Chapter 4: Communicating Across Cultures

haptic

characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch

kinesic behavior

communication through posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact

cultural noise

cultural variables that undermine the communications of intended meaning

low-contact culture

cultures that prefer much less sensory involvement, standing farther apart and touching far less; a "distant" style of body language

paralanguage

how something is said rather than the content- the rate of speech, the tone and inflection of voice, other noises, laughing, or yawning

object language (material culture)

how we communicate through material artifacts , whether architecture, office design and furniture, clothing, cars, or cosmetics

material culture

see term object language

proxemics

the distance between people (personal space) with which a person feels comfortable

attribution

the process in which a person looks for an explanation of another person's behavior

communication

the process of sharing meaning by transmitting messages through media such as words, behavior, or material artifacts

nonverbal communication

the transfer of meaning through the use of body language, time, and space

monochronic cultures

those cultures in which time is experienced and used in a linear way; there is a past, present, and future, and time is treated as something to be spent, saved, wasted, and so on. See also polychronic cultures.

polychronic cultures

those cultures that welcome the simultaneous occurrence of many things and emphasize involvement with people over specific time commitments or compartmentalized activities

high-context cultures

those cultures where feelings and thoughts are not explicitly expressed; communication is implicit and as a function of the context and understanding of the person

high-contact culture

those cultures where people prefer to stand close, touch a great deal, and experience a "close" sensory involvement

low-context cultures

those societies where people convey their thoughts and plans in a direct, straightforward communication style; communication and information is explicit

resilience

traits such a having an internal locus of control, persistence, a tolerance of ambiguity, and resourcefulness

openness

traits such as open-mindedness, tolerance for ambiguity, and extrovertedness

intercultural communication

type of communication that occurs when a member of one culture sends a message to a receiver who is a member of another culture

ringi system

"bottom-up" decision-making process used in Japanese organizations

noise

anything that serves to undermine the communication of the intended meaning