Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette and Communication - Assignment Example

Doing Business in Australia: Cross-Cultural Communication Aspects to Observe and Cross-Cultural Business Etiquette and Communication Executive Summary To meet with a potential business partner in Sidney, Australia, it is important to have an understanding of the business culture and communication style of its occupants. The cultural environment of the city is favorable for establishing a manufacturing base for Say Cheese Company. Generally, the cultural practices of inhabitants of Sidney and Australia as a whole is mainly drawn from the Caucasian ethnic context, since the state is primarily composed of Caucasians of European origin. The Aborigines, being the indigenous occupants of the continent, account for only one percent of the country’s total population. In order to have a fruitful business meeting with the Australians, it is vital to have a clear insight of their culture, communication styles and their behaviors (Schroevers, 2013). Business Etiquettes to Observe when in Australia For Alison McKenzie to make a commendable first impression at the introductory meeting, there are basic etiquettes that she ought to observe. Establishing contacts with the Australian business people is considerably simple. They pay less attention to first creating solid relationships, and are thus open to approaches from outside their business contexts. In general, Australians do not necessarily require a recommendation from a mutual friend to enter into a business agreement with a foreigner. Nonetheless, having such a connection is normally important, since business relationships tend to be personal (Sabath, 2002). Australian business executives are usually very occupied and busy. As such, securing an appointment with them can be a tricky task. To secure a business meeting with them, it is advisable to book an appointment a month prior to the set date. In spite of their busy nature, they are friendly and approachable. Generally, the working hours in the country start from 9AM and ends at 5PM. Thus, when scheduling a business trip, the material day should not fall within their vocational period, which is between December and February. Depending on the organization’s size, appointment proposals are usually submitted via emails and confirmed through telephone calls (Schroevers, 2013). Australians have a dominantly conservative dress code for business visitors. Australian men put on dark suits and ties, while their women while their ladies wear professional dresses or suits. In Australia, the dress code of an organization is dependent upon the climatic environment that the firm is situated (Schroevers, 2013). For that reason, the business attire may be less formal in tropical regions unlike in towns and cities like Brisbane. Instead of being dressed in sport coats and jeans trousers, men ought to strictly put on dark suits and ties. For women, slacks are strictly forbidden (Sabath, 2002). Punctuality is important. Whereas being timely is a practice that is strictly observed across the world, it is worth noting that the Aussies are much reluctant about time management. For a visitor, being a few minutes late for an important meeting, it is often ignored. However, if a person keeps others waiting for over half an hour, it may be treated as contemptuous to the organization or an act of defiance to the business norms and etiquettes (Sabath, 2002). When a foreigner is in attends an Australian business meeting, precision is important in conversations. In as much as small dialogues forms part of the relationship creating process in almost all cultures around the world, it is important to note that utterances are taken at face value in Australia. Getting to the point is therefore valued. Therefore, all conversations must be direct. This is because every word that comes out of an individual within the business Australian business environment is taken literally. The Aussies also expect you to interpret everything they say in the same manner. When discussing business topics with Australians, a foreigner must be accurate and precise. This is because work is viewed by Aussies as necessary evil. As such, the use of complex speech is laborious to Aussies, who prefer talking about other topics to business issues (Schroevers, 2013). When a foreigner is in attending an international meeting it is helpful for the person to know that there are two people who oversee the entire proceeding, the chairman and secretary. The most important and respected individual in a business meeting is always the chairperson. The chairperson is charged with the responsibility of preserving order and offering all the attendants of the conference a fair opportunity to speak. In most cases, it is the president or the CEO of an organization who acts as the chairperson. In some few exceptions, an Australian business meeting may be presided over by a senior staff member or by the individual directly responsible for the project being dealt with. The respectful terms for addressing the chairperson include: Mr. or Madam Chairperson, Mr. Chairman, Madam Chair or Lady Chair (Schroevers, 2013). The secretary also plays a vital role in overseeing business meetings in Australia. Secretaries prepare the agendas for the chairperson, detailing the topics to be discussed at the meeting. At the start of any Australian business meeting, the secretary reads out and circulates minutes of prior meetings, and the chairperson calls for a motion that the ‘minutes be confirmed.’ It is important for the attendants of the meeting to authenticate the correctness of the previous meetings before proceeding to the next agenda. The secretary only puts down in writing the issues that are discussed at a meeting, not events occurring after the conclusion of the meeting (Schroevers, 2013). Schedules are often prepared ahead of time and agendas strictly followed during the proceedings of the meetings (Schroevers, 2013). Aussies generally have a low tolerance for needless interruptions. Mobile phones must be switched off or kept in silent mode when in meetings, since Australians find people who operate their mobile phones in business sessions rude and uncultured (Sabath, 2002). Since the Australians are direct and precise, presentations must be time economical and flawless. Additionally, all the presentations tabled must be in facts and numbers since they are critical thinkers. As a foreigner, one should brace himself for tough questions and give simple and direct answers. Towards the conclusion of any presentation, there should be time for raising questions and addressing them appropriately. Just like it is not commendable to praise oneself in Australia, so is it odd to praise somebody in that country after a superb presentation. This is because Aussies expect everyone to execute their assignments to their level best (Schroevers, 2013). Areas of Cross-Cultural Miscommunication to Observe La Ray Barner highlighted six primary causes of cross-cultural miscommunication. The first cause of cross-cultural miscommunication is the assumption of similarity (Azariadis & Ismail, 2009). The invisible perspective of our native culture makes us assume that our communication and behaving style is similar to how others behave (Christisn, 2000). The second cause of miscommunication is the language difference. In this regard, people speaking the same English language can bring about miscommunication since the same word may have a different meaning in the Australian context. For instance, being stuffed in Australia means you are pregnant, while in US it means you are satisfied. The third cause of cross-cultural miscommunication is non-verbal misrepresentation. Here, people send unintended messages through wordless acts such as body movements and facial expressions (Cassiday & Stringer, 2009). The fourth and fifth factors accounting for cross-cultural miscommunication are preconceptions and stereotypes, and tendencies to evaluate. In the former, oversimplified features are used to judge an individual or group, while the latter is characterized by interpreting messages via our cultural lens. For that reason, we may judge a message as good or bad without a thorough understanding of its real meaning. The final cause of cross-cultural miscommunication is high anxiety. An individuals’ anxiety level can increase due to lack of understanding of what is needed or expected. Further, miscommunication can be an immediate product of being in an anxious state (Cassiday & Stringer, 2009). Appropriate Adjustments When miscommunication is detected, it should be immediately repaired. For example, if an executive supervisor is presiding over a business meeting, he/she can ask the speaker to explain or clarify the points the speaker is talking about. This provides the speaker a chance to mend the miscommunication either by way of reiterating on what he had talked about or by using different explanations and adding extra information (Maude, 2011). In a cross-cultural environment, miscommunication repairs are best undertaken by motivating participants to interrupt the conversations, draw attention to any complex point and seek clarifications. While repair interventions contravene the ‘let it pass’ rule that is widely practiced in common parlance, corrections and clarifications are usually encouraged in the cross-cultural business environment (Maude, 2011). Non-verbal Business Communication In all forms of business negotiations in Sydney, non-verbal communication plays a vital role if complemented with verbal cues. Non-verbal communication includes gestures, body posture, facial expressions touch, eye contact, body distance and kinesics. Gestures and body movements communicate as efficiently and effective as verbal communication. Non-verbal communication in Australia is bound by culture; hence body movements and gestures ought to be interpreted in accordance with the appropriate cultural environment (Teodorescu, 2013). Body language is broadly described as the attitude and aura we create around us and which is viewed long before we utter a word. Since research indicates that we make prior decisions to like someone or not in the first few minutes of interaction, and the first impression is the hardest to change, it becomes obvious that, together with the effective utilization of interpersonal space, body language is an aspect of involuntary behavior with a dramatic influence on the verbal message. All non-verbal communication experts agree that the basics of body language include: Head gestures, body postures, handshake, facial expressions, smiles and eye contacts (Koronka & Dumbrava, 2009). Body posture is one of the first non-verbal communication elements people notice about their interlocutor, and, hence, a very significant influence to first impression. Therefore, walking and standing with, head up, shoulders back, relays a message of self confidence . Additionally, balancing automatically denotes respect, while slouching and drooping shoulders blatantly connotes the direct opposite, irrespective of what the verbal message constitutes. In the Australian business context, it is important for a foreigner to shake hands as a way of greetings since this is a show of respect, since hugging may be interpreted differently in business communication (Koronka & Dumbrava, 2009). References Azariadis, M., & Ismail, J. (2009). An Overseas of the Cross-Cultural Business Negotiation between Malaysia and Australia. Canadian Social Science, 15(4), 129-143. Retrieved from http://www.cscanada.org Cassiday, A.P., & Stringer, M.D. (2009) 52 Activities for Improving Cross-Cultural Communication. Boston: Intercultural Press. Retrieved from http:www.books.google.com Christian, P.J. (2000). A Discourse Analysis Study of Cross-Cultural Differences between French and American Business Professionals in the Workplace. International Communication Studies, 3(2), 98-99. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com Koronka, A., & Dumbrava, G. (2009) Actions Speak Louder than Words: Body Language in Business Communication. Annals of the University of Petrosani-Economics, 9(3), 249- 254. Retrieved from http://www.ebscohost.com Maude, B. (2011). Managing Cross-Cultural Communication: Principles and Practice. New York: Macmillan. Retrieved from http://www.books.google.com Sabath, M.A. (2002). International Business Etiquette: A Guide to Doing Business Abroad. Lincoln: ASJA. Retrieved from http://www.books.google.com Schroevers, S. (2013). Where Cultures Meet: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Business Meeting Styles. Amsterdam: Hogeschool Van Amsterdam. Retrieved from http://www.books.google.com Teodorescu, A. (2013). Non-Verbal Communication in Inter-cultural Business Negotiations. Quality-Access to Success, 14, 259-262. Retrieved from http:www.ebscohost.com Read More