GEB3213 FSU EXAM 3

Avoid Regulators (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

"Autistic Behaviors" - Avoid tapping feet, snapping fingers, scratching, etc.

Example of "Nice-Guy" Approach

"Even though you were the best person for the job, we decided to go with someone else." - Can sue for discrimination

Informative Headings

- 4-8 words - "Tell a story" - Favored in the U.S. - Elicits more detail

Financial Matters

Should be provided before going to the culture; also counseling before reentry

Japan (Group Membership)

Socializing with team members in a group is the norm

India is a _________ society.

Hierarchical - Caste system - Formality

Always ask yourself during preparation stages:

"Is the chosen content narrow enough?" - One point of an initial list of brainstormed ideas or subject can be broken down into three parts

Example of Formality in India Movie:

"Mr. Todd" "Miss. Asha"

Edward Tufte: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint

"No matter how beautiful your PP readymade template is, it would be better if there were less of it."

Culture in Iraq (Intercultural Awareness)

"The Lesson of Tal Afar" - George Packer - Colonel H.R. McMaster devised a unique wat to train his regimen for 2nd tour of duty - McMaster didn't do standard preparation for "tank battles" - He procured boxes of dish dashes (man dresses) and made his soldiers interact in many different realistic situations

Aims for Breaking Bad News

- "Selling" the bad news - Emphasizing the positive - Making it clear - Protecting you and the firm

Descriptive Headings

- 1-3 words - "The topic" - More dry EX: "SALES DATA"

Citing Numerous Authors in Text (Appendix C: APA Documentation Format)

- 2 authors: cite both of their last names for each reference and use an ampersand (&) - 3-5 authors: cite all the names the first time, then cite the first author's name followed by the phrase "et al" - 6 or more authors: cite the first author's name followed by the phrase "et al" every time

The "Romance" Stage (4 Phases of Pre-Alliance Process)

- 200 members from both groups studied the organization's strengths - To project possible synergies - Discovering paths for creative ventures - Decided best way to build an "equity of party-cation" mindset: through intense involvement of middle management personnel

Using The Indirect Plan

- 4 or 5 step pattern works most effectively - Direct plan may hit the reader too hard and damage the relationship - People respond better when they are made to understand the reasons - Will have been anticipating the bad news

Latin America (Approaching Authority: Indirectly)

- A mediator is needed to approach a superior (esp. one high above a person in the hierarchy) - Mediator works as a patron for the person in what some researchers label a "patron-client relationship"

"Alliance" Metaphor allowed the teams to become:

- A team with a dual nationality - Focus on mutual understanding and respect - "Culturally free"

Russians often speak in:

- Abstractions - Metaphors - May want to set up a firm philosophical foundation before getting down to specifics of the matter - Dislike backing down from their original position in negotiation - WEAKNESS

Anxiety as a Positive Mechanism (Reducing Anxiety)

- Adrenaline and other hormones race through the body - Sharpen focus, heighten overall awareness, and raise energy levels - Nervousness should be taken advantage of by the speaker - This feeling can act as a stimulant to strengthen delivery

Voice & Dialect expert Patricia Delorey:

- Advises speakers to think of their voice as an "action" acting on the audience - Speakers will want to have their voice literarily vibrating the listeners' bones - Persuasive speakers should consider what they want the audience to do and adjust the voice so it "becomes the action" the listeners should do - Presenter should adjust voice according to audience reactions - This focus on the audience helps with more effective vocalization and may aid in relieving anxiety (speaker concentrates on audience instead of themselves)

South Africans Overall:

- Aim for consensus - Win-win scenarios - Appreciate foreign negotiators who start talks with realistic figures - Prefer not to haggle - Setting initial asking prices close to the "final acceptable price" is a good idea

During German Interactions:

- All proposals should be presented in writing - Need concrete facts - minimizes risk - Detail orientation

Collectivist Cultures: Permanent (Group Membership)

- All relationships are viewed as permanent and very difficult to break without causing major upset - One's responsibility to the group aways comes before one's individual needs and desires - Keeping relationships intact is key

"Selling" the Bad News (Aims for Breaking Bad News)

- Almost like a sales message - Writer needs to convince the reader to understand and accept the situation - Reader "sold" on the idea that this news was inevitable - Indirect Approach

Well Prepared (Visual Aids)

- Always plan ahead and make sure documents are sharp-looking & carefully edited - Proofread and grammar check all slides - Many speakers neglect to view b/c they think that a doc with such little text can't have mistakes → can create embarrassing moments - Speaker risks looking incompetent and leaving a negative impression

Dress (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Analyze the audience and dress appropriately - Dress at least a little more formally than your audience - Tactic will help your credibility

US negotiators should expect Turkish people to:

- Answer phone calls - Leave the room - Allow interruptions during the meeting - Run meetings long and start late BECAUSE POLY-CHRONIC

Positive Feedback and Rewards:

- Appraisal and reward system must reflect the purpose and expectations of the assignment (profit or building a presence in the country) - Reward systems include special allowances for housing, hardship, home leave, medical, taxes, etc. - Reward system must compensate for what U.S. persons are leaving behind and must be based on the idea of equity (the ratio between what is contributed and what is received)

Neutral Buffer Strategies

- Appreciation - Agreement - Compliment - Specific Fact - Good news/Best news

Bad News EX: Tuition-Reimbursement Decision (Redraft)

- Appreciation buffer (two-prong) - Complimentary language - Uses complex sentence at the end of the middle paragraph - Bad news expressed in the dependent clause - Doesn't restate bad news - Extends to complementary and appreciation of work

Cultures from the Far East (Importance of Luck, Superstition and Fate)

- Argue that since fate is unpredictable, superstition should not be ignored - U.S. business professional would be wise to avoid laughing at behaviors by foreigners that seem overly superstitious

Cultural Differences with White Elephant

- Asian firm used it as part of its logo for toothpaste products - U.S. audience felt unsure about the product b/c "white elephant" connotes something awkward and usually useless

Audience Eye Contact & Posture

- Astute listening will be displayed through the number of people making solid eye contact with the speaker - Active listeners will generally sit up in their chairs and lean slightly forwards - Some listeners don't use these cues → have a Q&A session to asses how much the audience has understood

Positive Emphasis Concept (Delivering Negative News)

- At the end of the 2nd paragraph (after the bad news) state a positive - Can be the hardest part

International Stage: Asia (Tom Antion Points to Consider)

- Audiences do not use a lot of effusive nonverbals - In Thailand, they frequently smile more at the speaker and are overall more responsive

Denying Credit to a Customer

- Avoid language that can create hard feelings - Work to keep the customer on a cash basis - Suggest reapplying for credit at a later time, but do not raise false expectations - Avoid supplying information that might create legal problems pg. 127

Posture (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Avoid leaning on or gripping the lectern: can throw off posture - Keep feet shoulder length apart and weight evenly distributed over both legs - Make chest "tall": think of ribcage area as your "honor zone" - Want your honor zone to project confidence

U.S. is a Liability-Oriented Culture:

- Avoid revealing potentially damaging info - Avoid over-using negative words and phrases - Apologetic language delivered in the sincerest way can be grounds for legal proceedings

To leave a good impression on a design level: (Visual Aids)

- Balance b/ween white space and text on each slide or visual aid - Avoid clip art images or photos overwhelming the look of the visual aid - Slides that are solely text-based may not appeal to the audience as strongly - Good to have ONE image per visual/slide

Breaking the Bad News (5-Step Indirect Plan)

- Be brief and thoughtful - Think about the different strategies you can use to de-emphasize the negative

Voice (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Be wary of talking too rapidly: esp. when you're trying to pack too much material into a narrow time-window or race to the closing - Avoid all non-word vocalizers: ah, um, uh, ah - Avoid fillers: you know, like

Making it Clear (Aims for Breaking Bad News)

- Be wary of writing so indirectly that the message is unclear - State the bad news so it won't be misunderstood - Make the message clear initially to avoid any additional & unnecessary correspondence

The Explanation (Indirect Plan: Negative News)

- Begin the second paragraph - Carefully & cordially describe the reasons that logically lead to the news or decision - Help gain reader's acceptance

Appreciation (Neutral Buffer Strategies)

- Begins with an honest sign of appreciation for a customer's interest in the company - Most commonly used buffer in the U.S. for delivering bad news EX: "We genuinely appreciate your registrations for our most exclusive cruise package"

Comfort with Uncertainty: Being Cultures

- Being cultures are more comfortable w/ uncertainty - Often more open to accepting whatever may come

Collectivist Cultures (Obligation & Indebtedness)

- Believe that obligation & indebtedness are an integral part of relationships, even in business - A solid sense of indebtedness means the business relationship is quite solid - Sense of obligation b/ween two businesses may go on for decades (or generations) - Hopefully insuring long-term success - A firm would not want to erase a debt in an abrupt fashion w/o consulting the other party first - Completely erasing the obligation might be interpreted as a severing of the relationship

Specifics on PowerPoint Slides (Visual Aids)

- Better off creating your own design, than using PP templates - Show more initiative and control over each visual if you create the format - Whatever looks "cool" probably isn't

Two Different Business Cultures in South Africa:

- Black - White

PowerPoint Formatting: Font Styles

- Boldface, italics, and underlining help emphasize text (only use when a word needs to stand out) - Boldface for headings at the top of the slides - Italics or underlining for subheadings - When you italicize or underline huge blocks of text → language will be hard for the viewers to read (AVOID)

To avoid each of the Renault-Nissan employees forming stereotypes about each other:

- Both org. agreed to set up a consultant team of psychologists - Encouraged workers to acknowledge the friction of the cultural clash - To envision the positive synergies offered by the other culture's uniqueness

Knowing Your Purpose (Formal Presentations)

- Brainstorm to learn the true purpose of your oral presentation Are you strictly delivering info, persuading an audience to act, or asserting the best plan to move forward with a mkt. scheme? - Each purpose gives speech a different shape and format

Negative News: Latin America

- Brief and generally avoid buffer paragraphs (cultural norms pressure writers to avoid directly stating negative information) - View the act of delivering bad news as discourteous - Try to implicitly slip the unpleasant info into the message's content (High Context culture) - Norm requires readers to "read between the lines"

5-Step Indirect Plan (Negative News)

- Buffer Paragraph - Explanation - The Bad News - The Alternative - The Closing

Good News/Best News (Neutral Buffer Strategies)

- Buffer can be tricky b/c of its slight positive spin - If a change that may be interpreted as negative has some positive aspect to it, this info could be useful EX: "We're pleased to announce that our gym will now be open on Sundays"

Basics to Remember: Neutral Buffers

- Buffers should not reveal the bad news immediately - Should not make the reader think good news will follow - Should work well to transition into the next section → the Explanation

Strategies to De-Emphasize the Negative (Breaking the Bad News)

- Bury info in the middle of the paragraph b/ween explanation and alternative - Avoid places of emphasis: beginnings and endings of paragraphs - Use a longer sentence type to take emphasis off the bad news (compound or COMPLEX) - Use passive-voice verbs to express the negative in order to highlight the action and remove emphasis from the writer - Do not linger on the bad news: express effectively & efficiently then move on

Rejecting a Job Applicant

- Can be a tricky message to write - Standard indirect approach is favored - Do not use specific facts when explaining the reasons for rejection - Stating applicant's shortcomings can be painful to reader - Providing too many specific facts many lead to a law suit pg. 129

PP Slides with Animal Clipart Images

- Can have negative connotations for international audiences - Cultures view specific species differently

The Delivery

- Can make or break the speech as a whole - Must aim to become a master of all forms of nonverbal communication

Regulators during Delivery (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Can sometimes sneak out in unexpected ways - Avoid touching, tapping, or leaning on a console/table: pretty common error - Be wary of using index cards: having something in your hands can throw off illustrators

Writing Bullets (PowerPoint)

- Carefully write so each phrase gives clear, specific info - Bullets shouldn't be complete sentences - Craft phrases that "make comprehensive stand-alone sense" - Mary Munter - Avoid one and two word topic-based bullets - Use multi-word, more detailed phrases - Use at least 4-5 words for each to guarantee clarity - "Telegram Language"

Acknowledging Mistakes & Apologizing

- Cases where taking responsibility for mistakes helps boost a firm's image - Admission of fault can help strengthen credibility and goodwill - Usually delivered orally - If mistake is severe: direct approach may be best - Decrease the likelihood of going to court - Ease forgiveness pg. 129-130

Being-Oriented Cultures

- Celebrate the moment - Assert that one should slow down and appreciate time to simply exist - Wonder why North Americans always seem in such a hurry - Rapid activity seems pointless & unfocused

Long Term Point of View (Eastern influence on Acer's):

- Chinese and eastern orientation - Patience and community driven thinking

United States: Temporary (Group Membership)

- Chinese sociologist Fei Xiaotong describes relationships in the U.S. as "contractual" - Connections to others are like contracts that can be easily broken - Loose and impermanent group-orientation

The Closing (5-Step Indirect Plan)

- Close as positively as possible (or neutrally) - Key is to not restate the bad news - Mention offered alternative again - Avoid inviting further correspondence: by not using worn-out phrases ("If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.")

Japan (Individualism vs. Collectivism)

- Collectivism - Individualism is frowned upon - Workers label this type of behavior as selfish & the work unit will find ways to push the individual who exhibits this negative attitude - Work unit as a whole is tight-knit - Managers are closely knit to their workers - Loyalty & commitment to the organization is an intensely shared value

North American Learning & Thinking Patterns

- Comfortable gaining knowledge from secondhand sources (books, journals, magazines, etc.) - Consider learning from these sources as a valid way to gain information

"Orphan" Problem

- Consider how your line breaks fall in your bullets that span 2 or more lines - Don't leave "orphans" on a line b/c this wastes space on the slide

Deliver Negative News in the U.S.

- Considered a low context culture - BUT use an indirect approach to soften the impact of negative news - Bad news can annoy, disappoint, or anger receiver

Clear Information (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Content is clear - Define any and all technical terms - Speeches that describe technical subjects often encounter problems with clarity - Decide what vocabulary is appropriate for your specific audience - Consider how much the audience knows about the topic

U.S. Managers:

- Continually measure progress to ensure that correct results are achieved - Near obsession with statistics (some find it extreme and not as logical)

The Commitment (4 Phases of Pre-Alliance Process)

- Created a specific management structure - Renault-Nissan formed a Global Alliance Committee - Executives from each company met each month - Created more bureaus and teams to manage activities

Collectivistic Cultures

- Credit or blame flows throughout the entire group - Group is much more highly valued than the individual - Individual should always think first of the group

Low Power Distance

- Culture where approaching your boss with a question or request is done directly - Horizontal cultures

Overly Negative & Abusive Language (Legal Problems to Avoid)

- Defamation: the word for injuring a person's reputation - Libel: defamation in written form - Slander: spoken defamation - A company can be liable for any message sent through its network

Analyze Your Audience (Formal Presentations)

- Determine the demographics of the group - Check for psychographic tendencies - What does the audience already know about your topic? - How much background info will they need in your introduction to understand the topic?

Develop a Speech Giver "Persona" (Reducing Anxiety)

- Develop a version of yourself that's comfortable in front of an audience - Think of it as a bit of acting - Makes the speaker feel less vulnerable and more poised

Ming-Jer Chan and Danny Miller article "West Meets East: Toward an Ambicultural Approach to Management": (pg. 207)

- Discusses how Stan Shih (founder of Acer Group) uses ambicultural approach - "Long-term" point of view

Collectivist Cultures: Asia (Personal Life of the Individual: Public)

- Do not see a strong distinction between the private and the public - Think of group membership as long-term and value keeping harmony within the unit - In China: worker would be perceived as actively disrupting group harmony by not sharing personal problems with coworkers and supervisors - Chinese management will take a direct role in taking care of factory employees by providing them with dorms or apartments

Basic Concerns About Content (Formal Presentations)

- Do research and format info into a logical order Make sure you have: - Clear info - Good details - Coherent framework - Clear & narrow focus - Carefully organized format

Platinum Rule

- Do unto others as they would have done unto them - AKA: Do what the other person would do, not what you would want them to do to you

How might someone in India respond when asked if they're done with a work project?

- Do you mean all the data? - Who exactly is going to be at the meeting? - Let me ask my team. - Is tomorrow good? - We will try our best. All mean they're not done with their project.

Businesspeople from the U.S.

- Doing Culture - Lean towards uncertainity-aversion - Comfortable with taking big risks

International Stage: Japan (Tom Antion Points to Consider)

- Don't misread the nonverbal of a Japanese audience - Some U.S. speakers fear they are putting them to sleep - In Japan, listeners commonly show concentration by closing the eyes and slightly nodding the head up and down

Latin America: Flexible Driving Rules

- Drivers may not always stop at stop signs and traffic lights (esp. if traffic is light) - Pedestrians in Mexico known to cross a busy road at any point - Jaywalking is the norm - Uncertainty-Tolerant

Horizontal Societies

- Egalitarian cultures - Ideally prefer to view all members as having equal footing - Fewer socioeconomic strata - Informality

Using an Ambicultural Approach to Management:

- Embraces the strongest ways to lead and administer an organization from two different places - Especially from cultures of "east" and "west" - Recognizes potential short comings of each culture's approach - Works to avoid those weaknesses

Embed the Bad News Decision

- Emphasis and de-emphasis (beginnings & ends) - Embed the bad news as close to the center of paragraph - Use compound or complex sentence - Use dependent (subordinate) clause for bad news to downplay

Post Soviet Union Russia has developed a strong economy based on:

- Energy reserves - Other natural resources

Great Britain, North America, New Zealand, & Australia (Perception of Women's Role In Society)

- Equal opportunity for both men and women is the governing philosophy - Gender is not supposed to matter - Potentially equally smart, responsible, ambitious, competent, and deserving of praise - This ideal is not perfect: men on average still make more $$

Peak of Anxiety for Speakers

- Esp. in the opening moments up to the first minute - Nervousness manifests as: dry mouth, shaky legs, monotone delivery, surpassed illustrators, & lack of facial expression variety - These are relatively normal reactions

Adjust Speaking Rate During Delivery (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

- Especially consider how you use pauses - Pauses create emphasis I / never said you mugged him I never / said you mugged him I never said / you mugged him

Relationships and Family Considerations

- Failure of spouse and other family members to adapt to the new culture can cause early return of expatriates - Companies should provide training for employees and their family to minimize adjustment problems

Egalitarian Cultures

- Fewer socioeconomic strata - Equality - No matter where you're born in the strata, you can rise up to power

Problems Related to Re-entry Shock

- Finding a new niche in the corporate structure at home - Embellishing memories of life in the U.S. - Adjusting to lower standards of living - Problems reestablishing personal and professional relationships - Dealing with readjustment problems of children, including the difference in their educational experience abroad

Bad News EX: Tuition-Reimbursement Decision (Wrong)

- First paragraph is a negative sentence - Doesn't do well with positive emphasis goals - Uses negative words (threat, impossible) and poor phrasing

Relationship-Oriented Cultures: Time Perceptions

- Flexibility - Prefer to view time more loosely - Extra time may be needed to nurture a relationship - View time more Expansively: measured in terms of days, weeks, months

Protective Shield (Brazil):

- Foreign company thinking of working w/ Brazil should make protective shield to handle all the law stuff - Made up of Brazilian accountants and lawyers who know the codes, laws, taxes - These parties can act as efficient mediators to help smooth transactions

Asia Shock (a special kind of cultural shock U.S. people experience) has five progressive stages:

- Frustration with the culture, which includes the language, food, and an exasperation with local customs. - Unwillingness to understand the rationale behind the local ways of doing things. - Ethnocentricity; U.S. persons label Asians as dishonest because they say one thing and do another; consider face-saving as dishonest. - Racism - use unflattering labels for Asians (Japs). - Avoidance of the culture; U.S. persons form clubs rather than intermingle with people of the culture.

United States: Rules are Rigid

- Generally prefer to follow rules - Uncertainty-Adverse - Appears most clearly in terms of driving & pedestrian behaviors - Follow rules of the road very strictly EX: in the middle of the night at an empty intersection, citizens will wait at a red light until it changes EX: pedestrians in big cities will strike to the sidewalk & cross the street only at designated crosswalks

Risk

- Gives a sense of data & percentages - Quantifying it makes it more comfortable - U.S. more comfortable with risk

Compliment (Neutral Buffer Strategies)

- Giving a compliment can work effectively to psychologically prepare the reader for the bad news ahead - Compliments should be honest & sincere EX: "The Demo CD you sent us was impressive, and we greatly enjoyed your version of 'Imagine'."

Reading Your Audience (Presentations)

- Giving the same presentation to many different audiences gives the opportunity to note how well content makes an impression - To ensure listeners are actively listening & not just hearing → carefully watch their body language - Consider facial expressions (U.S. audiences tend to have a blank expression, but some will smile or nod) - Nonverbal acts of recognition help a speaker know people are paying attention

Using a Sentence Outline

- Great outlines allow a speaker to gracefully through content - Type up a formal outline in complete sentences (presentation flow step-by-step) - Creating a sentence outline should be the FIRST part of beginning to piece together content - Don't make the mistake of creating an outline last minute

The French: (Results vs. Relationships)

- Have a difficult time with the U.S. penchant for data - Especially data measuring somewhat intangible qualities - Multiple choice survey questions seem to overlook subtleties that make such a question quite complex & impossible to measure

North American: Prioritizing Types of Thinking Patterns

- Have a preference for "cause-and-effect" thinking - Linear pattern - This approach finds its roots in the syllogistic reasoning of the Greek philosopher Aristotle

Visual Aids

- Help capture the audience's attention - Studies show that a group listening to speaker w/ visual aids retains a higher % of content - Sharp looking hand-outs, PP images, plastic transparencies', etc. are a must

Cultures that value Formality:

- Highly value the concept of "Face" - People in group-oriented cultures especially hate "to lose face" - Pay strict attention to protocol: everyone interacts according to rules of behavior

Major Symptoms of Cultural Shock:

- Homesickness - Boredom - Withdrawal (avoiding contact with host nationals) - Need for excessive amounts of sleep - Compulsive eating/drinking - Irritability - Exaggerated cleanliness - Marital stress - Family tension and conflict - Chauvinistic excesses - Stereotyping of host nationals - Hostility toward host nationals - Loss of ability to work effectively - Unexplainable fits of weeping - Physical ailments (psychosomatic illnesses)

The "Nice-Guy" Approach (Legal Problems to Avoid)

- Human instinct to go out of our way to lessen the blow of bad news - Can go overboard w/ "positive spin" - Being overly nice ay lead to legally problematic statements (ex: rejection of job applicants)

North America (Doing Tasks Sequentially or Simultaneously?)

- If a person meets a colleague in an office to discuss a report, they expect them to give their undivided attention to the dialogue - If the colleague continually answers phone, checks emails, or allows others to come into the office for conversations → person will think they are rude or extremely disorganized

Appendix C: APA Documentation Format

- If there is no author→ use the first 2 or 3 main words of the title of the document - Quotations over 40 words should be displayed in a block w/o quotation marks - Quotes > 40 → start a new line & indent 5 spaces. Indent the rest of the line of the quote (double space)

Perception of Women's Role In Society

- In a vast majority of countries, women do not hold high echelon business positions in the same # as men - Men hold the overall advantage even in countries that prioritize the ideal that women and men are equal

Personal Life of the Individual: Public

- In other countries, individuals should always share their problems with their managers - Personal life becomes "public"

Personal Life of the Individual: Private

- In some countries, problems in one's personal life should be kept separate from work life - If personal problems interfere with work, one would be unlikely to discuss the matters with a supervisor

Colors on PP Slides (Cultural Differences)

- In the U.S. for line charts, red is typically used to present declines in value, and green to show gains (direct opposite in China) - In the U.S. black is a color often associated with death (white is the color for funerals in China)

Non-verbals Puzzle U.S. Audience (Presentations in Other Cultures)

- Latin American speakers talk with their hands, using effusive illustrators during the entire presentation - May appear "too busy" to a U.S. audience - Business people in Panama have been advised to completely avoid illustrators (may be overboard) - This anecdote makes clear the importance of making a strong impression on the target audience

Well-Constructed Negative News Pattern:

- Includes a clear but sensitive explantation showing the reasons for the bad news - Uses language with care and precision - Can be the difference b/ween keeping or losing a customer, business associate, or employee

The Cohesiveness has allowed the Renault-Nissan Alliance to:

- Increase vehicle sales - Help Nissan to achieve a remarkable financial turnaround - Share expertise - Pool the two firm's skills in order to standardize components of zero emission vehicles - Create a factory design that allows both brands to be easily manufactured

North America (Individualism vs. Collectivism)

- Individualism - Managers cannot count on loyalty to the company to help motivate workers → individual rewards are offered - Managers know employees will make career choices based on personal needs (best chance for success) - Worker is not pleased with position → likely find another job

North America (Obligation & Indebtedness)

- Individuals try to avoid making others feel indebted - People can feel comfortable asking for help - Business professionals do not ordinarily exchange gifts upon meeting or doing negotiations

Ethnic and Religious Diversity:

- Indonesia - Helps their economy be powerful

Argentina (Personal Life of the Individual: Public AND Private)

- Influenced by Western Europe - Also group-oriented values - Two approaches blend - Work should come first, but a much more flexible attitude is shown towards matters of family & personal issues - Attitude is much more lenient

The Neutral Buffer (5-Step Indirect Plan)

- Initial paragraph of negative news - 2-4 sentences long - Relevant to general subject matter at hand - Difficult to compose b/c it must smoothly lead the reader into the subject, but remain neutral - Neither too negative nor too positive

North American Culture Approaches to Learning:

- Instructors press students to ask questions & give praise to those who speak up - Advised to "think out-of-the-box" - Mindset requires a willingness to always question the status quo

Alleviating Cultural Shock by Predeparture Training for Host Country:

- Intellectual or Classroom Model - Area Training or Simulation Model - Self-Awareness or Human Relations Model - Cultural Awareness Model - Interaction Approach - Multidimensional Approach

Nonverbally, Brazilians:

- Interrupt - Talk over one another during negotiations - Common norm throughout the nation - OUTSIDE NEGOTIATORS SHOULD NOT INTERPRET THIS AS AGGRESSIVE OR RUDE (remain patient)

England & India (Perception of Women's Role In Society)

- Islam is one of several religions - Muslim women can also achieve high positions in corporate organizations

Asia as a Hierarchical Society:

- Japan especially - Self-conscious about hierarchy greatly influences all aspects of life - Everything in degrees: elegance of clothing, depth of bow, presents, status of banks, manufacturers, etc...

Overall Dynamics

- Judgment may be a subjective reaction by each member of your audience - Work to leave everyone listening with a strong total impression - Speakers with above average delivery persuade audiences more often - Speakers with average or below delivery will risk losing their audience

Things to Remember: Explanation

- Keep your language as up-beat as possible - Choose words with positive connotations - Avoid: claim, error, unfortunately, failure - Don't hide behind a blanket policy statement: "Company forbids us" - Avoid blaming others for mistakes: unprofessional & puts company at risk for legal problems

Formal norms:

- Last name basis and use titles (Dr._____) - Strict following of protocol - Most of the world prefers greater formality

Negative News: French

- Less concerned than U.S. about ending a negative news letter with something positive - Will close letter formally- no alternative - Will apologize for errors and mention regret for creating an inconvenience (unlike U.S.)

Negotiators in Being-Oriented Cultures

- Less focused on what doing-oriented cultures see as vital results - May view a negotiation as successful if a relationship has been established - Feel happy with a few general agreements instead of specific ones

Long Report: Table of Figures

- List of illustrations - Charts - Tables - Drawings - Photos

Long Report: Executive Summary

- Longer - 2-3 page summary - Goes into more detail & pulls out major data points

Improving Voice Quality & Nonverbal Language

- Loudness/volume - Pitch - Rate - Pauses - Posture - Eye contact

Germans:

- Low context culture - Take business matters extremely seriously

Regions in Asia (Importance of Luck, Superstition and Fate)

- Luck may directly influence business decisions - Taiwan: 7th month in the lunar calendar is called "Ghost Month" - Ghost Month considered unlucky and people will avoid making decisions or starting negotiations during this time - Behavior seems silly to the U.S. - Point out that even though North Americans use rational plans to avoid surprises, the unexpected still has ambushed success

Coherence (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Make ideas, arguments, and examples as coherent as possible - Listeners can't flip back through info - Easy to follow

Closing (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Make sure you have a well-planned closing and enough time to do it - 10% of total presentation should focus on the closing - Shouldn't be rushed or hurried - Rushing at the end emphasizes the speaker's nervousness - Gives the audience a sloppy impression of the speech's format

Eye Contact (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Make wide-range eye contact with the entire audience - Don't forget the people in the wings of the room - Speakers who are too reliant on a word-for-word write-up or overly detailed notes often risk not making good eye contact

Focus (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Many presentations tackle too broad of a focus - A speaker making this error will describe content in too general of terms - Coverage of topic will risk sounding superficial - Aim for a tight focus (esp. within a short time frame)

Comfort w/ Uncertainty: Two Managers from Different Countries

- May come in conflict if they view uncertainty differently - If one manger desires more specific guidelines on regulations and the other does not see the need, problems may develop - Uncertainty-verse manager may think the other is being careless - Uncertainty-tolerant manager may see the other as unnecessarily nervous

Culture Approaches to Learning can vary:

- May emphasize asking questions to gain knowledge - Others trust teachers to completely deliver info or knowledge

Far East (ASIA): Prioritizing Types of Thinking Patterns

- May not see this logic as being particularly logical - People in many parts of Asia may think in webs of connections

Personal Space: French

- May stand somewhat close to the listener - Not as close as Arabs and Latin Americans

Patron-Client Relationship (Approaching Authority: Indirectly)

- Mediator works as a patron - Both parties are completely loyal to one another - Patron works to create opportunities for the junior client - Often, the client will move upward as the patron receives promotions

Relationships-Orientation (Indonesia):

- Meetings can take a long time because of focus on relationship building - Desire to completely consider a proposal - May take several meetings before a party comes to agreement

Filipino Culture (Obligation & Indebtedness)

- More complex sense of indebtedness - Obligation is called "utang no loob" (Larry Samovar & Richard Porter in Communication b/ween Cultures)

India Movie Office Space:

- More group-oriented and collective - BUT U.S. manager Todd wants glass for his office → Individualism EX: bonding as a group by collective dancing

U.S. Office Space:

- More individualistic - BUT group-oriented collectivism is still in the U.S. culture

Hierarchical Societies

- More rigidly structured & class-conscious - Tier system → narrow pyramid - Stuck in socioeconomic strata

Other Countries that favor Collectivism

- Most of Asia - Latin America - Middle East - Africa - Many countries in Southern Europe "The group first" way of life

Recognize their Expertise (Reducing Anxiety)

- Nervous presenters picture themselves as "knowing barely anything about the topic" - Presenters must remember that they will always know more than the audience - Should use this fact and embrace their strengths and expertise to develop confidence

Other Countries that favor Individualism

- Netherlands - France - Great Britain - Germany - Canada

Benefits of Using Strategic Metaphors for a Multinational Firm

- Netting the essence of a firm's activities - Capturing its strategic aims - Weaving together its national and worldwide cultures - Showing its stance towards business and ethics

International Stage: Australia, Indonesia, & Hong Kong (Tom Antion Points to Consider)

- Never beckon at a member of the audience by holding your hand out with the palm up and curling your index finger - This gesture is typically used to beckon animals or prostitutes

Other Egalitarian cultures:

- New Zealand - Australia

Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits:

- Non-acceptance - Substitution - Addition - Synthesis - Re-synthesis

KEY to Anxiety for Speakers:

- Not let the nervous behaviors make you more self-conscious - This creates a negative feedback loop where anxiety only builds - Gain confidence by knowing the mind and body will settle as the presentation moves along

Direction of Speaker (Presentations)

- Not talking to the visual - Do not talk to the screen or monitor - This common negative habit can steal from eye contact aspect of delivery

Personal Space: Arab Cultures

- Noted for standing quite close to the listener - Not as close as Latin Americans

Audiences from East Asia:

- Occasionally mix-up shock, fear, anger, and surprise - It is hard to read the differences in these emotions solely through the eyes

The Alternative (Indirect Plan: Negative News)

- Offer a positive alternative to help add further cushioning - More positive "spin"

North America (Importance of Luck, Superstition and Fate)

- Office buildings frequently do not have 13th floors - People follow superstitious behavior with sports and gambling - Most businesspeople do not base decisions on luck

Individualistic Culture (Obligation & Indebtedness)

- One is expected to stand on one's own two feet - Needing help is almost like an admission of weakness - People do not ordinarily give many gifts except for on special occasions - Gift-giving implies feeling indebtedness to the gift-giver

Lack of Transitions (Basic Concerns About Content)

- One of the biggest problems with coherence - Do "sign-posting" or "previewing and reviewing" as a way to signal audience as you move from point to point - Use popular transitional expressions: on the other hand, nevertheless, consequently... - Overly technical or information-dense speeches are hard to follow

Brazilians favor _____ agreements over _________ agreements:

- Oral agreements over written agreements - Brazilians feels that oral agreements show greater trust between two parties - Written agreements will strike them as distrustful

United States: Results-Oriented

- Organizational theories → Management by Objectives (MBO) work via aiming at specific goals & sub-goals - Clearly value results - Measuring outcomes based on strategies used to attain results form the basis of a lot of U.S. business & management theory

Article: "The Use of Strategic Metaphors in Intercultural Business Communication"

- Outlined the approach that allowed for positive combination of French (Renault) and Japanese (Nissan) cultural norms in a business setting - Felt they needed to work out a "conceptual metaphor" for the two companies going → "Renault-Nissan Alliance"

Legal Problems to Avoid (Negative News)

- Overly negative and abusive language - Overly careless language - "Nice-guy" approach

Opening Zings Grab Audience's Attention (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Part of the organization process - Make sure opening doesn't run too long - Can be an anecdote or detailed examples

Individuals in the U.S. (Group Membership)

- Participate in many groups - Will work in teams, though they might not socialize with the team members - Join recreational sports leagues, neighborhood committees, church groups, etc. - Membership is not permanent - If a person loses interest in a specific activity, they may leave and never contact those people again - When individuals relocate, they often lose contact with most of their friends in the old area - Peple form new friends in their new location

Pauses (Improving Nonverbal Language)

- Pauses can add emphasis - Try to limit "you knows"

North America: Doing-Oriented Culture

- People have lists of things to do for any given day - Spend the hours trying to squeeze as much as possible into each minute

In China: (Thinking Patterns)

- People may find it significant that a negotiation begin on the exact same day as a a successful one from 5 years ago - Have a willingness to prioritize connections between two dates - Individuals may desire to see the similarities b/ween contrasting elements

Cultures that Value Youth

- People perceive the young as having more power, choices, freedom, & vitality - Ads focus on keeping a youthful appearance (products remain healthy & vigorous) - "Old" is laced with negative connotations

If a Japanese worker leaves a corporation:

- Person risks admitting failure and bringing shame to himself/herself, as well as the whole organization - If personal professional goals cannot be met → worker is persuaded to refocus these goals - When lifestyle changes or personal problems arise → employee should discuss the matters with management - Mangers can become paternal, parent-like figures for workers

White people Speaking Style during Interactions (South Africa):

- Plain spoken - Come across more stern than black South Africans - Confrontational

Developing Employees to Their Potential:

- Plan for repatriation, including reasons for the assignment and how the employee will contribute to the company upon his/her return - Allow adequate time for readjustment before employee reports to work - Provide appropriate compensation for transition expenses - Assist in locating proper housing - Show appreciation to family for their contributions

Turkish people view time as:

- Polychronic - They are more likely to feel comfortable doing activities simultaneously within the work of work

U.S. and New Zealand (Approaching Authority: Directly)

- Power distance is perceived as LOW - People assume they can approach their superior with ease in most situations - Managers have an "open door policy" - Assure that anyone can ask questions or propose ideas at anytime - More horizontal than hierarchical cultures (can vary depending on specific corporation) - Corporate culture sometimes can create a stronger sense of Hierarchy than what is prevalent in the national culture (esp. in large firms)

Mexico and India (Approaching Authority: Indirectly)

- Power distance may be so large that workers expect constant direction - Will never disagree or make suggestions to a superior - Can create problems when U.S. managers receive oversees assignments and expect their Mexican employees to work well on their own - U.S. managers may take awhile to figure out that the workers prefer strict supervision

Jan White: "Fruit Salad Effect"

- PowerPoint problem - One should avoid the impulse to dress charts with lots of color - Esp. for a pie wedge or bar → only 1 item needs emphasis with color - A lot of colors are awful in most professional-world visual displays

When Delivering Bad News to Germans:

- Prefer a direct approach - They're straight-forward - Don't like the "beat around the bush" approach

Long Reports: 3 Levels of Headings

- Primary: centered - Secondary: left-justified - Thirdiary: bold, same text size as the main text (left-justified)

Presentations in Other Cultures

- Priorities and delivery expectations vary - Issues about text-based delivery or perceptions of time may create tension or misunderstandings - Foreign countries may use nonverbal's that puzzle a U.S. audience

Prioritize Results

- Prioritize the bottom line - Profit is a key factor - How an individual/group arrives at a profit is not as important as making sure a profit is made

Loudness/Volume (Improving Voice Quality)

- Project voice from diaphragm - Slow breathing can help with projection

Japan: Being-Oriented Culture

- Quiet is greatly appreciated - U.S. negotiators may find themselves anxious during gaps of silence in conversation → desire to fill silence with language

PP Slides with Human Figures

- Should be designed judiciously - Wear clothing appropriate to cultural norms - Gender roles on slides should match the roles in that culture - Nonverbal gestures projected on the screen should be researched to ensure they don't offend - Company logos that contain people may need adjustment if they risk being offensive

"Utang no loob" (Filipino Culture)

- Refers to indebtedness beyond the family circle - Though one individual may have acquired the obligation, the entire group or family shares in it - The debt often is repaid in a different form and may occur over several occasions - Cultures that feel strongly about obligation & indebtedness take the concept for granted - Maintaining the professional relationship is the priority

The Alternative (5-Step Indirect Plan)

- Refusal is less disappointing if the writer can offer a suitable substitute - If possible, offer alternative immediately after expressing the bad news (ideally in the same sentence)

Overcoming Speech Tension

- Rehearse in front of a mirror - Visualize your own success as a speaker - Breathe deeply and drink water - Use illustrators as natural outlets for nervous tension - Look at people - Don't let a mistake (misspeak, stutter) shake your confidence

Illustrative Movement around Room (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Release nervous energy by moving around the room or toward a visual aid - MISTAKE: forgetting to pause 8-15 seconds in between times of movement - If you don't pause you look like a tiger pacing in a cage at the zoo

High Context Culture (Indonesia):

- Reluctant to say no or create friction - Many times they're version of saying "No" will sound like "Yes"

Turkey is a key business market because:

- Represents the gateway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia - One of the few Muslim majority nations with direct connections to the European Union

Formal Rules of Behavior:

- Require Polish businessman kisses a woman on the hand upon a formal greeting - Prevent Thais from showing anger in words or actions during negotiations - Make businesspeople in India always greet each other with the "Namaste gesture"

Positive Visualization (Reducing Anxiety)

- Requires speakers to imagine performing well and presenting their content w/o anxiety - Professional athletes use the same strategy before a game - Presenters should imagine themselves feeling comfortable during the process - Make speakers feel more in control of the situation

Asian Countries: Prioritize Relationships

- Researchers Iris Varner & Linda Beamer: noted that work units for Chinese org. receive specific allocations from the state for travel - While traveling, individuals from a work unit stay at hotels constructed on an org. premises in order to foster relationship-building - Dealings rarely involve a lot of written correspondence - Business interaction must occur face-to-face

Dealing with Speech Anxiety

- Root rests in the speaker having unrealistic expectations (believe they must be perfect) - One little misspeak, stutter, or unplanned pause can throw them off track - Remember flawlessness is an unrealistic expectation - Presenters must work to recognize that audience members tune out the vast majority of minor mistakes

Using Time Effectively (Presentations)

- Running short on time can make you seem incompetent and ill-prepared - Running overtime can really test the audience's patience - In case you run short → have a little extra content ready - If you're heading towards MAX time → have a way to gracefully bring up Q&A

Other Cultures Learning & Thinking Patterns

- See firsthand experience as the only true way to understand - Regard secondhand information as hearsay - Countries where people do not use a written language or do prioritize personal vision prefer learning via firsthand experience

When negotiating with the Vietnamese:

- Seniority-oriented culture - Immediately assume that the oldest person in the other group is the lead negotiator - Person with grey/white hair garners a great deal of respect - U.S. must not send only young negotiators to meet with teams from Asia (even if these youths have the best negotiating skills)

Alleviating Cultural Shock by Careful Selection of Overseas Personnel:

- Sensitive, cooperative, able to compromise - Open to others' opinions - Reaction to new situations; appreciation of cultural differences - Understanding of own values and aware of values in other cultures - Reaction to criticism - Understanding of U.S. government system - Ability to develop contacts in new culture - Patience and resiliency

Being-Oriented Cultures Value:

- Serenity - Stillness - Quiet

The Closing (Indirect Plan: Negative News)

- Should end neutrally or positively - Possibly restate the alternative - Never rehash the bad news

Controlling Negative News via Social Media

- Should have a solid social media crisis plan in place - Need to consider risk of negative comments and who may have posted them - Team assigned to the task of monitoring social media and have the ability to respond immediately - KEY: responding quickly - Act first on the specific media channel where the complaint was posted → then broadcast message on other sites - Firm should follow up with the person who made the complaint - DO NOT USE Boilerplate/template approach to respond (can sound insincere) - Make each individual response as personalized and unique as possible

Buffer Paragraph (Indirect Plan: Negative News)

- Should lead the reader into the general subject matter w/o revealing the bad news - Usually 2-3 sentences

Cultural Differences with Animals in Glasses

- Slides filled with cute animal figures wearing glasses - Thailand audience was puzzled b/c animals are thought to be a lower form of life than humans - Thai people would not wear articles worn by animals

Why do speakers create unrealistic expectations for themselves?

- Smoothness of rehearsals - Believe they should deliver content with the same level of perfection - Become frustrated and anxious when a small stutter or misspeak occurs - Will mumble "that was terrible" at the end - Reduce nervousness by not having these unrealistic expectations

Proper Indonesian Protocols:

- Soft handshake preferable 10-15 seconds - Only use right hand - left hand seen as unclean - Western businesswomen should not initiate handshakes - people of the opposite sex should not touch in public

Younger North Americans (Doing Tasks Simultaneously)

- Some cultural observers argue that younger people may now have a preference for simultaneous activity - May listen to the conversation at a meeting while using a cell phone to text a colleague about organizing a presentation & report - Changes in technology can speed up changes in cultural norms in a country

Group Membership: Temporary or Permanent?

- Some sociologists & intercultural researchers argue both Individualistic and Collectivist cultures have strong group-orientations - The difference is in the perception of group membership

South and Central America (Doing Tasks Simultaneously)

- Someone comfortable with simultaneous activity may see the hours of the day as very fluid - Think the most efficient way to get things done is to work on both low and high priority tasks simultaneously - Relationship-oriented cultures prefer doing work simultaneously b/c this will allow them to meet with an individual all day while accomplishing other tasks

Negative News: German

- Sometimes use a buffer - Typically use Direct Approach

International Stage: Colombia (Tom Antion Points to Consider)

- Speaker may use one nonverbal to indicate the height of animals and a different one to indicate the height of people - Height of animals: hold out the arm with the palm down and raise it to the correct height - Height of people: speaker will do similar nonverbal, except the edge of the hand will face the floor instead of the palm

Organized Format (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Speaker who runs over or under-time hasn't organized format well enough - Taking the time to plan, brainstorm, and create a rough outline allows you to approach rehearsals with more confidence - A polished final outline will help the presentation proceed without problems

Good Detail (Basic Concerns About Content)

- Speeches with plenty of well-described and detailed examples leave the strongest impression - If speech lacks a tight focus, more likely the presentation will lack detail - As you describe each "sub-point" of your speech, bring in a brief, detailed example for each point - This strategy will drive your points home much more clearly

Examples of People to use Indirect Approach w/:

- Stakeholder's outside of the organization - People we don't know - When information is going down in an organization

Posture (Improving Nonverbal Language)

- Stand straight - Balance your weight on both feet

Always Display Good Posture (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

- Stand up straight - Put shoulders back - The area of the most where we show attitude is the trunk

Things U.S. does that Russians don't like:

- Standing with hands in pocket - they feel disrespected - Smiling too much - creates suspicion

The Bad News (Indirect Plan: Negative News)

- State clearly but briefly - Use a longer than average sentence to cushion the info in the middle of the paragraph - Implying bad news can risk confusing the reader

For abusive language to result in a lawsuit:

- Statements must be untrue - Damaging to an individual's reputation - Written (or within others' hearing range) - If a libelous or harassing message is sent via email or posted on a website or social media

Protocol (Russia):

- Used in Russian negotiations - A record of the meetings minutes - Requires signatures by all parties involved - Not considered a final contract - Used to avoid misinterpretations of the oral exchange

Agreement (Neutral Buffer Strategies)

- States general info about the subject matter or the company with which the reader would not argue - Strategy is thoughtful and even-keeled EX: "At Brickstone cable our goal is to provide you with the best visual, audio, and Internet service that is available"

Craig Storti- Speaking of India: Bridging the Communication Gap When Working with Indians

- States that none of those answers would seem evasive in an Indian workplace - All answers imply that the analysis is not ready

Specific Fact (Neutral Buffer Strategies)

- Statistics often lie at the heart of this tactic - Statistics can make good transitional info for the explanation that will follow - Insurance companies frequently apply this approach EX: "Did you know that auto collisions in North Florida for two door vehicles increased last year by 7%?"

German Meetings:

- Stick to formal agenda - Prefer to organize daily plans in a schedule heavy fashion - Analyze all facts in great detail - Use strongly rational reasoning to support all points

Prioritize Relationships

- Successful business transactions place greater importance on things other than immediate profit - Even if a deal falls through → as long as a good relationship has been established, the deal is considered successful - Strong relationship means the door is open for successful negotiations (and profit) in the future

Long Report: Transmittal Memo

- Summarized main points - Introduces the report and why its here

Negative News: India

- Take an indirect tack to avoid straightforward delivery of bad news - Indirect

Latin American, Southern Europe, and Asian Culture Approaches to Learning:

- Teacher is regarded as an unassailable figure - Teachers are not questioned - They pass down wisdom & knowledge to students who absorb it like a sponge - If the student knows the teacher has made a mistake, they will not correct them

Acer's Community Orientation manifests itself in:

- The firms generous treatment of employees - Care for the health of the planet - Desire to have a stellar reputation in the global business realm

Flexible "prototype" Approach

- There are always individual exceptions to any rule - You'll always find individuals within a country who do not follow all the typical social & behavioral norms

Personal Space: Latin Americans

- Usually use the least amount of personal space - Generally stand closest to you

When businesses consider doing work in Brazil, they should remember:

- There's a lot of governmental laws - Bureaucratic necessities - Complicated taxation - Infrastructure issues - CREATE A PROTECTIVE SHIELD

Appendix B: Short Report Format

- Title Page - 2 levels of headings (primary + secondary) - References - Titles and Primary headings in CAPS (PART II-) - Secondary headings (Part a.)

Develop Cross-Cultural Skills by:

- Tolerating ambiguity - Being flexible - Having patience - Displaying empathy - Being resourceful, respectful, and nonjudgmental - Having a sense of humor - Avoid U.S. ghettos abroad - Be adventurous - Involve the whole family - Learn to manage the stress - Take appropriate health precautions - Be realistic - Let go of home (for now) - Keep the faith

Articulation Problems: "Lazy Lips" (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

- Try whispering as you practice a presentation or speech - Improves articulation of lips

Personal Space: North Americans

- Typically stand about 4 feet (or more) apart when discussing business - Use more personal space than the French, Arabs, & Latin Americans

In "Younger" Countries, Formality:

- U.S, New Zealand, & Australia - Strict formality can seem stuffy - As if one desires to "put on airs" or replace sincerity w/ uptight etiquette

Protecting You & the Firm (Aims for Breaking Bad News)

- U.S. is a "law suit culture" - Written evidence makes for strong evidence in court - Avoid using any language that may create responsibility or legal liability

Cultural Differences with Dogs

- U.S: helpful and faithful - Middle East: seen as unclean - China: seen as ferocious

Cultural Differences with Dragons

- U.S: view them as ferocious and evil - Chinese: think of them as mythical creatures that are lucky and auspicious

Examples of Collectivism in Japan

- Uniforms - Exercise routines - Songs - Retreats for building togetherness, interdependence, and loyalty

In Russia: (Thinking Patterns)

- Unlike the U.S, thinking patterns may celebrate contradictions instead of opposing them - Find extremes & contradictions fascinating - Enjoy seeing these things coexist in a pattern

Long Reports

- Up to 100 pages long (more parts) - Transmittal memo - Title page - Executive summary - Table of Contents, Table of Figures - Appendices - References - 3 levels of headings

PowerPoint Formatting: Sentence Case

- Use "sentence case" for each line on a bullet chart - Neither use all capital letters, nor "title case" - Use the same case you use for constructing sentences in memos, letters

Facial Expressions during Delivery (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Use a variety - Avoid the frozen "deer caught in the headlights" look - Remember to smile

Appropriate Pointing to Visual (Presentations)

- Use illustrative movement during presentations - Esp. when you can walk up to the visual aid and point to a specific part, line, or word - Using hand & arm illustrators can work well in conjunction with the visual

Gestures/Body Movement (Nonverbals during Delivery)

- Use illustrators: intentional, conscious movements of the hands and arms - Become someone who talks well with their hands - In the U.S: the ideal is to use illustrators about half the time while speaking - The other half involves avoiding regulators

Charlotte Rosen: "Telegram Language"

- Use key words and phrases only to get across your concepts - Early 20th Century: people used telegrams to converse quickly via written language - Since each word added to the bill, each word was chosen extremely carefully - Develop bullets with the same strategy in mind

Emphasizing the Positive (Aims for Breaking Bad News)

- Use language with positive connotations - Offer alternatives - Avoid using negative phrases

Experts: Reducing Anxiety Strategies

- Use positive visualization - Recognize their expertise - Develop a speech-giver "persona" - Remember anxiety is a positive mechanism

Breaking Bad News to Customers

- Use same 5-step indirect approach - May include some resale or sales promotion information pg. 126

Denying Routine Requests

- Use the explanation-before-rejection pattern - Works well for turning down requests for information, favors, money, action - Let them down easy pg. 125

Time Perceptions

- Vary around the globe - Some countries watch the time precisely → Promptness is a virtue - Other cultures see time as more flexible & amorphous → Promptness is not important

Rate (Improving Voice Quality)

- Vary your rate - Slow down to emphasize - Speed up to review

Acer's leader embraces what management style from West?

- Very decentralized - Empowering

Black South African Business People speak:

- Very diplomatically - Make more subtle and indirect responses - Will avoid disagreement - Won't admit to not knowing the answer - They wish to please their listener

Seniority-Oriented Cultures

- View older businesspeople as having more wisdom, know how, and credibility - The older a worker is, the higher they are on a company's organizational chart - Always send senior members to negotiate - To show respect: younger workers will never openly disagree with senior managers

"Chartjunk" Issues

- Viewers find the 3-D visual option for pie and bar charts difficult to read → stick to 2-D - Adding a "legend" to the chart risks making it confusing or hard to decipher → place labels directly on or next to bars, lines, or pie wedges - "Fruit Salad Effect" - Make sure the width b/ween bars or columns on a chart is less than the width of the actual bars or columns (too skinny is difficult to see) - Don't overcomplicate labels → for axis labels use "thousands" or "millions" instead of writing zeroes (don't use axis labels if the measurement is obvious)

Visible to All/Kept out of Sight Then Removed (Presentations)

- Viewing screen or poster needs to be visible to everyone in the room - If viewers are squinting → make an adjustment - Hand-outs → enough so everyone in the audience receives one - Carefully plan ahead to find out the size of the audience & make a few more just incase - Don't use a visual aid before you start talking about it - Remove the visual aid one you've finished discussing it

Results-Oriented Cultures: Time Perceptions

- Want businesspeople to be punctual - Negotiations begin promptly so individuals can get things done - View time as Linear: measured in small units (minutes, hours, days)

Using Active Sense-Making to make sense of Cultural Differences:

- When companies merge, members of each firm will attempt to make rational sense of the other culture's uniqueness - "Sense-Making" - Not used and practiced until a very large problem emerges

Use an Indirect Approach to Deliver Bad News:

- When the audience is emotionally involved - Will be displeased by the bad news - Know the reader's reaction will be shocked, hurt, etc.

Use a Direct Approach to Deliver Bad News:

- When the audience prefers bad news first - Is emotionally uninvolved - Will be unaffected by the bad news - When information is going upward in the organization

Uncertainty

- With daily tasks in life and work - More vague which causes anxiety - U.S. less comfortable with uncertainty

Stage 1: Excitement and Fascination

- With the new culture - "Honeymoon" stage

Middle East and North Africa (Perception of Women's Role In Society)

- Women do not have power in the business world - Their power in the domestic setting may be quite large - Muslim behavioral norms can mean that women rarely play a role in professional realms - Women make all decisions regarding the children & household

Japan (Perception of Women's Role In Society)

- Women may also play a role in business - Perform clerical and hostess duties in the corp. world - Many women work in these positions to find husbands (practice is encouraged by many companies) - Firms believe marriage b/ween employees are good b/c then the wife will understand her husband's intense dedication to the company - Continue to work after marriage until the birth of their first child (then they leave)

China: Permanent (Group Membership)

- Word for relationship is "guanxi" - Also means connection - Business moves forward via connections (almost exclusively)

Negative News: Chinese

- Work hard to prioritize harmony - Desire to keep the relationship intact - Strive to avoid anyone losing face - KEY to buffering: mention past solidarity through historical references b/ween nations & organizations

U.S, Canada, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, continental Europe (Personal Life of the Individual: Private)

- Work life generally should not overlap with your personal matters - Ordinarily would not report problems with your family life or other issues to your supervisors

Comfort with Uncertainty: Doing Cultures

- Work to avoid uncertainty - Often make plans & back-up plans to help them deal with potential problems in the future

Negative News: Japanese

- Writer will ask for understanding and forgiveness - In unlikely occurrence of breaking a contract: firm would discuss the entire history the relationship b/ween the two entities before expressing the bad news

5 Stages of Culture Shock

1. Excitement and fascination 2. Crisis or disenchantment period 3. Adjustment phase 4. Acceptance or adaption phase 5. Re-entry shock

Two Principles that Renault-Nissan decided on:

1. No group should lose cultural identity or brand 2. On-going communication, despite geographical locations, should be encouraged to facilitate the partnership - These principles helps to smooth the cultural confrontations of the employees from both companies

If a senior member makes a mistake: (Seniority-Oriented Cultures)

A quiet, closed-door meeting will take place to softly suggest other alternatives or ideas

Individualistic Cultures

A specific person can gain all the praise or receive all the blame for a business outcome

Eero Vaaara Finnish-Swedish Case example (pg. 206):

Active sense making

Cultural Stress

Alleviate stress by reading up on the country, studying the language, and becoming aware of customs and traditions in the culture

Edward Tufte: "Chartjunk"

Any design technique that tries to push the envelope a little too much is usually design technique to disregard - WORK TO ELIMINATE

U.S. audiences appreciate a speaker who uses illustrators ____________________ of the time.

At least half

Rely on Middle to Lower Tones While Speaking (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

Avoid Overusing High Tones! If your voice is too high, do this exercise: - Read aloud from the middle to lower tones over and over again - Repeat this exercise at intervals to achieve consistently lower tones

Avoid Problems With Articulation (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

Avoid Slang! - Probably... not probly or prolly - Don't you... not doncha - Doing... not doin' - Going to... not gonna - Postpone... not pos-pone

Poor Phrase Break

Avoid any ineffective phrase breaks that breaks up a key word or phrase

Self-awareness or Human Relations Model

Based on the assumption that the trainee with self-understanding will be more effective in the overseas assignment

Group-Oriented Cultures (Obligation & Indebtedness)

Believe in obligations to others as a way to signal the ongoing nature of a relationship

Approaching Risk

Businessness people from various regions generally wish to minimize risk

What sentence type is most ideal for delivering bad news?

COMPLEX - Place bad news within the subordinate clause of the sentence

"Old" in Youth-Oriented Cultures

Can mean: - "Put out to pasture" - Loss of power - Loss of capabilities

U.S. Firm Enron (Rigid Rules)

Company culture emphasized risk-taking and a preference toward cutthroat competitiveness → Company norms helped lead to the ethical lapses that eventually sank the firm into bankruptcy

Power Distance (Approaching Authority: Directly or Indirectly?)

Concept of how culture approaches authority

Multidimensional Approach

Concept that using any single training approach is not as effective as is using an approach which attempts to combine cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of training

Views on Obligation & Indebtedness

Connected with a culture's preference for Individualism or Collectivism

Social Alienation

Cultivate friendships with persons from home and host cultures; include host nationals in social events

High Power Distance

Culture where you use one or several intermediaries or representatives to address your boss - Indirectly

Personal Life of the Individual: Public or Private?

Cultures view the connection (or lack of) between work life and personal life differently

Uncertainty (Iris Varner & Linda Beamer)

Does not involve a specifically identifiable loss

Comfort with Uncertainty: Specific Individual

Desire to avoid uncertainty can be in sharp contrast to norms within his or her country

The U.S. is an ________ society.

Egalitarian - With hard work, they think that an individual can accomplish anything

Area Training or Simulation Model

Emphasizes affective goals, culture specific content, and experiential processes

Cultural Awareness Model

Emphasizes cultural insight and stresses affective goals and an experiential process

Intellectual or Classroom Model

Involves giving facts about the host country using a variety of instructional methods

Personal Space: Japanese

Especially appreciate a good-sized space between speakers and listeners

Stage 2: Crisis or Disenchantment Period

Excitement has turned to disappointment

What is the "heart" of the Indirect Plan?

Explanation preceding the message's main point

Stage 4: Acceptance or Adaptation Phase

Feel at home in the new culture and become involved in activities of the culture

Stage 5: Re-entry Shock

Follows the stages identified earlier: - Initial euphoria - Crisis or disenchantment - Adjustment - Adaptation

Avoid Using a Monotone Voice (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

For 1 minute a day for 2 weeks: - Read aloud while changing the voice from as high as it can go to as low as it can go - Over and over again

What are companies doing to avoid legal problems?

Forcing employees to add a "not speaking as a company official" note to the end of all emails sent to readers outside the organization

Countries that believe in greatly following Protocol & Form prefer ______.

Formality

Personal Space

From Small to Large 1. Latin Americans 2. Arabs 3. French 4. North Americans 5. Germans 6. Japanese

Roman Numerals in Outline

I: cover your opening: an attention-grabber, your main point, and a brief preview of your main support ideas II-IV: generally explore your main support points that back up your major thesis or subject Last numeral: cover the closing

Syllogistic Reasoning of the Greek Philosopher Aristotle

If one encounters a problem A, then there must be a reason B for why the problem occurred

PowerPoints for International Audiences

Images need to fit well with the norms & expectations of the culture to avoid misunderstandings

"Custo Brasil":

Implies the cost of doing business in Brazil

Change: Negative

In Agrarian cultures: - Cultures focused on farming build static but stable communities b/c people are tied to the land - Change can mean breaking the patterns of the agrarian lifestyle - Prefer to trust old ways and old products - POV → the newest thing on the market may not be that trustworthy

Change: Positive

In the U.S: - Advertising the word "new" usually infers "better" - See progress as positive b/c it will mean accumulated wealth and accomplished goals - Tomorrow will always be better than today - When change is prioritized→ members of a country feel optimistic about the future

"Asian Tigers"

Indonesia

Synthesis (Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits)

Integrates or combines elements of the two cultures, such as combining U.S. dress and that of the Philippines

The Conception Stage (4 Phases of Pre-Alliance Process)

Involved the two CEO's meeting to build trust & respect for each other and their firm's

Risk (Iris Varner & Linda Beamer)

Involves a specific potential loss

The Explanation (5-Step Indirect Plan)

KEY Part: providing a logical explanation - 3-6 sentences at the beginning of the second paragraph - Writers advised to begin with strongest & most positive reasons, then list the rest - Well-written explanation greatly improves the chances of lessening the reader's disappointment

Avoid Having a Tense Edge to Your Voice (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

Larynx Control - Pretend you have a golf ball at the back of your throat - Or drop the jaw like just before a yawn - For 1 minute a day for two weeks, speak or read aloud in a calm, full-throated voice

Individualistic Cultures (Obligation & Indebtedness)

Less comfortable with indebtedness when it comes to personal & business relationships

North America Preference (Doing Tasks Sequentially)

Like to make lists and cross jobs of one by one

Audiences from Japan, China, Korea:

Mainly focus on the eyes when interpreting another's face

Cultures that lean toward Uncertainty-Aversion

May be comfortable with high risk - Specificity involved with risk makes uncertainty avoiders more adventurous - See specifically what might go wrong and then think they will have greater control over the situation

Direct Approach for Bad News in the U.S.

May be the wisest strategy if: - You know the receiver is a very low-context, straightforward personality type (Germans) - If the info cannot be overlooked - When the bad news is relatively insignificant - On some occasions it can show strength & determination - Begin with a little bit of explanation or rationale in the same sentence as the bad news

Social Class and Poverty-Wealth Extremes

Mentors in host culture can be helpful in advising U.S. persons regarding acceptable ways of dealing with poverty-wealth extremes

Neo-Confucianism

Mix of Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucius' teachings that occurred during the Song Dynasty - Years 960-1729

Non-Acceptance (Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits)

Of the host culture; traveler behaves as he/she would in home culture

4 Phases of Pre-Alliance Process

Outline in study by Korine, Asakawa, Gomez (2002): - The Conception - The "Romance" - The Commitment - The Conclusion Stages

Logical to U.S. Perspective, NOT to Other Countries (PowerPoints)

PP Slide about new laundry product might show a series of images moving from left → right across the screen (Soiled shirt → Detergent → Clean shirt) - Pattern is obvious in North America - Not all cultures read from left to right - Middle East from right → left: can lead them to think the detergent is making the shirt dirty

In some Islamic Countries (Perception of Women's Role In Society)

Pakistan, Singapore, Indonesia, & Malaysia - Women DO take part in the professional world - Muslim women hold prime government and corporate spots

Interaction Approach

Participants interact with people in the host country

Russia (Relationship-Oriented Cultures: Time Perceptions)

Patience and having a willingness to outlast the other side is greatly valued

Many Asian & Middle Easterners: (Obligation & Indebtedness)

Perceive strong relationships as ones that involve complex networks of obligation

Root of preference for Hierarchy in Asia:

Philosophy of Chinese Confucianism - Over centuries these ethical guidelines for behavior blended together into what became known as Neo-Confucianism

Traditional Norms for Germans:

Place: - Truthfulness - Bluntness - Directness ABOVE ALL ELSE

Namaste Gesture

Placing the palms together with the fingers pointed toward the chin and bowing the head

When to use an Appreciation Buffer:

Rejection from colleges or jobs - Start with "Thank you"

To alleviate cultural shock, try to see the environment from the perspective of the host nationals:

Replace Golden Rule with Platinum Rule

Uncertainty-Tolerant Cultures:

See rules as more flexible

Basic Outline Format

Roman Numerals: I, II, III Capital Letters: A, B, C Arabic Numbers: 1, 2, 3

Protocol and Form

Rules of etiquette and manners for behavior during business interaction & negotiations

Symbols in the West:

Surprise: :-0 Sadness: :-(

Symbols in the East:

Surprise: o.o Sadness: (;_;)

Symbols on PP Slides (Cultural Differences)

Symbols include objects, plants, shapes, and maps - North American airplane firm designed a map for a slide to show new routes all over Japan - Map forgot to include an important Japanese island - Bothered Japanese audience b/c they care deeply about territorial claims

Westerner Audiences:

Take in the entire face, including the mouth and eye

Re-Synthesis (Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits)

The integration of ideas not found in either culture (U.S. traveler to China chooses to eat neither American nor Chinese food, but prefers Italian)

Addition (Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits)

The person adds the behavior of the host culture when in the presence of nationals but maintains the home culture behavior with others of the same culture

Substitution (Strategies for Coping with a New Culture During Short Visits)

The traveler learns the appropriate responses/behaviors in the host culture and substitutes these responses/behaviors for the ones he/she would ordinarily use in the home culture

Use Illustrators (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

Think of the arms and hands as your primary visual aids

When to use a Compliment Buffer:

To tell a customer there's a delay in shipment - Compliment them about the wise choice they made

Avoid Having a Whispery, Crackly, or Weak Voice (Practice Strategies for Presentations)

Try this exercise: For 1 minute a day for 2 weeks say: "Ha ha ha," or "Ho, ho, ho!" - Can feel the diaphragm muscle being exercised by placing the hand below the ribs

Eye Contact (Improving Nonverbal Language)

Try to briefly look at individuals in different parts of the room

Personal Space: Germans

Typically appreciate an even greater space than North Americans

Preference toward Informality may stem from:

U.S, New, Zealand, Australia→ Anglo-British heritage - These places have had little time (200 years) to establish formal patterns of interaction - These egalitarian countries view protocol as a way to keep people within a specific place in a culture hierarchy (trapped inside a status level)

Power Distance in India Movie

U.S: smaller power distance - Todd and his boss are more informal and somewhat playful India: larger power distance - Workers intimidated to change the workplace w/o talking to Todd first

Pitch (Improving Voice Quality)

Vary the pitch of your voice for emphasis

Overly Careless Language (Legal Problems to Avoid)

When working in the U.S. one should always avoid making statements that could: - Be misunderstood - Damaging to the company - Could convey more information than absolutely necessary - Be wary of documents saved under "Personal or Confidential"- they can still be used in a court of law

Speaking to International Audiences (Presentations)

Wise to consider how certain subtleties of facial expressions do not have the same meaning across cultures

Stage 3: Adjustment Phase

You begin to accept the new culture, try new foods, see the humor in situations