Citizenship in the Global Village
It's far more common today to interact in the global environment than it was just a decade ago, and the trend is expected to increase. There are a number of challenges in dealing with people from different nations, with different languages, cultures, and morays.
One of the primarily obstacles is language. While English is a standard in international business, native speakers often don't consider the limitations faced by non-native speakers.
- Accents can be an obstacle, as can idioms and figures of speech and jargon. It's important to speak clearly and in plain terms in order to make yourself understood.
- Humor is often lost in translation, and what's "funny" in one culture may be offensive in others.
- Nonverbal communication, especially things such as gestures, eye contact, personal space, etc. may differ greatly from culture to culture
- The pace of communication varies. In some cultures, interrupting someone is very rude, and there is often a pause before answering a question to demonstrate that they have considered it (it does not indicate confusion or deception, they're merely being polite)
- Valuing different cultures is a fundamental sign of respect - do not assume that the American way is the right way, or the best way, in every instance.
In instances where you can predict doing business with individuals from another culture, study it as much as possible to understand the values and customs.
The author mentions that our own workplace has become more multicultural, with foreigners living and working among us, but provides no specific advice for that situation.
EN: The author's presumption that culture is only to be considered when dealing with foreigners, as well as the reference to "the American way" as if our own nation were one homogeneous culture is telling.