What Is Cross-Cultural Business Communication?

Just like the name suggests, cross-cultural business communication is used in reference to the manner in which business communications occur across cultural borders. Cross-cultural business communication is something that is totally the consequence of globalization and the effect of increasing integration and interactions across cultural borders that have become commonplace as a result. These interactions may be business-oriented or geared toward other personal objectives, but both require the same types of considerations in terms of an acknowledgement of differences in perspectives caused by the inevitable variances inherent in the various cultures. Some of the considerations in cross-cultural business communication include concerns about the differences that are caused by culture, beliefs, law and language.

One of the factors in cross-cultural business communication is the fact that the differences in cultures usually have a direct effect on the manner in which business affairs are carried out by the members of such a community. For example, cultures that do not allow women to have certain rights will also reflect this bias in the business aspect of their dealings, something that businessmen and women from other less repressive cultures would have to understand in order for them to communicate effectively. Since culture is not something that can be changed merely through the operation of a foreign company, the management and staff of such a company would have to look for common grounds on which they and the business partners from those different cultures can meet.

Another consideration in cross-cultural business communication is the manner in which the law of the foreign culture affect the manner in which they conduct their business. This is very important because most times, miscommunications may occur due to the assumption by one party to a business communication that the law in his or her country is also the same in the country of the foreign business partner. One way to avoid this miscommunication is through a conscious effort by a business to study the law and customs in a country before it ventures into that country. Language is also a concern in cross-cultural business communication due to the fact that the language barrier must be surmounted in order for business communication to occur. Some businesses achieve this by hiring interpreters or using translation services as a medium for channeling their communication to the other party, and also for them to decipher what the other party is trying to say.