Blagica Angelovska, 11 269

Faculty of Applied Foreign Languages and International Trade

Essay Language and culture in !usiness co""unication
Good and quality communication is the foundation of every successful relationship.
The culture and the language are also essential for good interaction. There are many
benefits which derive from the good and effective communication including the creation
of quality relationships such as: friendships, romantic relationship, business relationship
or parent/children relationships.
We can affect and persuade other minds with the communication. In fact,
communication is considered as the most persuasive tool (Essential of Business
Communication,-McGuffey, p.!
We can impose our opinions, points of views, believes and values influenced by our
culture to other people by simply using the communication. Moreover, with the
communication we can tell the world eactly who we are. The communication is one of
the most personal and forceful way to epress what we thin! about something, which
may not always be the right one. The way we react on certain situation is not a natural
reaction but something that our descendants thought us through our cultural education.
We should not be misleading that our values customs and beliefs are the most important
but on the contrary we should pay attention to respect and understand other opinions and
believes too.
The communication process is inseparable part of the people"s lives which derived from
the need people to understand each other. This process is comple and usually lead to
many misunderstanding and misinterpretation in the past as well as in the present.
Good communications s!ills can be your #irst class tic!et to the business world.
$ccording to many studies and surveys made round the world the communications s!ills
are increasingly significant today not only for the individual"s success but for the
company success too.
Good and "uality communication is essential for #ood interaction and is the foundation
of every successful relationship (Essential of Business Communication,-McGuffey, p.!
Therefore % deliberately choose this topic with the purpose not only to eplain how
important is to !now the person to whom you are co&operating, his culture and language
but also to present my personal eperience wor!ing in an international company.
'oon after % graduated % find myself lost in space. There were no more (o!ing around
with friends and university colleagues, everything was changed and out of the blue %
become an adult. % was standing in the middle of a crossroad and was thin!ing what
should % do with my life now) 'hould % be a translator, a teacher or maybe try to find a
(ob in which % can combine my pleasures: teaching, translating or wor!ing in world
famous international company) *eaching the right decision was necessary.
% have never considered myself as a luc!y person, however the life played a tric!y game
with me and % suppose % was the winner. +nce again the proverb: $Be careful what you
wish %ecause one day it may come true& become real.
% still remember the day when my life completely changed. $n international mining
company from %ndia was interested to invest and re&open the former mine in our town.
,ere is my chance % thought. They will probably need someone who is fluent -nglish
spea!er who is ready to invest in herself and wor! hard in obtaining her desired business
.
carrier. There was no time for thin!ing % !new that % should react immediately so % pic!
up my /0, my recommendations, my diplomas and headed straight in their office. %
didn"t get the (ob straight away. 'everal elimination circles were performed.
% was quite aware that the strong business communication s!ills as well as the first
impression are the !ey for successful carrier. 'o % decided to learn something more about
the %ndian culture and be well prepared during my interview choose my formal dar! suit
and white shirt and % was ready to 1roc' and roll&.
The interview lasted .2 minutes and % was interviewed by a local person. ,ow hard % was
trying for nothing. The .2 minutes were not enough to present all my qualifications.
$ll my concerns disappeared when they contact me and told me that % got the (ob.
When % arrived in the office everything was well prepared but the problems with the
differences in the culture soon begin.
-veryone was so ecited with the arrival of the eecutive manager. +n one hand some
were wondering: ,ow does he loo! li!e) What !ind of person is he) %s he a good
manager) 3oes he wear traditional %ndian clothes) +n the other hand some were
obsessed to leave a great first impression putting too much ma!e up on their faces.
The culture is something that units us but at the same time separates us too.
#ew of the team was aware that the %ndian manager won"t come alone but he will ta!e the
invisible cultural baggage with himself.
We have all been raised learning some strict codes of conduct, rules of behavior and
many lists what is right what is wrong, but none have ever told us that those lists, codes
and rules are different from country to country and they are the ma(or obstacles in
performing intercultural business communication.
The manager was middle age man who at a first glance seemed as a very strict, serious
person. -ven though we epected the traditional clothes to be worn probably the
influence of the long 4ritish ruling has influenced his dressing code. ,e was wearing a
dar! modern suit, white shirt and a tie which suits well. The golden *ole watch and the
scent of the epensive perfume were also part of the great image he was showing.
The newcomer 5the %ndian manager6 was confused when everyone wanted to greet with
him. That was the first 1mista'e& that our hosts did. 'ha!ing hands, hugs and !isses,
smiling faces, saying their first names and some who were saying (amaste 5probably
influenced by the soap operas broadcasted on our Television6 was not only interpreted as
very impolite but also confused him.
The second 1mista'e& that we did was the intrusion of his personal space. ,e was feeling
uncomfortable with everyone standing too close to him and as!ing various questions so
he instinctively drawn bac!.
The manager was overflow with gifts which was also strange to him because in %ndia the
one who give a gift to his boss is someone who is not doing his (ob properly.
The first day at wor! was interesting as well. The three most important words li!e 1than!
you7 and 1please7 were rarely used by the locals, too much laughing, loud tal!s using
Macedonian language were annoying and disrespectful and even impolite because every
conversation and loud laugh was interpreted as ma!ing comments on his physical
appearance or attitude and what is worse laughing out his culture.
The great meeting with the staff was something which confused him as well. 8o one
followed the meeting agenda but on the contrary they were saying their opinions loudly
without respecting the others or even give a chance to the manager to say something.
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:awning, coming late, not turning off their mobiles, lac! of interest in the meeting,
ta!ing pens without as!ing, (ingling !eys, playing with a pen were all signs of lac!ing
seriousness and devotion to wor!.
The manager was quite aware that something must be done immediately if he wanted this
business cooperation to wor! out. With the help of his employees his intention was not to
transform the cowor!ers into %ndians but to find a consensus how this differences can be
beneficial to the both sides.
-very country has a unique culture and he was aware of it. /ommon heritage norms and
values, (oint eperience, believes, and shared learning are components of one culture. ;ed
by his common eperience that the members of one specific culture are thought how to
behave themselves, how to react in some situations, how to dress themselves and which
will be their epected reaction on something which will or will not be in compliance with
their culture he was wondering how to bridge this cultural gap between these two unique
cultures and as!ed for help from his employees.
)Comprehendin# the ver%al and nonver%al meanin#s of a messa#e is difficult even when
communicators are from the same culture. When they come from different cultures,
special sensitivity and s'ills are necessary.)(Essential of Business Communication,-
M.Guffey, pa#e *+!
%n order to bring these two cultures together we find a solution< the more we !now about
our own culture and present it to the others, the more we will respect and appreciate it.
Traveling to another country where you do not spea! the language or not !now anything
about their culture"s values and norms can be tric!y.
,e became aware that in situations li!e this, the only way to get around and try to
understand the people and their culture is doing some researches and find out more about
the country, its culture, norms, values, traditions and people.
,e put much effort to increase mutual cultural !nowledge on Macedonian and %ndian
culture. Many events were made where the %ndian and Macedonian traditional food was
coo!ed and served as well as many %ndian and Macedonian films and music were
watched and listened served as an eample how the !nowledge of mutual cultural
!nowledge can strengthen the team spirit and the operation of company as well.
,e soon became one of the most respected residents in our town, people now greet him
with 8amaste, treat him with home made ra!i(a and invite him and his family in their
homes and treat him with traditional food without using beef. They learned that the cow
is scare animal in his culture so they respect that.
%n this modern fast era we communicate more and more every day. The people who are
interest especially in international business must possess highly developed
communication s!ills.
4ased on everything we have said previously in this essay we determined that is crucial
to !now and respect not only your own culture and tradition but respect and recogni=e the
other culture and tradition too. %f you want to be a successful international businessman
you should be aware that not only suitable education is needed but the awareness and the
!nowledge how a person belonging to another culture thin!, reacts and pay special
attention what may offend and insult them. This awareness and !nowledge should be
mutual.
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