The Communication Process

Understanding the dynamics of Cross Cultural Communication

 The Communication Process
Cultural communications are deeper and more
complex than spoken or written messages. The
essence of effective cross-cultural communication has
more to do with releasing the right responses than
with sending the “right” messages.

—Hall and Hall

 The Communication Process
• Managers spend between 50% and 90% of their time
talking to people
• Managers communicate to:
– Coordinate activities
– Disseminate information
– Motivate people
– Negotiate future plans
 What is Communication?

• Communication describes the process of sharing

meaning by transmitting messages through media
such as words, behavior, or material artifacts.
 The Communication Process
(Exhibit 4-1)

Sender Medium Receiver

Meaning Encode Message Decode Meaning

Noise

Culture

Feedback
 Cross cultural
communication
A Different Language Is not Just a
Dictionary of Words, Sounds, And Syntax.
It is a Different Way of Interpreting
Reality, Refined by the Generations that
Developed the Language.

-- Federico Fellini
Filmmaker and director, Italy
 How Do Cultural Factors Pervade the
Communication Process?
• “Culture not only dictates who talks with whom, and how the
communication proceeds, it also helps to determine how
people encode messages, the meanings they have for
messages, and the conditions and circumstances under which
various messages may or may not be sent, noticed, or
interpreted.
• In fact, our entire repertory of communicative behaviors is
dependent largely on the culture in which we have been
raised.
• Culture, consequently, is the foundation of communication.
And, when cultures vary, communication practices also vary.”
Samovar, Porter, and Jain
As markets turn borderless and become integrated
– The companies have to compete not only with
domestic counterparts but also with other
international players

Marketers need to:

• Recognize the differences in customs & Values
• Design the whole marketing mix accordingly in order to be
acceptable and successful in the global scenario
 Cross-cultural factors

Cross-cultural factors that affect marketing strategies

abroad

VALUES
PRODUCT PREFERENCES
LANGUAGE
SYMBOLS
 Languages
• Provide the means of communicating the customs and beliefs
of culture

• Awareness of meanings and dialects is very important while

dealing in foreign markets
– Coca-Cola in China “ke kou ke la”- Bite the wax tadpole
“ko kou ko le”- The mouth rejoice

PepsiCo in Asian Countries, NOVA in Spain (GM)

 Bing
• Global internet search engine Bing experienced a slight
problem after their launch in China
• ‘Bing’ in Mandarin Chinese sound like
– ‘illness’ or ‘pancake’
• Therefore, the company changed the name to ‘Biying’
– In reference to the longer Chinese expression
‘you qui bi ying’ which translates as ‘seek and ye shall find’
 Cultural sensitivities
• An aftershave for men, which was marketed in the Middle
East in the 1970s, depicted a picture of a pastoral scene
featuring a man and his dog.
– However, the product dramatically failed in Islamic
countries, where dogs are considered unclean
• A golf ball manufacturing company packaged golf balls in
packs of four to promote their ease of purchase in Japan.
– Unfortunately, the pronunciation of the word ‘four’ in
Japanese sounds like the word ‘death’, and thus items
which are packaged in ‘fours’ are very unpopular.
 Tabling a motion
• US and British negotiators found themselves at an unexpected
impasse when the American company proposed that they
‘table’ particular key points.
• In the U.S.
– ‘tabling a motion’ means to not discuss it
• Whilst the same phrase in Great Britain means to
– ‘bring it to the table for discussion’
 Colour Associations

PURPLE CHINA- QUALITY,

LATIN AMERICA-DEATH
BLUE HOLLAND- FEMINITY
USA, SWEDEN- MASCULINITY
RED GERMANY- UNLUCKY
DENMARK, CHINA- POSITIVE
GREEN MALAYSIA- SICKNESS
WHITE INDIA- MOURNING
USA- PURITY
 Symbols
• Two Elephants- Africa
• Moon in China
• Number 4 in Japan
• Triangle- Negative in Hong Kong, Korea &
Taiwan, Positive- Columbia
• Owl- Wisdom in USA, bad luck in India
Application of cultural insights to marketing

HSBC
• Headline
– MEXICO - Wards off hunger
– INDIA - Wards off evil
• Subhead
– Never underestimate the
importance of local
knowledge
Whatever the culture, there’s a tongue in our head.
Some use it, some hold it, and some bite it. For the
French it is a rapier, thrusting in attack; the English,
using it defensively, mumble a vague and confusing
reply; for Italians and Spaniards it is an instrument
of eloquence; Finns and East Asians throw you with
their constructive silence. Silence is a form of
speech, so don’t interrupt it.
-- Richard D. Lewis
Communications consultant, UK
 Terms in Communication

• Intercultural communication is when a member of

one culture sends a message to a member of another
culture.
• Attribution is the process in which people look for
the explanation of another person’s behavior.
 Cultural Variables Affecting Communication

• Attitudes: attitudes underlie the way we behave and

communicate and the way we interpret messages from other
people. Ethnocentric attitudes are a particular source of noise
in cross-cultural communication.
• Social Organization: our perceptions can be influenced by
differences in values, approach, or priorities relative to the
kind of social organizations to which we belong.
• Thought Patterns: The logical progression of reasoning varies
widely around the world. Managers cannot assume that
others use the same reasoning processes.
 Cultural Variables Affecting Communication
(contd.)

• Roles: societies differ considerably in their perception of a

manager’s role. Much of the difference is attributable to their
perception of who should make the decisions and who has
responsibility for what.
• Language: Spoken or written language is a frequent cause of
miscommunication, stemming from a person’s inability to
speak the local language, a poor or too-literal translation, a
speaker’s failure to explain idioms, or a person missing the
meaning conveyed through body language or certain symbols.
 Cultural Variables Affecting Communication
(contd.)

• Nonverbal Communication: behavior that

communicates without words (although it often is
accompanied by words).
• Time: another variable that communicates culture is
the way people regard and use time.
• Monochronic time systems – time is experienced in a
linear way
• Polychronic time systems – tolerate many things occurring
simultaneously and emphasize involvement with people.
 High Context
• Feelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressed
• Meaning is found in the general understanding of the
other person and their surroundings
• Most communication takes place within a context of
extensive information networks resulting from close
personal relationships
 Low Context
• Feelings and thoughts are expressed n words, and
information is more readily available
• Normally these cultures compartmentalize their
business and personal relationships
 Forms of Nonverbal Communication

• Facial expressions
• Body posture
• Gestures with hands, arms, head, etc.
• Interpersonal distance (proxemics)
• Touching, body contact
• Eye contact
 Forms of Nonverbal Communication
(contd.)

• Paralanguage (voice pitch and inflections, rate of

speech, and silence)
• Color symbolism
• Attitude toward time and the use of time in business
and social interactions
 Cultural Noise
• Cultural Noise – cultural variables that undermine
the communication of intended meaning
• Intercultural communication – when the member of
one culture sends a message to a member of another
culture
• Attribution – the process in which people look for an
explanation of another person’s behavior
Cultural Noise
 Cultural Variables - Language

Britain and America are two nations separated by a common language.

- George Bernard Shaw