Non Verbal Communication during a Trade Meeting in Japan - Assignment Example

Non Verbal Communication Objectives as a leader of the delegation of senior managers to a trade meeting in Japan To be responsible in mediating any misunderstanding between two cultures. 2. To act as the main spokesperson for my team. 3. To ensure that the right message will be delivered to Japanese managers. Practical solution to the situation: Quickly show the video to each team members so that they would have an idea about the differences between Japanese and Western practices. If some managers are away, I can send each of them an online link of the video. From the link, they should be able to know the following: An exploration on the importance of non-verbal communication Presentation about the differences between Japanese and Western managers Presentation of tips on how to prevent nonverbal miscommunication During the meeting, I would make sure that I am able to monitor the entire communication process by listening with my eyes. Once a miscommunication is perceived, then I will be responsible in immediately doing the following: Clarify and answer question about the gesture. Explain what my colleague actually meant Apologize in behalf of the team After the meeting, it would be my responsibility to ensure that everything was clarified by both parties. I will ask the panel of Japanese managers if our team has delivered objectives clearly and appropriately. If their response is well-received then the communication will be a success. FACTS ON NON VERBAL COMMUNICATION I. What is non-verbal communication? Nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the sender and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the receiver  (Samovar et al, 2009).   Nonverbal communication consists of all the messages other than words that are used in communication. In oral communication, these symbolic messages are transferred by means of intonation, tone of voice, vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures, facial expressions or pauses (Besson et. al., 2005). Facts about non-verbal communication: According to the famous linguist Erving Goffman (1959), non-verbal gestures make up to 70% of human communication.  We do not always communicate the same way from day to day, since factors like context, individual personality, and mood interact with the variety of cultural influences we have internalized that influence our choices (Le Baron, 2008). Human beings use non-verbal means to persuade or to control others, to clarify or embellish things, to stress, complement, regulate and repeat verbal expressions. They can also be used to substitute verbal expression, as this is the case with several body gestures (Besson et. al., 2005). Body language is often a reflection of a person’s state of mind. If a person is confident and happy, their body language reflects that (Black, 2008). Generations and generations of ancient tribes made do with non-verbal means of communication --animal-like guttural sounds, gestures, drawings -- to fulfill their requirements before they latched on to a language (Khan, 2001).  Importance of nonverbal communication: It is used to back-up and repeat the verbal message. It is used to emphasize a verbal message. It is used to control the communication. It is used as a substitute for verbal message. Three main categories of non-verbal communication in the cross-cultural context according to Wienchecki (1999): a. Non-verbal behaviors which exist in your own culture and in the target culture which have the same meaning in both cultures. b. Non-verbal behaviors which exist in both cultures, but which are assigned different meanings in the two cultures. c. Non-verbal behaviors which have meaning in one culture but no meaning at all in the target language. Types of Verbal Communication: 1. Kinesics – refers to the body movements in communication e.g. Americans greet each other through handshake while Latin Americans do this through an embrace 2. Proxemics – refers to the use of space in communication e.g. You might not feel comfortable if a stranger speaks too close to you. 3. Paralanguage –  refers to the use of sounds that sometimes do not have a written form  e.g. For Arabs, being loud signifies strength and confidence while for Thais, it can mean anger and impoliteness 4. Chronemics – refers to the use of time in communication e.g. For Westerners, time signifies progress while Easterners view time as something to continuous. II. Other differences on non-verbal communication between Japan & the West (Hooker, 2008) : In Japan, when business cards are given, one should take time to look at it and treat it with respect. Unlike in the West where you can stuff it readily in your pocket, you need to first read what is written on the card and if a higher ranking person gave you the business card, you should hold it at a lower level. It is important that Western managers learn to know the importance of silence during business meeting. Unlike Westerners, Japanese people do not speak their minds at any point in time. Instead, they pause for few moments to rethink about what has communicated. It is best for managers to relax during these encounters. In Japan, it is rather rude to keep an eye contact towards a person, especially if he/she is of higher rank. For Japanese people, looking directly in the eye means you are challenging the other individual. Looking down on a person actually means respect for managers in Japan. Japanese people tend to show blank emotions during communication. They do not want to show their emotions publicly. However, this does not mean that they are not interested with what you are communicating. It just means that they are listening intently and hiding their emotions. In Japan, it is uncommon that you show physical contact with a person whom you meet for the first time. Thus, it can be quite uncomfortable for managers to hug a person. It is best that when in a meeting, a handshake would mean that everything is going well. III. Tips on how to prevent nonverbal miscommunication in Japan a) Japanese society is highly dependent on groups. Most of them rely on facial expression, tone of voice and posture to communicate. b) Most people in Japan use non-verbal messages more often because words can contains a number of meanings. c) In Japanese society, a frown is taken as an expression of disagreement or disapproval. d) It is normal for Japanese people to show no emotions when speaking. e) In Japan, it is not appropriate to stare into the eyes of another person, especially if he/she is higher to you in terms of status and age. f) Expressions such as scratching the eyebrow and back of the head signify confusion or dissatisfaction. g) Most Japanese avoid eye contact when they are in crowded places to give themselves privacy. h) Utilize the time spent in the airplane, to make the managers read and understand how important the non-verbal messages will be, to prevent unwanted situations of misunderstanding. i) Mail the link to the video to the managers, so they can see the video before they arrive in the airport. SOURCES: Black, Jennifer (2008). Facts about Nonverbal Communication. Web. Retrieved from: http://au.smallbusiness.yahoo.com/managing/work-life-balance/a/-/8751871/facts-about-non-verbal-communication/ Besson, Chantal, Daria Graf, Insa Hartung, Barbara Kropfhäusser & Séverine Voisard (2004). The Importance of Non-verbal Communication in Professional Interpretation. Retrieved from: http://aiic.net/ViewPage.cfm/page1662.htm#41 Goffman, Erving (1959). The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday. Khan, Ahmed A. (2001). Nonverbal Communication: Fact and Fiction. Retrieved from http://aiic.net/ViewPage.cfm/page1662.htm#41 Kwintessential. Japan - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/japan-country-profiles.html Hooker, John. (2008). “Cultural Differences in Business Communication”. Web. Retrieved from: http://ba.gsia.cmu.edu/jnh/businessCommunication.pdf Le Baron, Michelle (2003). Cross Cultural Communication. Web. Knowledge Base Essay. Retrieved from: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cross-cultural_communication/ Samovar, Larry A., Porter, Richard E., & McDaniel, Edwin R. (2009). Communication Between Cultures. KY: Cengage Learning. Wiechecki, Barbara (1999) Non-Verbal Communication: Classroom Activities For Raisin Cross-Cultural Awareness. TEFLIN Paper. Read More