INTERCULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

This scenario involves two individuals working for the same firm which is a Swedish company. Anders is the South-East Asia regional manager whereas the second individual the manager of the company’s subsidiary in Vietnam. Anders is of Swedish origin whereas the Vietnam subsidiary manager is of Chinese origin. The Swedish parent company has set procurement rules stating that no greater than 30 % proportion of any item may be ordered from the same supplier in addition contractual quotes require to be done or compared from not less than three firms. This is however is not happening since the Chinese manager prefers to only make orders from his family solely devoid of any competitive processes (Carté & Fox, 2008). All the items are ordered from the same supplier; this is in contrast with the company’s guidelines. The regional manager is in shock with the conduct of the Chinese manager’s actions. The two individuals are from dissimilar cultures; the two cultures consider themselves to be superior on their own way (Black, 2004). The regional manager strongly believes that their culture which is also pegged to the business culture is superior; the western business culture attributes ethics to competitiveness in for instance awarding of contracts.  On the hand the Asian culture ethics are attributed to trading with families as well as the fact that trust is only extended to people known them. for the westernized regional manager the kind of actions depicted by the Chinese manager is are unethical and uncompetitive. Both individuals are in disbelieve of each other’s cultural viewpoints of the other. The Swedish company’s employees are involved in this cross-cultural tussle owing to the failure of the parent company to sensitize their workers with regard to intercultural orientation (Carté & Fox, 2008).

Cross-cultural business ethics deals with moral issues which emerge once firms operate or set up shop in different nations where stakeholders reside in different societies along with where companies’ norms as well as values are impacted by cultural differences.  Numerous multinational have found themselves immersed within a culture shock; they have found themselves in unfamiliar cultural territory (Yamazaki & Kayes, 2004). The Swedish company requires that no greater than 30% of any product should be supplied by a single vendor as well as that quotes require evaluating or assessing between three companies to the least.  This is however contradicts the norms and business culture of the Asian people who majorly operate within their families of individuals from their own culture. According to a majority of the Asian cultures, foreign individuals especially the West cannot be trusted; they are of the suggestion that the west is always business oriented and selfish (Palgrave MacMillan, 2003). This notion prompts to want to carry out business within their own communities. In other words they largely do not do business with unknown people especially those from other cultures. Clearly, Anders being a Swedish may not understand the cultural viewpoint of the Chinese manager. The Chinese manager’s view that he would only make orders or transact with people he knows may look unethical as well as intolerant but in the Asian world that is the norm. Multinational companies are at all times required or advised to acquaint their staff with necessary knowledge regarding culture of the countries they will be posted to operate. This aimed at reducing the cultural shock. According to the Swedish regional manager the acts of the manager within the Vietnam branch is uncompetitive as well as unethical; this clearly an illustration of cross-cultural conflict. Anders lacks intercultural skills necessary to effect the required understanding.  

Anders speaks the rules, regulations of the parent company; he lacks the awareness they are in a different cultural background and that the business decisions, rules and regulations require follow the norms as well as values of the host nations (Alder, 2001).  I suppose that the company has never trained is staff on cross-cultural issues and communication. No one culture is superior to the other; the Chinese businesses are among the best performing firms in the world; this is taking into account their mode of doing business which mostly revolves family lines.  The Chinese Manager is of the view that the contractors he is using cannot get away after they have been awarded the contracts since they are known to him. This depicts the Asian culture which is strongly connected to trust and ethnic values. On the other hand the Western world supports competitive bidding amongst varying number of companies so as to pick the best offer. The offers are pegged to quality, items delivery promptness, reliability as well as prices.   These are two distinct worlds representing dissimilar cultural viewpoints. The Chinese manager is also under shock since he cannot comprehend the reason why he is disallowed to trade with only his family members; this is another viewpoint of the cultural shock. The Swedish company has indeed overlooked the most important element which is cross-cultural training to its staff (Baum, 2007). Though the Chinese manager is not stationed outside his cultural background area he also in a dire need of training. It is imperative that the Swedish company undertakes the cross-cultural and communication training on its staff.  

Intercultural skills at corporate level are required or needed all through the business line as well as during interaction. Indeed cultural differences impact on all company aspects from the formulation of the organization’s mission statement as well as ways in which international subsidiaries will be supervised, the regulations and rules placed for staffs, the procedures involved in business deals negotiation along with formulation of marketing strategies. Within this case both mangers need intercultural skills, which will help them, communicate with people of other cultures (Baumgartner, 1995). Each of the two managers require to know to instilled with the awareness that approaches towards colleagues which work triumphantly at the home nation may not work whilst communication with individuals of other cultures.  Whilst at the local setting each of the managers has a good understanding regarding what is right or wrong, what require or requires too be done. Managers require being equipped with necessary skills to be able to operate and work outside their comfort zones (Vance, 2006).

The internationalization of business or trade is mimicked via personal as professional lives where there exist more opportunities for persons to meet, interrelate   as well as live besides each other with individuals from dissimilar cultural backgrounds  (Black, 2004). A comprehension that culture points to one’s membership regarding particular groups whereby values or norms are learned as well as shared is significant for every encounter. Researchers indicate that communication amongst individuals of dissimilar cultures’ intercultural communication is crucial for the modern business world. The Swedish company fails to realize this crucial fact, its employees lack intercultural communication. Both the managers were at shock when each one of them expressed their viewpoints. Intercultural awareness is viewed as the knowledge as well as attentiveness a person demonstrates regarding variations within cultural conventions along with the capability to behave effectually with respect with the awareness. The Swedish firm requires knowing that to intercultural awareness as well as communication skills   a number of factors must be placed under consideration (Bholanath, 2008).

These include the two parts of cultural approaches namely; the culture-general along with culture-specific. These approaches will assist develop these capabilities. The culture-general technique emphasizes the learning about as well as training with regard to general elements of culture, along with the awareness as well as skills that are transferable through dissimilar cultures (Ferraro, 2005). The actuality the regional manager operates and supervises subsidiaries within many nations he requires to be equipped with the necessary culture general skills as well as awareness, these skills will enable him be able to understand along with communicate with individuals placed across the Asian region. It is clear that the Asian region observes very dissimilar cultures with regard to business techniques as well as communication. Studies have shown that people being recruited and placed in positions that intercultural interaction may be significant must include or incorporate culture-general aspects within their immediate training. Performance of the culture-general training requires being the basis of selection and posting criteria (Black, 2004).

Culture-specific training may be build within culture-general training once the specific location or posting for an assignment has been identified. This form of training should be directed to both the regional manager and the subsidiary manager. To start with the subsidiary manager may most probably be dealing with top managers from the western world; he therefore requires to be trained on the cultural viewpoint as well as communication of the westerners (Black, 2004). This should be in detail since at a particular period this Chinese manger might be posted outside Asia. Secondly the regional manger requires in depth culture-specific training regarding Asian cultures, this is for the reason that he is required to analyze, communicate as well supervisee all operations within the South-East Asia.  To be able to communicate with all managers within this region and to ensure the success of company operations the culture-specific training is absolutely essential. I suppose that if the manager was equipped with the culture-general as well as culture-specific training he would have better communicated with the subsidiary manager and advice him accordingly. Additionally, the subsidiary manager would have conducted the company’s business in accordance with the laid down regulations if he was acquainted with the necessary intercultural training (Bholanath, 2008).

Operating within the international setting demands capabilities for coping with diverse, as well as complex situations; to be precise people or individuals who possess dissimilar values, backgrounds and believes. The intricacy of international duty or work experiences demands that managers are trained extensively (Black, 2004). The significance of intercultural skills between managers has remained prevalent within the literature owing to the primary discussions regarding expatriate failure.  Described as the international assignee premature return it is viewed as having several precursors. The focus must be on adjustment so that the failure chances are reduced additionally the most capable individuals should be posted to spearhead crucial assignments; these measures taken conflict as well as uncertainty similar to the experienced when the two managers met would not have happened. It might be somewhat true to conclude that both managers were not the best in doing their jobs owing to the kind of interaction they had (Ferraro, 2005). Studies have shown that international managers contact difficulties whilst dealing with people of diverse cultures due to their inability to adjust. Adjustment is deemed as being very critical and that it falls within two elements of anticipatory (whereby individuals are receptive to former international experience as well as cross cultural teaching) along with in-country adjustment.  The above two elements are known to replicate the culture-general as well as culture specific which state there ought to be broad realistic expectations regarding international assignments or work and the cultural viewpoints linked with them to ease managers’ assignments (French, 2007).  

The Swedish company may improve communication across cultures in a number of ways. Firstly, it should acquire cultural awareness through studying varying national cultures in order to improve communication skills all through cultures. This entails training the employees on issues regarding a country’s politics, history, religion as well as psychology (Forster & Johnson, 1996).  This is particularly important since a company must equip the employees with information regarding a nation’s subcultures especially protocol along with business subcultures. I suppose that the regional manager was ill equipped with regards to the business subcultures of the Asian population.  Secondly, the Swedish firm requires studying and establishing the roles of diverse cultures which affect communication along with decision making. Thirdly, require to organize interactive forums whereby staffs can interact outside business lines for a better understanding between each other (French, 2007). The interactions amongst managers are essential since it increases understanding of other individual’s culture and this will improve communication amongst them.   It is apparent the two managers seems to have never met in any forum, as a matter of fact, the regional seemed surprised by the subsidiary’s actions. It is fair to conclude that though the Ander is the South East Asia regional manager,   he is unaware of the cultural composition of the Asian population.  In addition to training the company requires to foster interaction within its employee fraternity in order to enhance intercultural awareness as well as communication skills (Forster, 2000). Researchers have indicated that at times conflicts arise from improper cultural perspectives. For instance the regional manager who is a typical  westerner who are linked with reduced context cultures, are known rushed into negotiations, with an intention to win over the Chinese manager’s high context cultures. Westerners desire to get into business first and are known to value expertise as well as performance. In other words westerners seek to dominate over other cultures. An individual equipped with skills which show that all cultures are equally essential and their viewpoints must be respected deal with situations in a more sensitive manner (Salacuse, 2003).

Global companies ought to constantly seek managers’ proficiency in intercultural communication skills in order to ensure accomplishment in contemporary business environment. Every company must equip its workers with cross cultural knowledge which will arm their employees with adaptation capabilities in varying cultures. The Swedish Company clearly has ill equipped its employees on issues regarding cross cultural understanding and communication. Anders the regional manager and the Chinese manager clearly lack the necessary knowledge of each other cultural; viewpoint as well as communication with regard to business decisions. Multinationals must eradicate the cultural conflict barrier in order of ensuring understanding between its workers which will ultimately translate to more proceeds.  

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