DJomas/Shutterstock. Image Retrieved from: http://discovermagazine.com/2019/july/ewk-body-language
What is communication? Most people think communication is the way you speak, how you speak, the tone of your voice, etc. People aren’t typically aware of body language, facial expressions, posture, eye contact, nonverbal signs, or signals during interactions. To put it in a broader perspective, different cultures, professions, and backgrounds can interpret body language and nonverbal communication differently. I believe that it is important for people to be mindful and aware of the variation of nonverbal communication, especially in this multi-cultural world. I picked this topic to write about because of coming from Asian culture. There were things I learned that were significantly different in the U.S than in Asia.
One of the most interesting nonverbal communication that I find very amusing is in Japan. In Japanese culture, you should eat noodle soup or ramen very loudly at a restaurant as a compliment to the chief. This means that the food was delicious. So eat away, loud slurping sound is highly encouraged in a restaurant in Japan! However, this would be considered rude in the U.S.
Another example, “In western culture, a person who does not maintain good eye contact is regarded das slightly suspect. Those who avoid eye contact are unconsciously considered unfriendly, insecure, untrustworthy, inattentive, and impersonal” (Moran, Abrason & Moran, 2014. Pg. 51) This sounds normal to you, right? However, this is quite the contrary in some other culture. “Japanese children are taught in school to direct their gaze at the regions of their teacher’s Adam’s apple. Japanese Adults lower their eyes when speaking to a superior as a gesture of respect” (Moran, Abrason & Moran, 2014. Pg. 51) There were various examples of cultural differences within International Communication in Chapter Two of this week’s lesson.
Personal space can also be an issue between cultures. According to the article Body language – a minefield for international business people. “Some cultures touch more than others; generally, those who do not mind the invasion of their personal space. The British and Japanese, however, will often apologize if their coat brushes against someone else” (Hurn, 2014.) Knowing the culture and personal boundaries are something to be mindful of during traveling and interacting with other cultures.
In conclusion, I believe it is important for business people is to be aware of their cultural body language. One must understand how it may cause misunderstanding or offend others with a different culture. Being self-aware would help people adjust their communication style to different cultures, especially when conducting International Business.
If this topic intrigues you, here is a link where you can see even more examples of body language and gesture around the world. Thank you for reading.
https://translit.ie/blog/body-language-gestures-across-world/#.XYWlAChKjIU
References:
Hurn, B. J. (2014). Body language – a minefield for international business people. Industrial and Commercial Training, 46(4), 188-193. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1108/ICT-01-2014-0004
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (9th ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Body Language and Gestures across the World and what they mean. (2018, May 8). Retrieved from https://translit.ie/blog/body-language-gestures-across-world/#.XYWlAChKjIU
swh5163 says
Hello Eva,
I found your post very informative. I am looking forward to switching career paths within the next couple months and after reading your post you made me aware of new information that I have never thought about. I have learned over the years about how body language can send out a different message than what was intended but, I learned about that from a one-sided point of view. For example, I was always told to look someone in the eyes when they speak and I assumed that was a “one-size-fits-all strategy”. You can imagine how surprised I was to read that does not mean the same thing everywhere. In the lesson’s commentary, it stated, “you will need to recognize the facts of the situation and adjust your style and methods to fit the people you are working with” (PSU WC, 2019, L. 1, p. 4). Which means before we interact with people from other cultures and backgrounds whether it’s business or personal we need to do our homework and learn what works for that person to make the relationship successful.
Reference:
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2019). OLEAD 410 Lesson 01: Introduction to Leadership in a Global Context. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2008449/modules/items/27026944