explain how culture impacts both verbal and non-verbal communication

cultural aspects!!!

General - cross cultural communication implications

• For effective communication with other people, it may be necessary to overcome cultural differences and language differences. Otherwise the message that the provider of information is trying to communicate may be understood differently by the receiver of the message.

The challenge of carrying out communication successfully in a cross-cultural context is to acknowledge and overcome cultural differences that have an impact on the way a message is communicated and interpreted by the creator and the consumer.

Note that while using a feedback loop is good practice, on occasions the desired result may prove elusive. For example, where the culture is deferential and seeks to avoid confrontation, the consumer may just agree with whatever is being said to them without providing appropriate feedback.

This is particularly the case in international business, where it is most likely that cultural differences will exist.

verbal communication

The verbal component of language is the part that is encoded in spoken or written words

Where there are differences in language, this may be overcome through the use of a translator, interpreter or translation service. Introducing this element into communication may introduce a similar effect to that of a gatekeeper, causing disruption to the process.

In some cases, both parties may understand other languages. A shared common language is termed a lingua franca. English is the most common lingua franca used in international business, followed closely by French and Spanish (Wild & Wild et al. 2007). In Asia, forms of Malay have also historically been used for regional trade.

Even where communication is being conducted in a single national language, differences in technical jargon can be disruptive. To avoid miscommunication, organisations must ensure that care is taken to bridge these gaps

Non-verbal communication

component of language is the part that is not encoded in words

cite estimates that put the proportion at 65 percent, and some as high as 90 per cent or more. If the verbal and non-verbal components do not match, the consumer of the message may be more likely to pay attention to the non‑verbal aspect.

specific types

Kinesics

Commonly known as body language, this refers to non-verbal messages expressed through body movements, gestures or posture, including facial expressions and eye contact (Esposito & Bratanic et al. 2007). It is closely related to the spoken word and can help reinforce the message being sent. But while actions and body movements may be universal, their meanings are culturally specific and cannot be generalised (Kendon 2004).

Vocal qualities

Vocal qualities affect the way the message is being communicated rather than what is being communicated. Vocal qualities are also referred to as ‘paralanguage’ and can reinforce or contradict a verbal message.

Silence is also a form of paralanguage and can communicate a message. One of the common mistakes made in cross-cultural communication is when managers get frustrated with being unable to understand the other party’s silence during negotiations.

Proxemics

Messages that are delivered through nearness in personal space between people are said to be communicated via proxemics. Certain cultures prefer close contact between people and are comfortable with people greeting each other with a close body contact (such as a hug).

In contrast, some cultures are more comfortable with keeping their own personal space and prefer to replace the hug with a handshake. For example, Latin cultures are considered more comfortable with closer personal proximity than Nordic cultures.

Comfort with particular personal space also depends on the nature of the communication involved, the social situation and the gender and preferences of the individuals involved.

Different proxemic ‘zones’ can be categorised as intimate, personal, social and public, with each zone larger than the previous. The actual interpersonal distance for each of these zones will vary with culture (Esposito & Bratanic et al. 2007).

Object language

Object language or material culture refers to the communication that is conducted through elements such as clothing, architecture and office design.

These artefacts can communicate messages about a nation’s history and culture. It is extremely important to understand the significance of these artefacts before commencing any business activities.

These non-verbal cues are often reflected in rituals within a society, which will also apply to communication and business. For example, the exchange of business cards

Other environmental factors

attitude towards time.

Some western cultures (such as
Germany and the United States) see punctuality, task completion and time efficiency as important,
where other cultures (such as Latin America) place more importance on spending time building a
long-term working relationship. These attitudes affect the way that communication takes place.

Cultures also vary in the way the contextual emphasis is placed on communication (also known as the pattern of communication).

Other cultures rely heavily on indirect and complex methods and are known as high-context cultures. In such cultures, feelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressed; instead, one has to ‘read between the lines’ and interpret meaning from one’s general understanding.

Germany and Switzerland are classified as low-context cultures,

whereas countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Mediterranean region are usually classified as high-context cultures. Understanding the other party’s pattern of communication will help to make communication more effective

Factors affecting the communication process

Power distance

• Language differences and the use of jargon can create disruption to the verbal message. Failure to understand non-verbal signs may also result in communication failure.

knowledge sharing, difference between cultures

Culture (both national and organisational) has an impact on how knowledge is shared. Research conducted by Bhagat et al. (2002) revealed some dominant cultural patterns that affect knowledge sharing. Culture affects both the willingness of people to share knowledge with others and the way they are prepared to do it.

• Individualist

• Collectivist

cultures see people as parts of the whole, where individualism is sacrificed for the benefit of the group. Conforming to expectations and customs is seen as very important, as is family. Knowledge sharing is more natural to collectivist organisations and they more naturally share tacit knowledge. These cultures historically share knowledge by storytelling, which can be an effective way to share tacit knowledge.

cultures see people as independent and unique. They deal well with explicit knowledge and tend to prefer theoretical analysis and an academic approach to knowledge rather than more practical approaches. Organisations in this culture have tended to support the hoarding of knowledge by individuals, who have been encouraged to compete with others and maintain their positions of power by keeping their knowledge to themselves.

Effective knowledge sharing requires an understanding of the individuals involved and the national and organisational culture in which they operate. These issues are particularly critical for multinational organisations or organisations engaged in offshoring. ).

Other cross-cultural factors that affect knowledge sharing are ‘
power distance,
uncertainty avoidance …
masculinity versus femininity and
long-term versus short-term orientation’ (Kurman, cited in Kim 2007

challenges to knowledge sharing from culture

The organisation needs a culture in which individuals
are willing to share their tacit knowledge

As has been discussed earlier, knowledge sharing requires the right culture to be in place and an environment of trust and openness.

Creating this culture can be a challenge, particularly in the individualist culture prevailing in most western organisations. To encourage knowledge sharing across an organisation, it is necessary to develop a culture where sharing, rather than hoarding, is the norm. Sharing knowledge with others is a communal act based on cultural values. Consequently, attitudes to the community are extremely important. Sharing knowledge gives power to others in the community to make judgments about the worth of the contribution.

Different cultural attitudes to knowledge sharing may also affect the type of knowledge that is shared, and whether an organisation places an emphasis on people or technology for knowledge sharing.

A focus on people will tend to favour the sharing of tacit knowledge, whereas a focus on technology will favour explicit knowledge sharing.

A majority of organisations in the United States place more emphasis on systems than on people. They ‘rely heavily on information technology to collect, analyse and disseminate knowledge’ (Chase 2002, p. 5).

In contrast, Asian organisations ‘tend to favour people over systems. Here the people-based knowledge strategies are augmented and enabled by information technology’. This emphasis is evident in a preference in Asian organisations to focus on ‘individual tacit knowledge and face-to-face collaborative knowledge sharing’

European enterprises ‘… adopt a middle position …’ balancing the roles of people with the value-creation capabilities of information technology (IT) (Chase 2002, p. 5).

some knowledge is tacit knowledge – not recorded anywhere, but built up by individuals through their experience over time. In some countries there is an individualist culture that supports the hoarding of knowledge. In collectivist cultures, individuals are much more willing to share knowledge in the interests of the group.