READING, COMPREHENSION AND VOCABULARY  PRACTICE

I. Imagine yourself being a business owner of an international company. What difficulties would you face communicating cross-culturally? How would you try to overcome them?

II. Learn the opinion of an expert. Compare the facts given in the text with your own ideas.

 

Cross-Culture Communication in Business

 

By Jeremy Bradley


Large corporations around the world have been experiencing the effects of multiculturalism for many years now, but as the world continues to change and to become more interconnected, small- and medium-sized businesses must also adapt to communicating cross-culturally. Connecting with diverse customers and communicating with many different cultures requires patience and understanding on the part of small business owners.

New Expectations

Technology has made it easier than ever to work with and sell to people who live and work thousands of miles away and who are members of diverse cultures. As such, your expectations about doing business as a business owner must change to meet new expectations. If you are a native English speaker you already have a distinct advantage, as English is quickly becoming the global language; however, this doesn't mean that you are immune from understanding the unique cultural experiences of those you're doing business with. Cross-culture communication in business is as much about understanding the norms and customs of another culture as it is about knowing the business terms or language requirements of your new-found business prospects. In this light, cross-culture communication is concerned with how well you're able to make your contacts across the world feel comfortable, accepted as individuals and welcome in your business.

Cultural Diversity

Cultures, like people themselves, are ever-changing. As A.J. Schuler notes: “The pace of change is accelerated when cultures that reinforce different styles of communication, and which accent different binding customs and values, interact with each other.” Embracing diversity is, therefore, an important part of cross-culture communication in small business. Businesses that have traditionally served one or a few particular demographics are now able to potentially reach customers around the world, but this requires that you are open to embracing diversity in all its forms, including language, community traditions, religious practices and gender and sexuality.

Developing Empathy

With the need to embrace diverse cultures and social practices, small business owners may find it helpful to develop a sense of empathy toward those they are working with and selling their products or services to. As a business owner looking to engage in cross-culture communication, you should remember that there is often more diversity within a given demographic than is at first readily apparent. You may perceive all customers within the United Kingdom, for instance, to be similar in buying patterns or social habits. It is important to remember, however, that each and every population is just as diverse within itself as it is between itself and another culture. People from the United Kingdom are just as racially, ethnically and socially diverse as people from the United States. Developing a sense of empathy or concern for people as individuals as opposed to thinking of them as members of a group helps you to meet people where they are and to make them feel comfortable doing business with you.

Combating Negative Attitudes

Closely related to developing empathy, it is important for businesses to combat negative attitudes in the workplace. This starts with the business owner. Evaluate your own attitudes toward diversity and cross-culture communication. Do you hold any racial insensitivity or unspoken gender norms? If so, you will need to work on overcoming these barriers before you can encourage your staff to be more open-minded and before you will truly be able to connect with customers and business partners in other parts of the world.

 (Taken from: By Jeremy Bradleyhttps://smallbusiness.chron.com/crossculture-communication-businesses)

 

III. Read the following statements. Express your own ideas:

1.     Cross-culture communication in business is as much about understanding the norms and customs of another culture as it is about knowing the business terms or language requirements, isn’t it? Why?

2.     Do you think it is important for a business company to be open to embracing cultural diversity in all its forms, including language, community traditions, religious practices and gender and sexuality?

3.     Do you agree that for small business owners it is helpful to develop a sense of empathy toward those they are working with and selling their products or services to? Why?

4.     Combatting negative attitudes in the workplace is an important part of cross-culture communication. Do you share this opinion?

 

IV. Decide whether the following statements are True (T), False (F) or Not Given (NG) according to the facts presented in the text. Correct the false statements.

1.     Large corporations around the world have been experiencing the effects of multiculturalism for many years now.

2.     Connecting with diverse customers and communicating with many different cultures requires patience and understanding on the part of huge global corporations.

3.     As such, your expectations about doing business as a business owner must not change to meet new expectations.

4.     Cultures, like people themselves, are never-changing.

5.     People from the United Kingdom are just as racially, ethnically and socially diverse as people from Russia.

6.     Closely related to developing empathy, it is important for businesses to combat negative attitudes in the workplace.

7.     Cultural diversity is an opportunity in business because different mindsets can support innovation.

 

V. What makes cross-culture communication in business successful? Look at the following list of tips. Which do you consider to be the most important for success? Put them in order of importance: 1-very important, 10–least   important.

a)     to adapt to communicating cross-culturally

b)    to demonstrate patience and understanding

c)     to be ready to a change to meet new expectations

d)    understanding the norms and customs of another culture

e)     knowing the business terms or language requirements

f)      to speak foreign languages

g)     to develop a sense of empathy

h)    to look for more diversity within a given demographic population

i)       to combat negative attitudes in the workplace

j)       to be more open-minded

 

VI. Match the following words and word-combinations with their definitions:

1)    To be immune

a) the possibility of being successful, especially at work

2)  to find business prospects

b) a possible future customer

3)  pace of change

c) not affected or upset by a particular type of behaviour or emotion

4) to embrace diversity

d) to accept something enthusiastically

5) a sense of empathy

e) to try to stop something unpleasant or harmful from happening or increasing

6) to combat negative attitudes

f) the ability to share someone else's feelings or experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in that person's situation

7) to evaluate

g) to judge or calculate the quality, importance, amount, or value of something

 

VII. Fill in the gaps with the words and word-combinations from Task VI.  

1.     Speaking fluent English doesn't mean that you are (____________) from understanding the unique cultural experiences of those you're doing business with.

2.     (_________________) is an important part of cross-culture communication in small business.

3.     Small business owners may find it helpful to develop (______________) toward those they are working with.

4.     It is important (______________________)for businesses in the workplace.

5.     (_______________) your own attitudes toward diversity and cross-culture communication.