Chapter 5, Business Communication And The Technology Context

Chapter 3 Background to intercultural communication Throughout the business world globalization is well-known Globalization means for a company to survive, it must establish markets not only in its own country but in foreign countries. Therefore, their employees need to understand the cultures and variables to be an effective communicator.

What is Culture? Culture may be defined as the way of life of a people. It includes objects that people make (material culture) as well as language, ideas, beliefs, values, and behaviors (non-material culture). – Language is a very important part of culture. It is the primary means of transmitting culture to the next generation. Language allows us to share understandings – Gestures are used as an extra way to communicate. Gestures, expressed through the body, may show approval, disdain, fear, or any of a range of emotions or expressions without verbalizations – Values and beliefs express our desires in life and can include that which a culture defines as standards. Success, family, ambition, hard work, democracy, freedom are all values which people in certain cultures hold dear. – Norms are the expectations we have for what is right and wrong, good or bad. Norms are social rules for behavior.

Country I CULTURAL OVERLAP Country II

Major Cultural Overlap Core Similarities Little Cultural Overlap

Some Cultural Overlaps

Country IV

Country III

CULTURAL SIMILARITY AND DISSIMILARITY

Country I Country II

Country IV Major Cultural Overlap Core Similarities

Little Cultural Overlap

Country III

National Cultural Variables An entire country may have a series of national cultural norms; individual ethnic groups within that country may accept most of these norms as well as adding there. The main national cultural variables are: – – – – – – –

Education Law and regulation Economics Politics Religion Social norms Language

Individual Cultural Variables All people value their individual freedom, Often this freedom is expressed in one’s own ethnic diversity. These variables include: – – – – – –

Time (Chromenics) Space (Proxemics) Food Acceptable dress Manners Decision making

Business Etiquette while Communicating with Japanese Japanese Greetings In Japan it is custom to greet each other by bowing instead of handshaking. The bow is a very important custom in Japan and bowing the wrong way or not bowing at all can give you a major disadvantage in your dealings with Japanese clients. There are 3 different ways of bowing, depending on the social status or age of the person you bow to. – The lower the bow and the longer one holds the position, the stronger the indication of respect, gratitude and sincerity. – Therefore, it is important that you bow lower than those in a higher position than you Since such respect, gratitude and sincerity for one another is required to build a successful relationship with Japanese colleagues and clients, it is important to understand the custom of bowing When greeting a Japanese for the first time, you are often asked to introduce yourself. In your self-introduction, it is often best to include not only your company information but also something personal about yourself. Also keep in mind that Japanese introduce themselves stating their company before their own name.

Japanese Greetings: Since business cards are a must have when doing business with the Japanese, have double-sided Japanese business cards printed before your visit.

Card Do's: -Always present your business card holding it with both hands Japanese-language side facing forward. Always present your business card to the most senior member of the Japanese party first. Accept Japanese business cards with respect, using both hands and saying "hajimemashite" as you do so. Accepted business cards should be placed on the table in front of you. Keep your business cards in a proper carrying case and treat them with respect. Remember to deliberately and carefully pick up all the Japanese business cards you receive at the end of the meeting.

Business Card Don'ts: -Never play with your Japanese business card.-Never write notes on a Japanese business card. Never immediately put a business card you received in your pocket or bag. Business Meeting and Negotiation

Business Meetings and Negotiations (Slide 1) Always arrive 10 minutes early for a meeting, more if the meeting will be with senior executives Plan an exact agenda for the meeting and make sure to stick to it-Wait to be seated in the meeting room because there is a usually a specific seating arrangement (See diagram above) Present your organization as cooperative and interested in a longrange alliance. Take lots of notes during the meeting as it indicates interest Use visual aids during your presentation. Make sure to watch the Japanese attendants' non-verbal communication. During presentations and especially during negotiations, it is essential that one maintain a quiet, low-key, and polite manner at all times Do not show anger, a bad mood or other negative emotions to your business counterparts Periods of silence lasting between 10-15 seconds during meetins and conversations are considered useful rather than uncomfortable

Business Meetings and Negotiations (Slide 1) Etiquette and harmony are very important. "Saving face" is a key concept. Try to avoid saying "no" and say "this could be very difficult" instead Decisions are usually made only within the group. Outsiders must often gain acceptance before they can have influence on the decision-making process-The decision-making process can be very slow Generally, the Japanese prefer oral agreements to written ones, and should not be pressured into signing documents The first meeting may focus on establishing an atmosphere of friendliness, harmony and trust. Always allow ten minutes of polite conversation before getting down to business It often takes several meetings to develop a contract. When the time comes, be content to close a deal with a handshake .Leave the signing of the contract to future meetings. Contracts can be renegotiated; in Japanese business protocol, they are not final agreements. After the meeting, make sure to follow-up with your Japanese business counterparts through visits, faxes and telephone calls

Business Communication and the Technology Context

Why Managing Information within Organizations? 

The growth of information technology over the past 30 years has transformed the way business is transacted throughout the world.

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Information technology is also changing the conventions of written communication, favoring more direct and informal style and promoting more collaborative types of communication.

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Internationally, the instantaneous availability of information has communicated and influenced social, political, and economic event.

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Each day throughout the world, more than $1 trillion is transferred electronically, and more than $300 billion by foreign exchange transfer.

History of Technological Development

Understanding Internet 

The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities

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Between 1961to 1965, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) started to research sharing information in small, phone-linked networks. This was the beginning of development of Internet.

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In 1991, World-Wide Web was introduced, developed by Mr. Tim Berners-Lee, with assistance from Robert Caillau

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The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world like nothing before.

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The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location.

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The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure.

Email Email and the technologies it has generated are changing the landscape of business communication. The distinguished features of email are: More readily available Interoperable between systems Available world-wide Inexpensive Much better known – reached a critical mass where one can expect others to have an email address  Much easier to use     

Email Etiquettes 

Watch your tone: Avoid being too casual

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Be concise: Long, rambling messages are ineffective

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Send a message only when there is something very important to say

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Forward the email to appropriate address if you are not the intended audience

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Be polite. Do not provoke, insult or comment too much about something that is irrelevant and tasteless.

Other Communication Technologies 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Voice Mail Groupware CD-ROM Databases Teleconferences Faxes

Voice Mail Voice mail has become popular in many offices because it eliminates “telephone tag”  It records a message in a computer disk for later retrieval by the receiver  When an incoming call is not answered, the system guides the caller how to record the message.  The receiver then either listen to the recorded message upon returning to the office or access the message via telephone.

Groupware Groupware allows supervisor to manage workflow of a department via computer It allows several people to use software at the same time to create documents, keep track of projects, route messages, and manage deadlines. Groupware enables a supervisor to manage workflow via individual computers instead of physically moving people from place to place or having face to face meetings.

Business Communication and the Technology Context CD-ROM Databases Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) are very popular data storage device. 

It is a powerful tool for putting masses of information in a form that is easy to digest.

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Some kinds of information typically found on CD-ROMS are encyclopedia, dictionaries, telephone directories, and articles and abstracts on various subjects.

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Multimedia applications, including video, audio, graphics, and text, are making CDROMs storage of information essential.

Teleconference Teleconferencing is the emerging technology that allows group of people not only talk with each other but also see their video images.  Currently video conferencing has problems such as high price tag and poor quality video images on the computer screen.  The technology is, however, continuously being improved with the aid of special software and powerful microprocessors.

Business Communication and the Technology Context Faxes A facsimile machine scans a printed page, converts it to a signal, and transmits the signal over telephone line to a receiving fax machine.  The oldest type of machines had to be connected to a machine of the same type. Today’s fax machines do not require the same kind of machine at the receiving end, and they can transmit a page in less than 1 minute.  The newest fax machines use digital transmission, which makes it possible to use computer program as a receiver. And these new machines are much faster than previous generation machines.

Managing Information Outside Organization News organizations are responsible for most of our knowledge of what goes on in the world

Managing the News Media What we refer to as “the media” are simply channel of information, everything from newspapers, radio, television, magazines, journals, and newsletters. News is generally characterized into two types: Hard News vs. Soft News. – Hard News is out of ordinary, is timely, and is most often public needs to know. Plane crashes and fires are hard news. – Soft News stories are timeless; that is they can be used within a wider framework of time, and most often they have a positive rather than a negative slant.

Within business organizations, hard news includes such things as annual meetings results, quarterly earnings or announcements of a new product. Soft news includes material that can inform or educate readers or viewers about company, its vision in the world, and its community activities.

Managing Corporate News Tools for communicating to the media includes: Press Releases Interviews Conferences Op-Ed Pieces Letters to the Editor Talk Show

Press Release A press release is an information memo from your organization to the news media fto get your message to the public.

Interviews The pitfalls of interviewing can be avoided by careful preparation and knowledge.

Op-Ed Pieces Opinion articles by private organizations can often be found opposite the editorial page in newspapers.

Letter to Editor Letter to the editor must be short, clearly written, and signed. Many letters are written to: – Clarify an issue – Refute a charge – Correct a mistake – Point out needed change – Offer an opinion – Or, react to the situation

Talk Shows Call-in talk shows, whether on radio or television can offer your organization channel for communicating your message to the public. Talk shows are, however, less predictable than aby other kind of media.

Managing Information Through Company Spokespersons Companies often select one person to be the main spokesperson. This strategy allows for a consistent answer, a single contact, and a decrease in response variance. The spokesperson should be a: – Knowledgeable about the company’s overall objectives and strategies. – Well-prepared to speak on issues under consideration. – Comfortable speaking in public and to groups and fielding questions deftly. – Assured of full confidence of the company’s management

News Media Interview Preparation: The Key to a Good Interview 1. Ask about the subject of the interview, the time, what is needed, and the deadline. 2. Write out some brief, positive points about your program/project/event. 3. Anticipate likely questions beforehand, so plan answers. If possible, rehearse answers. 4. For newspaper reporters, background literature is welcomed from the interviewer(s). 5. For a surprise interview situation, take a few minutes to plan message. 6. For a surprise telephone call interview, call right back…after planning an appropriate message/response.

News Media Interview The Interview 1. Answer questions…and bridge to positive points. 2. Be confident; you’re the expert in the interview! 3. Avoid speculation and hypotheticals; it may lead to being misquoted. 4. Avoid technical terms, jargons, and acronyms; only people who are familiar with your program are familiar with your terms. 5. Do not say “no comment.” If you cannot answer, explain why. 6. Do not be afraid to say, “I don’t know…but I will find out for you.” 7 For TV – keep your answers to 20 seconds or less. i. Keep your eyes on the interviewer. ii. Do not fill dead airtime…it’s not your responsibility. iii. Be honest. iv. Assert Yourself!

Business Communication and the Technology Context

END OF THE CHAPTER