language and communications in international business
TRANSCRIPT
Language and communications in
international management
Cross-Cultural Management06/03/2012
Johannes, Thuy, Krasimira and Wilko
Model of Communication
Sender/Reciever Culture 1
Sender/Reciever Culture 2
Frame of Reference:KnowledgeExperienceNorms/ValuesAssumptions
Frame of Reference:KnowledgeExperienceNorms/ValuesAssumptions
Key communication filters
Message intended
Message intended
Message received
Message receivedLANGUAGES – verbal,
non- verbal
STYLES – of thinking and communicating
STEREOTYPES
RELATIONSHIPs
Message
Communication Filters
Use of language: verbal non-verbal Styles of thinking and communicating
› Context (low and high context)› Directness (straight forward, or imply, suggest matter)› Face (keeping up relationship)
Stereotypes Management of relationships
Barriers to Intercultural Communication
Anxiety Assuming Similarity
instead of Difference
Ethnocentrism Stereotypes and
Prejudice
Communication within ABC MSC
ABC MSC – a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary in Malaysia of ABC Corporation
Lenartowicz and Johnson (2007) consider that PCNs posses better knowledge of the company and a broader expertise
Kobrin (1998) indicates that the main role of an expatriate manager is to establish the culture and values of the multinational
70% of division heads are Japanese expatriates
Harmony, trust and confidence – essential attributes for business relations in Asia
Broways and Price (2010) talk about commitment for life and loyalty as part of Japanese culture
Little or moderate influence on decision-making and autonomy on work
The issues concerning the communication in ABC MSC
How employees redress their grievance The company faces problem with high
turnover rate There is no union to represent the
voice of local employees The relations between local employees
and Japanese expatriates
LEMMA BEFORE THE INTEGRATION
A French industrial multinational company.
Adopted growth-by-acquisition strategy.
Top management positions are French.
The organization culture was strongly
influenced by the French national culture.
The way people communicate within Lemma
High power distance- One-way communication
style- Indifference to the opinions
of employees- Unwilling to question bosses. High context culture- Implicit and indirect
communication- Overall situation is of greater
importance- Restricted information
THE USE OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE
Official language used: French
Highest executive managers: required to master French
Ethnocentric approach
-> A barrier to global development
PROS AND CONS FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT?
PROS:- High level of mutual support within
network- Easy consensus in decision and
implementation CONS- Ambiguous mechanism- Difficult participation of new arrivals
LEMMA AFTER THE INTEGRATION
Increase in size Anglo-Saxon influence-> Induce changes in the way of
communication and management: More formalized and explicit
procedures Direct and consultative communication
style
Conclusion
Communication in int. environment can be complicated and misleading
Cultural and sub cultural differences Language is more than just speaking Communication filters & barriers Unawareness and missing skills can
lead to misunderstanding, dissatisfaction, indignation and consequently failure
Conclusion
Regular trainings for employees of all staff levels
Development of a acceptable “corporate culture” (language, behavior, norms & values…)
Proper research about other and own cultural and communicational characteristics
Recommendations for a successful interaction between different cultures
References
Browayes, M-J. & Price, R. (2011). Understanding Cross-Cultural Management, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.Jandt, F.E. (2010). An Introduction to Intercultural Communication – Identities in a Global Community, London: Sage.Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J and Minkov, M. (2010) Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind, intercultural cooperation and its importance (3rd edition) London: McGraw-Hill Lenartowicz, T. and Johnson, J. P. (2007) Staffing managerial positions in emerging markets: a cultural perspective, International Journal of Emerging markets, 2 (3), pp.207-214 Nigam, R. et al. (2009) Subsidiaries of developed country multinationals in an emerging country: a cultural perspective, Global Journal of flexible systems management, 10 (4), pp.33-44 Thomas, D. C. (2008) Cross-cultural management: essential concepts (2nd ed.) Los Angelis: Sage Publications.
Questions
1. Is it possible to find a balance between being aware of cultural differences and not being stereotypical at the same time?
2. Which non-verbal communication gestures from your culture could lead to difficulties in intercultural encounters?
3. To what extent can different management styles influence the communication in a company?