Understanding Cross cultural Communication for better business communication

1. UNDERSTANDING DIMENSIONS OF
CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
FOR FOSTERING
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Mrs. Tapaswini Swain

2. TOPICS TO BE COVERED
• Understanding Culture and Communication
• Importance of Cross Cultural Communication in Business
Communication
• Key cross cultural phenomena for better management of cross
cultural business communication
• Cultural Dimensions and Value Orientations in Business
Communication
• Inter-Cultural Faith and Stress Management – A New Dimension for
Better Cross Cultural Communication

3. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE AND
COMMUNICATION
• Communication : It is derived from Latin words ‘communis’ - commonality and
‘communicare’- to make common
• Communication is the process of sharing information, knowledge or meaning which
are culturally defined and formed.
• Culture:It is a system of ideas, values, beliefs, structure, and practices that is
communicated by one generation to the next and that sustains a particular
way of life.
• Culture is reflected in communication practices and at the same time,
communication practices shape cultural life.

4. FIVE PRINCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP
CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION (JULIA TWOOD)
1. Communication expresses and sustains culture
2. Culture consists of material and non-material components – Cultural Lag
3. Cultures are shaped by historical and geographical forces
4. Culture is learnt in the process of communication
5. Cultures are dynamic- The four major sources of cultural change are invention,
diffusion, cultural calamity and communication

5. IMPORTANCE OF CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
• What is Cross Cultural Communication?
Defined as “the presence of at least two individuals who are culturally different from each
other on such important attributes as their value orientations, preferred communication codes,
role expectations, and perceived rules of social relationship” ( Lustig and Koester (1998)
“Culture shock”: when we are not among our own kind and things happen differently.”
• Implications of cross-cultural communication in business context :
An understanding of diverse cultures can help the managers to understand the reasons behind
business partner’s actions and try to find ways to adjust communication to make it more
efficient.

6. KEY CROSS CULTURAL PHENOMENA
FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF CROSS CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION:
• Ethnocentrism- Needs awareness and control
• Cultural Hegemony-Needs to be revisited
• Cultural Relativism- An alternative perspective for
adoption
• Acculturation – A cultural learning
• Assimilation: A Solution
• Cultural Faux Pas - Needs understanding and close
attention
• Responding to Diversity is a Process – Needs
understanding

7. CULTURAL DIMENSIONS AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS
IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Geert Hofstede’s Cultural dimensions
Power Distance (PDI)
Individualism versus Collectivism (IDV)
Masculinity versus Femininity (MAS)
Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI)
Long versus Short term Orientation (LTO)
Indulgence versus Restrain
Edward T Hall’s cultural value orientations
Perception of time: time focus and time orientation
Communication: high-context and low-context.

8. Edward T Hall’s cultural value orientations
Perception of time: time focus and time orientation
Communication: high-context and low-context.

9. INTER-CULTURAL FAITH AND STRESS MANAGEMENT :
A NEW DIMENSION FOR
BETTER CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
-SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR (WORLD PEACE AMBASSADOR AND FOUNDER OF THE ART OF LIVING)
“ Lets stop Tolerating…. We tolerate those things which we don’t like . Lets assimilate
and accept the differences and celebrate unity in diversities” –said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
(World Peace Ambassador) In UNESCO
• Two things that affect our social dealings and communication:
• Our Perception
• Our Expression
And Stress impact both our perception and expression to a large extent
Stress = Less Time ,More Work and Less Energy
(Time is 24 hours for all and cannot be changed, Work is needed but Energy level can be
worked on)

10. Four important sources of Energy:
 Food
 Sleep
 Breath
 A Happy Mind
Breathing Exercise and Meditation –A Journey to Inner-self : A Key to better
communication
We all know about right food and sleep but we are never taught about breath , which plays a
much important role in managing our emotions and stress, which can be brought about through
proper BREATHING EXERCISE and MEDITATION

11. THE WORLD CULTURAL FESTIVAL 2016
AN UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITIES
11-12 MARCH NEW DELHI
• The World Culture Festival 2016 was a celebration of The Art of Living's 35 years of
service, humanity, spirituality and human values. The festival celebrated the diversity in
cultures from across the world while simultaneously highlighting our unity as a human
family.
• Hosted on the world’s largest floating stage of 7 acres, the World Culture Festival brought
together 3.75 million people from 155 countries
• 3000 prominent dignitaries from different parts of the world graced the grand event, that
also witnessed the largest inter-faith gathering of 2,500 religious and spiritual leaders
from Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Christian, Zoroastrian, Islam, Jain, Native American
communities

12. • The 3-day event was marked by mesmerizing performances by 36,603 artists
from around the globe, on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi, India
• Showcasing cultural diversity like never-seen-before, the Festival brought to
life the ancient ideal of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ - the whole humanity is one
family
• An estimated 1.8 billion people watched the live telecast of the event from
767,463 locations across 188 countries

13. THANK YOU
“Let’s celebrate the diversities and differences with a sense of
belongingness from a broader context, commitment and compassion”- Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar