Cultural Diversity

This was an interesting article. I always thought of different cultures as people from different countries, but a different culture could be as simple as someone from a totally different background than me. I am a white Southern female, but a person raised in the Bronx could be considered a different culture than me because of the differences in our beliefs and values. That being said, one example of applying the guidelines of intercultural communication would be at my job. I work for a major insurance company that is headquartered in my hometown, but we also have offices in Japan. Recently, some representatives from the Japan office came to visit our office and sat with some of my co-workers. Since I work from home, I wasn't able to take advantage of this opportunity, but it got me thinking about how I would have been able to interact with them. The Japanese culture is very different from the American culture. Be aware of differing social values- Americans typically value the self more than the whole. Japanese culture is more collectivist, valuing the whole more than the self. Be aware of differing status symbols and how to demonstrate them- The Japanese greatly believe in hierarchy. Everybody has a place. Respect is shown by the highest status being served first and the seating in meetings is arranged according to the "rank" of each person. If I were to have interacted with the Japanese representatives, I would have had to make sure to show the respect the individual was due. Be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently- The Japanese will not directly decline a request. If I were to have asked one of the Japanese representatives to go to lunch and they replied "It is under consideration" or "I will think about it," that most likely would mean no. Group decisions are also important to the Japanese culture. Be aware of concepts of time: not all people like to see time as money- In Japanese business etiquette, it is considered respectful to be punctual for appointments and appointments are crucial. Impromptu meetings are not appreciated. This would go with the American concept of "time is money" because punctuality is (or should be) important in American business etiquette. Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have different 'comfort zones'- Americans have a very large comfort zone. I personally get uncomfortable when a stranger stands even relatively close to me. The Japanese do not have this concept of personal space, so I would have had to be understanding if the representative stood or sat a little closer to me than I was comfortable with. Be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called 'high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like the USA rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning to convey meaning- The Japanese express a lot through nonverbal communication. To them, closing their eyes is a sign that they are listening, to Americans, it is a sign that we are bored. I would have had to study up on the different nonverbal cues and known what to expect and be understanding of these differences. Be aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words with body movement- This goes along with the cultural context discussed previously. Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another- Japanese etiquette is very different from American etiquette. The Japanese are much more formal than we are, and I would have had to know and understand this had I interacted with the Japanese representatives. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior- The Japanese do not see contracts as final binding agreements. This would be very important to know when conducting business with a Japanese company. Be aware of language barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but it's a mistake to assume that everyone understands it.- This one speaks for itself. There would obviously be a language barrier in communicating with anyone whose first language was not English. References http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247 http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/japan-country-profiles.html