Part 7 (1/2)

Despite popular claims that 70 percent of all information is processed by means of nonverbal unconscious channels, the ability to speak and interact in the language of your business partner is h this book is about nonverbal couistic abilities cannot be discounted Language is not only the product of culture but also its best transe, you beco Soes also seee III who purportedly spoke to his horse in German, his cook in French and his lover in Italian

It seee is shared, cultural communication runs uistic abilities can i and Feely (2008) reviewed the topic of language barriers and their iuistic abilities are widely used in organizations as a source of power and means of advancee is also an influential in-group/out-group marker: are you one of us or one of the or breaking boundaries in organizations It can either reinforce existing links and maintain alliances, or impair relationshi+ps and ie skills are siestures and their interpretations much more Sometimes it is not words, but rather the manner in which they are spoken and what accoh and eotiations, body language is the source of information to be taken into account

Still, there is a way tosimultaneous translators These are the interame And they are ever in derowth of the European coeneral So we need people to translate Czech into Dutch, Finnish into Portuguese, and Polish into Greek, for example

Translators of the written word are often scholars, but translators of speech need to be actors as well They have various tasks Soreat leader” So, in the old days it was not uncommon to see the American and Russian translators just behind their bosses, subtly, ”sotto voce” and al their ly, the leaders did not look at their co-linguist informants They smiled, nodded and nonverbally looked at their opposite nu said, but so irony, and if so, how is it translated? Americans cannot understand British irony, understatement or humour Hoould a translator convey these? Watch a dubbed favorite s well but quality of voice is crucial The chuckle, the sardonic laugh, characteristic patterns get changed and it makes a difference

It is no wonder, therefore, that presidents look at each other while translators whisper in their ears What is being said is important, but no less than how and when it is said And for s are lost in translation than what they do not want, understand or intend is transmitted

Cultural values and motivations

In the updated version of their classic book, Hofstede and Hofstede (2005) proposed five ation tools around cultural differences: individualishand loer distance; fe and weak uncertainty avoidance; and long- or short-terain a snapshot view into values and drives of a particular society Once you knohere the country stands on these dimensions, you can deal with the members of the culture more successfully, anticipate their expectations, appreciate their values, and adjust your verbal and nonverbal behavior in a timely and appropriate manner

Individualismcollectivism This refers to the extent to which the society places importance on individual values and benefits or those of the extended group (see Table 44)

Working practices of individualist countries:Speaking one's hly valued

Healthy debate is encouraged between all ardless of position or status

Communication is ”low context”: what is meant needs to be verbalized, not left to conjecture

Silence in a conversation is looked upon as ”socially inadequate”

Conflict of interest is generally not appropriate and should be stated before any work is begun

Workplace relationshi+ps are based on the idea of ”business transaction”

TABLE 44 Countries' score on the Individualis practices of low individualism (collectivist) countries:A 'one for all and all for one' attitude

Doing business in collectivist countries usually involves building personal ties and relationshi+ps and earning trust

Direct confrontation should be avoided; social hariance to the family and its interests is valued more than self-interest

Consequently, practices of nepotish often outlawed, still exist and influence decision-ree

Co behind the communication is derived from the social context and situation

Silence in social situations is acceptable

The individualishtforward application to, for exa piece of research showed that people froiven task was defined in teroal and each member worked anonymously, while a similarly defined task resulted in decreased output by employees from individualist countries These people perfor individually and their nized These conditions were, on the other hand, counterproductive for employees from collectivist countries It is clear that people are motivated differently, and should be assessed and rewarded accordingly Thus, Hofstede and Hofstede (2005) point out that roups”, while governance in individualistic societies is ”ement of individuals”

TABLE 45 Countries' score on Power Distance diion of the world Power distance index This concerns such work features as decision- style, status, power sy practices of high-power-distance countries:Structured, vertical hierarchies

Autocratic decision- style

Superiorsubordinate relationshi+ps are highly unequal, both in terms of pay and of status

Greater and closer supervision is expected

Possessions ai practices of loer-distance countries:Flat hierarchies

Consultative decision-ap between salaries of top and loorkers is small

Discretionary autonomy in work tasks, less supervision

Expensive ed

A country's position on this dimension is especially useful when one needs to choose an appropriate level of contact in foreign organizations It can also be helpful to determine what kind of support and authority is expected froement in different countries One can see power distance in the way people of different rank address each other Power is usually manifested nonverbally Dress often is a very clear indicator of rank

MasculinityFeree of distinction or overlap between ender roles (see Table 46) Masculinity is defined by such qualities as being tough, forceful and concerned about material possessions, while fe and concerned about quality of life

Working practices of masculine countries:Concern for work

Merit-based rewards

Conflict is resolved through co

assertiveness, ahly desirable traits

”Live to work” attitude

Working practices of feminine countries:Concern for people

Needs-based rewards

Coht when in conflict