BUSINESS MEETINGS

ACROSS CULTURES

By: Jamie Westby, Jessica White and Kelly Youngkrantz

Mr. Dorell LeShore (African

American Manager) Introduces everyone using their suffix and last

name. Everyone exchanges business cards and gives a little background of each person’s position

Outline the goal of the meeting

Encourage everyone to work together

Let everyone share their ideas whether

it be vocally or by a prepared outline.Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., &

McDaniel, E.R. “Communication between cultures”

More about Mr. LeShore Watches body language to avoid potential conflicts.

When or if anyone gets to emotional and starts shouting to get his point across, I will have to attempt to calm him down without insulting him

Needs to keep emotions in check and watch body language. Attempt to not use slang or words that have a double meanings. Leave out jokes or sarcasm

Mr. LeShore Cont. Will have to explain to others why their ideas are not

a good one. Ex: Why the company shouldn’t announce and

reward top performers; why alcohol should be avoided (not just for the Muslim employees)

Watch for Mr. Hirata to become silent and not participating in the discussions.

Attempt to make eye contact to Mr. Al-Yassini and Mr. Miller when they are speaking.

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication

between cultures”

More about Mr. LeShore

Keeps notes on agreed ideas. Doesn’t single anyone out that doesn’t agree. May have to follow-up at a different time to get their point of view.

Need to stay impartial and consider everyone’s ideas and not just his. He has to leave the attitude that “I’m the leader so I am right” outside of the meeting.

Mr. Shu Hirata (Japanese Manager)

Greet with a bow May also exchange business cards to show status

First goal of the meeting is to develop a relationship and level of trust They value group consensus

ex. they may get opinions of workers The meeting may continue after business hours in a restaurant or bar

This is to be sure everyone is sure of

what is happening and everyone will

agree in the end Everyone will be given a chance to speak and

give their opinion

Picture acquired from Google images

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication

between cultures”

Japanese A bow greeting is related to

status and rank

Before making group decisions everyone must agree This can take a lot of time

They would listen to ideas in order to create relationships and reach consensus

The meeting may also have an intermediary to keep things running smoothly

Time would not be an issue

Picture acquired from Google Images

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication

between cultures”

Mr. Jim Miller (Caucasian Manager)

Informal greeting at meeting

ex. first name basis; hand shake

Suggests recognizing top performing employees

ex. offer rewards during short ceremony

Expresses excitement about plans & suggests unique ideas to offer competition during the Employee Appreciation Day

ex. engage in games throughout day for a small bonus/prize

Picture acquired from Yahoo! Images

More about Mr. Miller Suggests festivities take place at an informal setting

ex. a local community center or restaurant so employees can eat whatever they choose; alcohol available

Suggests giving out small gifts during the day for employees

ex. small, inexpensive; show appreciation for achievements

Quick to make decisions without thinking them through thoroughly

ex. moves on from one subject of the Appreciation Day to the next before others have the time to consider fully

Tendency to frequently glance at his watch

Americans Express emotions freely,

explaining the excitement about plans

Value recognition of individual achievements, explaining prizes given out to top employees

Engage in competitive activities, explaining suggestions about games

Prefer a more relaxed social setting, explaining the availability of alcohol during the Appreciation Day and not having it held at the company

Will appear to be hurried in a meeting, eager to move on to the next matter and make decisions at a quick pace

Directly state if another member’s ideas are not liked

Avoid eye contact while others express their ideas value time

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication between cultures”

Mr. Khalid Al-Yassini (Saudi Arabian manager)

Greets others with a formal attitude

ex. Extensive handshake (right hand only) and embracement of other male managers; formal titles

Begins with small talk to better connect on a personal level

ex. “how are you?”

Suggests having small appetizers at the Employee Appreciation party

ex. Cheese trays, fruit & vegetables

Believes there should be no alcohol available at party

Picture acquired from Yahoo! Images

More about Mr. Al-Yassini Holds eye contact with other members while they discuss their

suggestions

Remains focused through unbreakable eye contact with another member while explaining suggestions

Takes time to decide on possible plans, no hurry

Expresses emotions to get point across

Suggests no gift-giving at the Appreciation party

May answer calls on his phone during meeting

Arabians

Are more formal in the business context, explaining the use of titles

Perceive the left hand is dirty

Do not appreciate the use of alcohol

Maintain eye contact extensively while talking & listening as a sign of respect and commitment

Take their time with business dealings and decision making, takes time to think suggestions through and decide on plans

Value being expressive with their emotions to convey their messages with emphasis

Believe gifts should be given to the closest of friends, explaining the suggestion for no gift-giving to employees at the party

Believe it is customary to answer calls at any time & is rude not to

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication

between cultures”

Leading a Multicultural Meeting

A leader in a needs to be aware of the cultural differences of people attending the meeting, even when America is the host country

American Egalitarian culture is a minority; where the majority is hierarchical. A leader needs to be aware of ways to avoid insulting the others

Being prepared for the meeting will show everyone that the leader takes the meeting seriously

When a team is successful the leader will still receive recognition in America. This will motivate an American leader to get his team to agree and succeed

Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., & McDaniel, E.R. “Communication

between cultures” Photo acquired from Google images

Leading Arabs are very

emotional when they are speaking. Being aware of this will keep you from misunderstanding it as anger

Japanese are very social and group orientated, but become silent when disagreeing.

Not every culture enjoys being put on the spot and speaking. They may prefer to have something prepared to hand out, instead of having the focus on them.

American jokes are filled with innuendo and sarcasm. They can get lost in translation or insult the culture’s view on politics, women and children. Giving an advance warning to Mr. Miller may also help.

Photo acquired from Google images

Reflection Determining how different cultures behave in a business

context has taught us the importance of learning about cultures and how they conduct business prior to having a successful meeting.

With such a diverse workforce contained of various perspectives and values, we have learned how crucial it is to respect the other cultures in order to avoid offending anyone.

This exercise has been beneficial in that it has helped us experience what a real business meeting today could consist of, and to be aware that everyone has different opinions, suggestions, and ways of doing things based on their culture.