Bridging the Culture Gap: A Practical Guide to International Business Communication - Softcover

International, N/A Canning

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0749441704 ISBN 13: 9780749441708

Publisher: Kogan Page, 2004

Synopsis

Praise and Reviews

"As an American who has worked in Europe for the past 3 years, I find Bridging the Culture Gap to be a practical guide for communicating and influencing across cultures. The authors use authentic and engaging anecdotes, which will help readers to understand their own culture, and other`s reactions to it in the context of everyday business."

Gary Kuusisto, Director, European Learning & Development, The Gillette Company

"This book gives you a practical insight into cross-cultural communication in business today, based in part on the Canning team`s deep experience in training over 1,000 managers and specialists in a unique Franco-Japanese adventure. Every International professional should find food for thought in this book."

Francois Foix, Human Resources Coordinator, Renault-Nissan

"Full of real-life examples and practical advice which reflects the experience and skills of its masterful but unpretentious authors."

Andreas Molck-Ude, Head of Africa and Middle East Division, Munich Re

"Canning offers tough and intensive training, but brilliant results. I believe this book will do the same thing for anyone looking for success in cross-cultural business."

Takashi Kashiwagi, Head of Global Regulatory Approvals and Marketing Support, Aventis Japan

As globalization gathers momentum, the contact between business people from other countries is becoming more frequent. The more national boundaries a company crosses, the greater the scope for misunderstanding and conflict. To succeed internationally, it is essential to be able to break the barriers of culture, language and set patterns of thinking.

Bridging the Culture Gap, written by two of Canning's most experienced trainers, is a distillation of many years' work and is based on the real-life business situations of their international clients. You'll find out how to:

interpret the party line

communicate with style

get your message across

play the conversation game

be sensitive to other cultures

mind your manners

avoid the usual faux pas

win the deal

and so much more.

Packed with fascinating cases, cultural awareness scales, communication style tests and practical tips, this lively guide will help anyone - of any nationality - to become a better communicator. Whether you're planning to give a presentation to a cross-cultural group or about to negotiate with an overseas client, Bridging the Culture Gap will ensure that your cultural awareness antennae are well tuned.

About this title

About the Author

Canning International was established in 1965 as one of the first training companies to offer specialist cross-cultural programmes tailored for business. Their trainers and consultants run courses in 41 countries on four continents, such as: Europe, USA, Peru, Botswana, Kuwait, Dubai, Iran, India, Korea and Japan.

Current clients include Aventis, Borealis, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, GlaxoSmithKline, Matsushita, Munich Reinsurance, Nissan, Renault, Samsung, Schnedier and Toshiba.

From the Back Cover

"As an American who has worked in Europe for the past three years, I find Bridging the Culture Gap to be a practical guide for communicating and influencing across cultures. The authors use authentic and engaging
anecdotes, which will help readers to understand their own culture,and others reactions to it in the context of everyday business."

Gary Kuusisto, Director, European Learning & Development,
The Gillette Company

"This book gives you a practical insight into cross-cultural communication in business today, based in part on the Canning team s deep experience in training over 1,000 managers and specialists in a unique Franco-Japanese adventure. Every international professional should find food for thought in this book."

Francois Foix, Human Resources Coordinator, Renault-Nissan

"Full of real-life examples and practical advice which reflects the
experience and skills of its masterful but unpretentious authors."

Andreas Molck-Ude, Head of Africa and Middle East Division, Munich Re

"Canning offers tough and intensive training, but brilliant results.
I believe this book will do the same thing for anyone
looking for success in cross-cultural business."

Takashi Kashiwagi, Head of Global Regulatory Approvals
and Marketing Support, Aventis Japan

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Interpreting the party line

Mission statements; Corporate initiatives; Working rhythms; Communication styles

The harder the global organization tries to present a united front, the greater the scope for conflict and misunderstanding. How can you bridge the gap between HQ and subsidiary?

2 Knowing your place

Handling the hierarchy; Taking responsibility; Monitoring performance; Getting people to play ball

On home ground, an employee usually knows where others fit into the hierarchy, and how they expect to be treated. Abroad, however, it's easy to upset people without realizing it. How can you make sure you're speaking to the right person in the right way?

3 Knowing the limits

Rules, regulations and the laws of the land; Gifts, favours and bribes; Nepotism; Discretion versus dishonesty

In their own culture, most people will have a pretty good idea of what they should or shouldn't do. But, how well do your notions of right and wrong travel?

4 Knowing the form

Greeting people; Making small talk; Playing the conversation game; Choosing what to say and how to say it; Trying to be funny; Avoiding hidden dangers

Good manners are valued by every culture. But how international are the social behaviours you learnt at your mother's knee?

5 Making presentations

Choosing the right style; Finding a concrete context; Speaking with impact

Companies today spend millions on training their managers to make more effective presentations. But will the techniques you learnt at home be equally effective when you go abroad?

6 Making deals

Picking the right people; Thinking about pace and place; Playing the game to win

The success of any deal depends as much on the strength of the relationship as on the clauses in the contract. But negotiating styles vary considerably from culture to culture. What adjustments do you need to make when you're negotiating in the international arena?

7 Knowing yourself

Relationships; Communication; Time; Truth; The meaning of life

Knowing yourself is the first step to knowing others. Where do you fall on the cultural preference scales? And how should you adapt your approach when you meet someone who is at the opposite end of the scale from you?

Edition details

• Publisher: Kogan Page
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0749441704
• ISBN 13: 9780749441708
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192