You need to listen to much more than the words in the UK. In the UK however, the British communication culture is very different. If you say something is ‘fine’, then it’s fine. The Dutch are used to being open, frank and honest when giving opinions. Well, it’s all about how different cultures communicate. This along with other communication challenges is really bothering the Dutch national. They can’t understand why they are being told something is fine, to only find out later, it is not fine. However, after handing in the report or making the presentation they discover the manager is not pleased as things are missing. For example, when they prepare a report or a presentation and show it to their manager for feedback they are told, “it’s fine”. This individual really struggles to understand the British. In this example, we have a Dutch national who has recently moved to the UK. This cultural misunderstanding led to an 8-month delay in the signing of the contract.Ģ. The US team had to work hard to repair the damage. For this reason, the team did not say anything at the time. In Chinese culture, people tend to hide their feelings. To add insult to injury he was then told to ‘sit anywhere’ – when, ideally, he should have been given the seat at the head of the table next to the most senior member of the US team. So, when the head of the Chinese delegation was only greeted by a junior member of the team, rather than the most senior, he immediately felt a loss of face. In Chinese culture, hierarchy is really important, whereas in American culture, it's more about equality and displays of hierarchy aren’t culturally comfortable. Well the cultural misunderstanding comes down to a few things. Days later the US team received word that the Chinese felt humiliated and were reconsidering the business relationship. The next day the Chinese delegation left the USA without signing any contract. He asks where he should sit, to which he is told to, “sit where you like”. Upon entering the restaurant, the head of the Chinese delegation is greeted by a junior member of the US team. The evening after the tour, the Americans host the Chinese delegation for a dinner at a local restaurant. Relations have been going well and the Chinese have been invited for a factory tour in anticipation of the contract between the two companies finally being signed. In this example, we have an American company selling high-end technical goods to a potential Chinese buyer. DON'T MISS THE FREE SAMPLE OF OUR CULTURAL AWARENESS COURSE AT THE END! 1.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |