Language and communications in

international management

Cross-Cultural Management06/03/2012

Johannes, Thuy, Krasimira and Wilko

Model of Communication

Sender/Reciever Culture 1

Sender/Reciever Culture 2

Frame of Reference:KnowledgeExperienceNorms/ValuesAssumptions

Frame of Reference:KnowledgeExperienceNorms/ValuesAssumptions

Key communication filters

Message intended

Message intended

Message received

Message receivedLANGUAGES – verbal,

non- verbal

STYLES – of thinking and communicating

STEREOTYPES

RELATIONSHIPs

Message

Communication Filters

Use of language: verbal non-verbal Styles of thinking and communicating

› Context (low and high context)› Directness (straight forward, or imply, suggest matter)› Face (keeping up relationship)

Stereotypes Management of relationships

Barriers to Intercultural Communication

Anxiety Assuming Similarity

instead of Difference

Ethnocentrism Stereotypes and

Prejudice

Communication within ABC MSC

ABC MSC – a wholly owned Japanese subsidiary in Malaysia of ABC Corporation

Lenartowicz and Johnson (2007) consider that PCNs posses better knowledge of the company and a broader expertise

Kobrin (1998) indicates that the main role of an expatriate manager is to establish the culture and values of the multinational

70% of division heads are Japanese expatriates

Harmony, trust and confidence – essential attributes for business relations in Asia

Broways and Price (2010) talk about commitment for life and loyalty as part of Japanese culture

Little or moderate influence on decision-making and autonomy on work

The issues concerning the communication in ABC MSC

How employees redress their grievance The company faces problem with high

turnover rate There is no union to represent the

voice of local employees The relations between local employees

and Japanese expatriates

LEMMA BEFORE THE INTEGRATION

A French industrial multinational company.

Adopted growth-by-acquisition strategy.

Top management positions are French.

The organization culture was strongly

influenced by the French national culture.

The way people communicate within Lemma

High power distance- One-way communication

style- Indifference to the opinions

of employees- Unwilling to question bosses. High context culture- Implicit and indirect

communication- Overall situation is of greater

importance- Restricted information

THE USE OF NATIONAL LANGUAGE

Official language used: French

Highest executive managers: required to master French

Ethnocentric approach

-> A barrier to global development

PROS AND CONS FOR INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT?

PROS:- High level of mutual support within

network- Easy consensus in decision and

implementation CONS- Ambiguous mechanism- Difficult participation of new arrivals

LEMMA AFTER THE INTEGRATION

Increase in size Anglo-Saxon influence-> Induce changes in the way of

communication and management: More formalized and explicit

procedures Direct and consultative communication

style

Conclusion

Communication in int. environment can be complicated and misleading

Cultural and sub cultural differences Language is more than just speaking Communication filters & barriers Unawareness and missing skills can

lead to misunderstanding, dissatisfaction, indignation and consequently failure

Conclusion

Regular trainings for employees of all staff levels

Development of a acceptable “corporate culture” (language, behavior, norms & values…)

Proper research about other and own cultural and communicational characteristics

Recommendations for a successful interaction between different cultures

References

Browayes, M-J. & Price, R. (2011). Understanding Cross-Cultural Management, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.Jandt, F.E. (2010). An Introduction to Intercultural Communication – Identities in a Global Community, London: Sage.Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G.J and Minkov, M. (2010) Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind, intercultural cooperation and its importance (3rd edition) London: McGraw-Hill Lenartowicz, T. and Johnson, J. P. (2007) Staffing managerial positions in emerging markets: a cultural perspective, International Journal of Emerging markets, 2 (3), pp.207-214 Nigam, R. et al. (2009) Subsidiaries of developed country multinationals in an emerging country: a cultural perspective, Global Journal of flexible systems management, 10 (4), pp.33-44 Thomas, D. C. (2008) Cross-cultural management: essential concepts (2nd ed.) Los Angelis: Sage Publications.

Questions

1. Is it possible to find a balance between being aware of cultural differences and not being stereotypical at the same time?

2. Which non-verbal communication gestures from your culture could lead to difficulties in intercultural encounters?

3. To what extent can different management styles influence the communication in a company?