Cross-Cultural Communication: Business Strategies and Analysis

This homework assignment delves into the multifaceted realm of cross-cultural communication within a business context. It begins by outlining the advantages of effective cross-cultural communication, emphasizing its role in negotiation, strategic planning, innovation, and avoiding communication blunders in foreign markets. The assignment then explores methods to overcome communication barriers, including understanding non-verbal cues, cultural dimensions, and intercultural competence. It differentiates between 'low context' and 'high context' cultures, using Australia as an example of the former. The analysis extends to the relationship between ethnocentrism and stereotyping, and argues for an approach that focuses on individual differences rather than promoting cultural adaptation. The author's definition of 'culture' is discussed, highlighting its inextricable link to professional careers. The assignment further compares and contrasts communication styles between India and Australia and addresses the concept that not all members of a group embody all of its characteristics. Finally, it explores stereotypes between Australia and India, and discusses how to overcome them.

Running head: CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1. What is the advantage of cross cultural communication (CCC) for business?
Cross-culture refers to the amalgamation of different cultures for the specific purpose of
any organization. Cross-cultural communication (CCC) hence, can be said to be the effective
communication established across cultures. Businesses can benefit largely by conducting
efficient cross-cultural communication. The list describing the advantages of CCC is not
exhaustive but some advantages as mentioned by Padhi (n.d.) could be included.
The first advantage of CCC is that it can give an upper hand to a business negotiator over
his or her competitor. An employee who is well-versed in a foreign language where the business
hopes to expand, might prove to be the reason for success as people would prefer those who
value their culture and language is a part of culture.
The second advantage of CCC is that it helps organizations establish a concrete plan of
action to tackle the challenges of the global business environment. Developing an internal
communication capacity can help businesses control and monitor the external threats.
As the third advantage, CCC allows managers and subordinates of multinational
companies to interact with members of different cultures thus enhancing innovation. It also
enhances managerial effectiveness.
Fourth advantage of cross-cultural communication within the context of business is that it
saves the company from creating blunders while promoting any products or services in foreign
nations.
2. According to the author, what are some of the measures to overcome the barriers to
cross cultural communication?

The author states that cross-cultural communication faces obstacles due to several
reasons from management style to worker expectations, lack of understanding between staff and
managers, presence of power distance and so on. In order to overcome these barriers, managers
need to possess the knowledge of non-verbal code systems of different cultures. It would assist in
creating communication relationships with others.
According to the author, understanding the various dimensions of culture would provide
great help for businesses to conquer the barriers to CCC. Distancing from stereotyping,
discriminating and making false judgments would help businesses succeed.
In order to overcome the barriers to CCC that includes culture shock as well, businesses
need to change their management styles or adapt to the changing cultures of different nations.
Culture shock refers to the initial experience people have after shifting to a new place having
different culture.
Intercultural competence is another measure that businesses can take to overcome CCC
barriers. It is the ability to take part in activities that involves a common communication code.
Developing intercultural communication would equip the managers to appreciate differences in
culture. All the aspects of intercultural communication starting from cognitive and behavioral
that ensures intercultural awareness and adroitness must be learnt in order to defeat the barriers.
3. What does the author mean by ‘low context’ and ‘high context’ cultures? Is Australia
low or high context?
Low context culture, according to the author encourages direct expression of ideas and
frankness in assessing situations. Managers in a low context culture are very blunt in expressing

and this reduces the risk of misinterpreted communication. Most people find it easier to grasp the
messages conveyed by low context cultures as these are loud and clear.
High context culture on the other hand, implies interdependence in societies. The
messages conveyed in high context cultures carry subtle and covert meanings as these have
innumerable interpretations. The words used and the gestures shown might contradict thus
providing a vague message. Cultures of the Orient tend to represent the high context cultures.
They prefer communicating more with expressions and less with words. Countries in the Orient
are more inclined towards high context cultures because they believe in expressing more with
gestures and less with words.
Australia is undoubtedly a low context culture because the people here convey what they
really mean. Apart from that, the population here is more diversified and less homogenous.
Australian people are more comfortable in communicative messages that are more verbal in
nature rather than non-verbal. As argued by Padhi (n.d.), the low context nature is mostly
preferred by multinational companies because the times are changing and people want their
business transactions to end quickly to save time.
4. What does the author mean by ‘Stereotyping is an extension of ethnocentrism’?
In order to understand the association between ethnocentrism and stereotyping, it is
important to first comprehend the meaning of both the terms. Ethnocentrism, as explained by the
author, means the dominance feeling of some people belonging to a certain culture. Ethnocentric
people tend to believe that their culture is the supreme of all and thus view other cultures from
this perspective. These types of people do not even try to understand the other cultures and

consider their own culture as the best. Ethnocentrism hence becomes a dangerous tool that could
lead to damaged communication.
Stereotyping on the other hand is the perception of people and their beliefs regarding
certain individuals or community based on the ideas and attitudes that have already been formed.
These pre-conceived notions about individuals and groups are a result of the culture that people
follow over a period. Although stereotyping could be both negative and positive, it mostly yields
negativity against a certain individual or group.
The above statement made by the author thus relates to the meaning that ethnocentrism
leads to a feeling of superiority and clouds the minds of the individuals who then start
associating pre-conceived notions to certain other individuals. They start stereotyping others. As
the author mentioned, “stereotypes do not develop suddenly but are formed by our culture over a
period” (Padhi, n.d.), clearly indicates that placing certain characteristics to individuals or groups
(stereotyping) is an extension of ethnocentrism.
5. The author argues that 'Focus should be placed on using individual differences'. Why do
you think this approach might be more effective than ‘promoting cultural adaptation’?
According to the author, it is important that managers and subordinates of any global
business firm have a good relationship. The author states that subordinates who give priority to
national identity tend to show less interest in the relationship with the manager and lower
perception of effective managerial practice. It clearly shows that providing training to managers
and subordinates to behave as per each other’s culture are not enough. The approach becomes
ineffective because many individuals – be it managers or subordinates – do not tend to change
their own national identity for the sake of the other and this leads to poor business results.

Therefore, it is important, as the author claims, to focus on individual differences. Promoting
cultural differences would only lead to resentment amongst members with strong feeling of
nationality.
Businesses in today’s world realize the importance of possessing a diverse workforce to
stay ahead in the competition. As Nunes, Felix and Prates (2017) mention, “It is necessary to
identify the factors that facilitate a satisfactory performance of executives in international
assignments”. This statement relates to the global business workforce must have proper training
on individual differences to make sure that when they visit a foreign land as expatriates they are
ready to get along with others. However, it would be more effective if managers or expatriates
are trained in individual differences and possess the skills to culturally adapt as well.
6. How does the author define ‘culture’ and explain why is it difficult to separate from
his/her professional career?
The author refers to culture as the features and the knowledge a specific group of people
possess and includes every element like religion, cuisine, music and arts and social habits.
Further, the author explains that the systems of values and beliefs and the material products
comprise the major factor of culture. The author then moves on to explain the belief systems in
culture that includes myths and stories and how it could be interpreted in order to know the
thoughts and feelings of others. Secondly, he explains the values of culture that individuals are
taught and that they believe in like honesty, integrity and frankness. Lastly, culture also includes
the material things like clothes, food, movies and music. Therefore, culture is an all
encompassing element of an individual’s life that provides a framework of cognitive
understanding for the world to know and work in it. Culture is the primary determinant that helps

in defining the way an individual views the real world in both conscious and unconscious way.
The most important thing is, however, the context that the culture provides that enables
communication between humans.
It is therefore unreasonable to opine that one’s professional career has nothing to do with
his or her cultural habits. As the author puts it, “one’s professional career can never be separated
from his or her cultural habits” (Padhi, n.d.). Cultural habits are inherent to an individual that
gives him or her impulse to work hard and communicate effectively with others.
7. Compare and contrast the communication styles of your home country and Australia.
How do they differ? Are there similarities?
My home country is India and the communication style followed there is very subtle and
polite. By subtle, I mean that people sometimes tend to hide the true meaning of what they say
and instead say other things. Indian people communicate politely with those whom they are not
familiar and make sure that they convey the things they want to listen to keep away from
conflict. In Australia however, the communication style is open and sometimes very blunt.
People in Australia do not hide their feelings and say anything directly. Australia being a low
context communication culture, the people here use more words to convey messages rather than
use expressions. In contrast to this, India being a high context communication culture, the people
there do not speak bluntly. They want the receiver of the message to understand the hidden
meaning through their facial expressions or other gestures.
In case of similarities, the communication styles in the two countries do not possess many
similarities. However, Indians might find some similarity in communication with the Indigenous
Australians as they too are very polite and subtle while communicating with others. Apart from

that, Indigenous Australians also make significant use of non-verbal communication that is a
feature of Indian communication style. Although there are mostly differences, both countries
have a certain group that demonstrates styles that are not inherent to the generally accepted
styles.
8. Explain what is means by “...no individual member of a group embodies all of his or her
group’s characteristics”?
As explained in the previous section, two different cultures will have different styles of
communication but not all members of the culture are ought to possess it. Some sections of the
society have members that demonstrate unique characteristics that are in contrast to their own
culture. Every group has both likeness and differences. As Derex and Boyd (2016) argue, every
generation has seen an upsurge from within the same culture when members of the same cultural
group demonstrated different characteristics. To provide an instance, in Australia, Aboriginal
members do not possess all the characteristics inherent to Australia and not all Aboriginal
Australians possess similar qualities inherent to Aboriginal culture. The author states clearly that
while comparing groups, one must consider the multiple dimensions of contrast.
In the previous sections, while explaining ethnocentrism and stereotyping it was
mentioned that people tend to associate a particular norm to a certain group without
understanding the actual cultural differences. While stereotyping, people cloud their own
intellect because it is a common sense that not all members of a group would demonstrate the
same characteristics. An example of a stereotype associated with women is that they do not
possess good knowledge about sports and hence they must not host any shows related to sports
but that is not true to all the women as has been portrayed by many.

9. Give examples of how Australians stereotype people from your country, and how people
from your country stereotype Australians. Do you think these stereotypes are accurate?
Australians are very straight in what they want to convey as already discussed. This
causes great problems with people coming from countries like India, from where I belong.
Indians think of Australians as racist and insensible to the feelings of others. In recent years,
news of Indian students being attacked by white Australians made the rounds that created further
ripples among Indians regarding Australians. In addition, Indians feel that most Australians are
criminals or have a criminal legacy owing to the history of their colonial period.
Australians on the other hand, have very little knowledge about the cultures and traditions
of India. They are rarely aware of the multifarious characteristic of the Indian culture.
Australians stereotype Indians as being poor English speakers and illiterate even. Further,
Australians view Indians as those who staff the call centers and open curry shops. These
perceptions about Indians have been formed largely due to the little knowledge about the people
and culture in India (Smh.com.au, 2018). Similar could be stated about the Indians’ perception of
Australia.
The stereotyping in which both countries engage are all based partially on the perceptions
created by the international media – both mainstream and the social media – and partially on the
literature prescribed in both countries. Hence, it can be asserted that these stereotypes are not
accurate and citizens in both countries must make an effort to end this.
10. Give an example of how cultural difference might lead to misunderstanding. How could
this have a negative effect on business?

Several examples from the real world can be cited to demonstrate the ways in which
cultural differences might result in misunderstandings. In the global business environment, it is
important for the business organizations to understand the cultural diversity in the countries they
operate. One common example is when expatriates visit another country and have to manage the
business operation where majority of the workforce is from a different culture. In Asian
countries especially Japan, when business delegates meet, they ought to bow down to each other
as a mark of respect. However, expatriate managers from Western countries might not be aware
of this and might offer a handshake, which is seen as an insult by the Japanese. This
misunderstanding arising due to cultural differences cause heavily on the business as it might
prompt the Japanese delegates to abort their plan. Bauer, Matzler and Wolf (2016) believe that
business should focus more on task integration rather than on human integration in order to
ensure innovation through understanding. The authors describe human integration as the
“creation of a shared identity and satisfaction among the employees from both organizations and
task integration as the “transfer and sharing of resources and capabilities”. Therefore, it is clearly
understood that having a sound knowledge about different cultures and integrating those into the
business operation might produce more positive results than negative.

References:
Bauer, F., Matzler, K., & Wolf, S. (2016). M&A and innovation: The role of integration and
cultural differences—A central European targets perspective. International Business
Review, 25(1), 76-86.
Derex, M., & Boyd, R. (2016). Partial connectivity increases cultural accumulation within
groups. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(11), 2982-2987.
Nunes, I. M., Felix, B., & Prates, L. A. (2017). Cultural intelligence, cross-cultural adaptation
and expatriate performance: a study with expatriates living in Brazil. Revista de
Administração, 52(3), 219-232.
Padhi, P. K. The Rising Importance of Cross Cultural Communication in Global Business
Scenario.
Smh.com.au. (2018). Prosperous immigrants don't fit their stereotypes - National -
www.smh.com.au. Retrieved from https://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Prosperous-
immigrants-dont-fit-their-stereotypes/2005/01/21/1106110947965.html