No.2-01 business context 商务英语 教学课件.ppt

Background of International Business Communication Chapter 2: 国际商务沟通环境 Contents Objective What do you obtain from this chapter? Understanding the roles that cultural systems and social customs play in communicating interculturally in business settings. Understand how cultural differences in making introductions, identifying position and status, dining, tipping and giving gifts may affect intercultural business communication. Culture Context What is culture? Culture deals with the way people live and is the structure through which the communication is formulated and interpreted. The following systems are found in all cultures: economic, political, legal, educational and linguistic systems. Culture Context Culture context: Anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theory of high- and low-context culture helps us better understand the powerful effect culture has on communication. A key factor in his theory is context. This relates to the framework, background, and surrounding circumstances in which communication or an event takes place. High-context cultures High-context cultures (including much of the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and South America) are relational, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative. People in these cultures emphasize interpersonal relationships. Developing trust is an important first step to any business transaction. These cultures are collectivist, preferring group harmony and consensus to individual achievement. And people in these cultures are less governed by reason than by intuition or feelings. Words are not so important as context, which might include the speaker’s tone of voice, facial expression, gestures, posture—and even the person’s family history and status. High-context cultures High-context communication tends to be more indirect and more formal. Flowery language, humility, and elaborate apologies are typical. A Japanese manager explained his culture’s communication style to an American: “We are a homogeneous p