Author Question: List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with ... (Read 68 times)

rachel9 · **on:** Jun 24, 2018

List at least three types of nonverbal differences might you encounter when working with businesspeople from other cultures. Provide at least one example of how these differences might cause misunderstandings in communication.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

While working in a country with a high-context culture, you schedule a meeting with a vendor who lives there. When he shows up 20 minutes after the meeting was supposed to begin, should you take it as a sign of incompetence or disrespect? Explain.

What will be an ideal response?

marict · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 24, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: Nonverbal differences among cultures are particularly evident in terms of how people greet one another, the amount of personal space people expect when conversing, and attitudes toward touching (for example, do people touch each other on the arm to emphasize a point or refrain from touching altogether?). Notable differences can also appear in how facial expressions are interpreted and attitudes toward eye contact, posture, and formality.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: This behavior should not be regarded as a sign of incompetence or disrespect. It simply reflects cultural differences in the treatment of time. Executives in low-context cultures view time as a limited resource and tend to focus on one task during each scheduled period of the day. In high-context cultures, however, time is treated with more flexibility. Building business relationships is more important than meeting deadlines and being punctual. The workday is not expected to follow a rigid, preset schedule. If you respond with frustration or anger to the vendor's late arrival, it could unnecessarily erode your relationship.