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10/29/13

rentz - lesikars business communication: connecting in a digital world - 13e, solutions manual and test bank 0073403210

 rentz - lesikars business communication: connecting in a digital world - 13e, solutions manual and test bank 0073403210
Lesikar's Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World, 13/e

Kathryn Rentz, University of Cincinnati
Paula Lentz, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire


ISBN: 0073403210
Copyright year: 2014

Supplements


Chapter 2: Communicating Across Cultures
Teaching Suggestions
Slides 2-1, 2-2
The subject matter of this chapter lends itself best to lecture and discussion.  If your experience permits, you can enrich the lecture with additional material.  If you have nonnative students in the class, they can be a wonderful resource.  Encourage them to talk frankly about their experiences in different countries, their language problems, and their views about different cultures’ communication practices.  Students who have traveled abroad can also add to the discussion.  If your area has a company with an executive responsible for cultural diversity in the workplace, inviting him or her to speak is another idea.

The questions at the end of the chapter are designed to generate discussion and to stress the text highlights.  And the application exercises help students practice communicating with nonnatives.
Text Summary, Lecture Outline
Importance of Cross-Cultural Communication
Slide 2-3
Technological advances have made doing business more global.  Large and small companies now have both employees and customers in other countries.

By understanding customers from other cultures better, we will be better able to design products and services that fit their needs.

Successful communication across cultures improves productivity and creates a comfortable workplace.

Finally, communicating with those from other cultures enriches not only the business but also one’s personal life.

This slide can be used for an interactive discussion.  Ask students to give examples they know of that support each of the points given here.

You may want to ask students to give examples of times they were embarrassed in a cross-cultural situation or tell an anecdote of your own to break the ice. Did they misunderstand someone’s accent or what someone was saying? Did they accidentally offend someone from another culture?

On the positive side, ask students if they’ve ever had a close personal or professional relationship with a person from another culture. What communication challenges arose? What did they gain from the relationship?

Another entertaining possibility for discussion is sharing some famous, humorous international gaffes that politicians have made when communicating with leaders of other countries. The class can bond over these, since some are well-known, and it adds a little laughter and familiarity to new material.



Slide 2-4
You can use this slide to open up a rich discussion about culture.  Ask students if they agree with Dutch sociologist Geert Hofstede’s definition of culture.  Better yet, ask them to write down their own definitions of culture before sharing this slide and then compare and contrast.
Slide 2-5
You can use this slide to help students think about the big picture, as the text advises them to do.  Students are often too quick to zero in on particular cultures’ habits and traits, which students are likely to view as peculiar or to misunderstand, unless seen in the larger context of the culture’s history, location, and so forth.  Help students appreciate the wide variety of cultures out there—and also the similarities across cultures that enable businesspeople from these various cultures to work together.
Slide 2-6
The three major factors that affect culture are topography, history, and religion.  Chapter 2 contains an in-depth discussion on each of these.

For students not able to see these on a macro, international level across cultures, it may be helpful to look at them on a micro, personal level.

Have them consider, for a moment, their own hometowns and states. How was the culture there influenced by topography, such as the tourist-trap lake community or isolated farm community?

What was the town’s or city’s history and how did it influence collective thinking and beliefs?

What were the different religions and how did they impact the overall culture?  For instance, how did religious beliefs affect collective thinking, politics, relationships, attitudes towards marriage, entertainment, and the arts?

This discussion may help U.S. students understand that even within their own classroom every person has a slightly different cultural perspective. This can open their minds to broader cross-cultural thinking.
Slide 2-7
Using examples from the book, your own experience, and your students’ experiences, discuss the different meanings of various body positions and movements across cultures:

Gestures frequently have very different meanings from one culture to another.

Eyes are used differently in some cultures.  What seems like a stare to one may seem appropriate to another.

Touching and handshaking practices and preferences vary by culture too.



Even facial expressions such as smiles and raising of the eyebrows communicate differently across cultures.

See if students can think of examples of other physical signs whose meanings might be miscommunicated across cultures.
Slide 2-8
The text gives more examples of how meanings of these physical parts/acts can vary across culture.

A fun class activity at the start of the Chapter 2 lecture is to show this slide after introducing the chapter, and have students “meet and greet” using one of the handshakes. (You can call this the “cross-cultural cocktail party” without cocktails.) Particularly since it’s the beginning of the course, it’s a great opportunity for students to get to know each other and bring the material to life. The student on the receiving end guesses if the handshake is French, American, British, etc. and returns one of his or her own.

Or you can use the activity to gracefully end the lecture and transition into group work.
Slide 2-9
Here, too, use examples to heighten students’ awareness that many factors of human relationships that they assume are universal (and therefore “normal”) are not.

Time is one factor businesspeople need to understand.  Some cultures, such as the Germans, believe in precise punctuality.  Other cultures have a much more relaxed attitude toward time, not valuing punctuality highly.

Space use differs across cultures.  Some cultures view space as belonging to all, and others believe in personal space.  One from a culture where space belongs to all might not recognize that he or she is violating the personal or intimate space of someone from another culture.

Odors also carry different messages in different cultures.  While one culture may value body odors, another culture may value covering them up.  As the text states, “Americans work hard to neutralize body odors or cover them up and view those with body odors as dirty and unsanitary.  On the other hand, in some Asian cultures people view body odors not as something to be hidden but as something that friends should experience.”

Frankness variations can also impede communication.  The directness that one person may view as appropriate may seem too abrupt and unfriendly to someone else.

Social hierarchy can influence communication practices. In some cultures, strict social classes exist. A person from one culture may quiz a person from another culture to determine that person's class status. Questions concerning occupation, income and title may even be asked. This can be offensive to some cultures. Also, some Americans immediately call people by their first names, a practice offensive to the Germans and English.




Workplace Values. Works ethics and values vary across cultures. Many Americans, for instance, have a Protestant work ethic that puts work before pleasure. In Spain, business is more relaxed, more emphasis is placed on human relationships, and there is a general view that planning can be futile.

Expression of emotion can be causes of miscommunication.  For example, the display of public affection may be acceptable behavior in one culture and totally unacceptable in another.

You may want to ask students to think of times when they felt surprised by a cross-cultural interaction because of one of these factors or share one of your own anecdotes.

These may be interesting points of discussion, assuming that cultural sensitivity and the diversity of the classroom is taken into account.
Slide 2-10
Before moving on to the second main topic of the chapter, you might pause to take a closer look at the three Communication Matters boxes that present different frameworks for understanding cultures.

Edward Hall’s framework (page 33) has been challenged but seems to have value as a general interpretive tool.  To help students understand the “high-context/low-context” idea, you might have them recall and share communication situations they’ve experienced in which much of the background could be assumed (as when talking with a close friend) and those in which very little could (as when talking with someone of a different age or with very different frames of reference).

Geert Hofstede’s work on cultural difference (see page 34) is widely known and applied.  As you explain each dimension, invite students to validate or challenge these with their own experiences.  When you’ve covered the whole list, ask if anyone can think of additional dimensions that might be added.

Richard Lewis’s framework (page 35) might actually be one possible answer to this question, since his model arguably addresses a dimension that Hofstede leaves out.  Ask students what they think about the usefulness of Lewis’s concepts.

The overall point is that no one has a comprehensive, foolproof device for analyzing cultures—these are just interpretive aids.  As the executive quoted in the box on Hofstede says, such aids are helpful but crude; one must ultimately assess each situation and each communication partner on one’s own.
Slide 2-11
The “Effects on Business Communication” segment of this chapter (page 36) discusses these issues in-depth. Students should understand that there is no formula for communication when conversing across cultures.

The textbook was written for U.S. readers, so guidelines for writing messages may not apply to all cultures. For instance, the British prefer a direct approach to negative messages whereas the U.S. prefers to soften news before delivering. Asian cultures may view our communication style as “too direct.”
Even social networking preferences vary from culture to culture.



Problems of Language
Slides 2-12, 2-13, 2-14, 2-15
This slide identifies some of the problems the language imposes on communication across cultures.  It can be used to introduce the specific examples in slides 2-13 to 2-23.

Lack of language equivalency: A lack of language equivalency is a contributing factor to miscommunication.  Across the planet, people use more than 3,000 languages. Because few of us can learn more than one or two other languages well, problems of miscommunication are bound to occur in international communication.

Different cultures have different concepts, experiences, and views. For example, our word supermarket may have no equivalent translation because there is no need for it if such stores do not exist.  Similarly, Italians have over 500 words for types of pasta since it is important to their experience.

Sometimes words have no equivalent because the language has no equivalent part of speech. This is often true of gerunds, adjectives, and adverbs.

Multiple meanings of words: Adding to these equivalency problems is the problem of multiple word meanings. Like English, other languages have more than one meaning for many words. The Oxford
English Dictionary uses over 15,000 words to define what. Unless one knows a language well, it is difficult to know which of the meanings is intended.

Two-word verbs: One of the most difficult problems for nonnative speakers of English is two-word verbs. This is defined as wording consisting of 1) a verb and 2) a second element that, combined with a verb, produces a meaning that the verb alone doesn't have. Examples include break up, break away, and break down.

Slang/colloquialisms and culturally derived words/phrases: Within a culture, certain manners of expression may also be used in a way that their dictionary translations and grammatical structures do not explain.

See if students can link the examples on slide 2-13 to the country/culture of the language from which the examples come.  Help them see that language is an index to the values and practices of a culture. Why might we not have any equivalency in the U.S.?

For slide 2-14, ask students to consider why other cultures may not have these English words. For slide 2-15, ask students to consider how certain English expressions might be interpreted by other cultures.



Slides 2-16, 2-17
Multiple meanings of words contribute to the language problem. As the Communication Matters box on page 37  points out, some U.S. advertisers have learned this the hard way when their formerly effective product slogans were translated into other languages.

Use the simple examples on this slide to sensitize students to the many meanings that some words can have.

One technique used to overcome these problems in important messages is called “back translating.” It involves using two translators: each having first language and second language skills in opposite relevant languages.
Slide 2-18
Two-word verbs often create difficulties for nonnatives.  Two-word verbs combine a verb and a second word to create a meaning that the verb alone does not convey.  Taking care to substitute a more easily understood word or phrase—as this slide illustrates—improves the communication.
Slides 2-19, 2-20, 2-21, 2-22
Culturally derived words also impede communication.  Avoiding slang expressions, American idioms, and colloquialisms will help immensely.  Nonnatives have often learned English from dictionary meanings, and they have trouble discriminating between the different shades of meanings that we give words.

See if students can think of additional problematic examples beyond those on these slides and then replace them with more cross-culturally friendly substitutes.

For slide 2-22, ask students to guess the meanings of these idioms from other cultures to develop some empathy for nonnative speakers in the U.S.
Slide 2-23
Sometimes companies make blunders in international business through their products, practices, and words.

You might ask students to share their own examples of funny blunders experienced by marketers attempting to reach across cultural boundaries. 

Also, consider asking students why they think this occurs. Did the marketing departments and advertising agencies just not do their research? What do they think happened? Researching the reasons for some of these famous incidents before the lecture helps complete the discussion.



Advice for Communicating Across Cultures
Slide 2-24
Do your research. The Internet makes it so easy to find out about other cultures that there is no excuse for not doing so if one anticipates a cross-cultural communication event.  But more in-depth research may be necessary.  Discuss other good sources of information.

Know yourself and your company.  It is tempting to prepare for a cross-cultural experience only by studying the culture of the “other” country.  But we all know that company cultures vary widely even in one country—and people in other countries may have certain stereotypical views of us.  You might discuss ways to analyze one’s company culture and one’s own values and communication styles in order to be a more aware, agile communicator.

Be aware—and wary—of stereotypes. The word stereotypes has acquired a negative connotation over the years, especially as we have become more appreciative of diversity of all kinds.  But stereotypes can be handy interpretive devices.  After all, most of them have arisen because of perceived similarities or patterns, so they often have some predictive value.  But the sensitive cross-cultural communicator is quick to alter the stereotype in the face of contrary evidence.  Not to do so would be lazy and even unethical.

Adapt your English to your audience.  Many nonnative English speakers have an amazing grasp of the English language.  Even so, certain features of our discourse can give them undue trouble.  To maximize your chances of being understood, follow the advice listed here and on earlier slides.

Be open to change.  Businesspeople are goal oriented, and that sometimes makes them plow ahead when they should be listening and reflecting.  Cross-cultural communication is an opportunity to grow as a person, a businessperson, and a world citizen.  An open, flexible attitude will help you reap these benefits.

That being said, intercultural businesspeople do sometimes encounter indefensible business practices.  Have an honest discussion with your class about examples of these and explore possible solutions.
Slide 2-25
This slide presents an excellent opportunity for students to follow the advice on cross-cultural communication and “know themselves.”  Consider forming a quick self-test based on the three theoretical frames of communication in your text, and discussed on slide 2-10, and have students discover their own communication styles.
Resources
Slides 2-26, 2-27, 2-28, 2-29, 2-30
Many resources are available for learning about other cultures and for help with other languages.  Figure 2-3 on page 42 lists some of the best of these.

These last slides show five helpful computer-based tools.  Travlang has a wealth of assistance, from a translation program to a currency converter to world facts (you can zoom into the links on the left to explore these).

Word comes with its own built-in translation program (the slide shows a brief email in English translated into French).

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