Read the following text and compare your ideas with the information from

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 455.

Discussion.

Unit 6 Multicultural and Global Communication

Terms

non-discriminatory language

sexist words

to stereotype

derogatory labels

slang

patronising attitude

non-biased attitude

Answer the following questions.

· How do cultural differences affect business communication?

· What are the principal barriers to effective cross-cultural business communication?

· How can these barriers be eliminated?

· What factors make global business communication possible and necessary?

· What are the strategies for effective global business communication?

the text.

Technological progress and fiber-optic global connections are changing the way companies do business. Many companies outsource (transfer processes to a service provider) and offshore (move part or all of a business operation outside the home country) to lower costs and be competitive. These practices and e-commerce (buying and selling via the Internet) have greatly expanded the need for effective communication across a wide range of cultures.

A multicultural business environment needs communicating with colleagues and business clients who represent a variety of cultures. Culture has more than one definition. It means the customary beliefs, social norms, values, material traits, and behavior patterns which go from generation to generation that characterize groups of people. Cultural background affects how individuals communicate and how they interpret messages received from others.

Cultural background affects how individuals view the world, what they value, and how they interact with others. There are 5 basic cultural dimensions: ethnicity (traditions), race, gender, age, and physical disability. Besides, organizations such as corporations have behavioral expectations, values, and patterns of operation that are referred to as organizational or corporate culture.

The culture of organizations defines shared values and behavioral expectations. Organizational culture includes values, beliefs, assumptions, behavior patterns, norms, customs, rituals, and symbols that represent the company's vision and its expectations of employees.

To learn adapt to the corporate culture, means to know the company's formal purpose, philosophy, and standards of conduct. One should listen to others in the organization and observe how employees behave formally and informally.

Leaders of an organization influence what is valued and expected. Many company websites display a formal statement of corporate values and standards of business conduct (also called a code of ethics). The Microsoft website, for example, uses the phrase “Great People with Great Values.”

Ethnic is a national or racial group of people. Race is defined as people with one language, history, and characteristics or who have specific physical characteristics.

Race and ethnicity are not clearly defined, so someone may label you in a way that you find inaccurate and offensive. Such labeling can be a barrier to communication. Cultural variations in backgrounds and experience as well as language or physical characteristics affect communication.

Gender is another important dimension of diversity. Within cultural groups, societal expectations affect how men and women interact with one another. For example, in the Middle East holding hands in public is considered proper behavior between friends of the same sex but not between individuals of the opposite sex. Cultural attitudes toward the appropriate roles of men and women vary markedly throughout the world.

Although not always true, men and women tend to communicate in different

ways. Historically, in the United States and some other countries, society expected

men to make decisions and to use language to set independence and maintain group position; women were to be supporting and use language to create connections and relationships. These cultural tendencies sometimes continue in everyday business communication.

2. Comprehension questions.

1. What made multicultural communication a must in modern business?

2. What does a multicultural business environment call for?

3. How does the notion of culture include? How does it affect communication?

4. What is a corporate culture?

5. Who and what affect corporate culture?

6. How to adapt to a corporate culture?

7. What are ethnics and race?

8. How is labeling ethnical groups so widely-spread?

9. Is gender important in multicultural communication? Why?

10. Do all nations in the world have the same roles for men and women? Give examples.

Pair work. Age Diversity

Individuals' ages and stages of life affect not only how they see the world

around them and what they value but also how others see them. Cultures associate different ages with special roles in society.

Match the following age stages with their proper roles in society.

3. Fill in the blanks with the phrases below. Translate the text.

There are many communication barriers in interacting with people from other cultures. Barriers include cultural relativism, ethnocentrism, lack of knowledge and understanding of other cultures, discriminatory behaviors such as harassment, and language differences.

Cultural relativism is judging what is right and wrong in another culture by (1)________.

Ethnocentrism is the inherent belief that your own cultural traditions and values are correct and superior. People around the world are ethnocentric to a degree. However, as you study different cultures, recognize that (2)________ but that different ways can be equally correct.

Though individuals representing other culture are not alike, (3)________ a limited knowledge of cultural diversity. Numerous resources describe common characteristics of different cultures. Interacting with and (4)________ help dispel stereotypes.

Discrimination is showing favoritism toward or negative feelings to people because of differences, (5)________ because of their gender, age, religion, nationality or disability.

Sexual harassment is unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature or with sexual overtones. It may occur for men as well as women. The victim of sexual harassment should make it clear that (6)________. A victim of continued offensive behavior should report the harassment to the proper person in the organization.

An increase in (7)________ language challenges. When organizations communicate with large numbers of people who speak languages other than English—employees, clients, customers, suppliers, and government personnel—misunderstandings can occur. Most product directions are printed in more than one language, and universal symbols are commonly used as road signs. Some words have (8)________ in different countries and cultures. Some words and phrases are difficult to translate from one language to another. One can become an effective multicultural communicator if one follows a few simple guidelines:

- understanding your own culture,

- keeping an open mind and respecting differences,

- adapting to cultural communication patterns,

- identifying language differences can improve multicultural interactions.

a. … different meanings and connotations

b. …. offensive comments or actions are unwelcome

c. … people often form stereotypes which result from

d. … when they do not hire or promote employees

e. … there is not just one right or wrong way

f. … multicultural interactions presents

g. … the standards of your own culture

h. … learning more about individuals within a culture