be polite to say no, so we accepted and stayed for another half hour. Finally we felt that we absolutely had to leave, so when Masayuki invited us to have an additional drink, I said, “We’d really like to, but it’s late. We’d better get going, or we won’t be able to get up in the morning.” Masayuki and Yukiko seemed relieved. Junichi said, “That’s what you should have done in the first place. When a Japanese host invites you to have a drink at the end of the evening, you should refuse gently. Otherwise, you could be there all night. Leaving earlier would have been fine.”
I asked what he thought we might do to rectify the situation. “Shall we invite them over?” I asked. He said, “Yes, you ought to do that. Just remember all the things I’ve told you. But don’t invite them to an informal, Western-style party with a lot of loud music. Just make it a simple dinner for the four of you.”
Good advice, I thought. What really struck me is how much we all have to learn about other cultures.
2. Arrange the modals from the box along a line like the one below, going from obligation to no obligation.
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could to be to don’t have to should have (got) to to be supposed to must had better might ought to |
3. Look at these sentences. Each sentence can be said in another, similar way. Circle the letter of the choice that is closer in meaning to the sentence given.
1) We knew that you’re supposed to take off your shoes when you enter a Japanese home, so we did.
a) Japanese people expect guests to remove their shoes.
b) It doesn’t matter whether or not you wear your shoes in a Japanese home.
2) Well, you should have wrapped the CD.
a) You wrapped the CD, and that was the right thing to do.
b) You didn’t wrap the CD, and that was a cultural mistake in Japan.
3) And you mustn’t say anything about the gift.
a) It’s sometimes acceptable to say something about the gift.
b) It’s definitely wrong to say anything about the gift.
4) Or you could have taken some flowers.
a) Flowers are an acceptable gift in Japan, but the author and his wife didn’t take any.
b) The author and his wife made a cultural mistake by not taking flowers.
5) According to the rules of Japanese culture, visitors aren’t allowed to go into the kitchen.
a) The Japanese expect visitors to stay out of the kitchen.
b) It’s OK for visitors to go into a Japanese kitchen.
6) If you do, your Japanese hosts might feel they have to give the object to you.
a) Japanese hosts might feel a strong obligation to give the object to you.
b) Japanese hosts might feel they can choose not to give the object to you.
7) When a Japanese host invites you to have a drink at the end of the evening, you should refuse gently.
a) The hosts don’t expect you to refuse gently.
b) It’s a good idea to refuse gently.
8) Yes, you ought to do that.
a) It doesn’t matter whether you do that.
b) It would be a good idea to do that.
9) Junichi says you are not to do this in Japan.
a) People won’t care if you do this in Japan.
b) It’s a cultural mistake to do this in Japan.
4. Look again at the article. Write six sentences about what the American couple should have done and shouldn’t have done. Then write four sentences about what they could or might have done. For example: 1) They should have wrapped the CD.