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Министерство образования Российской Федерации Хабаровская государственная академия экономики и права Кафедра делового английского языка

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Учебное пособие

часть 2

Хабаровск 2000

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Много веков потребовалось человечеству, чтобы понять, что способы жизнедеятельности людей, живущих в разных условиях, не могут оцениваться по шкале какой-либо одной страны. Все они адекватны конкретным условиям. Сильный импульс этому прозрению был придан усилением взаимозависимости людей, уплотнением контактов, ускорением темпа общения и коммуникации. В этом ускоряющемся вихре общения столкновения людей, представляющих разные культуры, разные способы решения, в сущности, одних и тех же проблем, стали повседневным явлением.

Экономист-международник должен не только владеть своей специальностью, но и уметь работать с людьми, имеющими различное культурное наследие. Поэтому студентам необходимо приобрести умения и навыки работы в международной среде, а для этого необходимы знания особенностей различных культурных регионов. Эти знания даются в курсе

“Business Communication”. В пособии “Business Communication II”

рассматриваются основные культурные регионы мира, определено влияние культурных особенностей на деловые отношения людей (этот материал не был включен в первую часть пособия, где мы ограничились только рассмотрением Японии).

Вторая часть курса “Business Communication” предполагает знакомство студентов с некоторыми аспектами процесса делового общения на международной арене и особенностями межкультурных барьеров общения. В пособии приведены ситуации из деловой жизни известных компаний, их проблемы и способы решения межкультурных конфликтов. Это помогает студентам подготовиться к решению практических задач, возникающих в практике ведения дел на международной арене. Это повышает мотивацию студентов , осознавая цель изучения и практическое применение предмета, учащиеся занимаются более осознанно и целенаправленно.

PART II

CULTURAL REGIONS

I.NORTH AMERICA

Read the quotations below:

“Everyone a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudice

– just recognize them.”

Edward R. Murrow

“We hate some persons because we do not know them; and will not know them because we hate them.”

Charles Caleb Colton

“We are now at the point where we must decide whether we are to honor the concept of a plural society which gains strength through diversity, or whether we are to have bitter fragmentation that will result in perpetual tension and strife.”

Earl Warren

“When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, “Ours”.

Vine Deloria, Jr.

“There is a tendency to judge a race, a nation or any distinct group by its least worthy members.”

Eric Hoffer

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King, Jr

“The highest result of education is tolerance.”

Helen Keller

1.Respond in the writing to one of the quotations. Then get together in groups and share what you have written.

2.Work with a partner, small group or the entire class to discuss one or more quotations. You may want to agree, disagree, or compare it to similar expressions or sayings in the Russian language.

Read the article:

Melting Pot or Patchwork Quilt: The Challenge of Multiculturalism

On every U.S. coin you find the familiar slogan E pluribus unum, Latin for “one formed by many”. These words are not only a description of American society but also a political ideal, even if a battered and unity is far from being realized.

For decades, the term melting pot was used to describe American society. In this imaginary cauldron, the immigrant’s original national, racial and ethnic characteristics were boiled down, purified, and transformed into a novel identity - that of the American. The melting pot metaphor thus stressed the immigrant

American’s new hybrid form.

However, as we know, American society has historically given greater priority and value to the Anglo-Saxon elements of culture. Those who were farthest from the Anglo-Saxon ideal – African Americans, native Americans, and European Jews, among others – all suffered prejudice and discrimination. It took 100 years, from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the beginnings of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s for the African American to gain those basic civic, educational and equal opportunity afforded by his fellow white Americans.

Although lack of equal opportunity for all Americans is still one of the most troubling national issues, there has been progress. Gradually over the past decades, the political climate has been changing. Today Americans are more aware of the wealth of their national diversity, and of the need to preserve and value the numerous threads that make up the American Fabric. The meeting pot metaphor – in which the immigrant’s traditions and heritage were obliterated – has been replaced by new terms like patchworke quilt, rainbow coalition and cultural pluralism. These terms value the pluribus – the myriad of distinct cultural and national traditions that form the American experience – rather then the ideal of a homogeneous unum which erases these distinctions in favor of Anglo-conformity.

It may be that this cultural, political and moral evolution is forced by new demographics. Some telling statistics were brought out in a recent Time mahazine article. For example, already one out of every four Americans is Hispanic or non-white. And, by 2056, the average American will be nonEuropean in origin.

In some cities, the demographic balance has already shifted. In New York City, over 40% of the student population belongs to an ethnic minority; within a decade this group will account for half. In California, white students are already in the minority. In fact, whites of all ages make up only 58 % of California’s population. In San Jose, California, for example, the Vietnamese surname Nguyen covers 14 columns in the white pages of the telephone book as compared to only 8 columns of Joneses. More than 200,000 people of Middle Eastern descent have settled in the greater Detroit area, while 12,000 Hmong

refugees from Laos have settled in St. Paul, Minnesota. Accjrding to Vjlefi Asante, chairman of the African-American studies department at Temple University, “Once America was a microcosm of Europe. Today America is a microcosm of the world”.

After you read:

Several metaphors have been used over the years to express the process of immigration and assimilation, most notably “meeting pot” and “patchwork quilt”. Which of these two terms do you think is a better description of the vision of American society today? Explain.

NORTH AMERICA

Overview

-Cultural differences between Canada and the U.S. tend to be clear to Canadians but unanticipated by the Americans. The differences are frequently debated in Canada but ignored in the United States.

-In Canada – U.S. business relationships, culture becomes an issue that ventures stand or fall on.

Environment

-The prevailing orientation of Americans is to try to control the world around them and shape it to their purposes. The Canadian attitude is more a combination of mastery and harmony.

-The strong control orientation and self-help world view is unique to Americans; it can be seen as naive optimism or extreme innocence by some others. To European business cultures, American ideas seem to oversimplify the change process and reduce complex reality to generations.

-American culture, driven by entrepreneurship, seeks change; many older cultures seek to defend against change imposed from the outside.

Some guidelines:

-Project a confident take-charge attitude.

-Set measurable goals and objectives.

-Be prepared to present detailed plans and schedules.

-Demonstrate self-reliance and independence.

-Show commitment to change and continuous improvement rather than to stability and predictability.

- Respect the power of technology in introducing and maintaining change.

Time

- Time is valued highly; the present valued the highest. Time is seen as a limited resource, to be spent wisely and profitably. Americans are perceived to be in constant hurry. An English author’s view: “In America … people don’t stand for election, they run for office.” (Jessica Mitford)

-A business day is scheduled to be full of appointment and deadlines, and is conducted at a rapid-fire pace. Efficiency and punctuality are considered virtues; schedules create a framework for reaching goals.

-Americans have a single-focus orientation and emphasize the present and the short-term future. The past and the long-term future are seen as largely irrelevant. Business results are measured in quarter-years. American companies seek short-term profitability over gradual builing of market share.

-Canadians also have a single –focus orientation but conduct business at a less urgent pace.

Some guidelines:

-Be a little early rather than a little late.

-Focus on one thing at a time.

-Adopt the attitude that time is money. Demonstrate a sincere concern with efficiency and productivity.

-Focus on the present and the short-term future.

-Commit to deadlines and deliver.

-Stress speed as a priority.

Action

American are “doers”, and have created the most doing-oriented culture in the world. Results, behaviors, and actions speak louder than words. “Getting things done” is a virtue. Canada is also more doingthan being-oriented, but Canadians define themselves less by measurable accomplishment than Americans do.

Some guidelines:

-Be diligent in demonstrating your work ethic.

-Show decisiveness and initiative.

-Demonstrate commitment to “getting the job done” or “doing whatever it takes.”

-Be prepared to spend long hours in the workplace regardless of the work to be done.

-Get quickly to the bottom line; be prepared to back up your conclusions with facts and data.

Communication

Both Canada and the U.S. are low-context cultures; the U.S. even lowercontext than Canada. The emphasis is on task accomplishment rather than relationship building.

Business communication in the U.S. is often informal, direct, and instrumental. The focus is on accuracy and fast results.

Freedom to express opinion is valued. Conflict is viewed as an inevitable result of individual differences and interests. Most Americans expect face-to- face expression of disagreement. Conflict is often considered a positive force that leads to progress.

Business communication in Canada, particularly among French Canadians, is more formal but still confrontational.

Some guidelines:

-Be open, direct, and relatively informal.

-Don’t be overly emotional.

-Be prepared to deal with conflict and argument.

-Expect to be interrupted when you are in a reflective thinking mode.

-Be explicit.

-Show optimism.

-Use adjectives that stress quality, size, strength, etc. Do not understate your position.

-Practice being persuasive.

Space

Orientation toward private space; business distance not too close.

Some guidelines:

-Try to maintain at least three feet between yourself and others.

-Give firm, brief handshakes.

-Expect very little touching.

-Respect private space.

-Look people in the eye, but don’t stare.

Power

-Hierarchy per se is not valued, but business people from both countries respect the authority of higher management and maintain professional distance from subordinates.

-Hierarchical business structures are accepted, but decisions are often based on input from all levels.

-The goal of many companies is to create flatter structures, eliminate bureaucracy, and empower employees.

Some guidelines:

-Show respect, not deference, to superiors.

-Learn to question proposals and provide constructive alternatives.

-Actively identify problems.

-View challenges as opportunities.

Individualism

-North American heroes are loners, portrayed by such actors as John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. They are strong, independent individuals who struggle to shape their own destinies and will not take no for an answer.

-The image of the American combines the rugged individualism of the pioneers with the adventurous entrepreneurship of today’s business people.

- Personal achievement is seen as the application of individual effort and ability within the free enterprise system. Rewards are based primarily on performance, not on need, group membership, heritage, or personal connections.

-Unlike more collective societies, American will often negotiate alone rather than in teams. Decision making is individualistic rather than consensual. Work teams have been introduced, but not easily settled, into American business. Reward systems still measure only individual performance.

Some guidelines:

-Stress your personal achievements rather than loyalty.

-Demonstrate your willingness to take risks and be creative.

-Position yourself as a self-starter.

-Accept personal responsibility for success or failure.

-Show motivation for accepting challenging tasks.

Competitiveness

-Highly competitive; stress is placed on material achievement. Competition between individuals and groups is accepted as a given in both the U.S. and Canada.

Some guidelines:

-Be assertive, but not overly aggressive.

-Show determination to meet personal and organizational goals.

-Demonstrate to others how you can help them be more competitive.

-Be energetic and industrious.

-Take business seriously.

-Focus on risk-taking rather than saving face.

Structure

-A relatively low value is placed on structure; there is less fear of uncertainty than in many other cultures.

-Today, there is a tendency toward flexible structures and empowerment; at the same time, a tendency toward legalism or highly detailed contracts to cover all contingencies is predominant.

Some guidelines:

-View policies and procedure as a framework rather than a rigid system.

-Continually seek new, more productive ways of doing things.

-Stress end results over process.

-Demonstrate flexibility.

Thinking

-Primarily inductive and linear. Conceptual arguments must be supported by quantitative data.

-Practicality and efficiency are stressed over theory. Key tests are: “Will it work?”, “Will it work well?”, and “Will it work soon?”

-Thought is rooted in concrete evidence, not intuition or ideas.

Some guidelines:

-Be prepared to present comprehensive – usually quantitative – data.

-Analyze problems into small cause-effect relationships. Present logical arguments.

-Emphasize the practical over the ideal.

KEY PRINCIPLE: MINIMIZE REGRET

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