Sep 28

Cultural Profile: Clifford Geertz

Cross Cultural Training, Culture No Comments »

Name: Clifford Geertz
Nationality: US American
Date of birth: 23 August 1926 in San Francisco

Known for: Symbolic Anthropology

Key Publications:

  • The Religion of Java (1960). Chicago, IL: University Chicago Press
  • The Interpretation of Cultures (1973). New York: Basic Books
  • Negara: The Theatre State in 19th Century Bali (1980). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press
  • After the Fact: Two Countries, Four Decades, One Anthropologist (1995). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
  • Available Light: Anthropological Reflections on Philosophical Topics (2000). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press

After his service in the Second World War, Clifford Geertz completed his B.A. in Philosophy in 1950 at Antioch College in Yellow Springs and then his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1956 on social anthropology.

Clifford Geertz was a renowned scholar within the field of symbolic anthropology. Drawing upon the work of linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, symbolic anthropology studies the ways in which signs govern cultural life. Geertz, in particular, focused on the ways in which symbols operate within a culture. Most of his studies were conducted in South Asia and North Africa.

Clifford Geertz is also famous for his Theory of Religion where he describes a religious cult as a cultural system that controls the social system which itself controls individuals. He defended the Thick Description theory which implies that human behaviour must be analysed within a context to be fully understood. This is one reason why all cross cultural awareness training programmes now underline the importance of studying all aspects of culture in order to have a full understanding of its key values and cultural practices and their impact on life in the target country.

Clifford Geertz’s ideas influenced anthropology throughout the 20th century as well as other fields of research like History and Political Sciences. His work can be summarised by this quote from Professor Daniel Pals: “His critics are few, his admirers are legion”.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 24

Positive and Challenging Aspects of Coming Back Home – The Double Edge of Reverse Culture Shock

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector 1 Comment »

In a recent article published in the Telegraph, Annabel Kantaria, a British expat living in Dubai, talked about the delight of coming back home from an international assignment. From the reassurance of being on streets with more disciplined drivers to the joy of seeing the milkman delivering milk bottles every day, Annabel’s joy of being back in the UK is genuine.

Coming back home will often bring with it the joys of comforting things like Annabel’s examples but there are many challenges as well that returning expatriates need to overcome. Re-adapting to their home country after being away for a year or more can be difficult and confusing for former international assignees.

Dubai shao weiwei i1 Positive and Challenging Aspects of Coming Back Home – The Double Edge of Reverse Culture Shock

© istockphoto.com/ Shao Weiwei

Catching up with friends, rediscovering familiar places and enjoying things such as food or weather can be a true joy for international assignees that have been away from home for a while. However, this feeling of joy can be dampened by challenges which often surface after this initial period of uninterrupted bliss.

Developing cultural skills and knowledge before an international assignment is increasingly recognised as a necessity in order to effectively deal with the cultural differences. After an international assignment, however, most people don’t think about the changes or cultural differences they will find on their return home and therefore they don’t do anything to prepare themselves for them.

In fact, most expatriates returning from long term assignments find that the environment they were so familiar with has changed while they’ve been away. This often results in feelings of confusion or frustration when they see that they have missed things during the years of their international assignment.

Simple things like not seeing friends who have moved away or being unable to go to a favourite pub because it no longer exists can have a major impact on returning expatriates. Re-adapting to the cultural habits, traditions and even values in the home country after experiencing a different culture on their assignment can also be challenging and make them feel like a stranger in their own country.

Many returning expatriates also face challenges getting back into their professional life. Former international assignees sometimes find it hard to get recognition for the success they have achieved abroad. Often the skills they have developed by working with other cultures are also underestimated and unappreciated by their manager. The lack of recognition and under appreciation can lead to frustration and hinder the re-adaptation process.

How can returning expatriates cope with these challenges of re-adjusting to their home country after being away for so long? Staying in touch with their friends, families and former colleagues through virtual communication can be a good start to ensure that they are not forgotten. Too often the expression ‘out of sight, out of mind’ holds true for international assignees on an expatriation. Returning home once in a while is another good way to avoid a challenging reverse culture shock.

Professionally, returning expatriates can also assess their skills and discuss the experience they have gained with their manager on a regular basis so they see how they are developing throughout the assignment and are ready to welcome them home and harness their new skills and knowledge.

Communicaid’s cross cultural repatriation training programmes can also help returning expatriates to cope with reverse culture shock and the process of readjusting to their personal and professional life in their home country. Repatriation trainingwill help former expatriates and their family members discover the hidden challenges of coming back home and any aspects of the culture which may have changed since they lived there. Cross cultural training provides excellent opportunities to discuss any specific concerns about coming home and provides a full update on any changes to the home country since leaving.

Staying in touch, returning for home visits and cross cultural repatriation training courses are just some of the key things returning expatriates can do to reduce the impact of reverse culture shock and ensure their experience of coming home is filled with more joyous things like seeing the milkman every morning.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 21

The Shifting Leadership – How to Harness the Benefits of a Multicultural Workforce

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

The appearance of international leaders coming from what Westerners usually call the “emerging countries” is creating new trends in the globalisation phenomenon. Once dominant companies are now being bought by Chinese, Brazilian or Indian companies and managers are increasingly recruited from these and other countries, creating new intercultural challenges.

Business People walking urbancow i1 The Shifting Leadership – How to Harness the Benefits of a Multicultural Workforce

© istockphoto.com/ Urban Cow

 

The merger between Arcelor and Mittal in 2006 is perhaps one of the best examples of this new trend. Arcelor, a powerful western steel company was bought by Mittal, an Indian steel manufacturing consortium owned by the Indian businessman Lakshi Mittal. This transaction faced heavy resistance and the French, Spanish and Belgian governments expressed their opposition alongside most of the Arcelor board members. Guy Dollé, the Chief Executive of Arcelor at the time, even described Mittal as a mere “company of Indians”.

This international merger shows us the difficulty many westerners have in accepting the fact that tomorrow’s decisions makers, managers and leaders will not only be German, British and North American but also increasingly Chinese or Indian. As these new international managers come onto the scene, they will bring with them their own unique cultural values and working practices which can be quite different to what most westerners are used to.

Perceptions of time, orientations toward hierarchy, approaches to decision-making or styles of communication are all elements of business which will be different. For employees of global organisations, having managers from different cultures means they could face intercultural challenges they may not have experienced before. Providing them with intercultural training courses before the new manager takes the role will help them to understand their managers’ style and expectations while it will also improve their ability to adapt to these new working styles. Failure to understand or adapt to another intercultural style may result in misunderstandings, conflict or poor performance.

Managers from countries like China or India coming to manage employees in the UK or Germany will face similar intercultural challenges. Understanding what their teams expect of them and knowing how to motivate, lead and manage them effectively requires a high level of cultural understanding and knowledge. Intercultural training provides managers with specific intercultural strategies and appropriate management tools that will help them achieve success in their different global projects.

Providing international employees and managers access to specific intercultural training programmes like Working Effectively across Culturesor Effective Global Leadership is crucial for global organisations employing multicultural teams or managers from other cultures. Enhancing the intercultural awareness and understanding of employees and their managers will not only reduce cultural misunderstandings and conflict but it will create a good working atmosphere allowing organisations to harness the benefits that their multicultural population brings.

With intercultural training, organisations such as ArcelorMittal can look towards joint ventures or M&As with other cultures more favourably so that Guy Dollé’s quote about the ‘company of Indians’ would instead be seen as a positive force rather than a negative one.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 17

Cultural Awareness Training: Ensuring a Successful Cultural Adaptation

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

An international assignment is always a challenge from both a professional and personal perspective as coping with the differences within the workplace and the personal environment can be difficult.

Statistics show that failed international assignments are mainly related to a lack of adaptation either from the expatriate or his/her family. A failed expatriation can have severe consequences for an organisation and result in a significant loss of money as expatriates can be expensive.

Globe Kasia i Cultural Awareness Training: Ensuring a Successful Cultural Adaptation

© istockphoto.com/ Kasia

Studies suggest that a failed international assignment can cost between$100,000 and $300,000. Failed business or project objectives also indirectly harm the brand image and limit the future business perspectives of the company. Finally, the damage on the expatriates’ morale and performance can also be disastrous, depression and a long lasting loss of confidence can affect them even after they return.

Working habits are one of the main problems encountered by expatriates as they can be fairly different from one country to another. The way people deal with risk, hierarchy, time and decision making processes are different and these differences can hinder an expatriate’s performance. Expatriate cultural programs can increase the understanding of the impact of these differences which will help them to adapt more easily to his/her new environment. Cultural awareness training will also provide expatriates with key insights and practical information about business and social practices in the country.

It is also crucial to assess and understand the expatriates’ main concerns in order to help them to succeed. According to the HSBC Expats Survey results, expatriates are mainly preoccupied with their ability to make friends abroad, socialise and adapt to the local community. They are also concerned about ensuring their partner and family have an enjoyable experience.

All of these challenges can be difficult to overcome without the appropriate and relevant cultural awareness training. Deciphering Chinese or Indian social and business practices and customs is almost impossible without the proper guidance. During an expatriate cultural program, delegates can also benefit from the experience of their trainer who will share anecdotes and first hand testimonies that can help expatriates to foresee what await them in their host culture. Cultural awareness training also helps to break down myths and stereotypes which sometimes lead to false assumptions and cultural insensitivity.

Providing expatriate cultural programs such as Living and Working in India or Living and Working in China can help future expatriates to adapt quickly to their new environment and reduce the risks of failure. The relevant and appropriate strategies and tools they will receive on expatriate cultural program will give them the confidence they need to work effectively in another culture and cope with the specific challenges of their expatriation.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 15

Challenges of Doing Business in Morocco

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

Morocco’s strategic position on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea makes it a key gateway to Southern Europe and North Africa. Morocco’s location, fast growing economy and increasingly modern infrastructures are attracting more and more foreign investment. Understanding Morocco’s unique set of cultural values and attitudes and how they impact business and social culture is extremely important for any organisation doing business in Morocco. The following are some of the key challenges of doing business in Morocco.

Morocco steet scene narvikk i3 Challenges of Doing Business in Morocco

© istockphoto.com/ Narvikk

 

Collectivism
Morocco is known as a highly collectivistic country. When doing business in Morocco this is something that may present a challenge. A traditional Moroccan family is very extended and includes children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. The father tends to work the most to support the whole family and each member of the family has its own specific task to support the families well being.

Importance of Relationships
Directly linked with Moroccan collectivist attitudes, relationships and connections are vital for anyone doing business in Morocco. Suppliers and potential customers are more likely to sign contracts with people they already know and being introduced by agents or third parties can be a shortcut to success. Doing business in Morocco can as a result be more time consuming and frustrating for people coming from a culture which emphasises performance over relationship.

Islam
Islam is practised by an overwhelming majority of Moroccans and has an impact on every aspect of life in Morocco. Foreigners doing business in Morocco should be aware of the dedicated time to prayers or other religious events such as Ramadan when the country’s economic activity and business slows down. Islam also impacts relationships between men and women so female entrepreneurs should be aware of the appropriate behaviour and dress code when doing business in Morocco.

The Concept of Face
The concept of face is really important in Arabic countries and Morocco is no exception. Damaging your counterpart’s dignity or honour and causing him or her to lose face will seriously harm your business opportunities in Morocco. Harsh criticisms, negative feedback or direct confrontation should be avoided at all costs when doing business in Morocco.

Communicaid’s cultural awareness training programmes such as Doing Business in Morocco or Living and Working in Morocco can help you and your organisation to avoid cultural faux pas and key challenges of doing business in Morocco. Tailored cross cultural tools and strategies provided in cross cultural training will ensure more successful communication and interactions when doing business in Morocco.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 14

Cross-Cultural Differences – Chinese Audience Gives Two Thumbs Up

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

A recent survey showed that Chinese and American film reviewers had rather different responses to the same or similar films. Chinese comments were more subtle and kind towards mediocre productions, while American comments were more open and critical. Does this mean that Chinese audiences are more easily satisfied or is this simply a matter of different communication styles? Or perhaps Chinese audiences like different things than American audiences?

Chinese laterns 3 tom hall i1 Cross Cultural Differences – Chinese Audience Gives Two Thumbs Up

© istockphoto.com/ Tom Hall

 

Some argue that this finding could be linked to the distinction between collectivistic and individualistic societies. For example, in a collectivistic culture there is more importance placed on group cohesion and harmony than individual actions and competition. Asian countries in particular reflect this collectivist attitude so they tend to prefer constructing messages in an ambiguous way. This helps them to avoid causing conflict in the group or losing face in case a specific request is ignored or denied.

Conversely, many countries in northern Europe and North America are more individualistic and therefore tend to focus more on the individual and personal achievement. Individualistic cultures tend to value sincerity and openness when communicating, while veering from the subject can be seen as an effort to hide something.

People from individualistic cultures therefore tend to be more open and honest when communicating their preferences, while people from collectivistic countries are more reserved in expressing their views because they are more concerned with maintaining harmony rather than saying exactly what they think. This could explain the different film ratings and comments by Chinese and Americans.

Understanding that different cultures have preferences for different working styles and business values shows the importance of being able to adjust your style when doing business in an international environment. Differences in views and how they get expressed can have significant implications for any organisation that is launching a product in a new market, working on a cross-cultural M&A or implementing a global matrix structure.

Cultural awareness and flexibility should therefore inform not only the business side of your company, but also the marketing research and planning. Sometimes marketing tools like a simple survey might provide you with misleading data if used in a culture where people are not used to or comfortable with expressing their opinions openly.

For instance, when dealing with collectivistic cultures, basing market predictions and strategies on findings from an online poll might give you the wrong perspective and hinder your desired results. cross cultural training courses can provide you with a set of cultural knowledge and tools that will help you make the right decisions and adapt your approach effectively when marketing a service or product in another culture.

Many organisations have successfully adapted their product to suit another market. Kraft, for instance, modified their Oreo cookie recipe to a less sweet formula to accommodate the Chinese taste. Similarly, Tesco’s new CEO Philip Clarke adapted Tesco stores in China to include live fish in big tanks so Chinese customers could pick what they want and be assured of its freshness. These small changes adapted to the expectations and cultural preferences of the market and resulted in a successful product.

Other organisations have been less successful adapting their approach or product to the cultural preferences and expectations of customers in another country. PepsiCola is one example of an organisation who failed to do their research and adapt their product accordingly. When they changed the colour of its vending machines and coolers from deep “Regal” blue to light “Ice” blue in Southeast Asia PepsiCola lost its majority share in the market to Coca Cola. What they failed to realise was that light blue is a colour associated with death and mourning in Southeast Asia so the change did not create the desired effect and in fact hurt their profit.

Failure to understand the culture you operating in can have serious implications on any business. Anyone who wants to ensure that their marketing planning, strategies implementation and business as a whole gets a real thumbs up needs to pay extreme attention to what their international customers expect and want.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 13

Benefits of Doing Business in Morocco

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

The Kingdom of Morocco offers many advantages to foreign investors and entrepreneurs. A popular tourist destination, Morocco is home to magnificent landscapes, warm weather and beautifully preserved architecture and culture. Morocco’s strong tourist industry and flourishing economy is attracting an increasing number of companies doing business in Morocco. Below are some of the key benefits of doing business in Morocco.

Moroccan Tangines Lorna Piche i1 Benefits of Doing Business in Morocco

© istockphoto.com/ Lorna Piche

Proactive Business Climate
With the help of international organisations such as the IMF and the World Bank, Morocco has worked hard to develop its economy over the last few years. The country is now open to the international market and is a major trade partner for France and Spain. Morocco’s GDP steadily rose by almost 4.5% every year since 2000 which is a better result than most European countries. Telecommunications and other IT infrastructures are developing fast and the network in major cities is composed of almost 100% fibre optics links, giving Morocco a modern and innovative edge.

Geographical Location
Morocco shares borders with Algeria, the Western Sahara and the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Morocco’s north coast is on the Mediterranean Sea, a short distance from Spain and France making it easier to access Europe. With approximately 1,835 kilometres (CIA Factbook) of coastline, Morocco is a great location for transnational merchandise fleet. Morocco counts 24 ports which manage for 98% of the country’s external trade.

Increasingly Educated Workforces
King Mohammed VI and his government have made education one of their priorities and deployed strategies to modernise and enhance the quality of education since 2005. Morocco counts several high ranked universities which have developed key partnerships with Canada and European schools. These improvements in the education field create new business opportunities for foreign investors as there is now a more skilled workforce they can rely on when setting up business operations or outsourcing activities to Morocco.

Stable Government
Since the country achieved its independence from France in 1954, Morocco has experienced a long period of peace and stability. Successive administrations since have focused on developing the economy and the welfare of Morocco and its citizens. This stability is reassuring for foreign investors as there is less risk of their investments being jeopardised by a military coup, riots or political uproar.

These benefits of doing business in Morocco as well as many others mean that global organisations can take advantage of this fast developing and ideally located country. Harnessing the benefits, however, requires an understanding of the cultural differences and their impact on the professional environment in Morocco. Communicaid’s cross cultural training programmes such as Living and Working in Morocco or Doing Business in Morocco can help you to adapt quickly to Moroccan business and social culture and allow you to take advantage of the benefits of doing business in Morocco.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 10

Helping the Whole Family to Adapt to a Foreign Country

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

According to the 2010 Global Relocation Trends Survey, only 47% of international assignees had families with children when they went abroad last year. This all time low percentage shows a new trend in international human resources: organisations increasingly prefer to send expatriates with no children for short and long term assignments. This is primarily because the inability of the family to adapt is one of the primary causes of failed international assignments and is one of the main concerns for HR professionals.

Family H Gall i Helping the Whole Family to Adapt to a Foreign Country

© istockphoto.com/ H Gall

Indeed, sending a whole family to a foreign country can represent a huge challenge without the proper preparation. Offering an expatriate cross cultural program to the partner and children can be an excellent way to prepare them for their international experience. By undergoing an expatriate cross cultural program, families can get the insights and understanding they need about the environment, way of life, currency, customs or food in the target country. Increasing their understanding of the visible part of the culture they are going to live in is just one aspect. Training can also make expatriates aware of the core cultural values of the target country that they will need to understand and adapt to.

Deciphering the core cultural values of the target culture can help all family members to cope with culture shock which is one of the greatest challenges they will face and can jeopardise the whole expatriation process. An expatriate cross cultural program can also help them to understand the different communication styles and social etiquette to ensure they can communicate what they need and behave without making any cultural faux pas during their expatriation.

Expatriate cross cultural programs can also provide the partners of international assignees practical tips about finding a job or building their social network. This ensures partners avoid getting bored and feeling disconnected from society which can negatively impact their adaptation to the new country. Getting the children ready is equally important. Expatriate cross cultural programs can help kids to understand the differences they will encounter in their new school while it will also improve their ability to adapt to their new environment and make new friends.

Regardless of where you are going on an international assignment, going through a cross cultural training course is the best way to make sure you enjoy your new life as an expatriate. Cultural training programs can also provide peace of mind to human resource professionals responsible for ensuring the expatriation is a success.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 09

Benefits of Doing Business in Germany

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

Strategically positioned at the heart of Europe and a key player in both the EU and NATO, Germany has the fifth largest economy in the world. Its strongest exporting sectors – chemicals, vehicles, machinery and household goods – set standards of quality and efficiency not just within Europe but globally, making doing business in Germany a priority for international organisations worldwide.

Brandenburg gate Asier Villafranca i Benefits of Doing Business in Germany

© istockphoto.com/ Asier Villafranca

While politically Germany is a federation of regions, each with unique traditions and customs, German business culture is characterised by a set of core drivers that affect business interactions with German nationals in a number of ways.

Task Driven and Fact Focused

German businesspeople will usually prioritise tasks over relationships so the German workforce tends to be very committed, focused and professional. This is evident in the extremely high standard of technology in German flagship companies. When doing business in Germany you and your organisation can count on dealing with highly skilled individuals who will give their best to ensure all objectives and deadlines are met. All aspects of operations undergo careful planning which greatly reduces risk and uncertainty of doing business in Germany. Furthermore, the general preference for hard facts and extremely linear and logical thought processes when making decisions and planning guarantees end products of the highest standard.

Direct Communication Style

German business culture relies on a direct style of communication. As a result, while German businesspeople can be perceived as blunt and possibly rude, when doing business in Germany you will almost always get a prompt and honest answer to your questions. What may be perceived as a direct criticism should be instead seen as a constructive and objective comment, aimed at the project in question rather than the person responsible for it. Meetings, negotiations and other business interactions with German nationals will develop in a straightforward manner. Emphasis is usually placed on reaching a common solution that is at once technically efficient, cost effective and satisfying to all parties involved.

Excellent English Skills

Whatever the position of your German counterpart within the organisation, he or she will most likely be highly proficient in English. This helps eliminate the cross cultural risks of not sharing the same language when doing business in Germany, so global organisations relying on English as an international language can profit from the excellent English skills in Germany. Although they tend to have excellent English skills, your German business counterparts will appreciate you speaking German, particularly if you are selling them your product. As the famous German Chancellor Willy Brandt once said “If I’m selling to you, I speak your language. If I’m buying, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen!”

The benefits of doing business in Germany stem from its strong economy and business sectors, the high level of skills of Germany’s workforce, as well as from the core values of German business culture. If your organisation is doing business in Germany, its success will depend on a sound understanding of these values and on the ability to decipher their influence on business interactions which you can gain through cross cultural awareness training courses and initiatives.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Sep 08

Getting your Expatriates Ready for an International Assignment

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Human Resources 1 Comment »

International organisations recognise the benefits of sending skilled employees overseas to open new offices, win new business, manage local teams, etc. Assuming that employees selected for an expatriation have the skills they need to be efficient in that role can be dangerous. Every culture has a unique set of values and working practices that can be difficult to understand, adapt to and manage if the expatriate does not have the appropriate level of intercultural preparation.

Meeting Neustockimages i1 Getting your Expatriates Ready for an International Assignment

© istockphoto.com/ Neustockimages

Culture shock is probably the first and most important challenge expatriates will encounter when relocating abroad. The different lifestyle, food, language and environment among other things can result in a feeling of culture shock that needs to be considered by both the expatriates and the organisation in order to prevent serious performance issues. The inability to cope with culture shock can result in a failed expatriation which can represent a huge financial loss for any organisation.

Culture also widely influences working practices. Attitudes to time for instance can vary dramatically from one culture to another. Germans tend to consider time as linear and will schedule projects carefully and do their best to follow the project plan or agenda. Indians on the other hand, tend to consider time as circular, meaning they usually don’t plan their actions throughout the day and are likely to do several tasks at a time. Bringing the two cultures together without an expatriate intercultural program before their collaboration can result in frustration and misunderstandings about when things should be completed. Attitudes towards authority, decision making or reward systems are other examples of where working practices can also vary significantly across cultures.

Communication styles are another factor of international working that can greatly differ from one country to another making it difficult at times to decipher your foreign counterpart’s message. Non-verbal communication such as eye contact, touching, smiling or even the distance between people can have totally different meanings depending on your culture. Other elements of communication such as context, accents, acronyms or specific vocabulary (e.g. American vs. British English) can also be obstacles for expatriates communicating across cultures.

Expatriate intercultural programs like Living and Working in Germany can ensure that expatriates have the right knowledge of cultural attitudes and how they impact business practices in other cultures. The importance of expatriate intercultural programsshould not be underestimated as with the right level of intercultural preparation expatriates can avoid cultural conflict, loss of time and failed assignments.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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