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Understanding Cross Culture Communication

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Denielle Scalisce 05/13/2014
Understanding Cross-Cultural Communications

It’s no secret that communication across many cultures is something that we deal with in every work place. As business environments expand they include various geographic locations and a wide range of cultures. Because of that it is important to be able to understand how to communicate with individuals who speak another language or who rely on different means to reach a common goal. The internet and modern technology have made it very easy for businesses to expand to these cultures and also allow them to communicate with each other as if they were located in the same town. For those who are native English-speakers, it’s seems that English is the most widely used language when trying to reach the widest range of people. Without getting into cultures and sub-cultures, it is most important for people to realize that a basic understanding of cultural diversity is the key to effective cross-culture communications. Without necessarily studying individual cultures and languages in detail, we must all learn how to better communicate with individuals and groups whose first language, or language of choice, does not match our own. Just a basic knowledge about culture and at least something about the language of communication in different countries is important. Take for instance kissing a business associate is not considered appropriate business practice in the U.S., but in Paris, one peck on each cheek is an acceptable greeting. Yet a firm handshake is the acceptable way to greet a business associate in the U.S. Having an understanding of other people’s culture can make the experience between that person much more enjoyable and effective whether it be for business or pleasure purposes. No matter what the reason is cross-cultural communication is a staple in today’s

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