Management - Cultural Communications Assignment

Management - Cultural Communications - Assignment Example U.S. Business Communication Protocols In the United States, when someone is involved in business, there are certain protocols that are expected to be followed. The United States is an individualist society which basically means that individual is more important than the group. Because of this, many businesses are organized so that the individual must do their own work, unless there is a team. Of course, if there is a team, each individual on the team is expected to do their own work. In the United States, time is considered very important and people are expected to be punctual when approaching their jobs and/or meetings. Americans also expect that people who are â€Å"on time† are more reputable than those who are late. They also decide that people who use time well are more reliable and people who can be counted on, then those who do not use time well (â€Å"USA-Language†, n.d.). In most cases, business meets begin with a strong handshake, a smile and saying â€Å"hel lo† and people begin a meeting promptly on time whenever possible. Also, business people are expected to maintain eye contact and first names are used. Business dress can vary depending on where the individual is located, the season, and the industry the individual works within. Also, business cards are exchanged and business cards are carried in a wallet or a purse. Challenges that Protocols Create Across Culture There are many challenges that come into play when Americans interact with other cultures. LeBaron (2003) suggests that mis-communication is very easy to do when people do not understand each other’s differences in four areas: â€Å"Time and space, face and personal responsibly, face and face-saving and nonverbal communication† (p. 2). Time and Space As stated before, time is very important to most Americans and time is synonymous with progress. Americans see a monochromic time approach which makes time linear and focuses on one event or interaction bet ween people or events once at time. In Eastern cultures, as an example, time is fluid and there is no beginning or starting point. They believe in a â€Å"polychonous† system (LeBaron, 2003, p. 3) that one may find that people talk together, all at once, with several conversations going on at the same time. In business, when people are negotiating terms of a contract or conflict arises, people in monochromic time systems can become very impatient if they do not understand polychonous systems (LeBaron, 2003). Fate and Personal Responsibility Many Americans believe that they have the choice of forging their own destinies and they are confident that they can conquer anything. If an individual has something, they perceive as failure, they are often told that they just have to try again. In this environment, â€Å"action, efficacy, and achievement† are more important than anything else (LeBaron, 2003, p. 4). In many other cultures (Native American, Chinese) there can be res pect for everything in the world. In other words, they believe that there is a â€Å"natural order of things† (LeBaron, 2003, p. 4) that needs to be followed. When these two cultures class, the first may see the second as lazy or think they are dishonest. The second person, who believes in a natural order of things, may see the first person as arrogant or pushy. Face and Face Saving Face, according to LeBaron (2003) is often considered as the way that an individual seems