Cross- cultural Communication This page intentionally left blank

Training for specific business requirements
Language barriers, different working practices and the lack of cultural 
understanding are major obstacles to uniting the workforce behind 
a common vision … in an increasingly competitive global market place, 
managing cultural differences has to be a corporate imperative, not 
a ‘ nice- to-have’ option. (KPMG, Mergers and Acquisitions Report, 2000)
The above quotation emphasizes the need for business people to undergo 
preparatory training on business practices in the new culture, ideally before 
they begin their foreign assignment. The following are areas that need to 
be covered:
attitude towards time, whether monochronic or polychronic;
regard for authority, age and status;
how decisions are made;
communication styles (direct or indirect);
ways of working (for example, the balance between task, effort and social 
interaction);
notions of time and space (for example, meetings and personal space);
managerial style (authoritarian, informal, formal);
the balance between group demands and the needs of individuals;
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Selection and Preparation for Foreign Assignments 111
attitude towards class, gender and the position of women in business and 
in society in general;
value systems (what is desirable or acceptable in terms of politics, 
economics and the environment);
appropriate use of body language and what is taboo;
importance of ‘face’ (both giving and receiving);
socializing etiquette, gifts, greetings, etc.
Ideally, all preparation prior to departure for an international assignment 
should begin as early as a year or more before the commencement date, so that 
thinking about the new appointment becomes part of a continuous process.