Communicating across Cultures Module Three McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2014 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Learning Objectives LO 3-1 Define culture through context LO 3-2 Compare and contrast dimensions of culture LO 3-3 Apply strategies for international communication success LO 3-4 Identify differences among generations LO 3-5 Apply strategies for workplace discrimination solutions LO 3-6 Apply strategies for bias-free documents 3-2 Diversity in the Workplace 3-3 Diversity in the Workplace Valuing diversity is good business as well as good social practice Ethnically diverse teams produce more and higher-quality ideas 3-4 What is “culture”? High-Context Cultures Most information is inferred from the context of a message Little is “spelled out.” Examples: Japanese, Arabic, and Latin American cultures 3-5 What is “culture”? Low-Context Cultures Context is less important than words Most information is explicitly spelled out Examples: German, Scandinavian, and dominant U.S cultures 3-6 Views of Communication in High- and Low-Context Cultures 3-7 How does culture affect business communication? Culture influences every single aspect of business communication: how to show politeness and respect how much information to give, how to motivate people 3-8 Dimensions of Culture 3-9 Cultural Contrasts in Motivation 3-10 Cultural Contrasts in Business Introductions 3-17 Cultural Contrasts in Written Persuasive Documents 3-18 There are so many different cultures! How can I know enough to communicate? Being aware that values and behaviors are influenced by culture Being flexible Being sensitive Being aware of the others’ values, beliefs, and practices Being sensitive to differences among individuals 3-19 Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate? Millennials’ strengths include Optimism Confidence Enthusiasm Organization Goal Orientation Technology use 3-20 Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate? Read often to enhance literacy Edit for grammar and proofread for spelling Avoid e-mail abbreviations in business correspondence Use the appropriate tone, format, and language Build common ground when negotiating Find a mentor or role model 3-21 Dealing with Discrimination Successfully handling discrimination means understanding the situation and your options: Not everything is discrimination Decide on a strategy Chart your own path Take the high road 3-22 How can I make my documents bias-free? Bias-free language language that does not discriminate against people on the basis of sex, physical condition, race, age, or any other category Bias-free language is fair and friendly and complies with the law 3-23 Making Language Nonsexist Nonsexist language treats both sexes neutrally Check to be sure your writing is free from sexism in four areas: words and phrases, job titles, pronouns, and courtesy titles 3-24 Getting Rid of Sexist Terms and Phrases 3-25 Making Language Nonsexist Use neutral titles which not imply that a job is held only by men or only by women When you write about a specific person, use the appropriate gender pronouns 3-26 Making Language Nonsexist Business writing uses four ways to eliminate sexist generic pronouns use plurals, use second-person you, revise the sentence to omit the pronoun, and use pronoun pairs 3-27 Making Language Nonracist and Nonagist Language is nonracist and nonagist when it treats all races and ages fairly, avoiding negative stereotypes of any group 3-28 Making Language Nonracist and Nonagist Give someone’s race or age only if it is relevant to your story Refer to a group by the term it prefers As preferences change, change your usage Avoid terms that suggest that competent people are unusual 3-29 Talking about People with Disabilities and Diseases People-first language focuses on the person, not the condition Avoid negative terms, unless the audience prefers them 3-30 Choosing Bias-Free Photos and Illustrations When you produce a document with photographs or illustrations, check the visuals for possible bias Do they show people of both sexes and all races? Is there a sprinkling of various kinds of people Check relationships and authority figures as well as numbers 3-31 ... cultures 3-6 Views of Communication in High- and Low-Context Cultures 3-7 How does culture affect business communication? Culture influences every single aspect of business communication: how... Culture 3-9 Cultural Contrasts in Motivation 3-10 How does culture affect business communication? Nonverbal communication communication that doesn’t use words—takes place all the time Body language,... 3-13 How does culture affect business communication? Monochronic cultures treat time as a resource Polychronic cultures emphasize relationships 3-14 Oral Communication Conversational