Cross-Cultural Communication Studies encompasses ethnic culture and psychology, sociology, and a lot of
cultural diversity in business context, communication cannot be successful unless ethno-psychological identity of
In individualistic cultures people are supposed to look after themselves and their immediate family only,
while in collectivistic cultures, people belong to in-groups of collectivities which are supposed to look after them
on exchange for loyalty. The example of the first culture is presented by Western culture, whereas Eastern culture
is an illustration of the second. This factor is to be taken into consideration in negotiations planning, since an
eastern partner will never be able to take a decision which may lie beyond the interests of his corporation, and will
never speak on his own behalf, whereas the individual achievements of an Western businessman may stipulate his
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risky decisions and possibility to take it independently. At linguistic level it stipulates the use of particular
grammar structures - Active versus Passive, I / we pronouns, etc.
Communication that predominates in the cultures makes the second important criterion of cultural diversity.
A high-context communication, inherent in most Asian cultures, is one in which the most information is
implemented either in extra-linguistic situation of communication or is shared by the communicants, while very
little is coded. A low-context communication takes place in terms of explicit code, like in Germany or the United
States. This may cause the necessity to make certain aspects in business communication, e.g. price negotiations,
more explicit for the western culture and less direct for the Eastern through the use / avoidance of certain direct
grammar constructions and vocabulary.
Cultures with high uncertainty avoidance have a lower tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity, which
expresses itself in higher levels of anxiety and energy release, greater need for formal rules and absolute truth, and
less tolerance for people in groups with deviant ideas or behavior. It was empirically confirmed that in
organizations, workers in high uncertainty avoidance cultures prefer a specialist career and clear instructions,
avoid conflict, and disapprove of competition between employees more than workers in low uncertainty
avoidance cultures. It does not only stipulate the pattern of behavior with businessmen representing these cultures
but also the linguistic strategy in interaction.
Before signing a contract or any other important document, business partners begin communication which
can be written or oral. Oral communication includes telephone calls and of course negotiations. Nowadays almost
all negotiations with foreign business partners are performed in English and the signing or non-signing of contract
depend on it. That is why business correspondence and negotiations should be carried out in appropriate and
correct language. Those involved in business translation, testify that their linguistic challenges are: special
terminology, clichédlexics and its formal register. Still certain linguistic dexterity may not prove efficient under
field conditions when besides language problems the translator in business faces quite newly appreciated
challenge - cultural or psychological one. The necessity to keep certain 'appearances' and observe
conventionalities in international business communication has been acknowledged since the times when success
of a company's extension started to be judged by the number of its foreign affiliations or partners. Power distance
is defined as the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations accept that power as
distributed unequally. Individuals from high power distance cultures accept power as part of the society. Superiors
there consider their subordinates to be different from themselves (Arab cultures). Low power distance cultures
believe that power should be used only when it is legitimate and prefer expert or legitimate power (Western
cultures). This directly influences the use of the certain vocabulary register depending on the level of
communication (horizontal, with peers, or vertical, with subordinates or superiors) and the tone (type of modality,
from orders to mild advice or suggestion).
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