Communication is universal around the world, severely impacts every aspect of people’s lives, and is an integral part of doing business in foreign territories. According to Satterlee (2014), “Individuals and organizations within each culture communicate in manners unique to their culture” (p. 43). Thus, understanding the culture and forms of communication is vital to conducting business around the world efficiently. Spanish is the dominant spoken language in Chile, though locals speak other native languages such as Mapudungun (Kurian, 2017). Additionally, English is another language that is spoken and taught in Chile; the Chileans recognized the underlying benefit of being bilingual as a competitive advantage in the global marketplace (Larenas,
In our world of expanding technology and shrinking geography, people of different cultures have increasing frequency of contact and need for effective communication on a daily basis. Whether through travel, immigration, or international business, having the ability to communicate across many different cultures is an advantage in and of itself. Speaking a different language is an obvious obstacle to intercultural communication, but a greater and more difficult hurdle is to “speak” a different culture. To understand and comprehend and even apply these tiniest
There is a legend that tells after God finished creating the world, He found many things were left over. There were lakes, mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, and a slice of blue ice and a big portion of the oceans. Not wanting to let all of this beauty to go to waste, He gathered it all in a corner of the earth. This place was called Chile.
With a reputed 500 million speakers of Spanish and is the second most studied language after English. It is easy then to realise why there are so many openings for bilinguals who speaks Spanish in today's business world.
Overall, living conditions in Chile have improved tremendously over recent years. However, it is still working to improve the living standards of its people. According to the OECD Better Life Index, “Chile performs well in only a few measures of well-being and ranks low in a large number of topics relative to other countries in the Better Life Index.” (OECD, 2014) However, one of the largest concerns in this area is the large disparity between the wealthy and very poor.
“Chile is a place where God put a little piece of all the rest of the world.” (Traditions). A Chilean native said this when talking of all the culture that has concreted together from different ethnicities coming together in their native country. Chile has a fascinating culture and way of life, and the more you learn of it through studying their heritage, life in cities and rural areas, and domestic life, the more captivating it becomes.
Alberts, Martin and Nakayama (2011) describe communication as “ a transactional process in which people generate meaning through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in in specific contexts, influenced by individual and societal forces and embedded in culture.”(p.7) They then go on to state that intercultural communication “occurs in interactions between people who are culturally different.”(p.122) Cultural differences thus affect many interactions, with the communication process being one.
All of us are part of a society where our culture, traditions and customs making our life styles and also giving us a language and a million of other stuff that create our manner to live. The society makes us part of it or we adopt the society? This is a common question and some people think that our society makes us treat humans like machines, by other hand; some people just accept and make their society part of their life without refusing.
Light conversation before proceeding with business discussion is customary. Personal connections can be crucial in minimizing process and red tape barriers, and relationships can quickly move from formal to personal. Aggressive sales behaviour is not welcomed as Chileans do not like to feel rushed or pressured. Europeans and North Americans may find that business moves slower in Chile. Centralized decision-making is most common, with power residing mostly with upper level management. During conversation, Chileans stand closer than is common in North America. One can expect to be interrupted, which is a sign of interest and enthusiasm. The use of e-mail is less prevalent in Chile than North America.
Business communication is essential in the business world; it may be the key to success. These skills and tools should be learned and taken into practice in the business field. Due to the expanding businesses in today’s world, whether it’s to reduce their cost, or for expansion, many companies have taken their business abroad. Although many or all of us are familiar with America’s way of handling any business issues, it is also necessary that we are aware of other countries’ business communication and etiquettes. Spain is a country that has many important facts and business etiquettes that need to be considered when doing business in Spain. The main fact that should be known is that the predominant language spoken in Spain which is
It will be of great benefit to learn the preferred form of communication of the people we will encounter. Many of us will not have business dealings with those from other countries, but it is important to know that even in our day to day contact that others may perceive our form of communication differently than we intended. We also may perceive others communication in a way other than they intended.
My research is focused on the problems associated with cross-cultural communication and how awareness of culture, language, tradition, and business practices can increase the advantages to globalization. This report will be field specific in
Washington, Okoro and Thomas (2012) have written an analysis of the benefits and challenges of improving intercultural communication in international business. Their article functions as an overview of some key issues, and is fairly well-researched, but ultimately treads no new ground. The article first outlines the case for improved intercultural communication, noting that business is becoming increasingly globalized. As nations come together, there is the risk that ventures and deals could fail as the result of errors in intercultural communication. The authors note, however, that "as businesses begin to appreciate and respect cultural differences, they develop a better understanding of why people act in certain ways, and give them a better understanding on how they should be act while conducting business."
Communication – verbal and otherwise – remains an important dimension of international management, and there are different communication styles, how communication is processed and interpreted, and how culture and language influence communication and miscommunication (Luthans & Doh, 2012).
English today is the most commonly used global language for commerce and it is the main language of the international diplomacy. And maybe the most important for them, it’s the most common language on the internet. Also, the language that integrand
Employers are increasingly searching for multilinguals in order to widen their client pool. Someone who is able to communicate through multiple languages immediately have an advantage over someone who cannot by simply having the ability to communicate with more people. As a result of